JP7626007B2 - Vehicle air conditioning duct structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an air conditioning duct structure for a vehicle.

In a typical vehicle, the air conditioning system is installed in front of the instrument panel at the front of the vehicle, and conditioned air is provided to the passengers through air outlets installed in various places inside the vehicle. For example, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, a rear seat face air outlet 43 is installed behind the center console as an outlet for providing conditioned air to the passengers in the rear seats, and a rear seat foot air outlet 45 is installed at the feet of the rear seats.

In the technology of Patent Document 1, a foot duct (0048) is arranged on the floor of the front seats facing rearward in order to deliver conditioned air to the rear seat foot vents 45. Also, in order to deliver conditioned air to the rear seat face vents 43, it is necessary to arrange a duct (not shown) on the inside of the center console.

JP 2004-243932 A

The foot duct in Patent Document 1 mentioned above may be subjected to the weight of passengers in the front seats, so measures such as increasing the plate thickness or providing a reinforcing shape would normally be required. Furthermore, if the duct is installed on the floor, it will be susceptible to vibrations while driving, so it will also be necessary to attach cushioning material to prevent contact noise. As these measures lead to increased costs and an increase in the weight of the vehicle, the inventors of the present application have come up with the idea of installing the duct for the feet of rear seats on the inside of the center console, and are currently researching and developing it.

However, center consoles are particularly narrow in narrow vehicles such as minicars and compact cars, and in recent years, large display devices are often installed with the adoption of autonomous driving assistance systems, making it difficult to secure space inside and limiting the space available for routing ducts.

In view of these problems, the present invention aims to provide a vehicle air conditioning duct structure that is simple in structure and allows efficient use of the inside of the center console.

In order to solve the above problems, a representative configuration of the vehicle air conditioning duct structure of the present invention is a vehicle air conditioning duct structure that introduces air from an air conditioning system main body mounted on the front side of the vehicle into the rear seats, and is characterized by having a collecting duct that extends from the air conditioning system main body toward the inside of the center console in the center of the passenger compartment, a branch duct that is arranged on the inside of the center console and divides the air from the collecting duct into two or more paths, and an opening/closing mechanism that is provided on at least one of the two or more paths and opens and closes the path.

The present invention makes it possible to provide a vehicle air conditioning duct structure that is simple in structure and allows efficient use of the inside of the center console.

1 is a diagram showing an outline of a vehicle air conditioning duct structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; 2A to 2C are diagrams showing the branch duct of FIG. 1B as viewed from various directions. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of control of the air conditioning airflow flowing through the branch duct in FIG. 1B is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the branch duct 110 of FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of control of the air conditioning airflow flowing through the branch duct in FIG.

The vehicle air conditioning duct structure according to one embodiment of the present invention is an air conditioning duct structure for a vehicle that introduces air from an air conditioning system main body mounted on the front side of the vehicle into the rear seats, and is characterized by having a collection duct that extends from the air conditioning system main body toward the inside of the center console in the center of the vehicle interior, a branch duct that is disposed inside the center console and divides the air from the collection duct into two or more paths, and an opening/closing mechanism that is provided in at least one of the two or more paths and opens and closes the path.

With the above configuration, compared to when the duct for the upper body and the duct for the feet extend separately from the air conditioning system main body toward the rear seats, the path from the air conditioning system main body to the branch duct inside the center console is integrated to save space, making it possible to efficiently use the space from the inside of the instrument panel to the inside of the center console. Also, compared to when the duct is routed to the floor, it is possible to reduce the plate thickness and reinforcing shape and to reduce the amount of cushioning material used, thereby avoiding increases in weight and cost. In particular, by eliminating the need to take measures to increase the plate thickness of the duct, there is no longer any restriction on the size of the duct's inner diameter, making it possible to maintain the air volume.

The branch duct has a central passage connected to the collecting duct, at least one branch passage branching off from the central passage, and a rib provided at the upstream corner of the central passage and the branch passage on the inside of the branch duct, the rib extending from the corner at an angle toward the center of the central passage, and the opening/closing mechanism may be provided downstream of the point in the central passage where the branch passage branches off.

The above ribs allow the conditioned air flowing in from the collective duct to be preferentially guided to the central passage.

The branch duct has a central passage connected to the collecting duct and at least one branch passage branching off from the central passage, the branch passage bends and branches off from the central passage upstream of the central passage, and the opening/closing mechanism may be provided downstream of the point in the central passage where the branch passage branches off.

The above configuration also allows the conditioned air flowing in from the collective duct to be preferentially guided to the central passage.

The branch passages may be provided in pairs on both the left and right sides of the central passage. This configuration makes it possible to ideally realize a branch duct that can split the conditioned air into multiple paths.

The central passage and at least one branch passage may be molded as a single unit. This configuration allows for a branch duct with a simple structure, reduces the number of fittings between the ducts, and prevents a decrease in ventilation efficiency, while simplifying the structure to reduce material costs and simplify the assembly process.

The following describes in detail preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific values shown in the embodiments are merely examples to facilitate understanding of the invention, and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In this specification and drawings, elements that have substantially the same functions and configurations are given the same reference numerals to avoid duplicated explanations, and elements that are not directly related to the present invention are not illustrated.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a vehicle air conditioning duct structure (hereinafter, duct structure 100) according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1(a) is a perspective view of a vehicle in which the duct structure 100 is implemented. Hereinafter, in Figure 1 and all other drawings of the present application, the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle is indicated by arrows F (Forward) and B (Backward), the left and right in the vehicle width direction are indicated by arrows L (Leftward) and R (Rightward), and the top-to-bottom direction of the vehicle are indicated by arrows U (Upward) and D (Downward).

The air conditioning system main body 102 is a device that performs heating, cooling, ventilation, and air conditioning, also known as HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning), and is located in front of the instrument panel (not shown).

The duct structure 100 of this embodiment can introduce air from the air conditioning system main body 102 into the rear seats. In particular, the duct structure 100 uses the space inside the center console 104 to route the duct.

The center console 104 is a structure located in the center of the vehicle width direction, and contains a shift device, drink holders, and display devices. The center console 104 may be integral with the instrument panel, or may be separate from the instrument panel.

The collecting duct 106 is a duct that extends from the air conditioning system main body 102 to the rear of the vehicle. The collecting duct 106 extends from the center of the instrument panel in the vehicle width direction along the center tunnel 108 toward the rear of the vehicle toward the inside of the center console 104 in the center of the passenger compartment. The collecting duct 106 is split into two in the middle to avoid structures such as the shift device provided in the center console 104.

The branch duct 110 is a duct that divides the air from the collecting duct 106 into two or more paths, and is disposed inside the center console 104. The branch duct 110 has a central central passage 112 and a pair of left and right branch passages 114, 116. The central passage 112 guides the conditioned air to a rear louver 118 provided on the rear wall of the center console 104. The branch passages 114, 116 guide the conditioned air to rear foot outlets (not shown) provided near the feet of the passengers in the rear seats.

Figure 1(b) is a perspective view showing the branch duct 110 of Figure 1(a) alone. The branch duct 110 has a three-way structure on the downstream side, and has a central passage 112 in the center and branch passages 114 and 116 that branch off and extend from the central passage 112.

The central passage 112 has an upstream section 112a that bends upward, while the downstream section 112b extends linearly. The opening 120 of the upstream section 112a is connected to the collecting duct 106 (see FIG. 1). The opening 122 of the downstream section 112b is connected directly to the rear louvers 118 of the center console 104 (see FIG. 1) or indirectly to the rear louvers 118 using another duct.

The branch paths 114, 116 are provided in pairs on both the left and right sides as viewed from the central path 112. The branch paths 114, 116 have symmetrical structures on either side of the central path 112. Taking the branch path 114 as an example, the upstream portion 114a of the branch path 114 branches off and extends in a direction perpendicular to the central path 112, while the downstream portion 114b extends and bends so as to be parallel to the central path 112.

Openings 124, 126 of branch passages 114, 116 are connected to other ducts (not shown) and supply conditioned air toward rear foot outlets (not shown) that are provided toward the feet of passengers in the rear seats.

The branch duct 110 is made of resin, and the entire duct, including the central passage 112 and the branch passages 114, 116, is molded as a single unit by blow molding or the like. This configuration allows for a simple structure for the branch duct 110 that can divert conditioned air into multiple paths. For example, compared to a configuration in which the central passage 112 and the branch passages 114, 116 are formed separately and then assembled, the integrally molded configuration can reduce the number of parts that fit together and prevent a decrease in ventilation efficiency. Furthermore, the integrally molded branch duct 110 can reduce the number of parts, reduce material costs, simplify the assembly process, and also lead to weight reduction.

Fig. 2 is a view of the branch duct 110 in Fig. 1(b) viewed from each direction. Fig. 2(a) is a view of the branch duct 110 in Fig. 1 viewed directly facing the downstream opening 122, etc. As can be seen by comparing the opening 122 of the central passage 112 with the openings 124, 126 of the branch passages 114, 116, the central passage 112 has a larger inner diameter than the branch passages 114, 116. However, there is no limit to the ratio of the inner diameters of the central passage 112 and the branch passages 114, 116, and it can be set according to the desired wind force.

Figure 2(b) is a cross-sectional view of the branch duct 110 of Figure 2(a) taken along line A-A. At the branch point between the central passage 112 and the branch passages 114, 116, the branch passages 114, 116 branch off to the left and right at right angles to the central passage 112. However, the angle of the branch passages 114, 116 with respect to the central passage 112 does not need to be limited to a right angle, and a configuration in which they are inclined with respect to the central passage 112 can also be adopted.

Ribs 128, 130 are provided upstream of the branch point between the central passage 112 and the branch passages 114, 116. The ribs 128, 130 are provided to regulate the conditioned air, and are provided inside the branch duct 110 at the upstream corner (corner E1) between the central passage 112 and the branch passages 114 , 116. As described above, the branch duct 110 is integrally molded, and when the installation points of the ribs 128, 130 are viewed from the outside of the branch duct 110 (see FIG. 1(b)), recesses are formed.

The rib 128 extends from the corner E1 between the central passage 112 and the branch passage 114 at an angle toward the center of the central passage 112. If the angle of the rib 128 is too large, it will cause a pressure loss in the air conditioning air flowing through the branch duct 110. As an example, the ribs 128 and 130 are provided at an angle α1 of 15° with respect to the center line C1 of the central passage 112 and with a dimension of 17 mm.

The ribs 128 and 130 divide part of the boundary between the central passage 112 and the branch passages 114 and 116, and can guide the conditioned air flowing in from the collecting duct 106 (see FIG. 1(a)) so that it flows preferentially toward the opening 122 of the central passage 112.

The inner diameter of the downstream section 112b of the central passage 112 is configured to be approximately the same as or slightly larger than the inner diameter of the upstream section 112a. This configuration makes it possible to prevent unintended air flow into the branch passages 114 and 116 when conditioned air flows from the upstream section 112a to the downstream section 112b.

Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of control of the conditioned air flowing through the branch duct 110 in Figure 2 (b). Figure 3 (a) is a diagram showing the rear louvers 118 in an open state. The rear louvers 118 are opening/closing mechanisms provided on the central passage 112 downstream of the point where the branch passage 114 branches off. By operating the rear louvers 118, the duct structure 100 can select a face mode in which the conditioned air is directed toward the upper bodies of the passengers in the rear seats, a foot mode in which the conditioned air is directed toward the feet of the passengers in the rear seats, or a bi-level mode that combines both the face mode and the foot mode.

Figure 3(a) shows the rear louvers 118 in an open state, in the face mode of the conditioned air. In this mode, the rear louvers 118 (see Figure 1(a)) are fully open, allowing the conditioned air to be directed toward the upper bodies of the passengers in the rear seats. At this time, the ribs 128, 130 function properly, preventing the conditioned air from flowing into the branch passages 114, 116.

Figure 3(b) shows the rear louvers 118 in a half-open state, indicating the bi-level mode of conditioned air. In this mode, the rear louvers 118 are half-opened, allowing conditioned air to flow from the rear louvers 118 while increasing the pressure in the central passage 112 to allow conditioned air to flow to the branch passages 114 and 116, which have a relatively low internal pressure. Thus, conditioned air can be provided to the upper bodies of passengers in the rear seats from the rear louvers 118 (see Figure 1(a)), while also being provided to the feet of the passengers from the rear foot outlets (not shown).

Figure 3 (c) shows the rear louvers 118 in a closed state, indicating the foot mode of the conditioned air. In this mode, closing the rear louvers 118 increases the internal pressure of the central passage 112, allowing the conditioned air that has nowhere to go to flow into the branch passages 114, 116, which have a lower internal pressure. As a result, conditioned air can be provided to the feet of passengers in the rear seats from the rear foot air outlet (not shown).

As described above, the duct structure 100 utilizes the ribs 128, 130, making it possible to efficiently control the flow of conditioned air in the three-way central passage 112 and the branch passages 114, 116, even with a simple configuration in which the rear louvers 118 are provided only in the central passage 112 as an opening and closing mechanism.

According to the duct structure 100 of this embodiment, compared to the case in which the duct for the upper body and the duct for the feet extend separately from the air conditioning system main body 102 toward the rear seats in FIG. 1(a), the path from the air conditioning system main body 102 to the branch duct 110 inside the center console 104 is integrated for the duct for the upper body and the duct for the feet, thereby saving space and making it possible to efficiently use the space from the inside of the instrument panel to the inside of the center console 104.

Furthermore, with this duct structure 100, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the duct plate and the reinforcement shape, and also to reduce the amount of cushioning material used, compared to when the duct is installed in a part of the floor that is easily subjected to loads, so it is possible to avoid increases in weight and costs. In particular, by eliminating the need to take measures to increase the thickness of the duct plate, there is no longer any restriction on the size of the duct's inner diameter, making it possible to maintain the air volume.

In this embodiment, the branch duct 110 has a configuration in which two branch paths 114, 116 branch off from one central path 112, but this is not limited to the configuration. For example, the branch duct 110 can have a configuration in which one branch path branches off from one central path, or a configuration in which three or more branch paths branch off from one central path.

(Modification)
Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating a modified example (branch duct 140) of the branch duct 110 in Fig. 1(b). Fig. 4(a) is a perspective view of the branch duct 140 corresponding to Fig. 1(b). In Fig. 4 and subsequent figures, the same reference numerals are used for the same components as those already explained in the above embodiment, and thus the explanation of the already mentioned components will be omitted. In the following explanation, components with the same names as those already explained will have the same functions unless otherwise specified, even if they are given different reference numerals.

The branch duct 140 also has one central passage 112 and two branch passages 142, 144. Taking the branch passage 142 as an example, the upstream portion 142a is configured to bend at an acute angle toward the upstream side of the central passage 112. The downstream portion 142b of the branch passage 142 is bent and extends parallel to the central passage 112. The openings 146, 148 of the branch passages 142, 144 are connected to the rear foot air outlet via another duct (not shown).

Figure 4(b) is a cross-sectional view of the branch duct 140 corresponding to Figure 2(b). Taking the branch passage 142 as an example, the wall portion of the upstream portion 142a on the upstream side of the central passage 112 is bent with respect to the center line C1 of the central passage 112 so that the angle α2 on the upstream side of the central passage 112 is an acute angle of about 60° (α2 < 90°). In addition, the wall portion of the upstream portion 142a on the downstream side of the central passage 112 is set to be at an obtuse angle (α3 > 90°) with respect to the central passage 112.

With the above configuration, the branch duct 140, like the branch duct 110 having the ribs 128, 130 in FIG. 2(b), makes it difficult for the conditioned air from the collecting duct 106 (see FIG. 1(a)) to flow into the branch passages 142, 144, and can guide the air to flow preferentially toward the opening 122 of the central passage 112.

Note that the turning angle α2 (α2 < 90°) of the branch passage 142 is set to 60° as an example, but is not limited to this angle. Note that if the angle α2 of the branch passage 142 is too small, the pressure loss in the duct increases, and if it is too large, an unexpected flow of conditioned air into the branch passage 142 is formed.

Figure 5 shows an example of controlling the conditioned air flowing through the branch duct 140 in Figure 4(b). Figure 5(a) shows the rear louvers 118 in an open state. Figure 5(a) shows the rear louvers 118 in an open state, in the face mode of the conditioned air. In this mode, by fully opening the rear louvers (see Figure 1(a)), conditioned air can be directed toward the upper bodies of the passengers in the rear seats.

At this time, because the branch passages 142 and 144 are bent at an acute angle upstream from the central passage 112, a certain amount of pressure is required to make the conditioned air flow through the branch passages 142 and 144. As a result, when the opening 122 of the central passage 112 is fully open, the conditioned air does not flow through the branch passages 142 and 144.

Figure 5(b) shows the rear louvers 118 in a half-open state, indicating the bi-level mode of conditioned air. In this mode, the rear louvers 118 are half-opened, allowing conditioned air to flow from the rear louvers 118 while increasing the pressure in the central passage 112 to allow conditioned air to flow to the branch passages 142, 144, which have a relatively low internal pressure. Thus, conditioned air can be provided to the upper bodies of passengers in the rear seats from the rear louvers 118 (see Figure 1(a)), while also being provided to the feet of the passengers from the rear foot outlets (not shown).

Figure 5 (c) shows the rear louvers 118 in a closed state, indicating the foot mode of the conditioned air. In this mode, closing the rear louvers 118 increases the internal pressure of the central passage 112, allowing the conditioned air that has nowhere to go to flow into the branch passages 142, 144, which have a lower internal pressure. As a result, conditioned air can be provided to the feet of passengers in the rear seats from the rear foot air outlets (not shown).

As described above, in the branch duct 140 as well, by folding back the branch passages 142, 144 to the upstream side of the central passage 112, it is possible to efficiently control the flow of conditioned air in the three-way central passage 112 and the branch passages 142, 144, even with a simple configuration in which the rear louvers 118 are provided only in the central passage 112 as an opening/closing mechanism.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the attached drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the examples described. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can come up with various modified or revised examples within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

This invention can be used in vehicle air conditioning duct structures.

100...duct structure, 102...air conditioning system body, 104...center console, 106...collecting duct, 108...center tunnel, 110...branch duct, 112...center passage, 112a...upstream portion, 112b...downstream portion, 114, 116...branch passage, 114a...upstream portion, 114b...downstream portion, 118...rear louver (opening/closing mechanism), 120...opening, 122...opening, 124...opening, 128, 130...rib, E1...corner portion, C1...center line, 140...branch duct, 142...branch passage, 142a...upstream portion, 142b...downstream portion, 146, 148 ...opening

Claims (3)

An air conditioning duct structure for a vehicle that introduces air from an air conditioning system main body mounted on the front side of a vehicle into a rear seat,
a collecting duct extending from the air conditioning system main body toward the inside of a center console in the center of the vehicle interior;
a branch duct arranged inside the center console and configured to divide air from the collecting duct into two or more paths;
an opening/closing mechanism provided in at least one of the two or more paths for opening and closing the path ;
The branch duct is
A central passage connected to the collecting duct;
At least one branch path extending from the central path;
a rib provided at an upstream corner between the central passage and the branch passage on the inside of the branch duct,
The rib extends from the corner toward the center of the central passage at an angle,
The vehicle air conditioning duct structure , wherein the opening and closing mechanism is provided downstream of a point in the central passage where the branch passage branches off . 2. The vehicle air conditioning duct structure according to claim 1 , wherein the branch passages are provided in pairs on both the left and right sides as viewed from the central passage. 3. The vehicle air conditioning duct structure according to claim 1, wherein the central passage and the branch passages are integrally formed.

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