Vehicle air-conditioning apparatus

A vehicle air-conditioning apparatus includes a casing that defines an air passage through which an air flows, and a blower that has a blower fan generating an airflow in the air passage. The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus includes an air-conditioning device that is provided in the air passage, and an air introduction member that introduces an air from a vehicle compartment. The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus further includes an aspirator that is located outside the casing and takes in the air flowing through the air passage as a first air, the aspirator drawing the air from the vehicle compartment as a second air through the air introduction member by using a flow of the first air. A cooling target mounted in the vehicle is cooled by a flow of the air drawn from the vehicle compartment by the aspirator through the air introduction member.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a U.S. National Phase Application under 35 U.S.C. 371 of International Application No. PCT/JP2016/057235 filed on Mar. 8, 2016 and published in Japanese as WO 2016/170862 A1 on Oct. 27, 2016. This application is based on and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-089528 filed on Apr. 24, 2015. The entire disclosures of all of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle air-conditioning apparatus.

BACKGROUND ART

Conventionally, among vehicle air-conditioning apparatuses which includes a cooling heat exchanger that cools air in a casing and a blower that is located downstream of the cooling heat exchanger and blows air to a vehicle compartment, there is a vehicle air-conditioning apparatus having the following configuration. In the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus, a cooling passage, through which an intake port that is open in the vehicle compartment communicates with a space located upstream of the cooling heat exchanger, is defined in the casing, and an electric motor is cooled by a vehicle inside air introduced into the space located upstream of the cooling heat exchanger through the cooling passage. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses such vehicle air-conditioning apparatus.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENT

Patent Document

Patent Document 1: JP 2009-23592 A

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the apparatus disclosed in the above-described Patent Document 1, since the cooling passage for cooling the electric motor of the blower is defined in the casing, a size of the casing may be large.

It may be considered that a cooling fan for cooling the electric motor of the blower is provided to cool the electric motor of the blower. However, when the electric motor is cooled by the cooling fan, the cooling fan and a motor for driving the cooling fan are needed, and accordingly the number of parts may increase and the configurations may be complicated.

In consideration of the above-described points, it is an objective of the present disclosure to provide a vehicle air-conditioning apparatus capable of cooling a cooling target with simple configurations without increasing of the size of the casing.

To achieve the above-described objective, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle air-conditioning apparatus has the following configurations. The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus includes: a casing that defines an air passage through which an air flows; a blower that has a blower fan generating an airflow in the air passage; an air-conditioning device that is provided in the air passage and adjusts a temperature of the air flowing through the air passage; and an air introduction member that introduces an air from a vehicle compartment. The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus further includes an aspirator that is located outside the casing and takes in the air flowing through the air passage as a first air, the aspirator drawing the air from the vehicle compartment as a second air through the air introduction member by using a flow of the first air. A cooling target mounted in the vehicle is cooled by a flow of the air drawn from the vehicle compartment by the aspirator through the air introduction member.

According to this configuration, the cooling target mounted in the vehicle is cooled by the air drawn by the aspirator located outside the casing to passing through the air introduction member. According to such configurations, the cooling target can be cooled with a simple configuration without increasing of the size of the casing.

EMBODIMENTS FOR EXPLOITATION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described referring to drawings. Note that in the respective embodiments below, the same or equivalent parts are indicated by the same reference characters throughout the figures.

First Embodiment

A vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described referring toFIGS. 1, 2.FIG. 1is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating a main structure of the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10according to the present embodiment. InFIG. 1, an inside air temperature sensor40, an aspirator32that generates a flow in an air around the inside air temperature sensor40, for example, are illustrated schematically. InFIG. 1, respective up and down arrows DR1indicate the directions in a vehicle-mounted state where the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10is mounted in a vehicle. That is, both end-arrows DR1shown inFIG. 1denote the up and down directions of the vehicle.

The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10shown inFIG. 1configures a part of a vehicle air conditioner including a compressor and a condenser that are disposed in an engine room of the vehicle. The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10is disposed inside a dashboard, i.e. inside an instrument panel at the foremost portion of the vehicle compartment.

As shown inFIG. 1, the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10includes an air-conditioning case12, an inside/outside air switching door28, an evaporator16, a heater core18, an air-mix door24, a dust-proof filter29, and a blower20, for example. The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10in this embodiment has a suction-type layout in which the blower20is disposed downstream of the evaporator16and the heater core18with respect to a flow of air.

The air-conditioning case12is a resin member that defines an air passage in which the air flows.FIG. 1shows main parts of the entire air-conditioning case12.

In the air-conditioning case12, the inside/outside air switching door28that changes a ratio of an outside air that is an air outside the vehicle compartment to an inside air that is an air inside the vehicle compartment. The inside/outside air switching door28is driven by an electric actuator62, and the electric actuator62is controlled by a control signal outputted from an air-conditioning control unit that is not shown.

The outside air as the air outside the vehicle compartment or the inside air as the air in the vehicle interior is introduced into the air-conditioning case12by the blower20. The outside air or the inside air introduced into the air-conditioning case12flows into the evaporator16through the dust-proof filter29.

The evaporator16is a cooling heat exchanger or a cooler that cools air flowing through the air-conditioning case12. The evaporator16is accommodated in the air-conditioning case12and disposed to receive the inflow of the outside air or the inside air introduced into the air-conditioning case12. The evaporator16configures a known refrigeration cycle device for circulation of a refrigerant together with a compressor, a condenser, and an expansion valve that are not shown. The evaporator16cools the air passing through the evaporator16by evaporation of the refrigerant.

The structure of the evaporator16is substantially the same as that of a known evaporator commonly used in a vehicle air conditioner. Specifically, the evaporator16includes a core portion161that cools the air flowing through the air-conditioning case12by heat exchange, a first header tank portion162disposed at an upper end of the core portion161, and a second header tank portion163disposed at a lower end of the core portion161. The core portion161, the first header tank portion162, and the second header tank portion163are formed of metal with high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum. The core portion161of the evaporator16includes multiple refrigerant tubes, each communicating with the header tank portions162and163and having a flat cross-sectional shape, and multiple corrugated fins formed in a wave shape and disposed between the adjacent refrigerant tubes. Furthermore, the core portion161has a structure in which the refrigerant tubes and the corrugated fins are alternately stacked in the vehicle front-rear direction.

The evaporator16exchanges heat between a low-temperature refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant tubes and air passing through the core portion161, thereby cooling the air. The core portion161is partitioned into multiple fine air passages by the refrigerant tubes and the corrugated fins, so that in the core portion161, the air mainly flows along the thickness direction of the core portion161.

The heater core18is a heating heat exchanger, i.e. a heater, that heats the air flowing out of the evaporator16with an engine coolant, which is hot water. The heater core18is located downstream of the evaporator16in the air-conditioning case12. The evaporator16and the heater core18are air-conditioning devices that adjust a temperature of the air flowing through the air passage in the air-conditioning case.

The structure of the heater core18is substantially the same as that of a known heating heat exchanger commonly used in a vehicle air conditioner. Specifically, the heater core18includes a core portion181, and a first header tank portion182and a second header tank portion183which are respectively disposed at both ends of the core portion181. The core portion181of the heater core18includes multiple hot-water tubes, each communicating with the header tank portions182and183and having a flat cross-sectional shape, and multiple corrugated fins formed in a wave shape and disposed between the adjacent hot-water tubes. Furthermore, the core portion181has a structure in which the hot-water tubes and the corrugated fins are alternately stacked in the vehicle front-rear direction.

The heater core18exchanges heat between a high-temperature engine coolant flowing through the hot-water tubes and the air passing through the core portion181, thereby heating the air. The core portion181is partitioned into multiple fine air passages by the hot-water tubes and the corrugated fins, so that in the core portion181, the air mainly flows along the thickness direction of the core portion181.

The heater core18is spaced apart from the evaporator16and disposed in the air-conditioning case12such that an air outflow surface from which the air passing through the core portion181flows out is disposed in parallel with an air outflow surface from which the air passing through the core portion161of the evaporator16.

The air-mix door24is provided between the heater core18and the evaporator16. The air-mix door24has a rotation door mechanism and is adapted to rotate by an electric actuator that is not shown.

The air-mix door24adjusts, in accordance with its position, a ratio of a flow rate of an air passing through the heater core18to a flow rate of an air passing through a bypass passage125athrough which the air flows above the heater core18to bypass the heater core18in the air-conditioning case12.

The blower20that generates an airflow in the air passage of the air-conditioning case12is located downstream of the heater core18. The blower20includes a blower fan21and an electric motor22. The electric motor22includes a rotation shaft22a, and the blower fan21is fixed to a tip side of the rotation shaft22a.

A fan accommodation portion124for accommodating the blower fan21is formed in the air-conditioning case12, and the blower fan21is accommodated in the fan accommodation portion124. The electric motor22is located outside the air-conditioning case12.

A through-hole128is formed in a bottom surface127of the air-conditioning case12and extends through the bottom surface127. The rotation shaft22ais inserted into the through-hole128, and the electric motor22is fixed to an outside of the air-conditioning case12.

The blower fan21is fixed to the tip side of the rotation shaft22aof the electric motor22in the fan accommodation portion124. The electric motor22drives and rotates the blower fan21, and the electric motor22is controlled by a control signal outputted by the air-conditioning control unit that is not shown.

The blower fan21is a centrifugal multi-blade fan having multiple blades that are arranged around the rotation shaft22aof the electric motor22and not shown, and rotates about the rotation shaft22aof the electric motor22. The blower fan21draws the air from the tip side of the rotation shaft22aof the electric motor22into a radially inner side and blows the air to a radially outer side. The tip side of the rotation shaft22aof the electric motor22is an upper side inFIG. 1.

In the fan accommodation portion124of the air-conditioning case12, an inflow port120through which the blower fan21draws the air, and opening portions121,122through which the air blown by the blower fan21flows out are provided.

The inflow port120is provided on the tip side of the rotation shaft22aof the electric motor22. The tip side of the rotation shaft22aof the electric motor22is the upper side inFIG. 1. The opening portions121,122are provided in a surface of the fan accommodation portion124located radially outside the blower fan21. Specifically, the opening portion121is provided in one lateral surface of the fan accommodation portion124. The opening portion122is provided on a corner portion between the bottom surface127of the air-conditioning case12and the one lateral surface of the fan accommodation portion124in which the opening portion121is provided. The one lateral surface of the fan accommodation portion124is a lateral surface located on a right side inFIG. 1.

A drain hole127athrough which a condensed water generated in the evaporator16is drained is provided in the bottom surface127of the air-conditioning case12. The condensed water is drained out of the air-conditioning case12through the drain hole127a.

The blower fan21blows the air drawn through the intake port120provided on the tip side of the rotation shaft22aof the electric motor22to the opening portions121,122formed in the air-conditioning case12. The tip side of the rotation shaft22aof the electric motor22is the upper side inFIG. 1.

The opening portion121is connected, through a duct defining an air passage, to a face air outlet, a foot air outlet, and a defogger air outlet that are not shown and provided in the vehicle compartment. The opening portion122communicates with an aspirator32through a duct33.

In common vehicles, the aspirator32that draws the inside air is provided. The aspirator32is connected to the inside air temperature sensor40through a hose52, a housing221of the motor22, and a hose51having a bellows shape. The aspirator32draws the inside air, and accordingly an airflow is generated around the inside air temperature sensor40disposed in the vehicle compartment. The aspirator32produces a negative pressure, i.e. a low-pressure condition, by the Venturi effect caused by the air blown by the blower20, and the inside air is drawn by the negative pressure.

The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus mounted in the vehicle decides a blowing temperature of the conditioned air blown into the vehicle compartment based on the temperature of the inside air detected by the inside air temperature sensor40, and performs an air-conditioning control to blow the conditioned air with the blowing temperature.

In the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus of the present embodiment, the electric motor22of the blower20is cooled by using the inside air around the inside air temperature sensor40drawn by the aspirator32. In common vehicles, the inside air temperature sensor40is directly connected to the aspirator32through a hose having a bellows shape. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the housing221of the electric motor22is provided between the inside air temperature sensor40and the aspirator32.

Next, the configurations of the aspirator32and the inside air temperature sensor40, for example, are described with reference toFIG. 2.FIG. 2is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating the main structure of the inside air temperature sensor40, the electric motor22, and the aspirator32.

The inside air temperature sensor40is disposed in a sensor accommodation portion50that is located in the instrument panel of the vehicle compartment. In the sensor accommodation portion50, an opening portion50athat is open in the vehicle compartment and an intake port50bthrough which the inside air is supplied to the aspirator32are provided. The hose51having a bellows shape through which the inside air is introduced into the aspirator32is connected to the intake port50b. Since the inside air temperature sensor40is located separate from the aspirator32, the inside air temperature sensor40is connected to the aspirator32through the hose51having a bellows shape.

The electric motor22of the blower20and the aspirator32are provided on an outer peripheral surface of the air-conditioning case12disposed in the instrument panel of the vehicle. The electric motor22is positioned such that the inside air flowing through the hose51contacts the electric motor22.

The electric motor22includes the resin housing221which accommodates a rotor22battached to the rotation shaft22aof the electric motor22and a stator22cthat generates a rotational moment by interacting with the rotor22b. The housing221has an opening portion222through which the air around the inside air temperature sensor40is drawn and an opening portion223through which the air drawn into the housing221flows out. The opening portion222formed in the housing221of the electric motor22is connected, through the hose51having a bellows shape, to the intake port50bof the sensor accommodation portion50in which the inside air temperature sensor40is provided.

The aspirator32includes a resin nozzle32ahaving a circular cylindrical shape and a cylindrical resin venturi32bhaving a L-shape. The nozzle32aand the venturi32bare bonded by adhesion or the like.

The duct33connected to the opening portion122of the air-conditioning case12is inserted into and fixed to one side of the venturi32bin an airtight manner, and the aspirator32is attached to the air-conditioning case12integrally. In the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus of the present embodiment, the air in the air-conditioning case12is introduced into the venturi32bthrough the duct33. The venturi32bincludes a throttle portion R that throttles the air introduced into the venturi32b. The other side of the venturi32bis open toward an opening space in the instrument panel of the vehicle. The throttle portion R is a minimum diameter portion.

One end of the nozzle32acommunicates with the opening portion222of the housing221of the electric motor22through the hose52, and the other end of the nozzle32ais open at the minimum diameter portion R of the venturi32b. The hose51and the hose52are air introduction members that introducing the inside air into the aspirator32.

When the air is introduced into the venturi32bas indicated by an arrow A, a velocity of the air flowing through the throttle portion R increases, and accordingly a pressure of the air passing through the throttle portion R is decreased due to the Venturi effect. The inside air is drawn as indicated by an arrow B through the nozzle32ato the throttle portion R in which the pressure is decreased.

The aspirator32introduces the air flowing through the air passage of the air-conditioning case12as a first air. The aspirator32draws the air in the vehicle compartment as a second air through the hose51, the housing221of the electric motor22, and the hose52, and the aspirator32discharges the first air and the second air into the opening space in the instrument panel of the vehicle.

Next, actuations of the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus of the present disclosure will be described below. When the blower20is actuated, the outside air that is an air outside the vehicle or the inside air that is an air inside the vehicle is introduced into the air-conditioning case12, in accordance with the position of the inside/outside air switching door28.

Subsequently, the air passes through the dust-proof filter29and is cooled by the evaporator16to be a cool air. The cool air is separated, in accordance with the position of the air-mix door24, into a cool air flowing through a bypass passage125a, which is located above the heater core18and bypasses the heater core18, and a warm air passing through the heater core18to be heated. The cool air and the warm air are joined together on a downstream side of the heater core18.

The cool air and the warm air are mixed to be an air with a predetermined temperature in a confluent region located downstream of the heater core18. Accordingly, the air mixed around the confluent region located downstream of the heater core18can be adjusted to a desired temperature by adjusting a ratio of the cool air to the hot air in accordance with the position of the air-mix door24.

The blower20draws the mixed air on the downstream side of the heater core18through the inflow port120of the fan accommodation portion124and blows out the air to radially outer side. A part of the air blown by the blower20flows through the opening portion121and the duct defining the air passage that is not shown, and flows through the face air outlet, the foot air outlet, and the defogger air outlet that are not shown into the vehicle compartment. The rest part of the air blown by the blower20is introduced into the venturi32bof the aspirator32through the opening portion122and the duct33, as indicated by the arrow A inFIG. 2. At this time, the air passing through the throttle portion R of the venturi32bis decompressed, and the air is drawn from the nozzle32a, as indicated by the arrow B. Accordingly, the inside air around the inside air temperature sensor40is introduced into the housing221of the electric motor22through the hose51, and the air introduced into the housing221is introduced into the venturi32bthrough the hose52and the nozzle32aafter passing through the inside of the housing221.

When the inside air around the inside air temperature sensor40flows through an inside space of the housing221of the electric motor22, the inside air contacts components provided in the housing221, and accordingly the inside air cools the components by heat exchange.

The air introduced into the venturi32bthrough the nozzle32ais discharged toward the opening space in the instrument panel of the vehicle as indicated by an arrow C.

As described above, the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10of the present disclosure includes the air-conditioning case12defining the air passage through which the air flows, the blower20having the blower fan21that generates the airflow in the air passage, and the air-conditioning devices16,18located in the air passage and adjusting the temperature of the air flowing in the air passage. The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10of the present disclosure further includes the hoses51,52through which the inside air is drawn, and the aspirator32located outside the case. The aspirator32introduces the air flowing in the air passage as the first air, and draws the inside air as the second air through the hoses51,52by the flow of the first air. The electric motor22driving the blower fan21is cooled by the inside air drawn by the aspirator32to flow through the hoses51,52.

According to such configurations, the electric motor22that is a cooling target mounted in the vehicle is cooled by the air drawn by the aspirator located outside the case to flow through the hoses51,52. Therefore, the cooling target can be cooled with a simple structure without increase of size of the casing.

Moreover, the inside air temperature sensor40that detects the temperature of the air inside the vehicle is provided in the vehicle compartment, and the aspirator32is configured to draw the air around the inside air temperature sensor40through the hoses51,52. According to such configurations, since the aspirator32drawing the air around the inside air temperature sensor40can be leveraged, the configurations can be simplified, and the cost can be reduced.

In the air-conditioning case12, the opening portion122through which the air flowing through the air passage of the air-conditioning case12is introduced into the aspirator32is located downstream of the blower20. According to this configuration, the air flowing through the air passage in the air-conditioning case12can be introduced into the aspirator32by using the opening portion122that is located downstream of the blower20.

In the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10of the present embodiment, the air in the air-conditioning case12is supplied to the venturi32bthrough the duct33. Therefore, it may be considered that the electric motor22of the blower fan21is cooled by directly contacting the air supplied from the air-conditioning case12through the duct33. In the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10having a suction-type layout as in the present embodiment, since the duct33is located downstream of the evaporator16, a relative humidity of the air supplied through the duct33is high. Accordingly, when the air supplied through the duct33directly contacts the electric motor22of the blower fan21in the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10, a condensed water may occur on the electric motor22.

In contrast, in the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10of the present embodiment, the blower20is located downstream of the air-conditioning devices16,18, and the aspirator32draws the inside air by using the air introduced through the duct33from the air-conditioning case12. In the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10of the present embodiment, the cooling target is cooled by the inside air. Therefore, the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10is capable of cooling the cooling target without generating the condensed water on the cooling target.

Second Embodiment

A vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10of a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described referring toFIG. 3.FIG. 3is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating a main structure of the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10of the present embodiment. InFIG. 3, an inside air temperature sensor40is omitted, but the inside air temperature sensor40is disposed in the sensor accommodation portion50provided in the instrument panel of the vehicle in the present embodiment. As in the first embodiment, the sensor accommodation portion50housing the inside air temperature sensor40is connected to the electronic motor22through the hose51having a bellows shape.

The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10of the above-described first embodiment includes the blower20having one blower fan21, but the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10of the present embodiment includes the blower20having two blower fans21a,21b. The blower20of the present embodiment is configured as a double fan that drives the two blower fans21a,21bby one motor22. The blower fan21ais located in an upper part in the air-conditioning case12, and the blower fan21bis located in a lower part in the air-conditioning case12.

The blower fan21ais fixed to one end of the rotation shaft of the motor22, and the blower fan21bis fixed to the other end of the rotation shaft of the motor22. The blower fan21aand the blower fan21bare rotated about the rotation shaft of the motor22.

The blower fan21amainly draws the air cooled by the evaporator16from one end side (upper side inFIG. 3) of the motor22and blows the air radially outward. In the present embodiment, the air blown by the blower fan21ais sent to the vehicle compartment through the opening portion121aof the air-conditioning case12, the face air outlet, and the defogger air outlet.

The blower fan21bmainly draws the air heated by the heater core18from the other end side of the motor22and blows the air radially outward. In the present embodiment, the air blown by the blower fan21bis sent to the vehicle compartment through the opening portion121bof the air-conditioning case12and the foot air outlet. A part of the air blown by the blower fan21bis introduced into the venturi32bof the aspirator32through the duct33.

When the blower20is driven in the above-described configurations, the outside air that is an air outside the vehicle compartment or the inside air that is an air inside the vehicle compartment is introduced into the air-conditioning case12in accordance with the position of the inside/outside air switching door28.

Subsequently, the air passes through the dust-proof filter29and is cooled by the evaporator16to be a cool air. The cool air is separated into a cool air flowing through the bypass passage125alocated above the heater core and bypassing the heater core18, and a warm air heated by passing through the heater core18, in accordance with the position of the air-mix door24.

The cool air passing through the bypass passage125ais mainly drawn by the blower fan21aand sent to the vehicle compartment by the blower fan21athrough the opening portion121aof the air-conditioning case12, the face air outlet, and the defogger air outlet.

On the other hand, a part of the warm air heated by passing through the heater core18is mainly drawn by the blower fan21band sent to the vehicle compartment by the blower fan21bthrough the opening portion121bof the air-conditioning case12and the foot air outlet.

The rest part of the warm air heated by passing through the heater core18is introduced into the venturi32bof the aspirator32through the duct33, and the air inside the vehicle compartment is drawn from the nozzle32aby Venturi effect, as indicated by an arrow B. That is, the air around the inside air temperature sensor40is introduced into the housing221of the electric motor22through the hose51, and the air introduced into the housing221is introduced into the venturi32bthrough the hose52and the nozzle32aafter passing through the inside space of the housing221.

When the air around the inside air temperature sensor40passes through the inside space of the housing221of the electric motor22, the components disposed in the housing221is cooled by heat exchange.

The air introduced into the venturi32bthrough the nozzle32ais discharged toward the opening space in the instrument panel of the vehicle as indicated by an arrow C.

In the present embodiment, the effects derived from the configuration common to the above-described first embodiment can be obtained similarly to the first embodiment.

In the present embodiment, the space in which the cool air passing through the bypass passage125aand the warm air heated by passing through the heater core18are mixed is located upstream of the blower20. The present disclosure can be used in an air-conditioning unit which has an inside/outside two-layer flow mode. This air-conditioning unit includes an upper space and a lower space in the air-conditioning case12, and the outside air flows in the upper space and the inside air flows in the lower space in the inside/outside two-layer flow mode.

In the present embodiment, a part of the air blown by the blower fan21bis introduced into the venturi32bof the aspirator32through the duct33. A part of the air blown by the blower fan21amay be introduced into the venturi32bof the aspirator32through the duct33.

Third Embodiment

A vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described referring toFIG. 4.FIG. 4is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating a main structure of the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10of the present embodiment.

The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10of the above-described first embodiment has a suction-type layout in which the blower20is located downstream of the evaporator16and the heater core18. In contrast, the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10of the present embodiment has a pushing-type layout in which the blower20is located upstream of the evaporator16and the heater core18.

The air-conditioning case12has the opening portion122through which the air blown by the blower fan21is discharged, and the opening portion122communicates with the aspirator32through the duct33.

In such configurations, when the blower20is actuated, the outside air that is an air outside the vehicle compartment or the inside air that is an air inside the vehicle compartment is introduced into the air-conditioning case12, in accordance with the position of the inside/outside air switching door28.

The blower fan21draws the air introduced into the air-conditioning case12from the tip side of the rotation shaft22aof the electric motor22into a radially inner side, and blows the air radially outward. The air blown by the blower fan21is introduced mainly into the evaporator16. A part of the air blown by the blower fan21is introduced into the venturi32bof the aspirator32from the opening portion122through the duct33, and the air inside the vehicle compartment is drawn from the nozzle32aby the Venturi effect as indicated by the arrow B. That is, the air around the inside air temperature sensor40is introduced into the housing221of the electric motor22through the hose51, and the air introduced into the housing221passes through the inside space of the housing221, and subsequently the air is introduced into the venturi32bthrough the hose52and the nozzle32a. The tip side of the rotation shaft22aof the electric motor22is an upper side inFIG. 4.

When the air around the inside air temperature sensor40passes through the inside space of the housing221of the electric motor22, the air cools components provided in the housing221by heat exchange.

The air introduced into the venturi32bthrough the nozzle32ais discharged toward the opening space in the instrument panel of the vehicle as indicated by the arrow C.

The air introduced into the evaporator16from the blower fan21is cooled by the evaporator16to be a cool air. The cool air is separated, in accordance with the position of the air-mix door24, into a cool air passing through the bypass passage125alocated above the heater core18and bypassing the heater core18, and a warm air heated by passing through the heater core18.

The cool air passing through the bypass passage125ais mainly drawn by the blower fan21a, and subsequently the cool air is sent to the vehicle compartment by the blower fan21athrough the opening portion121aof the air-conditioning case12, the face air opening, and the defogger air outlet.

Fourth Embodiment

A vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference toFIG. 5.FIG. 5is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating a main structure of the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10of the present embodiment.

In the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10of the above-described first embodiment, the blower20is provided on the bottom surface127of the air-conditioning case12. In contrast, the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10of the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the blower20is provided on an upper surface of the air-conditioning case12. The present disclosure can be adopted to such vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10in which the blower20is provided on the upper surface of the air-conditioning case12.

Fifth Embodiment

A vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10according to a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference toFIG. 6.FIG. 6is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating a main structure of the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10of the present embodiment.

In the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10of the above-described first embodiment, the blower20is located downstream of the evaporator16and the heater core18. In contrast, in the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus10of the present embodiment, the blower20is located downstream of the evaporator16and upstream of the heater core18as shown inFIG. 6.

The opening portion122through which the air blown by the blower fan21is discharged is provided in the air-conditioning case12, and the opening portion122communicates with the aspirator32through the duct33.

In this configuration, when the blower20is actuated, the outside air that is an air outside the vehicle compartment or the inside air that is an air inside the vehicle compartment is introduced into the air-conditioning case12, in accordance with the position of the inside/outside air switching door28.

Subsequently, the air passes through the dust-proof filter29and is cooled by the evaporator16to be the cool air.

The blower fan21draws the air, which is introduced into the air-conditioning case12and cooled by the evaporator16, from the tip side of the rotation shaft22aof the electric motor22to radially inner side, and the blower fan21blows the air radially outward. The air blown by the blower fan21is separated into a cool air, which passes through the bypass passage125alocated above the heater core18to bypass the heater core18, and a warm air, which is heated by flowing through the heater core18, in accordance with the position of the air-mix door24. The cool air and the warm air are joined together in a downstream side of the heater core18. The tip side of the rotation shaft22aof the electric motor22is an upper side inFIG. 6.

The cool air and the warm air are mixed in the confluent region located downstream of the heater core18to have a predetermined temperature. Accordingly, the ratio of the cool air to the warm air is adjusted in accordance with the position of the air-mix door24, and the temperature of the mixed air around the confluent region located downstream of the heater core18can be adjusted to be a desired temperature.

The air blown by the blower fan21whose temperature is adjusted is mainly blown out to the vehicle compartment from the face air outlet, the foot air outlet, and the defogger air outlet that are not shown through the opening portion121and the duct defining the air passage that is not shown. The rest part of the air blown by the blower20is introduced into the venturi32bof the aspirator32through the opening portion122and the duct33as indicated by the arrow A inFIG. 6. At this time, the air passing through the throttle portion R of the venturi32bis decompressed, and the air is drawn through the nozzle32aas indicated by the arrow B. According to this, the air inside the vehicle compartment around the inside air temperature sensor40is introduced into the housing221of the electric motor22through the hose51, and the air introduced into the housing221passes through the inside space of the housing221, and subsequently the air is introduced into the venturi32bthrough the hose52and the nozzle32a.

The air around the inside air temperature sensor40contacts components provided inside the housing221when the air passes through the inside of the housing221of the electric motor22, and the components are cooled by heat exchange.

The air introduced into the venturi32bthrough the nozzle32ais discharged toward the opening space in the instrument panel of the vehicle, as indicated by the arrow C.

Other Embodiments

The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it is to be noted that various changes and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art.

(1) In the above-described embodiments, the opening portion122of the air-conditioning case12communicates with the air-conditioning air suction port32cof the aspirator32through the duct33, but the air-conditioning air suction port32cof the aspirator32may be directly connected to the opening portion122of the air-conditioning case12.
(2) In the above-described embodiments, the electric motor22is cooled by introducing, into the housing221of the electric motor22that is the cooling target, the air drawn by the aspirator32. For example, a cooling case70accommodating the electric motor22that is the cooling target may be provided, and the cooling target may be cooled by the air drawn by the aspirator32into the cooling case70, as shown inFIG. 6. According to this configuration, the cooling target can be cooled without changing the shape of the cooling target.
(3) In the above-described embodiments, the electric motor22that actuates the blower fan21and is the cooling target is cooled by the air drawn by the aspirator32. The cooling target is not limited to the electric motor22but may be a navigation device mounted in the vehicle or at least one electric member of a head-up display and a meter.
(4) In the above-described embodiments, the inside air temperature sensor40detecting the temperature of the inside air is provided in the vehicle compartment, and the aspirator32draws the inside air around the inside air temperature sensor40through the hoses51,52. However, in the above-described embodiments, the inside air temperature sensor40detecting the temperature of the inside air may not necessarily be provided in the vehicle compartment.
(5) The blower fan21is provided close to the bottom surface127of the air-conditioning case12in the above-described first embodiment, and the blower fan21is provided on the upper surface of the air-conditioning case12in the above-described fourth embodiment. However, the positions of the blower fan21and the electric motor22are not limited to the above-described embodiments.
(6) In the above-described embodiments, the blower fan21is the centrifugal multi-blades fan. However, the blower fan21is not limited to the centrifugal multi-blades fan, and a sirocco fan may be used as the blower fan21, for example.
(7) In the above-described embodiments, the inside/outside air switching door28is driven by the electric actuator62, but the inside/outside air switching door28may be actuated by a manual operation of occupants.

The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. In the above-described embodiments, it is needless to say that elements constituting the embodiments are not essential except for a case of being explicitly specified to be essential and a case of being considered to be absolutely essential in principle. Even when a factor such as a quantity of elements, a value, an amount, a range is mentioned in the above-described embodiments, it is to be understood that the factor is not limited to a specific value except for a case of being explicitly specified to be necessary and a case of being considered to be absolutely necessary in principle. Even when a feature such as a material forming a member, a shape of a member, a positional relation of members are described in the above-described embodiments, it is to be understood that such feature is not limited to a specific material, shape, positional relation, or the like except for a case of being explicitly specified to be necessary and a case of being considered to be absolutely necessary in principle.