Patent Publication Number: US-2023158862-A1

Title: Vehicular air conditioning system

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a vehicular air conditioning system, and more particularly, a vehicular air conditioning system in which the movement of water from an outdoor air inlet to an indoor air inlet can be limited to reliably prevent the flow of water from the outdoor air inlet into the indoor air inlet and consequently the flow of water from the outdoor air inlet into the vehicle interior. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     As shown in  FIG.  1   , a motor vehicle includes an air conditioning system for cooling and heating a vehicle interior. The air conditioning system includes an intake part  10  that sucks an indoor air or an outdoor air and blows it into the vehicle interior. 
     The intake part  10  is usually installed on the engine room side with respect to a dash panel D. The intake part  10  includes an intake case  12 . The intake case  12  is provided with an indoor air inlet  12   a  and an outdoor air inlet  12   b.  An intake door  14  is installed between the indoor air inlet  12   a  and the outdoor air inlet  12   b.    
     The indoor air inlet  12   a  communicates with the vehicle interior to introduce indoor air, and the outdoor air inlet  12   b  communicates with the vehicle exterior to introduce outdoor air. 
     Typically, the indoor air inlet  12   a  is formed on the side surface portion of the intake case  12  corresponding to the vehicle interior, and the outdoor air inlet  12   b  is formed on the upper surface portion of the intake case  12  corresponding to the vehicle exterior. Therefore, the outdoor air inlet  12   b  is located more upward than the indoor air inlet  12   a  in the gravity direction. 
     The intake door  14  is a dome-shaped door that rotates between the outdoor air inlet  12   b  and the indoor air inlet  12   a  to selectively open the outdoor air inlet  12   b  or the indoor air inlet  12   a.    
     In particular, the intake door  14  blocks the outdoor air inlet  12   b  as it moves toward the upper surface portion of the intake case  12 , and blocks the indoor air inlet  12   a  as it moves toward the side surface portion of the intake case  12 . Therefore, the indoor air inlet  12   a  and the outdoor air inlet  12   b  can be selectively opened to selectively introduce the outdoor air or the indoor air. 
     In addition, the intake part  10  includes an air filter  20  and a blower  22 . The air filter  20  filters foreign substances in the indoor air or the outdoor air introduced through the indoor air inlet  12   a  or the outdoor air inlet  12   b.  The blower  22  sucks the indoor air or the outdoor air through the indoor air inlet  12   a  or the outdoor air inlet  12   b,  and blows the sucked indoor air or outdoor air toward the vehicle interior. 
     However, in such a conventional air conditioning system, it is sometimes the case that external water W, for example, rainwater, is introduced to the outdoor air inlet  12   b.  The water thus introduced may flow into the vehicle interior through the intake door  14  and the inner wall surface of the intake case  12 . 
     In particular, when the intake door  14  is blocking the outdoor air inlet  12   b,  the water W introduced into the outdoor air inlet  12   b  remains on the upper surface of the intake door  14  as it is. In this state, if the intake door  14  is rotated toward the indoor air inlet  12   a  on the side surface portion of the intake case  12 , the water accumulated on the upper surface of the intake door  14  flows toward the indoor air inlet  12   a  and then flows into the vehicle interior. 
     In addition, around the edge of the intake door  14 , as shown in  FIGS.  1  and  2   , a seal  14   a  for sealing a gap between the intake door  14  and the intake case  12  is installed. Since the seal  14   a  is in close contact with the inner wall of the intake case  10 , the water W introduced into the outdoor air inlet  12   b  is not drained into the interior of the intake case  12  and is accumulated on the side surface portion of the intake door  14 . 
     The water W accumulated in this way is infiltrated into the gaps between the seals  14   a  on both sides of the intake door  14  and the door sealing surfaces  12   c  and  12   d  of the intake case  12  corresponding thereto, and is moved toward the indoor air inlet  12   a  located on the lower side in the direction of gravity. The water W thus moved flows into the vehicle interior through the indoor air inlet  12   a.    
     SUMMARY 
     In view of the problems inherent in the related art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicular air conditioning system capable of improving the internal structure to prevent the movement of water from an outdoor air inlet to an indoor air inlet. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicular air conditioning system capable of limiting the movement of water from the outdoor air inlet toward the indoor air inlet when the water is introduced into the outdoor air inlet. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a vehicular air conditioning system capable of preventing the water from flowing from the outdoor air inlet into the vehicle interior through the indoor air inlet. 
     A still further object of the present invention is to provide a vehicular air conditioning system capable of rapidly discharging the water introduced onto the upper surface of an intake door. 
     A yet still further object of the present invention is to provide a vehicular air conditioning system capable of preventing the water from being accumulated on the upper surface of an intake door. 
     An even yet still further object of the present invention is to provide a vehicular air conditioning system capable of preventing the water accumulated on the upper surface of an intake door from flowing into the vehicle interior. 
     In order to achieve these objects, there is provided a vehicular air conditioning system, including: an intake case having an indoor air inlet for introducing an indoor air present in a vehicle interior and an outdoor air inlet for introducing an outdoor air present outside a vehicle; an intake door installed in the intake case to selectively block one of the outdoor air inlet and the indoor air inlet while rotating about a rotation center shaft; and a water blocking part configured to block water flowing into the vehicle interior from the indoor air inlet of the intake case. 
     In the system, the outdoor air inlet may be located more upward than the indoor air inlet in a gravity direction, and the water blocking part may be configured to prevent the water introduced into the outdoor air inlet from flowing into the vehicle interior while moving toward the indoor air inlet. 
     In the system, the water blocking part may include a water storage groove formed in a portion of the intake case below the indoor air inlet in a water passage between the outdoor air inlet and the indoor air inlet, and configured to store the water moving from the outdoor air inlet toward the indoor air inlet. 
     In the system, the water storage groove may be configured to store the water that flows toward a bottom surface of the indoor air inlet when the water accumulated on the upper surface of the intake door flows to the bottom surface of the indoor air inlet during the rotational movement of the intake door. 
     In the system, an outdoor air inlet side door sealing surface and an indoor air inlet side door sealing surface on which the intake door is seated and sealed may be formed on the inner wall surfaces of the intake case, and the water storage groove may be configured to store the water that flows from the outdoor air inlet toward the indoor air inlet along the outdoor air inlet side door sealing surface and the indoor air inlet side door sealing surface of the intake case. 
     The system may further include: a drain passage configured to drain the water collected in the water storage groove. The drain passage may include a drain hole formed to extend from a bottom surface of the water storage groove toward the inner lower side of the intake case to drain the water stored in the water storage groove to the inner lower side of the intake case. 
     According to the vehicular air conditioning system of the present invention, the water moving from the outdoor air inlet to the indoor air inlet is stored and then quickly drained. Therefore, it is possible to limit the movement of water from the outdoor air inlet to the indoor air inlet. 
     In addition, since the movement of water from the outdoor air inlet to the indoor air inlet can be limited, it is possible to reliably prevent the flow of water from the outdoor air inlet into the indoor air inlet and consequently the flow of water from the outdoor air inlet into the vehicle interior. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a side sectional view showing a conventional vehicular air conditioning system. 
         FIG.  2    is a sectional view taken along line II-II in  FIG.  1   , showing the conventional vehicular air conditioning system. 
         FIG.  3    is a side sectional view showing a vehicular air conditioning system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  4    is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in  FIG.  3   , showing the vehicular air conditioning system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  5    is a perspective view showing main features of the vehicular air conditioning system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  6    is a side sectional view showing a vehicular air conditioning system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  7    is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII in  FIG.  6   , showing the vehicular air conditioning system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  8    is a perspective view showing the main features of the vehicular air conditioning system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Preferred embodiments of a vehicular heat management system according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     First Embodiment 
     Prior to describing the features of the vehicular air conditioning system according to the present invention, the vehicular air conditioning system will be briefly described with reference to  FIGS.  3  and  4   . 
     The vehicular air conditioning system includes an intake part  10  that sucks an indoor air or an outdoor air and blows it into the vehicle interior. 
     The intake part  10  is installed on the engine room side with respect to a dash panel D. The intake part  10  includes an intake case  12 . The intake case  12  is provided with an indoor air inlet  12   a  and an outdoor air inlet  12   b.  An intake door  14  is installed between the indoor air inlet  12   a  and the outdoor air inlet  12   b.    
     The indoor air inlet  12   a  communicates with the vehicle interior to introduce an indoor air, and the outdoor air inlet  12   b  communicates with the vehicle exterior to introduce an outdoor air. 
     The indoor air inlet  12   a  is formed on the side surface portion of the intake case  12  corresponding to the vehicle interior, and the outdoor air inlet  12   b  is formed on the upper surface portion of the intake case  12  corresponding to the vehicle exterior. Therefore, the outdoor air inlet  12   b  is located more upward than the indoor air inlet  12   a  in the gravity direction. 
     The intake door  14  is a dome-shaped door that rotates between the outdoor air inlet  12   b  and the indoor air inlet  12   a  to selectively open the outdoor air inlet  12   b  or the indoor air inlet  12   a.    
     In particular, the intake door  14  blocks the outdoor air inlet  12   b  as it moves toward the upper surface portion of the intake case  12 , and blocks the indoor air inlet  12   a  as it moves toward the side surface portion of the intake case  12 . 
     In this regard, the intake door  14  includes side plate portions  16  arranged on both sides and a dome-shaped upper plate portion  18  configured to connect the side plate portions  16 . 
     The side plate portions  16  on both sides have rotation center shafts  16   a  rotatably fitted into the shaft holes  12   e  of the intake case  12 . The side plate portions  16  on both sides assembled in this way are rotated about the rotation center shafts  16   a  to rotate the intake door  14 . 
     The upper plate portion  18  directly blocks the outdoor air inlet  12   b  or the indoor air inlet  12   a.  In particular, the intake door  14  blocks the outdoor air inlet  12   b  as it is erected upward, and blocks the indoor air inlet  12   a  as it lays to the side. 
     Meanwhile, a seal  14   a  is provided around the edges of the side plate portions  16  and the upper plate portion  18 . The seal  14   a  is in close contact with the inner wall of the intake case  12 . In particular, the seal  14   a  is in close contact with the door sealing surface  12   c  on the side of the outdoor air inlet  12   b  side or the door sealing surface  12   d  on the side of the outdoor air inlet  12   b,  which are formed in the intake case  12 . 
     The seal  14   a  hermetically seals a gap between the intake door  14  and the outdoor air inlet  12   b,  or a gap between the intake door  14  and the indoor air inlet  12   a.    
     In addition, the intake part  10  includes an air filter  20  and a blower  22 . The air filter  20  installed on the downstream side of the intake door  14  to filter foreign substances in the indoor air or the outdoor air introduced through the indoor air inlet  12   a  or the outdoor air inlet  12   b.  The blower  22  sucks the indoor air or the outdoor air through the indoor air inlet  12   a  or the outdoor air inlet  12   b,  and blows the sucked indoor air or outdoor air toward the vehicle interior. 
     Next, the features of the vehicular air conditioning system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to  FIGS.  3  to  5   . 
     First, the vehicular air conditioning system according to the present invention includes a water blocking part  30  capable of blocking water flowing into the vehicle interior from the indoor air inlet  12   a  of the intake case  12 . 
     The water blocking part  30  includes a water storage groove  32  formed on the bottom surface  12   a - 1  of the indoor air inlet  12   a  of the intake case  12  facing the vehicle interior. 
     The water storage groove  32  is formed along the width direction of the indoor air inlet  12   a  at a predetermined depth on the water flow path between the outdoor air inlet  12   b  and the indoor air inlet  12   a  of the intake case  12  on the bottom surface  12   a - 1  of the indoor air inlet  12   a  of the intake case  12 . 
     In particular, the water introduced into the outdoor air inlet  12   b  flows toward the bottom surface  12   a - 1  of the indoor air inlet  12   a  through the upper surface of the intake door  14  and the door sealing surfaces  12   c  and  12   d  of the intake case  12  and then flows into the vehicle interior. The water storage groove  32  is formed on the water flow path extending from the outdoor air inlet  12   b  to the indoor air inlet  12   a.    
     Since the water storage groove  32  is formed on the bottom surface  12   a - 1  of the indoor air inlet  12   a,  the water storage groove  32  serves to store the water W moved from the outdoor air inlet  12   b  to the indoor air inlet  12   a  through the upper surface of the intake door  14  and the door sealing surfaces  12   c  and  12   d  of the intake case  12 . 
     In particular, when the water introduced into the outdoor air inlet  12   b  is accumulated on the upper surface of the intake door  14 , the water W is poured onto the bottom surface  12   a - 1  of the indoor air inlet  12   a  during the rotational movement of the intake door  14 . The water storage groove  32  stores the water W poured into the indoor air inlet  12   a.    
     In addition, the water introduced into the outdoor air inlet  12   b  flows into the vehicle interior while moving toward the indoor air inlet  12   a  through the door sealing surfaces  12   c  and  12   d  of the intake case  12 . The water storage groove  32  stores the water W moving from the door sealing surfaces  12   c  and  12   d  to the indoor air inlet  12   a.    
     Therefore, it is possible to prevent the movement of the water from the outdoor air inlet  12   b  to the indoor air inlet  12   a,  thereby preventing the water from flowing from the outdoor air inlet  12   b  into the vehicle interior. 
     Referring again to  FIGS.  3  to  5   , the water blocking part  30  further includes a drain passage  40  capable of draining the water W collected in the water storage groove  32 . 
     The drain passage  40  includes a drain hole  42  formed on the bottom surface  32   a  of the water storage groove  32 . The drain hole  42  is formed to extend from the bottom surface  32   a  of the water storage groove  32  toward the inner lower side of the intake case  12 . The drain hole  42  drains the water W collected in the water storage groove  32  into the intake case  12 . In particular, the water W is drained downward along the inner wall surface of the intake case  12 . 
     Accordingly, the water W drained to the lower portion of the intake case  12  is allowed to flow into the inner passage  12   f  of the intake case  12 , and can move to an evaporator condensate drain hole (not shown) on the downstream side of the inner passage  12   f.  As a result, the water W can be discharged to the outside through the evaporator condensate drain hole. 
     Meanwhile, the drain hole  42  is formed on the bottom surface  32   a  of the water storage groove  32 , and is preferably formed in a part of the bottom surface  32   a  of the water storage groove  32 . In some cases, a plurality of drain holes  42  may be formed at intervals on the bottom surface  32   a  of the water storage groove  32 . 
     In this regard, the bottom surface  32   a  of the water storage groove  32  is inclined downward toward the drain hole  42 . Therefore, the water W stored in the water storage groove  32  can be quickly drained to the drain hole  42 . 
     In addition, the drain hole  42  is preferably formed to extend from the bottom surface  32   a  of the water storage groove  32  toward the inner lower side of the intake case  12  so that the end portion  42   a  of the drain hole  42  faces the lateral edge of the air filter  20  on the downstream side thereof. 
     More preferably, the end portion  42   a  of the drain hole  42  is formed to face the edge band  20   a  of the air filter  20 . In particular, the end portion  42   a  of the drain hole  42  extends toward the underside of the band  20   a  of the air filter  20  so as to be covered by the band  20   a  of the air filter  20 . 
     The reason for adopting this configuration is to ensure that the water W drained from the water storage groove  32  does not flow into the inner filter portion  20   b  of the air filter  20 , and does not obstruct the flow of an air sucked into the inner filter portion  20   b  of the air filter  20 . 
     In particular, the water W drained from the water storage groove  32  may be scattered by the wind pressure of the air sucked into the inner filter portion  20   b  of the air filter  20 . The above configuration can prevent such scattering of the water. 
     Referring again to  FIGS.  3  to  5   , the water blocking part  30  further includes a water blocking wall  50  formed in the intake case  12  between the water storage groove  32  and the indoor air inlet  12   a.    
     The water blocking wall  50  protrudes from the bottom surface  12   a - 1  on the side of the indoor air inlet  12   a  to the indoor air inlet  12   a,  and is formed long along the width direction of the indoor air inlet  12   a.    
     As shown in  FIGS.  3  and  5   , the water blocking wall  50  serves to secondarily block the water W introduced from the outdoor air inlet  12   b  toward the indoor air inlet  12   a  through the water storage groove  32 . 
     Therefore, when excessive water W is introduced from the outdoor air inlet  12   b  or when the motor vehicle is excessively tilted downward toward the rear side, the water blocking wall  50  secondarily blocks the water flowing into the indoor air inlet  12   a  through the water storage groove  32 . As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent the water W from flowing from the indoor air inlet  12   a  toward the vehicle interior. 
     Meanwhile, the water blocking wall  50  protrudes from the bottom surface  12   a - 1  on the side of the indoor air inlet  12   a  toward the indoor air inlet  12   a  and has a structure and height so as not to impede the flow of an air introduced from the vehicle interior to the indoor air inlet  12   a.    
     According to the air conditioner of the first embodiment having such a configuration, the water W moving from the outdoor air inlet  12   b  toward the indoor air inlet  12   a  is stored and then quickly drained. Therefore, it is possible to limit the movement of the water W from the outdoor air inlet  12   b  toward the indoor air inlet  12   a.    
     In addition, since the movement of water from the outdoor air inlet  12   b  to the indoor air inlet  12   a  can be limited, it is possible to reliably prevent the flow of water W from the outdoor air inlet  12   b  into the indoor air inlet  12   a  and consequently the flow of water W from the outdoor air inlet  12   b  into the vehicle interior. 
     Second Embodiment 
     Next, a vehicular air conditioning system according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to  FIGS.  6  to  8   . 
     The vehicular air conditioning system according to the second embodiment includes a drain part  60  capable of draining water introduced onto the upper surface of the intake door  14  to the lower side of the intake case  12 . 
     The drain part  60  includes first drain passages  62  for draining the water flowing onto the upper plate portion  18  of the intake door  14  toward the side plate portions  16 , second drain passages  64  for draining the water drained toward the rotation center shafts  16   a  of the side plate portions  16 , and third drain passages  66  for draining the water drained to the rotation center shafts  16   a  toward the inner wall portions of the intake case  12 . 
     The first drain passages  62  include a plurality of water collection grooves  62   a  for collecting the water introduced into the dome-shaped upper plate portion  18  of the intake door  14  toward both ends of the intake door  14  in the rotational direction, and drain grooves for draining the water collected at both ends of the upper plate portion  18  toward the left and right side plate portions  16 , respectively. 
     The water collection grooves  62   a  are formed to be inclined downward at a predetermined angle from the central portion of the upper plate portion  18  in the rotational direction toward the front and rear ends of the upper plate portion  18  in the rotational direction. The water collection grooves  62   a  formed in this way collect the water introduced onto the upper plate portion  18  to the front and rear ends of the upper plate portion  18 , respectively. 
     The drain grooves  62   b  are formed at the front and rear ends of the upper plate portion  18  in the rotational direction, respectively, and are formed to be inclined downward at a predetermined angle from the central portion of the upper plate portion  18  in the left-right direction toward the side plate portions  18 . The drain grooves  62   b  formed in this way drain the water collected at the front and rear ends of the upper plate portion  18  toward the side plate portions  16 , respectively. 
     The second drain passages  64  are formed to extend from the drain grooves  62   b  of the upper plate portion  18  toward the rotation center shafts  16   a  of the side plate portions  16 . The second drain passages  64  thus formed drain the water on the side of the drain grooves  62   b  toward the rotation center shafts  16   a  of the side plate portions  16 . 
     The third drain passages  66  are formed on the inner wall portions of the intake case  12  corresponding to the rotation center shafts  16   a  of the side plate portions  16 . In particular, the third drain passages  66  are formed on the inner wall portions of the intake case  12  corresponding to the rotation center shafts  16   a  corresponding to the lower portions of the rotation center shafts  16   a.  The end portions  66   a  of the third drain passages  66  are formed to face the lower side of the intake case  12 . 
     The third drain passages  66  drain the water W in the rotation center shafts  16   a  of the intake door  14  along the inner wall surfaces of the intake case  12 . In particular, the third drain passages  66  drain the water W to the lower portion of the intake case  12  along the inner wall surfaces of the intake case  12 . 
     Accordingly, the water W drained to the lower portion of the intake case  12  can flow into the inner passage  12   f  of the intake case  12 , and can move to the evaporator condensate drain hole (not shown) on the downstream side of the inner passage  12   f . As a result, the water W can be discharged to the outside through the evaporator condensate drain hole. 
     Meanwhile, it is preferable that the third drain passages  66  are formed downward from the inner wall surfaces of the intake case  12  on the side of the rotation center shafts  16   a  of the intake door  14 , and the end portions  66   a  of the third drain passages  66  are formed to face the side edges of the air filter  20  on the downstream side thereof. 
     More preferably, the end portions  66   a  of the third drain passages  66  are formed to face the edge band  20   a  of the air filter  20 . In particular, the end portions  66   a  of the third drain passages  66  extend toward the underside of the bands  20   a  of the air filter  20  so as to be covered by the bands  20   a  of the air filter  20 . 
     The reason for adopting this configuration is to ensure that the water W drained to the rotation center shafts  16   a  of the intake door  14  does not flow into the inner filter portion  20   b  of the air filter  20  and does not disturb the flow of an air sucked into the inner filter portion  20   b  of the air filter  20 . 
     In particular, the water drained to the rotation center shafts  16   a  of the intake door  14  may be scattered by the wind pressure of the air sucked into the inner filter portion  20   b  of the air filter  20 . The above configuration can prevent the scattering of water. 
     In addition, the third drain passages  66  are formed downward on the inner wall surfaces of the intake case  12  on the side of the rotation center shafts  16   a  of the intake door  14 . As shown in  FIGS.  3  and  5   , the third drain passages  66  are formed between the door sealing surface  12   c  on the side of the outdoor air inlet  12   b  and the door sealing surface  12   d  on the side of the indoor air inlet  12   a,  which are. formed in the intake case  12 . 
     In particular, the door sealing surface  12   c  on the side of the outdoor air inlet  12   b  and the door sealing surface  12   d  on the side of the indoor air inlet  12   a  of the intake case  12  are formed to correspond to each other on the inner wall surfaces of the intake case  12  with respect to the rotation center shafts  16   a  of the intake door  14 . At this time, the third drain passages  66  are formed to isolate the door sealing surface  12   c  on the side of the outdoor air inlet  12   b  and the sealing surface  12   d  on the side of the indoor air inlet  12   a  from each other. 
     The reason for adopting this configuration is to prevent the water introduced onto the upper surface of the intake door  14  from flowing toward the door sealing surface  12   d  on the side of the indoor air inlet  12   a  while moving along the door sealing surface  12   c  on the side of the outdoor air inlet  12   b.    
     Therefore, it is possible to prevent the water introduced onto the upper surface of the intake door  14  from flowing into the vehicle interior along the door sealing surface  12   c  on the side of the outdoor air inlet  12   b  and the sealing surface  12   d  on the side of the indoor air inlet  12   a  of the intake case  12 . 
     According to the vehicular air conditioning system of the present invention having such a configuration, the water introduced onto the upper surface of the intake door  14  can be guided toward both inner wall surfaces of the intake case  12  and can be quickly drained downward. Therefore, it is possible to prevent water from being accumulated on the upper surface of the intake door  14 . 
     In addition, since the accumulation of water on the upper surface of the intake door  14  can be prevented, it is possible to prevent the water accumulated on the upper surface of the intake door  14  from flowing into the vehicle interior. 
     While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention defined in the claims. 
     For example, it is shown in the drawings that the water blocking part  30  of the first embodiment and the drain part  60  of the second embodiment are independently installed in the intake part  10  of the vehicular air conditioning system. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The water blocking part  30  of the first embodiment and the drain part  60  of the second embodiment may be simultaneously installed in the intake part  10  of the vehicular air conditioning system.