Patent Description:
Heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning units are designed to generate one or more temperature-controlled air streams. In motor vehicles, units of this type are used for the aeration and air conditioning of a vehicle interior.

To this end, firstly an air stream is drawn in via a fresh air inlet by means of a fan, and then the air stream flows through and is cooled by an evaporator.

When the fresh air is being drawn in, it is possible for not only air but also water to be drawn in, for example when it is raining or if water runs into the fresh air inlet during a washing operation.

<CIT> discloses a containing structure for a heat exchanger. An evaporator is disposed while locating the tank part on the underside, the inlet and outlet passages are covered with a damping material from the vicinity of the inlet and outlet to the lower part of the evaporator and a heat insulating material is fixed to the outside of the damping material.

Each of <CIT> and <CIT> discloses a heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit comprising an evaporator and an elastic damping material which is fastened on an outer side of the evaporator.

Consequently, there is the risk of water entering the fan or a filter arranged upstream of the evaporator, thereby possibly adversely affecting the function of the heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit with an evaporator unit that allows penetrated water to be discharged quickly from the heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit.

This object is achieved according to the invention claimed in independent claim <NUM>. Preferred embodiments of the invention are laid down in the appended dependent claims.

The designations "top" and "bottom" refer to an alignment in which the evaporator unit is mounted in a vehicle or in another unit.

The channel formed by the sealing strips serves to guide drawn-in water along the evaporator in a controlled manner towards the bottom, where the water can flow into a base trough and can be discharged from the heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit through a condensed water outlet. The channel therefore prevents penetrated water from dispersing in an uncontrolled manner.

Furthermore, the elastic damping material serves to damp vibrations and to seal the evaporator with respect to the housing.

According to the invention, the elastic damping material is utilized in order to form a channel for the removal of water. In this way, the evaporator unit is particularly compact and cost-effective.

Within the meaning of the invention, a side face or an end face is to be understood to mean not necessarily merely a continuous, planar face, but rather a face of a sheath of the evaporator, since the evaporator has a multiplicity of fins and therefore a ribbed structure.

In addition, the top and the bottom edge and the side edges do not imperatively run along a sharp rim, since the transition from the end faces to the side faces can also be rounded.

Preferably, one of the two separate sealing strips continues on the side face assigned to the bottom edge and the other of the two separate sealing strips ends on the side face assigned to the side edge. As a result, less elastic damping material is used.

The other sealing strip ends in particular on the side face at a distance from the side face assigned to the bottom edge. In this way, an outlet opening of the channel on the side face is directed both downwards and to the side. Therefore, water guided in the channel can flow away not only downwards, but also to the side. This is advantageous to the effect that, in an installed state of the evaporator unit in a heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit, the water can be conducted away from a filter arranged upstream of the evaporator.

The greater the distance of the sealing strip from the side face assigned to the bottom side edge, the larger the lateral opening. However, the distance should not be too large, since the length of the channel shortens as the distance increases, and controlled guidance of the water on the side face is adversely affected by too short a channel.

According to one preferred embodiment, a further sealing strip that likewise continues on the side face assigned to the bottom edge is arranged on the opposite side face, wherein the sealing strips end at a distance from one another on the side face assigned to the bottom edge. This forms an interruption in the elastic damping material on the side face assigned to the bottom edge, as a result of which water which condenses on the evaporator can better drain off downwards. In particular, a situation in which water is on the elastic damping material for a long period of time is avoided.

The two separate sealing strips are joined to one another for example at a junction point, wherein the junction point is arranged on the side face in a region adjoining the top edge. The application of the sealing strips to the side face is simplified by the sealing strips being joined to one another at a junction point. More specifically, the sealing strips are aligned at a defined distance from one another owing to the junction point.

The elastic damping material may be in the form of a unipartite seal element, for example in the form of a stamped part or a shaped part. As a result, the production of the elastic damping material is particularly easy and cost-effective.

According to one preferred embodiment, the elastic damping material only partially covers the side faces in the width direction. This means that the side faces are wider than the elastic damping material. This likewise contributes to a low use of elastic damping material.

For example, the elastic damping material is adhesively bonded to the evaporator. This allows the elastic damping material to be applied to the evaporator particularly easily.

The elastic damping material may be a foamed material. With foamed materials, it is usually possible to achieve good damping and sealing.

The object is achieved according to the invention in claim <NUM>. The bypass duct is therefore formed automatically in a particularly easy way when the heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit is being assembled or when the evaporator unit is being inserted into the housing.

In the bypass duct, penetrated water can be conducted particularly quickly and reliably to a condensed water outlet without the water dispersing in the heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit in an uncontrolled manner.

The elastic damping material is compressed to some extent when the evaporator unit is being inserted into the housing, with the result that the bypass duct is automatically sealed.

The housing may have a bulge running along the channel in such a way that the bulge together with the channel forms the bypass duct with respect to the evaporator. Such a bulge makes it possible to enlarge a cross section of the bypass duct, with the result that even relatively large quantities of water can be removed quickly and reliably.

Further advantages of the invention will emerge from the following description and from the drawings, to which reference is made. In the drawings:.

<FIG> shows a heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit <NUM>.

Heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning units <NUM> of this type are commonly used in motor vehicles to aerate and air condition a vehicle interior.

The heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit <NUM> comprises a housing <NUM>, which usually has two housing shells which are fastened to one another and only one of which can be seen in <FIG>, and also a base trough <NUM>, which is joined in a fluid-tight manner to the two housing shells and forms a base of the housing <NUM>.

The heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit <NUM> has a fresh air inlet <NUM> through which fresh air is drawn in, in particular by means of a fan <NUM> which is accommodated in the housing <NUM>.

The fresh air inlet <NUM> is formed in an inlet connector <NUM>, which likewise forms a part of the housing <NUM>.

An evaporator unit <NUM> is accommodated in the housing <NUM>. This evaporator unit is illustrated in two different perspective views in <FIG>.

An air guide for air drawn in through the fresh air inlet <NUM> extends from the fresh air inlet <NUM> through the housing <NUM> to the evaporator unit <NUM> and from the evaporator unit <NUM> to an air outlet <NUM>.

A filter <NUM>, through which the drawn-in air likewise flows, is arranged upstream of the evaporator unit <NUM>.

The housing <NUM> is in particular a fan housing, in which fan flaps are accommodated in addition to the evaporator unit <NUM>. For the sake of simplicity, the fan flaps are not illustrated in the figures.

In <FIG>, a path of an air guide is schematically illustrated by way of example using a dashed line, it being possible for the exact path to vary depending on the position of the fan flaps.

The housing <NUM> usually has multiple air outlets <NUM>, an air stream being conducted to specific air outlets <NUM> depending on the position of the fan flaps.

For the air conditioning of a vehicle interior, fresh air is drawn in and glides through the evaporator unit <NUM>, with the fresh air being cooled.

In addition to an evaporator <NUM>, the evaporator unit <NUM> comprises an elastic damping material <NUM>, which is fastened on the outer side of the evaporator <NUM>. For example, the elastic damping material <NUM> is adhesively bonded to the evaporator <NUM>.

The evaporator <NUM> has two oppositely directed end faces <NUM>, which form an inlet side <NUM> and an outlet side <NUM> for the air stream.

The evaporator <NUM> has a top edge <NUM> and a bottom edge <NUM> and also two side edges <NUM>, <NUM>, each of which joins the top edge <NUM> to the bottom edge <NUM>.

The top edge <NUM>, the bottom edge <NUM> and the side edges <NUM>, <NUM> together surround the two end faces <NUM> in the manner of a frame in a side view.

A side face <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> is assigned to each edge <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>. The side faces <NUM>, <NUM> assigned to the top edge <NUM> and the bottom edge <NUM> form in particular a top side and a bottom side, respectively, of the evaporator <NUM>.

The side faces <NUM>, <NUM> are curved in the exemplary embodiment, since the edges of the evaporator <NUM> are rounded at the top and bottom.

In addition, the evaporator <NUM> has a coolant inlet <NUM> and a coolant outlet <NUM>.

As can be seen in <FIG>, the elastic damping material <NUM> on the end faces <NUM> is arranged over a height between the coolant inlet <NUM> or the coolant outlet <NUM> and the side face <NUM> of the top edge <NUM>.

As an alternative, the elastic damping material <NUM> on the end faces can also extend as far as the height of the coolant inlet <NUM> or the coolant outlet <NUM>.

Along the bottom edge <NUM>, the elastic damping material <NUM> is arranged merely on the assigned side face <NUM> and the end faces <NUM> are free of elastic damping material <NUM> in the region of the bottom edge <NUM>.

Elastic damping material <NUM> is likewise arranged on the side faces <NUM>, <NUM> assigned to the side edges <NUM>, <NUM>.

As can be seen in <FIG>, on the side face <NUM> assigned to the side edge <NUM>, the elastic damping material <NUM> is arranged at least in certain portions in the form of two separate sealing strips <NUM>, <NUM>.

A channel <NUM> is formed between the sealing strips <NUM>, <NUM>.

Water can be guided along the evaporator <NUM> through the channel <NUM> towards the bottom, where the water can run into the base trough <NUM>.

A condensed water outlet, through which the water can ultimately drain out of the heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit <NUM>, is present in the base trough <NUM>.

In particular, the sealing strips <NUM>, <NUM> are arranged on the side face <NUM>, which is arranged opposite to the side face <NUM> on which the coolant inlet <NUM> and the coolant outlet <NUM> are present. As a result, the draining-off of water is not adversely affected by the connection pieces of the coolant inlet <NUM> or the coolant outlet <NUM>.

The sealing strips <NUM>, <NUM> run parallel to one another.

However, one of the two sealing strips <NUM> is shorter than the other sealing strip <NUM>. The shorter sealing strip <NUM> ends on the side face <NUM> assigned to the side edge <NUM>.

More specifically, the sealing strip <NUM> ends on the side face <NUM> at a distance from the side face <NUM> assigned to the bottom edge <NUM>.

The other sealing strip <NUM> continues on the side face <NUM> assigned to the bottom edge <NUM>.

The shortened sealing strip <NUM> makes it possible not only for water to flow downwards out of the channel <NUM>, but for the water to also flow to some extent to the side, as can be seen in <FIG>.

In particular, the sealing strip <NUM> which has a shortened form is that which, in the installed state of the evaporator unit <NUM>, is spaced apart further from a filter <NUM> in the flow direction than is the other sealing strip <NUM>. As a result, the water at the bottom end of the channel <NUM> is conducted away from the filter <NUM> to some extent, which avoids the penetration of water into the filter <NUM>.

The other, longer sealing strip <NUM> ends on the side face <NUM> assigned to the bottom edge <NUM>.

In addition, a further sealing strip <NUM> that likewise continues on the side face <NUM> assigned to the bottom edge <NUM> is arranged on the opposite side face <NUM>.

The sealing strips <NUM>, <NUM> end at a distance from one another on the side face <NUM> assigned to the bottom edge <NUM>. This forms an interruption <NUM>, through which water can flow away.

The elastic damping material <NUM> preferably extends over the entire length of the side faces <NUM>, <NUM>, as is illustrated in <FIG>.

Viewed overall, the elastic damping material <NUM> extends in strip form and around the periphery over the side faces <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>.

As can be seen in <FIG>, the two sealing strips <NUM>, <NUM> between which the channel <NUM> is formed are joined to one another at a junction point <NUM>. The sealing strips <NUM>, <NUM> are thus aligned at a defined distance in relation to one another by way of the junction point <NUM> at least at one end. This simplifies the application of the sealing strips <NUM>, <NUM> to the side face <NUM>.

The junction point <NUM> is arranged on the side face <NUM> in a region adjoining the top edge <NUM>. Because the junction point <NUM> is arranged at a relatively high level on the side face <NUM>, it is also possible for the channel <NUM> to start at a relatively high level on the side face <NUM>, this being advantageous in terms of a quick and reliable removal of water.

The elastic damping material <NUM> extends in the region of the junction point <NUM> both from the side face <NUM> assigned to the top edge <NUM> and from the junction point <NUM> to the end faces <NUM> of the evaporator <NUM>, the elastic damping material <NUM> running continuously from the junction point <NUM> across the end faces <NUM> to the side face <NUM> assigned to the top edge <NUM>. What is meant by this is that the elastic damping material <NUM> is not subdivided on the end faces <NUM>. In this way, a pocket which receives a corner of the evaporator <NUM> is formed in the elastic damping material <NUM>. The pocket makes it possible to align the elastic damping material <NUM> on the evaporator <NUM>, with the result that positioning the elastic damping material <NUM> is simplified.

The elastic damping material <NUM> is a foamed material, for example.

In particular, the elastic damping material <NUM> is a unipartite seal element.

To reduce the water uptake, a closed-pore foam can be used.

When the evaporator unit <NUM> is received in the housing <NUM>, the elastic damping material <NUM> is clamped between the housing <NUM> and the evaporator <NUM> and seals an intermediate space between the housing <NUM> and the evaporator <NUM>.

In particular, the elastic damping material <NUM> on the side faces <NUM>, <NUM> assigned to the side edges <NUM>, <NUM> ensures that no air can flow past the evaporator <NUM>.

When the evaporator unit <NUM> is received in the housing <NUM>, the housing <NUM> covers the channel <NUM> formed between the sealing strips <NUM>, <NUM> in such a way that the channel <NUM> forms a bypass duct with respect to the evaporator <NUM>. This can be seen in the sectional illustration shown in <FIG>.

Water drawn in via the air inlet <NUM> of the heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit <NUM> can be removed through the bypass duct.

Claim 1:
Heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning unit (<NUM>) with an evaporator unit (<NUM>) and with a housing (<NUM>) in which the evaporator unit (<NUM>) is received, the evaporator unit (<NUM>) comprising an evaporator (<NUM>) having two oppositely directed end faces (<NUM>), which form an inlet and an outlet side (<NUM>, <NUM>) for the air stream, having a top and a bottom edge (<NUM>, <NUM>) and having two side edges (<NUM>, <NUM>) joining the top and the bottom edge (<NUM>, <NUM>), which together surround the two end faces (<NUM>), wherein the top and the bottom edge (<NUM>, <NUM>) and the side edges (<NUM>, <NUM>) each have an assigned side face (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>), and comprising an elastic damping material (<NUM>) which is fastened on the outer side of the evaporator (<NUM>),
characterized in that,
on one of the side faces (<NUM>, <NUM>) assigned to the side edges (<NUM>, <NUM>), the elastic damping material (<NUM>) is arranged at least in certain portions in the form of two separate sealing strips (<NUM>, <NUM>), in such a way that a channel (<NUM>) is formed between the sealing strips (<NUM>, <NUM>), wherein the elastic damping material (<NUM>) is clamped between the housing (<NUM>) and the evaporator (<NUM>), and wherein the housing (<NUM>) covers the channel (<NUM>) formed between the sealing strips (<NUM>, <NUM>), in such a way that the channel (<NUM>) forms a bypass duct with respect to the evaporator (<NUM>).