JP3189474B2 - Vehicle air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner for a vehicle in which the cool air can reach a passenger in a rear seat of the vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an air conditioner for a vehicle does not include improving the immediate effect at the start of a cooling operation immediately after riding in summer or preventing invasion of unclean air such as exhaust gas, dust and dust into a vehicle interior. In order to maintain the cleanliness of the passenger compartment and to remove the fogging of the windshield, an external air introduction mode is set. For example, comparing the required cooling capacity of the outside air introduction mode and the inside air circulation mode in the face mode at the time of the cooling operation, the outside air introduction mode is about 3700 W, the inside air circulation mode is about 1600 W, and how the ventilation loss during the cooling operation is reduced. You can see if it is big. In other words, in the vehicle air conditioner, it can be said that a greater power saving effect can be expected when the internal air circulation mode is used as a reference than the external air introduction mode.

As shown in FIG. 15, the face air outlets of a vehicle air conditioner generally have two center face air outlets 102, 103 which open at the center of the instrument panel 101 in the width direction. Two side face outlets 1 each opening near the side glass
04 and 105. Even if the air volume is low, an air volume of about 200 m ³ / h is blown out, and the reach of the cold air to the occupant in the rear seat is maintained at a high wind speed. Here, indicates the flow of air when the 200 meters ³ / h approximately airflow volume during outside air introduction mode the current in FIG. 16, 200 meters of the inside air circulation mode when the current in Fig. 17 ³ /
It shows the flow of air when the blowing air volume is about h. In addition, 1
Reference numeral 10 denotes an evaporator. These FIGS. 16 and 1
As shown in FIG. 7, the occupant is cooled by cooling the entire area of the passenger compartment 106 without directly applying the cold air blown into the passenger compartment 106 to the body of the occupant of the front seat 107 or the passenger of the rear seat 108. Cooling indirectly.

On the other hand, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-1855, a wide flow outlet is provided which is open over the entire width of the instrument panel so that cold air can be uniformly blown over the entire vehicle compartment. A known air conditioner for a vehicle is known. This vehicle air conditioner has the same 2
Even if the blowing air volume is about 00 m ³ / h, the blowing air speed can be reduced by increasing the opening area. Thereby, the occupant of the front seat can be cooled directly without causing the occupant of the front seat to feel the annoyance of the wind.
0m ³ / h~120m ³ / h about can also be obtained. For this reason, the amount of air blown out from the wide flow outlet can be reduced without impairing the comfort of the occupant in the front seat, so that a power saving effect can be expected.

[0005]

However, if the air conditioning control is performed on the basis of the inside air circulation mode in a vehicle air conditioner provided with a wide flow outlet for the purpose of energy saving effect, the air conditioner in the inside air circulation mode may be used. If the amount of air blown from the wide flow is reduced, the accessibility of the cold air to the passengers in the rear seats is reduced, and the rear seat side of the passenger compartment becomes insufficiently cooled, which lowers the comfort of the passengers in the rear seats. Was. The present invention is intended for a vehicle capable of improving the accessibility of air to the occupant in the rear seat of the vehicle and improving the comfort of a person sitting in the rear seat even if the amount of air blown out from the wide flow outlet is reduced. The purpose is to provide an air conditioner.

[0006]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a front inside air intake port opened on the front side of a vehicle interior, a front outside air intake port opened on a front side of a vehicle, and substantially the entire width of an instrument panel of the vehicle. A duct having a wide flow outlet that is open at the front, an inside air circulation mode that sucks inside air only from the front inside air suction port, an outside air introduction mode that sucks outside air only from the front outside air suction port, or the front inside air suction port and the front outside air Inside / outside air switching means for switching to inside / outside air introduction mode for sucking inside air and outside air from both of the suction ports, inside air discharging means provided on the rear side of the vehicle interior to exhaust the inside air outside the vehicle interior, and a passenger in a rear seat of the vehicle. Detection means for detecting that there is an occupant in the rear seat by the detection means, when the outside air introduction mode or the inside and outside air introduction mode It said employing the technical means and control means for controlling the outside air switching means as replacing Ri.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a front inside air inlet opening at the front side of the vehicle interior, a rear inside air intake opening at the rear side of the vehicle interior, and an opening are provided over substantially the entire width of the instrument panel of the vehicle. A duct having a wide flow outlet,
It has opening / closing means for opening and closing the front inside air inlet or the rear inside air intake, and detecting means for detecting the presence of an occupant in the rear seat of the vehicle, and detecting that there is an occupant in the rear seat by this detecting means. Then, a control means for controlling the opening / closing means so as to suck the inside air from the rear side inside air suction port is adopted.

[0008]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the detection means detects the presence of an occupant in the rear seat, the inside / outside air switching means is controlled to switch only to the outside air introduction mode or the inside / outside air introduction mode. I have. Thus, when the occupant is in the rear seat, the outside air sucked into the duct from the front outside air suction port, or the inside air and outside air sucked into the duct from both the front inside air suction port and the front outside air suction port,
The air is blown into the vehicle interior from the wide flow outlet through the duct. For this reason, even if the amount of air blown out from the wide flow outlet is reduced, the air blown out from the wide flow outlet into the vehicle cabin passes through the front seat and the rear seat in the vehicle cabin, and then the inside air discharging means is provided. Is discharged outside the vehicle compartment.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the detecting means detects the presence of an occupant in the rear seat, the opening / closing means is controlled so as to suck the inside air from the rear inside air suction port, and the rear inside air suction port. To open. Thus, when the occupant is in the rear seat, the inside air sucked from the rear inside air inlet is blown out from the wide flow outlet through the duct. Therefore, even if the amount of air blown out from the wide flow outlet is reduced, the air blown out from the wide flow outlet into the vehicle compartment passes through the front seat and the rear seat, and then passes through the rear inside air inlet. It is sucked into the duct.

[0010]

Next, an air conditioner for a vehicle according to the present invention will be described with reference to a plurality of embodiments shown in FIGS. [Configuration of First Embodiment] FIGS. 1 to 11 show a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 1 is a view showing an overall structure of an automobile air conditioner, and FIG. 2 is a view showing an instrument panel of an automobile. An automotive air conditioner 1 includes a duct 2 for sending air into a vehicle compartment, a blower 3 for generating an airflow in the duct 2 toward the vehicle compartment, an evaporator 4 for cooling air flowing in the duct 2, and air flowing in the vehicle compartment. A heater core 5 for heating the inside of the vehicle, an inside air discharging device 6 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) for discharging the inside air to the outside of the vehicle, and an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as an ECU) 7 for controlling each air conditioner.

The duct 2 is provided on the front side in the vehicle interior. At the inlet side of the duct 2, there are provided two suction ports, a front side inside air suction port 8 and a front side outside air suction port 9. Further, inside and outside of the front side inside air suction port 8 and the front side outside air suction port 9 are switched between inside and outside air. A damper 10 is rotatably mounted. The inside / outside air switching damper 10 is an inside / outside air switching means of the present invention, and is driven by a servomotor 11. The inside / outside air switching mode is controlled by a suction motor. The mode is switched to an outside air introduction mode in which outside air is introduced from the port 9 or an inside / outside air introduction mode in which inside and outside air is introduced from the front inside air suction port 8 and the front outside air suction port 9.

The outlet side of the duct 2 is connected to a defrost duct 12, a foot duct 13 and a face duct 14. An outlet of the defrost duct 12 is provided with a defrost outlet 15, and a defrost damper 16 is rotatably mounted upstream of the defrost outlet 15. A foot outlet 17 is provided at the outlet of the foot duct 13, and a foot damper 18 is rotatably mounted upstream of the foot outlet 17.

As shown in FIG. 2, the outlet of the face duct 14 is provided at a wide flow outlet 20 which is opened over substantially the entire width of an instrument panel 19 installed on the front side of the vehicle interior. . The wide flow outlet 20 includes center face outlets 21 and 22 that open at the center of the front of the instrument panel 19, side face outlets 23 that open near the side glass of the vehicle,
24, and middle face outlets 25 and 26 that open between the center face outlets 21 and 22 and the side face outlets 23 and 24.

Also, the center face outlets 21 and 22
The side face outlets 23 and 24 are provided with grills for changing the direction of the blown air blown into the vehicle interior. As shown in FIG. 2, the middle face outlet 25 on the driver's seat side is connected to the meter panel 27 of the automobile.
Since the same opening method as the middle face outlet 26 on the passenger seat side cannot be realized due to the handle 28 and the handle 28, an opening portion is provided in the meter hood portion 29.

A face damper 30 is rotatably mounted upstream of the face duct 14, and middle face dampers 31, 32 are rotatable upstream of the middle face outlets 25, 26. Attached to. By changing the opening area of the wide flow outlet 20, the face dampers 30 to 32 uniformly blow air to uniformly blow cool air throughout the vehicle cabin, and concentrate on only a desired location (for example, the occupant's head and chest). Spot blowing for blowing cold air can be performed.

The defrost damper 16, the foot damper 18, and the face dampers 30 to 32 are provided by the servo motor 3
The face mode in which the cool air is mainly sent from the wide flow outlet 20 to the occupant's head and chest or the entire area of the vehicle compartment through the wide flow outlet 20, the wide flow outlet 2
A bi-level mode in which cold air is mainly sent to the occupant's head and chest or the entire cabin from 0, and hot air is mainly sent to the foot of the occupant from the foot outlet 17. Hot air is mainly sent to the occupant's foot from the foot outlet 17 The air outlet mode is switched between a foot mode in which the air flow is transmitted, a foot differential mode in which indoor heating and windshield removal are performed, and a differential mode in which windshield removal is performed.

The rotation speed of the blower 3 is controlled by a blower motor 39 whose applied voltage is controlled by a blower driving circuit 38, and the front inside air suction port 8 or the front outside air suction port 9 is controlled.
Air from one of the open suction ports
To the vehicle interior via The evaporator 4 is a refrigerant evaporator that is disposed in the duct 2 on the downstream side of the blower 3 and cools the air sent by the blower 3, and is one of the elements constituting the refrigeration cycle 40. Refrigeration cycle 40
Are the compressor 41 to the condenser 42 and the receiver 4
3, expansion valve 44 and evaporator 4
Is formed so as to circulate the refrigerant to the compressor 41 through the compressor. The compressor 41 is rotationally driven by transmitting the rotational power of the engine via an electromagnetic clutch (not shown) that is controlled to be energized by the compressor drive circuit 45.

The refrigerating cycle 40 obtains a function of cooling the air by the evaporator 4 when the compressor 41 is operated (ON), and stops the cooling of the air by the evaporator 4 when the compressor 41 is stopped (OFF). The heater core 5 is a heat exchanger that heats air sent from the upstream side of the duct 2 using cooling water of an engine cooling system of a vehicle as a heat source. On the upstream side of the heater core 5,
An air mix damper 46 is rotatably mounted. The air mix damper 46 includes a servo motor 47
The amount of air that passes through the heater core 5 and the amount of air that bypasses the heater core 5 and passes through the bypass path 48 are adjusted in accordance with the opening degree set by the following equation.

FIG. 3 and FIG.
FIG. The inside air discharging device 6 is an inside air discharging means of the present invention, and is, for example, an inside air discharging duct 49 for discharging the inside air to the outside of the vehicle compartment when the inside / outside air switching damper 10 is switched to the outside air introducing mode or the inside / outside air introducing mode. Consisting of The inside air discharge duct 49 has a rear inside air inlet 52 opened between the lower side of the rear glass 50 of the automobile and the package tray tom 51, and an inside air outlet 55 between the luggage compartment door 53 and the upper back panel 54. Is open.

The ECU 7 is a control means of the present invention,
It is configured to include a CPU 61, a ROM 62, a RAM 63, and the like. A control program for controlling air conditioning in the vehicle compartment is stored in the ROM 62 in advance, and various calculations and processes are performed based on the control program. ECU7
Is based on the internal temperature sensor 64, the external temperature sensor 65, the insolation sensor 66, the post-evaporation temperature sensor 67, the water temperature sensor 68, the pressure sensors 69 and 70, the input signals input from the control panel P, and the control program described above. Servo motors 11, 33 to 37, 47, blower drive circuit 3
8. Automatically control the air conditioning in the vehicle cabin by controlling each drive means such as the compressor drive circuit 45. Note that E
The CU 7 is connected to a battery 57 via an ignition switch 56.

The inside air temperature sensor 64 detects the actual temperature inside the vehicle (inside air temperature), and the outside air temperature sensor 65 detects the actual temperature outside the vehicle room (outside air temperature). Reference numeral 66 is for detecting the actual amount of solar radiation into the vehicle interior. The post-evaporation temperature sensor 67 detects the actual temperature at the air outlet of the evaporator 4.
The water temperature sensor 68 detects the actual temperature of the cooling water of the engine cooling system of the vehicle. Pressure sensor 69,
Reference numeral 70 denotes detection means for detecting whether or not an occupant is in the rear seat 59, and is embedded in the rear seat 59, for example, as shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a control panel P of the automobile air conditioner 1. As shown in FIG. The control panel P is provided below the center face outlets 21 and 22 of the instrument panel 19. The control panel P includes an auto switch 71, an off switch 72, a temperature setting switch 73, an inside / outside air changeover switch 7
4. An air conditioner switch 75, an air volume switch 76 and an outlet switch 77 are provided. The auto switch 71 is a switch for instructing automatic control for automatically controlling the above-described air conditioner based on a control program. The off switch 72 is a switch for inputting a stop command for the automotive auto air conditioner 1. The temperature setting switch 73 is a switch for setting the temperature in the passenger compartment to a desired temperature. In the vicinity of the temperature setting switch 73, a set temperature (for example, 25 ° C.) set by the temperature setting switch 73
Is displayed.

The inside / outside air changeover switch 74 is a switch for fixing the suction port mode to one of the inside air circulation mode, the outside air introduction mode, and the inside / outside introduction mode. The air conditioner switch 75 is a switch for manually switching the operation and stop of the refrigeration cycle 40, that is, the compressor 41
(ON) and stop (OFF) the electromagnetic clutch
Is manually switched. The air volume switching switch 76 is a switch for fixing the air volume level of the blower 3 to a low wind (Lo), a medium wind (M1), a medium wind (M2), and a strong wind (Hi). The outlet switching switch 77 is a switch for fixing the outlet mode to one of a face mode, a bi-level mode, a foot mode, and a foot differential mode.

Here, the calculation of the target outlet temperature by the ECU 7 will be described. When the auto switch 71 is turned on by the occupant, that is, when the automatic control is selected, the ECU 7 calculates the target outlet temperature TAO of the air to be blown into the vehicle compartment based on the input signal by the following equation (1).

## EQU1 ## TAO = Kset.Tset-Kr.Tr-Kam.T
am−Ks · Ts + C where Kset is a temperature setting gain, Tset is a set temperature signal from the temperature setting switch 73, Kr is an inside air temperature gain, and T
r is the inside air temperature signal from the inside air temperature sensor 64, Kam is the outside air temperature gain, Tam is the outside air temperature signal from the outside air temperature sensor 65, K
s is the solar radiation gain, Ts is the solar radiation signal from the solar radiation sensor 66, and C is a correction constant.

Next, the control of the air mix damper by the ECU 7 will be described. When the automatic control is selected, the ECU 7 calculates the target opening degree SW of the air mix damper 46 by the following equation (2).

## EQU2 ## SW = {(TAO-Te) / (Tw-Te)} ×
100 (%) Te is a post-evaporation temperature signal from the post-evaporation temperature sensor 67, and Tw is a water temperature signal from the water temperature sensor 68. Then, the ECU 7 determines the target opening S of the air mix damper 46.
A drive signal corresponding to W is output to the servomotor 47. Next, frost cut control in the ECU 7 will be described. As for the control state of the compressor 41 of the refrigeration cycle 40, the energized state (ON, OFF) is determined based on the post-evaporation temperature signal Te from the post-evaporation temperature sensor 67. Then, the ECU 7 controls on / off of the electromagnetic clutch of the compressor 41 via the compressor drive circuit 45 so as to be in the determined energized state.

Next, the blower voltage control in the ECU 7 will be described. The air volume of the blower 3 (applied voltage of the blower motor 39) changes to the target outlet temperature TAO after a predetermined time has elapsed since the ignition switch 56 was turned on, or after the water temperature detected by the water temperature sensor 68 has risen above the set temperature. Is determined based on And the ECU 7
Outputs a drive signal corresponding to the determined blower voltage to the blower motor 39 via the blower drive circuit 38. Next, the outlet mode control in the ECU 7 will be described. The control states of the foot damper 18 and the face damper 30 are determined based on the target outlet temperature TAO. And
The ECU 7 outputs a drive signal to the servomotors 33 and 34 of the foot damper 18 and the face damper 30 so as to be in the determined face mode, bi-level mode, and foot mode.

Next, the suction port mode control in the ECU 7 will be described. The control state of the inside / outside air switching damper 10 is, as shown in FIG. 7, except for the cooling operation during an excessive period (cool down and warm up).
Detection signal from 9 and 70 (presence or absence of occupant in rear seat 59)
Is determined as one of the inside air circulation mode, the outside air introduction mode, and the inside / outside air introduction mode. The control state of the inside / outside air switching damper 10 is determined by the rear seat 59.
If there is an occupant, the mode is determined to be either the outside air introduction mode or the inside / outside air introduction mode based on the target outlet temperature TAO, and if there is no occupant in the rear seat 59, the target outlet temperature T
The air circulation mode is determined regardless of AO. And EC
U7 is the determined inside air circulation mode, outside air introduction mode,
A drive signal is output to the servomotor 11 of the inside / outside air switching damper 10 so as to enter the inside / outside air introduction mode.

[Operation of the First Embodiment] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be briefly described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 8 is a basic control program of the ECU 7. When the ignition switch 56 is turned on, the ECU 7 starts a control program, and executes calculations and processes according to the control program of FIG. First, initialization is performed (step S1). Next, the temperature setting switch 7
3 to read the set temperature signal Tset (step S3).
2). Subsequently, input signals are read from various sensors in order to detect an environmental state that affects the air-conditioning state in the passenger compartment. That is, the internal temperature signal T from the internal temperature sensor 64
r, the outside temperature signal Tam from the outside temperature sensor 65, the insolation signal Ts from the insolation sensor 66, the post-evaporation temperature sensor 67
And the water temperature signal Tw from the water temperature sensor 68 (step S3).

Next, input signals (internal temperature signal Tr, external temperature signal Tam, solar radiation signal Ts) from various sensors and R
Based on the above equation (1) stored in the OM 62, the target blowing temperature TAO of the air blown into the vehicle compartment is calculated (step S4). Next, a blower voltage to be applied to the blower motor 39 of the blower 3 is determined based on the target blowing temperature TAO (step S5). Next, input signals from the various sensors (post-evaporation temperature signal Te, water temperature signal Tw) and ROM
The target opening degree SW of the air mix damper 46 is calculated based on the above-mentioned equation 2 stored in 62 (step S6).

Next, the outlet mode is determined based on the target outlet temperature TAO. That is, the face mode in which the cool air is mainly blown toward the occupant's head and chest or the entire cabin is performed, or the cool air is mainly blown toward the occupant's head and chest or the entire cabin and the air is mainly directed toward the occupant's feet. It is determined whether to perform the bi-level mode in which the warm air is blown out or to perform the foot mode in which the warm air is mainly blown toward the feet of the occupant (step S7). Next, suction port mode control, which is the main content of the present invention, is performed (step S8). Next, an input signal (post-evaporation temperature signal Te) from various sensors and a ROM
Based on the frost control data stored in 62,
On / off of the compressor 41 is determined (step S
9).

Then, a drive signal corresponding to the control state determined in steps S5 to S9 is sent to the servo motor 11,
33 to 37, 47, a blower drive circuit 38, a compressor drive circuit 45, and the like, and output to the blower 3, the air mix damper 46, the inside / outside air switching damper 10, the defrost damper 1
6. The foot damper 18, the face dampers 30 to 32, and the compressor 41 are operated (step S10). Thereafter, the process returns to step S2, and the above-described calculation is repeated. By repeatedly executing the above calculation and processing, the automotive air conditioner 1 is automatically controlled.

Therefore, the air sucked from the front inside air suction port 8 or the front outside air suction port 9 by the rotation of the blower 3 is dehumidified and cooled by the evaporator 4, and then passes through the heater core 5 by the air mix damper 46 and the heater core 5.
And air passing through a bypass 48.
Here, the air mixed at the desired temperature is supplied to the defrost damper 16, the foot damper 18, the face damper 3, and the like.
With the opening degree of 0, the air is sent to any one of the defrost duct 12, the foot duct 13 and the face duct 14, and is blown into the vehicle cabin through any of the defrost outlet 15, the foot outlet 17 and the wide flow outlet 20.

Next, the suction port mode control in the ECU 7 will be described with reference to FIG. Here, FIG. 9 is a subroutine of suction port mode control. This subroutine is shown in FIG.
The processing is started when the processing of step S7 is completed. First, detection signals from the pressure sensors 69 and 70 are read (step S11). Subsequently, it is determined whether the cooling / heating operation is in the transitional period (cool down and warm up) (step S12). If the determination result of step S12 is Yes, as shown in FIG. 7, the suction port mode is determined to be the inside air circulation mode (step S13).
Thereafter, the suction port mode control ends, and the process proceeds to step S9. Also, if the determination result of step S12 is N
In the case of o, it is determined whether or not there is an occupant in the rear seat 59 based on the detection signals from the pressure sensors 69 and 70 (step S14). If the determination result of step S14 is No, that is, if there is no occupant in the rear seat 59, the process of step S13 is performed.

Therefore, when there is no occupant in the rear seat 59, the inside air circulation mode is selected.
As a result, the servomotor 11 is driven, and the inside / outside air switching damper 10 opens only the front side inside air suction port 8. Thus, for example, in the face mode during the cooling operation, as shown in the air flow diagram in the vehicle cabin of FIG. 10, the inside air sucked in from the front inside air suction port 8 is cooled by the evaporator 4 or the like to become cool air. The cool air is blown into the vehicle compartment from the wide flow outlet 20 (blowing air volume: 80 m ³ / h), and after being cooled around the front seat 58 in the vehicle compartment, is sucked into the front inside air suction port 8 again.

If the result of the determination in step S14 is Yes
In the case of, that is, when there is an occupant in the rear seat 59, as shown in FIG. 7, the suction mode is set to either the outside air introduction mode or the inside / outside air introduction mode based on the target outlet temperature TAO. (Step S15). Thereafter, the suction port mode control ends, and the process proceeds to step S9.

Therefore, when there is an occupant in the rear seat 59, for example, the inside / outside air introduction mode is selected.
The servo motor 11 is driven by the CU 7 and the inside / outside air switching damper 10 opens the front side inside air suction port 8 and the front side outside air suction port 9. Thus, for example, in the face mode during the cooling operation, as shown in the airflow diagram in the vehicle cabin of FIG. 11, the inside air sucked from the front inside air suction port 8 and the outside air sucked from the front outside air suction port 9 are discharged from the evaporator 4. It is cooled by cooling air. The cold air flows into the wide flow outlet 20
From the vehicle interior (air volume: 150 m ³ /
h), after cooling the front seat 58 and the rear seat 59 in the passenger compartment, pass through the inside air discharge duct 49 to the inside air discharge port 55.
Is more exhausted. Alternatively, the cool air blown into the vehicle interior from the wide flow outlet 20 is supplied to the front seat 58 in the vehicle interior.
After cooling the vicinity and the vicinity of the rear seat 59, the air is sucked into the front inside air suction port 8 again.

[Effects of the First Embodiment] As described above, in this embodiment, when there is an occupant in the rear seat 59, by selecting the outside air introduction mode or the inside / outside air introduction mode, the wide flow outlet 20 is opened. Even when the amount of air blown out of the vehicle is reduced, the cool air blown out from the wide flow outlet 20 passes through the vicinity of the front seat 58 and the rear seat 59 in the vehicle compartment, and then discharges from the rear side of the vehicle compartment to the outside of the vehicle compartment. Therefore, the accessibility of the cold air to the rear seat 59 can be improved. For this reason, it is possible to eliminate insufficient cooling on the rear seat 59 side of the vehicle interior, and it is possible to improve the comfort of the occupant in the rear seat 59.

Conversely, when there is no occupant in the rear seat 59, the ventilation loss can be prevented by selecting the inside air circulation mode and sucking low-temperature inside air from the front inside air suction port 8 to prevent ventilation loss. The cooling capacity can be reduced. Further, when the occupant is not in the rear seat 59, even when the wide flow outlet 20 is fully opened to reduce the amount of air blown out from the wide flow outlet 20, a mild blow air volume of at least about 80 m ³ / h. Therefore, the occupant of the front seat 58 does not feel the annoyance of the wind, and the front seat 58
The occupants can be cooled directly. Therefore, the amount of air blown out from the wide flow outlet 20 can be reduced without impairing the comfort of the occupant of the front seat 58, so that the required cooling capacity can be further reduced.

[Structure of the Second Embodiment] FIGS. 12 to 14
FIG. 12 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 12 and 13 are air flow diagrams in a vehicle cabin. In this embodiment, a connection duct 83 that guides the inside air from a rear inside air intake port 82 that opens on the rear side of the vehicle compartment to the front inside air intake port 81 side on the inlet side of the duct 2 is connected. A front damper 84 is rotatably attached to the inlet side of the duct 2, and the wide flow outlet 20 is provided at the outlet. A rear damper 85 is rotatably attached to the entrance side of the connection duct 83. The rear damper 85 is an opening / closing means of the present invention, and opens and closes the rear inside air inlet 82. The front damper 84 and the rear damper 85 are connected to the rear seat 59.
The opening degree is controlled by an ECU (not shown) based on a detection signal (presence or absence of an occupant) from a pressure sensor 88 installed in the front side inside air circulation mode in which the inside air is sucked from the front inside air suction port 81 or the rear side. The mode is switched to any one of the rear side internal air circulation modes in which the inside air is sucked in from the side inside air suction port 82.

[Operation of Second Embodiment] Next, the suction port mode control in the ECU will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, FIG. 14 is a subroutine of suction port mode control. This subroutine starts when the processing of step S8 in FIG. 7 is completed. First, a detection signal from the pressure sensor 88 is read (step S21).
Subsequently, it is determined whether the cooling / heating operation is in the transitional period (cool down and warm up) (step S22).
If the determination result of step S22 is Yes, the process of step S24 is performed. If the determination result in step S22 is No, it is determined whether or not there is an occupant in the rear seat 59 based on the detection signal from the pressure sensor 88 (step S23). If the determination result in step S23 is No, that is, if there is no occupant in the rear seat 59, the suction port mode is determined to be the front inside air circulation mode (step S24). Thereafter, the suction port mode control ends, and the process proceeds to step S9.

Therefore, when there is no occupant in the rear seat 59, the front inside air circulation mode is selected.
U causes the front damper 84 to open the front inside air suction port 81,
The rear damper 85 closes the rear inside air suction port 82. Thus, for example, in the face mode during the cooling operation,
As shown in the airflow diagram of the vehicle interior of No. 2, the inside air sucked from the front inside air suction port 81 is cooled by the evaporator 4 or the like and becomes cool air. The cold air flows into wide flow outlet 2
After the air is blown into the vehicle compartment from 0, the vicinity of the front seat 58 in the vehicle compartment is cooled and then sucked into the front inside air suction port 81 again.

If the result of the determination in step S23 is Yes
In the case of, that is, when there is an occupant in the rear seat 59, the suction port mode is determined to be the rear inside air circulation mode (step S25). Thereafter, the suction port mode control ends, and the process proceeds to step S9.

Therefore, when there is an occupant in the rear seat 59, the rear side internal air circulation mode is selected.
As a result, the front damper 84 closes the front inside air suction port 81, and the rear damper 85 opens the rear inside air suction port 82. Thereby, for example, in the face mode at the time of the cooling operation, as shown in the air flow diagram of the vehicle interior in FIG. 13, the cool air cooled by the evaporator 4 or the like is blown out from the wide flow outlet 20 into the vehicle interior, and After cooling the vicinity of the front seat 58 and the vicinity of the rear seat 59, the air is sucked from the rear inside air suction port 82, guided to the inlet side of the duct 2 by the connecting duct 83, and blown out again into the vehicle compartment from the wide flow outlet 20. Is done.

[Modification] The shape and installation method of the wide flow outlet can be freely changed as long as it is open over substantially the entire width of the instrument panel of the vehicle. In the second embodiment, the front damper 84 and the rear damper 85 are provided, but the communication port between the connection duct 83 and the duct 2 and the front inside air suction port 81 are provided.
May be provided.

[0045]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, even if the air blown into the vehicle interior from the wide flow outlet reduces the amount of air blown out from the wide flow outlet, the front seat and the rear seat in the vehicle interior are reduced. After passing through the seat, the air is exhausted to the outside of the cabin by the inside air exhaust means provided on the rear side of the cabin. Performance can be improved.
The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that, even if the air blown out from the wide flow outlet into the vehicle compartment decreases the amount of air blown out from the wide flow outlet, it passes through the front seat and the rear seat, and then the vehicle interior Since the air is sucked into the duct from the rear inside air intake port opened on the rear side, the reach of the blown air to the occupant of the rear seat can be enhanced, and the comfort of the occupant of the rear seat can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an automotive air conditioner according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing an instrument panel of the automobile according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the inside air discharge device of the vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a rear seat of the automobile according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a control panel of the automobile air conditioner of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a graph showing a relationship between an inlet mode, a target outlet temperature, and the presence or absence of an occupant in a rear seat according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a basic control program according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a subroutine of suction port mode control according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an airflow diagram in a vehicle cabin in the inside air circulation mode according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is an airflow diagram in a vehicle cabin in the inside / outside air introduction mode according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is an airflow diagram in a vehicle cabin in a front internal air circulation mode according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is an air flow diagram in a vehicle cabin in a rear internal air circulation mode according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a subroutine of suction port mode control according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a front view showing an instrument panel of a conventional automobile.

FIG. 16 is an airflow diagram in a vehicle cabin in a current outside air introduction mode.

FIG. 17 is an airflow diagram in a vehicle cabin in a current interior air circulation mode.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Auto-air-conditioner for vehicles (air conditioner for vehicles) 2 Duct 6 Inside air exhausting device (inside air discharging means) 7 ECU (control means) 8 Front side inside air suction port 9 Front side outside air suction port 10 Inside / outside air switching damper (inside / outside air switching means) Reference Signs List 19 instrument panel 20 wide flow outlet 55 inside air outlet 59 rear seat 69 pressure sensor (detection means) 70 pressure sensor (detection means) 81 front inside air intake 82 rear inside air intake 83 connecting duct 85 rear damper (open / close) Means) 88 Pressure sensor (detection means)

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B60H 1/00 103 B60H 1/24 661

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] (A) A front inside air intake opening at a front side inside a vehicle compartment, a front outside air intake opening at a front side of a vehicle, and a wide flow outlet opening over substantially the entire width of an instrument panel of the vehicle. (B) an inside air circulation mode for sucking inside air only from the front side inside air suction port, an outside air introduction mode for sucking outside air only from the front side outside air suction port, or from both the front side inside air suction port and the front side outside air suction port Inside / outside air switching means for switching between inside / outside air introduction mode for sucking inside air and outside air; (c) inside air discharging means provided on the rear side of the vehicle interior to discharge the inside air to the outside of the vehicle interior; and (d) occupants in rear seats of the vehicle. Detecting means for detecting the presence of an occupant, and switching to the outside air introduction mode or the inside / outside air introduction mode when the detection means detects the presence of an occupant in the rear seat. Air conditioning apparatus for a vehicle and a control means for controlling said outside air switching means so that. (A) a front inside air inlet opening at the front side of the vehicle interior, a rear inside air intake opening at the rear side of the vehicle interior, and a wide flow opening over substantially the entire width of the instrument panel of the vehicle. A duct having an air outlet, (b) opening / closing means for opening and closing the front inside air suction port or the rear inside air suction port, and (c) detection means for detecting that an occupant is in a rear seat of the vehicle, A vehicle air conditioner comprising: control means for controlling the opening / closing means so that when the detection means detects the presence of an occupant in a rear seat, the inside air is sucked from the rear inside air suction port.