JP7031337B2 - Vehicle air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner applied to a vehicle in which a target seat capable of adjusting the inclination angle of the seat back portion with respect to the seat cushion portion is installed.

Conventionally, an air conditioner for an automobile that blows out conditioned air from a plurality of outlets provided in an instrument panel in a vehicle interior is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-58148

In a conventional device such as the air conditioner described in Patent Document 1, the air volume and the wind direction of the air blown from the air outlet opening into the vehicle interior are set automatically or by occupant operation.

However, for seats installed in the passenger compartment, such as the driver's seat and the passenger seat, the inclination angle of the seat back portion with respect to the seat cushion portion can be changed. When the inclination angle of the seat back portion with respect to the seat cushion portion is changed, the posture of the occupant seated on the seat changes. Therefore, depending on the inclination angle of the seat back portion with respect to the seat cushion portion, the air blown out from the air outlet may not properly hit the occupant seated on the seat. This is not preferable because it causes a factor that impairs the comfort of the vehicle interior and also causes a deterioration of the air conditioning efficiency in the vehicle interior.

In view of the above points, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle air conditioner capable of improving the air conditioning efficiency of the vehicle interior while ensuring the comfort of the vehicle interior.

The invention according to claim 1 is a vehicle (1) in which a target seat (5, 6) capable of adjusting the inclination angle (θr) of the seat back portion (5b, 6b) with respect to the seat cushion portion (5a, 6a) is installed. ) Is targeted for vehicle air conditioners.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is
A front outlet (14) that opens in front of the target seat in the passenger compartment and blows air toward the occupants seated in the target seat.
A specific outlet (16) that opens closer to the target seat than the front outlet in the vehicle interior and blows air toward the occupants seated in the target seat.
An air volume adjusting device (32) that increases or decreases the amount of air blown out from the front blowout portion and the amount of air blown out from the specific blowout portion, and
The control device (100) including the air volume control unit (100a) for controlling the air volume adjusting device is provided.

When the control device is in the first state where the inclination angle is equal to or more than a predetermined angle threshold value, the amount of air blown out from the front blowout portion is reduced and specified as compared with the case where the inclination angle is less than the angle threshold value in the second state. The air volume adjusting device is controlled so that the amount of air blown out from the blowout portion increases. In the first state, the seat back portion is tilted toward the rear side of the vehicle as compared with the second state.

According to this, when the inclination angle of the seat back portion with respect to the seat cushion portion becomes large, the amount of air blown out from the specific blowout portion opened at a position close to the target seat increases, so that the air from the specific blowout portion becomes the target seat. It becomes easier to hit the body of the seated occupant. As a result, the comfort inside the vehicle interior can be ensured.

Further, when the inclination angle of the seat back portion with respect to the seat cushion portion becomes large, the amount of air blown out from the front blowout portion opened at a position away from the target seat decreases, so that the air blows out into a space where there is little need for air conditioning. Is suppressed. This makes it possible to improve the air conditioning efficiency in the vehicle interior.

The reference numerals in parentheses of each means described in this column and the scope of claims indicate an example of the correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiment described later.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the front of the vehicle interior of the vehicle which is equipped with the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the reclining angle of a seat. It is a schematic diagram which shows the schematic structure of the air conditioner for a vehicle which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the control device of the air-conditioning apparatus for vehicles which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the air-conditioning control processing executed by the control device of the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating how the air blown out at the time of a foot mode in the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the flow of the air blown out in the relax mode in the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus which is the comparative example of 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the flow of the air blown out in the relax mode in the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the modification of the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the flow | flow of the air blown out in the relax mode in the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus which is a modification of 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the control device of the air-conditioning apparatus for vehicles which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the air-conditioning control processing executed by the control device of the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, the same reference numerals may be assigned to parts that are the same as or equivalent to those described in the preceding embodiments, and the description thereof may be omitted. Further, when only a part of the component is described in the embodiment, the component described in the preceding embodiment can be applied to the other part of the component. The following embodiments can be partially combined with each other as long as the combination is not particularly hindered, even if not explicitly stated.

(First Embodiment)
This embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. The front-back, left-right, and up-down arrows shown in FIG. 1 indicate the front-rear direction DRfr, the width direction DRw, and the up-down direction DRud of the vehicle 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, at least a driver's seat 5 and a passenger seat 6 are installed as seats for occupants in the vehicle interior inside the vehicle 1. The driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 include seat cushion portions 5a and 6a that support the lower body of the occupant, and seat back portions 5b and 6b that support the upper body of the occupant. The driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 are provided with a reclining mechanism (not shown), and the reclining mechanism makes it possible to adjust the reclining angle θr, which is the inclination angle of the seat back portions 5b and 6b with respect to the seat cushion portions 5a and 6a. There is. In the present embodiment, the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 constitute a target seat in which the reclining angle θr can be adjusted. The driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 of the present embodiment are composed of seats (so-called power seats) whose reclining angle θr can be electrically adjusted.

Specifically, the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 are full as shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 2 from the basic posture shown by the solid line in FIG. 2 when the seat back portions 5b and 6b are tilted toward the rear side of the vehicle 1. It is possible to increase the reclining angle θr up to the flat posture. The basic posture is a posture in which the seat back portions 5b and 6b stand on the seat cushion portions 5a and 6a (for example, θrn = 95 °). Further, the full flat posture is a posture in which the seat back portions 5b and 6b are greatly tilted toward the rear side of the vehicle 1 so that the seated person can lie down (for example, θrf = 150 °).

Returning to FIG. 1, in front of the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6, an instrument panel IP in which instruments and the like are installed is arranged below the front windshield WSf. The temperature control unit 20 of the vehicle air conditioner 10 is installed inside the instrument panel IP.

The vehicle air conditioner 10 is a device that air-conditions the interior of the vehicle. The vehicle air conditioner 10 includes a defroster outlet 12, a front outlet 14, a specific outlet 16, and a temperature control unit 20.

The defroster blowing portion 12 is a blowing portion for preventing fogging of the front windshield WSf by blowing air toward the front windshield WSf. The defroster blowing portion 12 is provided on the upper surface portion of the instrument panel IP facing the front windshield WSf.

The front outlet portion 14 is an outlet portion that opens in front of the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 and blows air toward the occupants seated in the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6. The front blowout portion 14 includes a face blowout portion 142 and a foot blowout portion 144.

The face blowout portion 142 is a blowout portion that blows air mainly toward the upper body of the occupant. The face blowing portion 142 is open to the front portion of the instrument panel IP facing the seat back portions 5b and 6b of the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6.

The foot blowout portion 144 is a blowout portion that blows air mainly toward the lower body of the occupant. The foot blowing portion 144 is opened inside the instrument panel IP so that air is blown toward the feet of the occupants seated in the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 set in the basic posture.

The specific outlet 16 is an outlet that opens closer to the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 than the front outlet 14 in the vehicle interior and blows air toward the occupants seated in the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6. ..

The specific blowout portion 16 of the present embodiment is set to an interior component 7 in which at least a part thereof overlaps with one of the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 in the width direction DRw of the vehicle 1. In other words, the specific blowout portion 16 is set in the interior component 7 that overlaps with at least a part of the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 when viewed from the width direction DRw of the vehicle.

Specifically, the specific outlet portion 16 is set on the boarding / alighting door portion 72 and the center console 74 that overlap the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 when viewed from the width direction DRw of the vehicle. The specific outlet unit 16 includes a door outlet unit 162 set in the door unit 72 and a console outlet unit 164 set in the center console 74.

The temperature adjusting unit 20 adjusts the temperature of the air blown into the vehicle interior, and is arranged inside the instrument panel IP. The internal structure of the temperature control unit 20 and the like will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, the temperature control unit 20 includes a blower 23, an evaporator 24, a heater 25, and the like inside the casing 21 constituting the outer shell. The casing 21 is formed with a ventilation path through which air can flow. The casing 21 is made of a resin (for example, polypropylene) having a certain degree of elasticity and excellent strength. On the upstream side of the air flow in the casing 21, an inside / outside air switching box 22 for switching and introducing the air inside the vehicle interior (that is, the inside air) and the air outside the vehicle interior (that is, the outside air) is arranged.

The inside / outside air switching box 22 is formed with an outside air introduction port 221 for introducing outside air inside the casing 21 and an inside air introduction port 222 for introducing inside air inside the casing 21. The inside / outside air switching box 22 is arranged with an inside / outside air switching door 223 that opens and closes the outside air introduction port 221 and the inside air introduction port 222. The inside / outside air switching door 223 is configured so that the opening ratio between the outside air introduction port 221 and the inside air introduction port 222 can be adjusted.

A blower 23 is arranged on the downstream side of the air flow of the inside / outside air switching box 22. The blower 23 is composed of an electric blower that drives a centrifugal fan with an electric motor. The blower 23 is not limited to the centrifugal fan, and may be composed of a blower including an axial fan or the like.

An evaporator 24 is arranged on the downstream side of the air flow of the blower 23. The evaporator 24 is a cooling device that cools the blown air by exchanging heat between the refrigerant flowing inside the evaporator 24 and the blown air from the blower 23. Specifically, the evaporator 24 constitutes a steam compression type refrigeration cycle together with a compressor (not shown), a radiator, an expansion valve, and the like.

A heater 25 is arranged on the downstream side of the air flow of the evaporator 24. The heater 25 is a heating device that heats the air that has passed through the evaporator 24. The heater 25 includes an electric heater, a heater core using waste heat of the vehicle (for example, engine cooling water), and the like.

A bypass passage 26 is formed on the downstream side of the air flow of the evaporator 24 to bypass the heater 25 and allow air to flow. An air mix door 27 for adjusting the air volume ratio of the air flowing through the heater 25 and the air flowing through the bypass passage 26 is arranged between the evaporator 24 and the heater 25.

A defroster opening 211, a face opening 212, and a foot opening 213 are formed on the most downstream side of the air flow of the casing 21 as outlets for temperature-controlled air adjusted to a desired temperature by the evaporator 24 and the heater 25. Has been done.

On the upstream side of the air flow of the defroster opening 211, a defroster door 211a for opening and closing the defroster opening 211 is arranged. Further, a defroster duct 28 for guiding the temperature-controlled air to the defroster outlet portion 12 is connected to the defroster opening 211.

A face door 212a for opening and closing the face opening 212 is arranged on the upstream side of the air flow of the face opening 212. Further, a face duct 29 for guiding the temperature-controlled air to the face blowing portion 142 is connected to the face opening 212.

A foot door 213a for opening and closing the foot opening 213 is arranged on the upstream side of the air flow of the foot opening 213. Further, a foot duct 30 for guiding the temperature-controlled air to the foot outlet portion 144 is connected to the foot opening portion 213. The foot duct 30 is bifurcated so that temperature-controlled air can be supplied to both the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6.

Here, in the present embodiment, the face duct 29 and the foot duct 30 form a front duct for guiding the temperature-controlled air whose temperature has been adjusted by the temperature control unit 20 to the front outlet portion 14.

A specific duct 31 for guiding the temperature-controlled air to the specific outlet portion 16 is connected to the foot duct 30 of the present embodiment. The specific duct 31 is connected to the foot duct 30 so as to branch off from the foot duct 30 constituting the front duct.

The specific duct 31 is bifurcated so that temperature-controlled air can be supplied to both the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6. Although not shown, the specific duct 31 is further branched so that temperature-controlled air can be blown out from both the door blowing portion 162 and the console blowing portion 164. The specific duct 31 is built in the entrance / exit door portion 72 and the center console 74.

An adjusting door 32 is arranged at a connection portion between the foot duct 30 and the specific duct 31. The adjusting door 32 adjusts the passage area of the foot duct 30 and the passage area of the specific duct 31.

The adjusting door 32 of the present embodiment is configured to selectively open and close the passage in the foot duct 30 and the passage in the specific duct 31. When the adjusting door 32 is set to a position where the passage in the foot duct 30 is opened and the passage in the specific duct 31 is closed, the amount of air blown out from the foot blowing portion 144 is increased while the specific blowing air is blown out. The amount of air blown out from the portion 16 is reduced. Further, when the adjusting door 32 is set to a position where the passage in the foot duct 30 is closed and the passage in the specific duct 31 is opened, the amount of air blown out from the foot blowing portion 144 is reduced, while the amount of air blown out is reduced. The amount of air blown out from the specific blowout portion 16 increases. In the present embodiment, the adjusting door 32 constitutes an air volume adjusting device that increases or decreases the amount of air blown out from the foot blowing portion 144 and the amount of air blown out from the specific blowing portion 16.

Subsequently, the control device 100, which is an electronic control unit of the vehicle air conditioner 10, will be described with reference to FIG. The control device 100 includes a well-known microcomputer including a processor, a memory, and the like, and peripheral circuits thereof. Then, the control device 100 performs various calculations and processes based on the control program stored in the memory, and controls the operation of various devices connected to the output side. The memory of the control device 100 is composed of a non-transitional substantive storage medium.

An inside / outside air switching door 223, a blower 23, an air mix door 27, an adjustment door 32, a drive unit for driving a reclining mechanism, and the like are connected to the output side of the control device 100 as control target devices.

An outside air temperature sensor 110, an inside air temperature sensor 111, a solar radiation sensor 112, a reclining sensor 113, and the like are connected to the input side of the control device 100. The reclining sensor 113 is a sensor that detects the reclining angle θr of the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6. As the reclining sensor 113, for example, an angle sensor that detects the rotation angle of the drive unit of the reclining mechanism can be adopted.

An operation panel 120 arranged near the instrument panel IP of the vehicle 1 is connected to the input side of the control device 100. The operation panel 120 is provided with an air conditioner switch 121 for setting the necessity of air conditioning in the vehicle interior, a temperature setting switch 122 for setting a set temperature in the vehicle interior, and a relax switch 128.

The relax switch 128 is a switch set to a relax mode in which the reclining angle θr of the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 is increased so that the occupant can relax. The control device 100 controls the reclining mechanism so that, for example, the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 are in the full flat posture when the relaxation switch 128 is turned on by the operation of the occupant. The control device 100 controls the reclining mechanism so that, for example, the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 are in the basic posture when the relaxation switch 128 is turned off by the operation of the occupant.

The operation panel 120 has a face blowout switch 123, a bi-level blowout switch 124, a foot blowout switch 125, a foot differential blowout switch 126, a differential blowout switch 127, and the like as blowout switches for setting the blowout mode of temperature-controlled air into the vehicle interior. It is provided. The face blowing switch 123 is a switch for setting the blowing mode to the face mode in which the temperature-controlled air is blown from the face blowing portion 142. The bi-level blowout switch 124 is a switch for setting the blowout mode to the buy-level mode in which the temperature-controlled air is blown out from both the face blowout portion 142 and the foot blowout portion 144. The foot blowout switch 125 is a switch for setting the blowout mode to the foot mode in which the temperature-controlled air is blown out from the foot blowout portion 144. The foot differential blowout switch 126 is a switch for setting the blowout mode to the foot differential mode in which temperature-controlled air is blown out from both the defroster blowout portion 12 and the foot blowout portion 144. The differential blowout switch 127 is a switch for setting the blowout mode to the defroster mode in which the temperature-controlled air is blown out from the defroster blowout unit 12.

Here, the control device 100 is integrally configured with a control unit that controls various devices to be controlled connected to the output side thereof. Then, the control device 100 functions as a control unit in which hardware or software that controls the operation of each component device to be controlled controls the operation of each component device. For example, the configuration for controlling the adjustment door 32 in the control device 100 constitutes an air volume control unit 100a that controls the air volume ratio between the air volume of the air blown out from the front blowout unit 14 and the air volume of the air blown out from the specific blowout unit 16. ing.

Next, the operation of the vehicle air conditioner 10 of the present embodiment will be described. When the start switch of the vehicle 1 is turned on, the vehicle air conditioner 10 is operated by supplying power to the control device 100 from a battery (not shown). When the air conditioner switch 121 is turned on in this state, the control device 100 executes an air conditioning control process for air conditioning the interior of the vehicle. Hereinafter, the air conditioning control process will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 100 executes an initialization process for initializing various setting flags, calculated values, and the like in step S100. Then, in step S110, the control device 100 reads various signals such as detection signals of various sensors and operation signals of various switches.

Subsequently, in step S120, the control device 100 calculates the target blowing temperature TAO, which is the target temperature of the air blown into the vehicle interior. The control device 100 calculates the target blowout temperature TAO by, for example, substituting the detection signals of various sensors into the following mathematical formula F1.
TAO = Kset x Tset-Kr x Tr-Kam x Tam-Ks x Ts + C ... (F1)
Here, in the above-mentioned mathematical formula F1, the set temperature set by the temperature setting switch 122 is shown by Tset, the outside air temperature is shown by Tam, the inside air temperature is shown by Tr, and the amount of solar radiation is shown by Ts. Further, Kset, Kr, Kam, and Ks shown in the above formula F1 are gains, and C is a constant for correction over the whole.

Subsequently, in step S130, the control device 100 performs various arithmetic processes based on the operation signals of the various switches set by the manual operation of the user and the target blowout temperature TAO. In this calculation process, for example, the target blowing amount of the blower 23, the target opening degree of the inside / outside air switching door 223, the target opening degree of the air mix door 27, and the like are calculated based on the target blowing temperature TAO. Further, the control device 100 determines the blowing mode based on the operation signals of the blowing switches 123 to 127. The control device 100 may be configured to determine the blowing mode based on the target blowing temperature TAO.

Subsequently, in step S140, the control device 100 determines whether or not the blowing mode determined in step S130 is the foot mode. As a result, when the blowing mode is not the foot mode, the control device 100 targets the adjustment door 32 at a position where the passage in the foot duct 30 is opened and the passage in the specific duct 31 is closed in step S150. Determine the opening.

On the other hand, as a result of the determination process in step S130, when the blowing mode is the foot mode, the control device 100 determines in step S160 whether or not it is the relax mode. Specifically, the control device 100 determines that the relax mode is set when the relax switch 128 is turned on and the reclining angle θr is in the first state of being equal to or greater than a predetermined angle threshold value θth.

On the other hand, the control device 100 determines that the relax mode is not set when the relax switch 128 is turned off and the reclining angle θr is in the second state of being less than the predetermined angle threshold value θth. The angle threshold value θth is set to the reclining angle θr when the seat back portions 5b and 6b are tilted toward the rear side of the vehicle 1 with respect to the basic posture. The angle threshold value θth is set in a range that satisfies, for example, 100 ° ≦ θr ≦ 150 °.

As a result of the determination process in step S160, in the relax mode, the control device 100 shifts to step S170 and adjusts to a position where the passage in the foot duct 30 is closed and the passage in the specific duct 31 is opened. The target opening degree of the door 32 is determined.

As a result, in the relax mode, the amount of air blown out from the front blowout portion 14 is reduced and the amount of air blown out from the specific blowout portion 16 is increased as compared with the case where the mode is not relaxed. As a result of the determination process in step S160, if the mode is not relaxed, the control device 100 shifts to step S150. That is, the control device 100 determines the target opening degree of the adjusting door 32 at the position where the passage in the specific duct 31 is closed.

Subsequently, the control device 100 executes control signal output processing for various control target devices in step S180 so that various control states calculated or determined in steps S130, S150, and S170 can be obtained. Then, in step S190, the control device 100 waits until the time corresponding to the control cycle T since the last execution of the process of step S110 elapses, and when the elapse of the control cycle T is determined, the process of step S110 is performed. Return to. Therefore, the series of processes of steps S110 to S190 is repeatedly executed every control cycle T as a loop process.

In the vehicle air conditioner 10 of the present embodiment, the foot mode is selected when the reclining angle θr of the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 is set to the second state (for example, the basic posture) in which the angle threshold value θr is less than the angle threshold value θr. Then, the temperature-controlled air is blown out from the foot blowing portion 144. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, since the foot of the occupant is located on the lower side of the instrument panel IP, the temperature-controlled air from the foot blowout portion 144 is blown out toward the foot of the occupant.

By the way, when the occupant takes a break or the like in the vehicle, the reclining angle θr of the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 may be set to the first state (for example, a full flat posture) in which the angle threshold value θr or more. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, since the occupant's feet are located behind the instrument panel IP, the temperature-controlled air from the foot blowout portion 144 is not blown out to the vicinity of the occupant's feet in the foot mode. That is, when the foot mode is selected when the reclining angle θr of the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 is set to the first state where the angle threshold value θth or more is set, the temperature controlled air from the foot blowing portion 144 is air-conditioned. It is blown out toward a space where there is little need. This is not preferable because it causes a factor that impairs the comfort of the vehicle interior and also causes a deterioration of the air conditioning efficiency in the vehicle interior.

On the other hand, in the vehicle air conditioner 10 of the present embodiment, the foot mode is selected when the reclining angle θr of the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 is set to the first state in which the angle threshold θth or more is set. Then, the temperature-controlled air is blown out from the specific blowing portion 16. That is, in the vehicle air conditioner 10, when the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 are set to the first state, the amount of air blown out from the front blowing portion 14 is compared with the case where the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 are set to the second state. And the amount of air blown out from the specific blowing portion 16 increases. Specifically, in the vehicle air conditioner 10 of the present embodiment, when the first state is set, the air blowout from the front blowout portion 14 is stopped, and the temperature control air is blown out from the specific blowout portion 16. To. According to this, as shown in FIG. 8, the temperature-controlled air is blown toward the lower body side of the occupant.

In the vehicle air conditioner 10 described above, when the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 are in the first state, the amount of air blown out from the front blowing portion 14 is reduced as compared with the case where the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 are in the second state, and the amount of air blown out is reduced. , The amount of air blown out from the specific blowout portion 16 increases.

According to this, when the reclining angle θr becomes large, the amount of air blown out from the specific blowout portion 16 that opens near the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 increases, so that the air from the specific blowout portion 16 is the driver's seat 5. And it becomes easier to hit the body of the occupant seated in the passenger seat 6. As a result, the comfort inside the vehicle interior can be ensured.

Further, when the reclining angle θr becomes large, the amount of air blown out from the front blowing portion 14 opened at a position away from the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 decreases, so that the air is blown into a space where there is little need for air conditioning. Is suppressed. This makes it possible to improve the air conditioning efficiency in the vehicle interior.

In particular, the vehicle air conditioner 10 of the present embodiment is set as an interior component (that is, a boarding / alighting door portion 72, a center console 74) in which the specific outlet portion 16 overlaps with the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 in the width direction DRw of the vehicle 1. Has been done.

According to this, the specific outlet portion 16 can be brought closer to the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 than the front outlet portion 14 provided in the instrument panel IP, so that the comfort in the vehicle interior is sufficiently ensured. be able to. Further, if the specific outlet 16 is set for the existing interior parts such as the door 72 and the center console 74, the number of parts for newly installing the specific outlet 16 can be reduced, so that the air conditioner for the vehicle can be used. It is also possible to simplify the ten.

Further, in the vehicle air conditioner 10 of the present embodiment, the specific duct 31 for guiding the air whose temperature has been adjusted by the temperature adjustment unit 20 to the specific outlet portion 16 branches from the foot duct 30 constituting the front duct. It is connected like. According to this, since it is not necessary to provide a dedicated device for adjusting the temperature of the air blown from the specific blowing portion 16, the vehicle air conditioner 10 can be realized with a simpler configuration.

Further, in the vehicle air conditioner 10 of the present embodiment, the passage area of the foot duct 30 and the passage area of the specific duct 31 are adjusted by the adjusting door 32, so that the amount of air blown from the front blowing portion 14 and the specified blowing portion 16 are used. It is configured to control the air volume ratio with the blown air volume. Such a configuration greatly contributes to the simplification of the vehicle air conditioner 10.

Here, the specific blowout portion 16 is located closer to the occupant than the front blowout portion 14. Therefore, when the temperature-controlled air is blown from the specific blowing portion 16, it is desirable to lower the blowing capacity of the blower 23 as compared with the case where the temperature-controlled air is blown from the front blowing portion 14. According to this, it becomes possible to sufficiently improve the air conditioning efficiency.

(First modification of the first embodiment)
In the above-described first embodiment, an example in which the specific blowout portion 16 is set as an interior component overlapping the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 in the width direction DRw of the vehicle 1 has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

In the vehicle air conditioner 10, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, the specific blowout portion 16 is set to the seat cushion portions 5a, 6a and the seat back portions 5b, 6b of the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6, and the seat blowout portion 166. It may be composed of.

Even with such a configuration, when the driver's seat 5 and the passenger's seat 6 are set to the first state, the amount of air blown out from the front blowing portion 14 is compared with the case where the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 are set to the second state. And the amount of air blown out from the specific blowing portion 16 increases. According to this, as shown in FIG. 10, since the temperature-controlled air is blown out toward the occupants, it is possible to improve the air conditioning efficiency while ensuring the comfort in the vehicle interior.

Further, the specific outlet portion 16 may be set in an interior component other than the entrance / exit door portion 72 and the center console 74. The specific blowout portion 16 may be set in, for example, an interior component such as a ceiling portion or a center pillar existing around the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. In this embodiment, an example in which the vehicle air conditioner 10 is applied to an autonomous driving vehicle equipped with the autonomous driving system 8 will be described.

The self-driving vehicle is configured to be able to drive in a driving mode corresponding to the self-driving degree, which indicates the degree to which the self-driving system 8 depends on the driving operation. That is, the autonomous driving vehicle is configured to be able to operate in an operation mode corresponding to a predetermined automatic driving degree by selecting a predetermined automatic driving degree from a plurality of predefined automatic driving degrees.

The automatic driving system 8 switches automatic driving by a well-known method based on the detection signals of various well-known sensors. The automatic driving system 8 switches the automatic driving degree based on, for example, the operation of the occupant and the surrounding environment of the automatic driving vehicle.

In this embodiment, the automation level (that is, level 0 to level 4) defined by the Government of Japan and NHTSA (abbreviation of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) is adopted as the degree of automation.

Level 0 is a level indicating a state in which the driver operates all the main control systems. Level 1 is a level indicating a state in which the automatic driving system 8 performs any one of acceleration, steering, and braking. Level 2 is a level indicating a state in which the automatic driving system 8 performs a plurality of operations among acceleration, steering, and braking. Level 3 is a level indicating a state in which the automatic driving system 8 performs acceleration, steering, and braking, and the driver responds when requested by the automatic driving system 8. Level 4 is a level indicating a state in which the automatic driving system 8 performs all driving operations such as surrounding monitoring in addition to acceleration, steering, and braking, and the driver is not involved in the driving operations at all.

In the present embodiment, the automatic driving degree at level 4 is a system-dependent driving degree at which the driving operation depends on the automatic driving system 8 regardless of the driver, and the automatic driving degree at levels 0 to 3 is at least a part of the driving operation. Is a driver-dependent driving degree that depends on the driver.

As shown in FIG. 11, in the control device 100 of the present embodiment, the automatic operation system 8 is connected to the input side thereof. The control device 100 takes in information about the current automatic driving degree from the automatic driving system 8 and specifies the current automatic driving degree. In the present embodiment, the function of specifying the automatic driving degree in the control device 100 constitutes the driving degree specifying unit 100b for specifying the automatic driving degree.

Next, the air conditioning control process executed by the control device 100 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The control device 100 of the present embodiment executes the process shown in FIG. 12 instead of the process shown in FIG. Of the steps shown in FIG. 12, steps having the same reference numerals as the steps shown in FIG. 5 perform the same processing unless otherwise specified.

As shown in FIG. 12, as a result of the determination process in step S160, in the relax mode, the control device 100 shifts to step S200 and executes the operation degree specifying process for specifying the current automatic operation degree. Specifically, the control device 100 has a current automatic driving degree of either a level 4 system-dependent driving degree or a level 0 to 3 driver-dependent driving degree based on the information acquired from the automatic driving system 8. To identify.

Subsequently, in step S210, the control device 100 determines whether or not the current automatic driving degree is a system-dependent driving degree. As a result, when the current automatic driving degree is the system-dependent driving degree, the control device 100 shifts to step S170, the passage in the foot duct 30 is closed, and the passage in the specific duct 31 is opened. The target opening degree of the adjustment door 32 is determined at the desired position.

On the other hand, when the current automatic driving degree is the driver-dependent driving degree, the control device 100 shifts to step S150, the passage in the foot duct 30 is opened, and the passage in the specific duct 31 is closed. The target opening degree of the adjustment door 32 is determined at the desired position.

Other processing contents are the same as those shown in FIG. In the vehicle air conditioner 10 of the present embodiment, when the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 are in the first state and the automatic driving degree is the system-dependent driving degree, the front blowout is compared with the case where the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 are in the second state. The amount of air blown out from the portion 14 decreases, and the amount of air blown out from the specific blowout unit 16 increases. According to this, it is possible to improve the air conditioning efficiency in the vehicle interior while ensuring the comfort in the vehicle interior.

Here, in the driving mode in which the driving operation is dependent on the automatic driving system 8, it is expected that the reclining angle θr is increased so as to be in a relaxed state as compared with the driving mode in which the driving operation is dependent on the driver. .. Therefore, if the reclining angle θr is large and the amount of air blown out from the specific blowing portion 16 is increased when the automatic driving degree is a system-dependent driving degree, the comfort in the vehicle interior is sufficiently ensured. can do.

(Other embodiments)
Although the typical embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be variously modified as follows, for example.

In each of the above-described embodiments, an example of increasing the amount of blown air from the specific blowing portion 16 when the reclining angle θr is in the first state of being equal to or higher than the predetermined angle threshold value θth in the foot mode has been described. Not limited. The vehicle air conditioner 10 increases the amount of air blown out from the specific blowout portion 16 when the driver's seat 5 or the passenger seat 6 is in the first state in the blowout mode other than the foot mode, and blows out from the front blowout portion 14. It may be configured to reduce the air volume. For example, when the driver's seat 5 or the passenger seat 6 is in the first state in the face mode, the vehicle air conditioner 10 switches to the foot mode and increases the amount of air blown from the specific blown portion 16 from the front blown portion 14. It may be configured to reduce the amount of air blown out.

In each of the above-described embodiments, an example of connecting the specific duct 31 to the foot duct 30 has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the vehicle air conditioner 10, for example, the specific duct 31 may be connected to a duct other than the foot duct 30.

In each of the above-described embodiments, an example in which the control device 100 determines whether or not the reclining angle θr is equal to or greater than the angle threshold value θth based on the on / off state of the relax switch 128 has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The control device 100 may be configured to determine the relax mode when, for example, the reclining angle θr detected by the reclining sensor 113 is equal to or greater than the angle threshold value θth.

The control device 100 is configured to determine that the reclining angle θr is equal to or greater than the angle threshold value θth when the occupant's feet are separated from the floor surface by, for example, a load sensor set at the occupant's feet. You may be. Further, the control device 100 is configured to detect the posture of the occupant by, for example, an IR sensor, and determine that the reclining angle θr is equal to or higher than the angle threshold value θth when the detected posture is lying on the back. You may be.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the air volume ratio between the air volume from the front outlet 14 and the air volume from the specific outlet 16 is provided by the adjusting door 32 that adjusts the passage area of the foot duct 30 and the passage area of the specific duct 31. An example of adjusting the above has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the vehicle air conditioner 10 has a dedicated blower for adjusting the amount of blown air from the specific duct 31, the blower capacity of the blower and the blower 23 of the temperature control unit 20 can be changed to change the blower capacity of each blower unit 142. The air volume ratio from 144 may be adjusted.

In each of the above-described embodiments, an example in which the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 are the target seats has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The vehicle air conditioner 10 uses, for example, seats other than the driver's seat 5 (for example, passenger seats and rear seats) as target seats, and is provided with a specific blowout portion 16 that is closer to the target seats than the front blowout portion 14. It may have the same configuration.

In each of the above-described embodiments, an example in which the temperature-controlled air is blown out from the specific blowout unit 16 by the temperature control unit 20 has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The vehicle air conditioner 10 may be configured to include, for example, a dedicated temperature adjusting unit for adjusting the temperature of the air blown from the specific blowing unit 16.

In each of the above-described embodiments, an example in which the reclining angle θr is increased when the reclining switch 128 is turned on has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Considering the safety of the occupants, it is desirable that the reclining switch 128 is configured to be effective when the vehicle 1 is parked or stopped or when the automatic driving degree is set to the system-dependent driving degree. ..

In each of the above-described embodiments, an example in which the driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 are composed of a power seat has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The driver's seat 5 and the passenger seat 6 may be composed of seats whose reclining angle θr can be adjusted by manual operation by the occupant.

Needless to say, in the above-described embodiment, the elements constituting the embodiment are not necessarily essential except when it is clearly indicated that they are essential and when they are clearly considered to be essential in principle.

In the above-described embodiment, when numerical values such as the number, numerical value, quantity, range, etc. of the components of the embodiment are mentioned, when it is clearly indicated that it is particularly essential, and when it is clearly limited to a specific number in principle. Except for cases, etc., it is not limited to the specific number.

In the above-described embodiment, when the shape, positional relationship, etc. of a component or the like is referred to, the shape, positional relationship, etc. are not specified unless otherwise specified or limited in principle to a specific shape, positional relationship, etc. Not limited to, etc.

(summary)
According to the first aspect shown in a part or all of the above-described embodiment, the vehicle air conditioner includes an air volume adjusting device for increasing / decreasing the amount of air blown from the front air outlet and the amount of air blown from the specific air outlet. It includes a control device including an air volume control unit that controls the air volume adjustment device. When the control device is in the first state where the inclination angle is equal to or more than a predetermined angle threshold value, the amount of air blown out from the front blowing portion is reduced as compared with the case where the inclination angle is less than the angle threshold value in the second state. Moreover, the air volume adjusting device is controlled so that the amount of air blown out from the specific blown-out portion increases.

According to the second aspect, in the vehicle air conditioner, the specific blowout portion is set as an interior component in which at least a part thereof overlaps with the target seat in the width direction of the vehicle. According to this, since the specific blowout portion can be brought closer to the target seat than the front blowout portion, the comfort in the vehicle interior can be sufficiently ensured. Further, if a specific outlet is set for the existing interior parts, the number of parts for newly installing the specific outlet can be reduced, so that the air conditioner for the vehicle can be simplified.

According to the third aspect, in the vehicle air conditioner, the specific blowout portion is set on the target sheet. According to this, it is possible to blow air to the occupants from a closer distance than the front blowout portion, so that the comfort inside the vehicle interior can be sufficiently ensured. In addition, if a specific outlet is set for the existing target sheet, the number of parts for newly installing the specific outlet can be reduced, so that the air conditioner for the vehicle can be simplified. ..

According to the fourth aspect, the vehicle air conditioner includes a temperature control unit that adjusts the temperature of the air blown into the vehicle interior. The vehicle air conditioner has a front duct for guiding the air whose temperature has been adjusted by the temperature control unit to the front outlet and a specific duct for guiding the air whose temperature has been adjusted by the temperature control unit to the specific outlet. And. Then, the specific duct is connected to the front duct so as to branch from the front duct. According to this, since it is not necessary to provide a dedicated device for adjusting the temperature of the air blown from the specific blowout portion, the vehicle air conditioner can be realized with a simple configuration.

According to the fifth aspect, in the vehicle air conditioner, the air volume adjusting device is composed of an adjusting door for adjusting the passage area of the front duct and the passage area of the specific duct. According to this, the air volume ratio between the air volume of the air blown from the front blowing portion and the air volume of the air blown from the specific blowing portion can be adjusted by a simple configuration. This greatly contributes to the simplification of the vehicle air conditioner.

According to the sixth aspect, the vehicle air conditioner is applied to an autonomous driving vehicle configured to be operable in an operation mode corresponding to an automatic driving degree indicating the degree of dependence of the driving operation on the automatic driving system. The controller identifies whether the autonomous driving degree is a system-dependent driving degree in which the driving operation depends on the automatic driving system, or a driver-dependent driving degree in which at least a part of the driving operation depends on the driver. It has a specific part. When the control device is in the first state and the automatic operation degree specified by the operation degree specifying unit is the system-dependent operation degree, the amount of air blown out from the front blowing part is reduced as compared with the case where the control device is in the second state. In addition, the air volume adjusting device is controlled so that the amount of air blown out from the specific blown-out portion increases.

In the driving mode that relies on the automatic driving system for driving operation, the inclination angle of the seat back portion with respect to the seat cushion portion can be increased so as to be in a relaxed state as compared with the driving mode that relies on the driver for driving operation. is expected. Therefore, if the inclination angle of the seat back portion with respect to the seat cushion portion is large and the amount of air blown out from the specific blowout portion is increased when the automatic driving degree is a system-dependent driving degree, the amount of air blown out from the specific blowing portion is increased. Sufficient comfort can be ensured.

According to the seventh aspect, the target seat targeted by the vehicle air conditioner includes a driver's seat in which the driver sits. According to this, it is possible to provide the driver with an interior environment in which the driving operation of the vehicle can be comfortably performed.

1 Vehicle 10 Vehicle air conditioner 5 Driver's seat (target seat)
6 Passenger seat (target seat)
14 Front outlet 16 Specific outlet 32 Adjustment door (air volume adjustment device)
100 Control device 100a Air volume control unit

Claims (7)

A vehicle air conditioner applied to a vehicle (1) in which a target seat (5, 6) capable of adjusting the inclination angle (θr) of the seat back portion (5b, 6b) with respect to the seat cushion portion (5a, 6a) is installed. And,
A front blowout portion (14) that opens in front of the target seat in the vehicle interior and blows air toward the occupant seated in the target seat.
A specific blowout portion (16) that opens at a position closer to the target seat than the front blowout portion in the vehicle interior and blows air toward the occupant seated on the target seat.
An air volume adjusting device (32) that increases or decreases the amount of air blown out from the front blowout portion and the amount of air blown out from the specific blowout portion.
The control device (100) including the air volume control unit (100a) for controlling the air volume adjustment device is provided.
When the control device is in the first state where the inclination angle is equal to or greater than a predetermined angle threshold value, the air blown out from the front blowing portion is compared with the case where the inclination angle is less than the angle threshold value in the second state. The air volume adjusting device is controlled so that the air volume of the air blown out from the specific blowout portion decreases and the air flow amount of the air blown out from the specific blowout portion increases.
The first state is a vehicle air conditioner in which the seat back portion is tilted toward the rear side of the vehicle as compared with the second state . The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the specific blowout unit (162, 164) is set in an interior component (72, 74) in which at least a part thereof overlaps with the target seat in the width direction of the vehicle. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the specific blowout unit (166) is set on the target sheet. A temperature control unit (10) that adjusts the temperature of the air blown into the passenger compartment, and
A front duct (30) for guiding air whose temperature has been adjusted by the temperature adjustment unit to the front outlet portion, and
A specific duct (31) for guiding air whose temperature has been adjusted by the temperature adjustment unit to the specific outlet portion is provided.
The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the specific duct is connected to the front duct so as to branch from the front duct. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the air volume adjusting device includes an adjusting door (32) for adjusting the passage area of the front duct and the passage area of the specific duct. The vehicle is an autonomous driving vehicle configured to be operable in an operation mode corresponding to an automatic driving degree indicating the degree of dependence on the automatic driving system (8) for driving operations.
The control device is
A driving degree that specifies whether the automatic driving degree is a system-dependent driving degree in which the driving operation depends on the automatic driving system, or a driver-dependent driving degree in which at least a part of the driving operation depends on the driver. With a specific part (100b)
When the inclination angle is the first state where the angle threshold is equal to or higher than the angle threshold and the automatic operation degree specified by the operation degree specifying unit is the system-dependent operation degree, the inclination angle is less than the angle threshold. A claim for controlling the air volume adjusting device so that the amount of air blown out from the front blowout portion is reduced and the amount of air blown out from the specific blowout portion is increased as compared with the case of the second state. Item 6. The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of Items 1 to 5. The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the target seat includes a driver's seat (5) in which a driver sits.

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