Ventilation – Vehicle – Having forced recirculation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-01
2001-03-20
Joyce, Harold (Department: 3749)
Ventilation
Vehicle
Having forced recirculation
Reexamination Certificate
active
06203420
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to devices for heating and/or air-conditioning motor vehicles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Devices of the type comprising an air intake chamber provided with an inlet for outside air, with an inlet for recirculated air and with at least one flap which can selectively control said inlets, as well as a motor-driven fan unit which is arranged downstream of the air intake chamber and comprises a casing accommodating a centrifugal turbine which is driven by a motor, is provided with blades and can take in an air flow axially then deliver it tangentially to a heating and/or air-conditioning unit are known.
In a device of this type, the air intake chamber is supplied with a flow of outside air and/or of recirculated air which is then delivered under pressure by the motor-driven fan unit, also referred to as a blower, to the heating and/or air-conditioning unit which has at least one heat exchanger (heating radiator and, optionally, evaporator) for heating or cooling the air flow which is then to be sent to the passenger compartment of the vehicle through various distribution pipes and outlets.
The casing of the motor-driven fan unit customarily has a peripheral spiral which, with an increasing cross-section, encloses the turbine and can divert the air flow thus delivered into the tangential direction.
In known devices, the motor of the motor-driven fan unit is generally arranged on the opposite side from the air inlets of the air intake chamber, so that the air flow can enter the casing of the motor-driven fan unit through a circular opening which, at the same time, constitutes the exit of the air intake chamber.
This solution is favorable for supplying the casing of the motor-driven fan unit with air, but has the drawback of increasing the axial space taken up by the casing, because of the layout of the motor.
Furthermore, this layout of the motor, which is then generally located on the same side as the passenger compartment, generates noise which can propagate with ease into the passenger compartment through the various distribution pipes.
Another drawback of this known solution is that it is difficult to provide means for taking the motor-driven fan unit apart easily.
It has also been proposed to locate the motor of the motor-driven fan unit on the same side as the outside-air inlet and the recirculated-air inlet. However, this further solution has substantially the same drawbacks as the solution mentioned above, because of the respective positions of the air inlets.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
One object of the invention is, in particular, to overcome the drawbacks mentioned above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided a motor-vehicle heating and/or air-conditioning device, comprising an air intake chamber having an inlet for outside air, an inlet for recirculated air and at least one flap which can selectively control said inlets, as well as a motor-driven fan unit which is arranged downstream of the air intake chamber, the fan unit comprising a casing accommodating a centrifugal turbine which is driven by a motor and being provided with blades and being able to take in an air flow axially, then deliver it tangentially to a heating and/or air-conditioning unit, wherein the combination formed by the outside-air inlet and the recirculated-air inlet extends on either side of an arbitrary plane passing through the axis of rotation of the motor of the motor-driven fan unit, said motor being located on the same side as the outside-air inlet and the recirculated-air inlet, and therefore on the same side as the intake of the air flow into the air intake chamber.
This particular way of arranging the two air inlets, in combination with the layout of the motor on the same side as the air intake, allows the axial space taken up by the motor-driven fan unit to be reduced substantially.
In addition, this solution makes it possible to reduce the noise generated by the motor-driven fan unit, and also allows better cooling of the motor.
It should also be noted that this solution makes it easier for the motor-driven fan unit to be taken apart.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the casing of the motor-driven fan unit is provided with a circular opening which communicates with the air intake chamber, and the motor extends axially through said circular opening so that the air flow can enter the casing of the motor-driven fan unit through an annular passage
Because the air flow enters the casing of the motor-driven fan unit through an annular opening, instead of a circular opening as in the prior art, it may in certain cases be necessary to increase the cross-section of the shroud of the casing in order to have an equivalent flow cross-section. This solution improves the cooling of the motor, and therefore extends its life.
What is more, the resulting increase in the diameter of the turbine makes it possible to reduce the height of the spiral, allowing a saving in axial size, and a reduction in the rotational speed of the motor, and therefore a reduction in noise.
Advantageously, the device has a ratio A/S2 of between 0.5 and 0.8, and preferably equal to 0.7, where A represents the area of the annular surface bounded externally by the inner edge of the blades of the turbine and internally by the outer edge of the body of the motor of the turbine, while S2 represents the area of the surface of the disc bounded by the inner edge of the blades of the turbine.
According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the axis of rotation of the motor is designed to extend substantially along the longitudinal axis, or X-axis, of the vehicle. This also contributes to reducing the space taken up by the assembly.
In this case, the motor is advantageously intended to be placed towards the front of the vehicle, next to the partition separating the engine compartment from the passenger compartment. Installing it in this way contributes to reducing the noise generated by the motor-driven fan unit.
It is advantageous to use at least one flap which is arranged as close as possible to the motor, in order to contribute to reducing the space taken up. As used here, the term “flap” is intended to mean any shut-off means which can selectively control the outside-air inlet and the recirculated-air inlet.
In a first embodiment of the invention, the device comprises a pivoting flap, of the drum or shell type, which can control the outside-air inlet and the recirculated-air inlet and has two pivots spaced apart and defining the pivoting axis of the flap.
The two pivots are advantageously located on either side of the motor, so that the axis of pivoting of the flap passes virtually through the motor. This solution allows the axial space taken up to be reduced further.
In a second embodiment of the invention, the device comprises two sets of flaps, of the butterfly or slotted-shutter type, which can respectively control the outside-air inlet and the recirculated-air inlet.
In a third embodiment of the invention, the device comprises two flaps, of the shell type, whose movements are co-ordinated and which can respectively control the outside-air inlet and the recirculated-air inlet.
In a fourth embodiment of the invention, the device comprises two flaps, of the film type, whose movements are co-ordinated and which can respectively control the outside-air inlet and the recirculated-air inlet.
In a fifth embodiment of the invention, the device comprises one flap, of the film type, which can control the outside-air inlet and the recirculated-air inlet.
It is also possible to combine different types of flap.
According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the casing of the motor-driven fan unit comprises a removable cover located on the opposite side from the motor.
When the casing of the motor-driven fan unit comprises a peripheral spiral, it is advantageous for the cover to comprise a substantially flat base connected to a peripheral rim which can engage by interlocking with a peripheral rim of the casing, so
Ben Fredj Mounir
Loup Didier
Raccouard Michel
Joyce Harold
Morgan & Finnegan L.L.P.
Valeo Climatisation
LandOfFree
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