CN111075766B

CN111075766B - Blower and air conditioning device

Info

Publication number: CN111075766B
Application number: CN201910991649.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 长野秀树; 长泽智光; 七间豊
Original assignee: Valeo Japan Co Ltd
Current assignee: Valeo Japan Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-10-18
Filing date: 2019-10-14
Publication date: 2021-07-13
Anticipated expiration: 2039-10-14
Also published as: JP2020063718A; CN111075766A; JP6976918B2

Abstract

Provided are a blower and an air conditioner having a resonance chamber capable of changing the frequency of sound to be muffled. The blower (2) is provided with an impeller (4), a volute (6) for accommodating the impeller (4), an air intake case (10) connected to the volute (6) and having an outer air intake port (11) and an inner air intake port (12), and switching dampers (50,55) for opening and closing the outer air intake port (11) and the inner air intake port (12). The air intake case (10) further comprises a resonance chamber (80), and the resonance chamber (80) has an internal space that communicates with the internal space of the air intake case (10) via a communication port (81) provided along the track surface (S) of the switching damper (50). The switching damper can change the opening area of the communication port (81).

Description

Blower and air conditioning device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a blower and an air conditioner provided with the blower.

Background

As a blower used in an air conditioning apparatus for a vehicle, a blower using an impeller is known. The impeller is disposed within a volute having a suction inlet and a discharge outlet. Then, by rotating the impeller, the blower takes air into the scroll through the suction port and discharges it through the discharge port.

In the above-described blower, since noise such as wind noise is generated by the impeller, it is necessary to suppress leakage of the noise into the vehicle interior. In the blower described in patent document 1, noise is reduced by designing a resonance chamber. The resonance chamber is adjacent to the volute, and the inner space of the resonance chamber is communicated with the inner space of the volute through the opening.

However, the frequency characteristics of the noise generated by the blower change depending on the operating conditions of the blower and the air conditioner. Therefore, the frequency of the sound to be muffled in the resonance chamber for effectively reducing the noise also changes depending on the operating conditions of the blower and the air conditioner. However, the resonance chamber can only muffle sound of a predetermined frequency.

Patent document 1: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 7-228128

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem to be solved by the invention

The invention aims to provide a blower and an air conditioner, which are provided with a resonance chamber capable of changing the frequency of muffled sound.

Technical solution for solving technical problem

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a blower used in a vehicle air conditioner, including:

an impeller having a plurality of blades forming a circumferential blade row, and rotated by a rotating shaft of a motor;

a volute having an inner space for accommodating the impeller, a suction port that opens in an axial direction of the rotary shaft, and a discharge port that opens in a circumferential direction of the impeller;

an air intake casing having an internal space communicating with the suction port of the scroll casing, the air intake casing being provided with at least one external air intake port for taking external air into the internal space of the air intake casing and at least one internal air intake port for taking internal air into the internal space of the air intake casing;

at least one switching damper that opens and closes the outside air intake port and the inside air intake port;

in the air blower,

the air intake case is further provided with a resonance chamber having an internal space communicating with the internal space of the air intake case via a communication port located closer to the intake port side than the outside air intake port and provided along a track surface of the switching damper,

the switching damper may close the outside air intake port and at least partially close the communication port, and may change an opening area of the communication port.

Alternatively, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioning device for a vehicle, including the blower and an air conditioning unit configured to blow air sent from the blower into a vehicle interior.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the embodiments of the present invention described above, there are provided a blower and an air conditioner having a resonance chamber capable of changing the frequency of muffled sound.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the structure of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the blower shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the blower shown in fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the air intake case shown in fig. 3, showing a state in which the switching damper is at the first position.

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing frequency characteristics of noise obtained when the air conditioner is operated in the foot mode and the ventilation mode.

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing frequency characteristic curves of noise obtained in the case of using a blower without a resonance chamber and the case of using the blower shown in fig. 2.

Fig. 7 corresponds to fig. 1, and is a view schematically showing the structure of an air conditioner according to modification 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a graph showing frequency characteristics of noise obtained when the rotation speed of the impeller is high and low.

Fig. 9 corresponds to fig. 1, and is a diagram schematically showing the structure of an air conditioner according to modification 2 of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a view corresponding to fig. 4, and is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an air intake casing of a blower according to modification 3 of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a switching damper of the blower shown in fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a view corresponding to fig. 4, and is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an air intake case of a blower according to modification 4 of the present invention.

Fig. 13 is a partial sectional view showing a section along the line I-I of the blower of fig. 12.

Description of the reference numerals

1,1a,1b air conditioning device for a vehicle;

2,2a,2b,2c,2d blowers;

3 an air-conditioning unit;

4, an impeller;

6, a volute;

7 air mixing damper;

10,10c,10d air intake housing;

11 an external air intake port;

12 an inner gas inlet;

20 an external air intake duct;

30 an air conditioning housing;

32a,32b,32c blow out the channels;

36 a heat exchanger for heating;

38a,38b,38c blow out the passage damper;

50,55 switching dampers;

60,60a,60b control means;

65 a noise detection mechanism;

70 ribs;

80,85,86 resonance chambers.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the structure of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 and 3 are a perspective view of the blower shown in fig. 1 and a schematic view showing a cross section of the blower shown in fig. 2, respectively. Fig. 3 shows a cross section perpendicular to the rotation axis Bx of the switching damper described later. Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the air intake case shown in fig. 3, showing a state where the switching damper is at the first position. For clarity of illustration, the control device described below is not illustrated in fig. 2 and 3. In fig. 2, an impeller, a filter, and the like, which will be described later, are not illustrated. In each figure, U represents the upper side of the vehicle, D represents the lower side of the vehicle, Fr represents the front side of the vehicle, Rr represents the rear side of the vehicle, R represents the right side of the vehicle, and L represents the left side of the vehicle. However, the arrangement direction of the blower and the air-conditioning unit described later with respect to the vehicle is not limited to the illustrated example.

As shown in fig. 1, the vehicle air conditioner 1 includes a blower 2 and an air conditioner 3 that blows air sent from the blower 2 into a vehicle interior.

As shown in fig. 1 and 3, the blower 2 has an impeller 4. The impeller 4 has a plurality of blades 4a forming a blade row arranged in the circumferential direction at an outer peripheral portion thereof. The impeller 4 is connected to and driven by a rotary shaft 5a of the motor 5, rotates around a rotation axis Ax, and blows out radially outward air sucked into a space radially inward of the blade row of the impeller 4 from an upper side (one end side in the axial direction) in the axial direction.

In this specification, for convenience of explanation, the direction of the rotation axis Ax of the motor 5 and the impeller 4 is referred to as "axial direction". In the following description, the description is given on the premise that the axial direction coincides with the vertical direction, but it should be noted that the air conditioner may be mounted on the vehicle so that the axial direction forms an angle with respect to the vertical direction. In the present specification, unless otherwise specified, a direction of a radius of a circle drawn on a plane orthogonal to the rotation axis Ax with an arbitrary point on the rotation axis Ax as a center is referred to as a radial direction, and a circumferential direction of the circle is referred to as a circumferential direction or a circumferential direction.

As shown in fig. 3, the impeller 4 includes a conical portion (inner deflecting member) 4b formed integrally with the impeller 4. The conical portion 4b is a geometrically-defined body of revolution. The rotation shaft 5a of the motor 5 is connected to the impeller 4 at the center of the conical portion 4 b. In the air conditioning apparatus 1 shown in fig. 1, the rotation speed of the motor 5 is controlled by the motor control unit 8 a.

As shown in fig. 1, the impeller 4 is housed inside the volute 6. As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the scroll casing 6 has a suction port 6a and a discharge port 6b opened on the upper side in the axial direction. The discharge port 6b extends in a substantially tangential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the scroll casing 6 when the scroll casing 6 is viewed from the axial direction.

As shown in fig. 1, the blower 2 further has an air intake case 10 connected to the scroll case 6. The inner space of the air intake casing 10 communicates with the suction port 6a of the scroll casing 6. As shown in fig. 2, the air intake casing 10 has an outer air intake port 11 opening substantially forward and an inner air intake port 12 opening substantially rearward. The inside air intake port 12 may be opened in substantially the left and right directions. A cylindrical outside air intake duct 20 having opening portions at both ends is connected to the outside air intake port 11. The outside air intake duct 20 is connected to the outside air intake port 11 at one opening 21, and extends from the outside air intake port 11 to the opposite side (substantially forward and upward) of the internal space of the air intake casing 10. As shown in fig. 2, the outside air intake duct 20 may be integrated with the air intake casing 10. The other opening 22 of the outside air intake duct 20 is connected to or located near an outlet (not shown) of an outside air intake passage provided in the vehicle. Outside air (air taken in from the outside of the vehicle) can be efficiently introduced into the air intake case 10 through the outside air intake duct 20. The interior air intake port 12 is opened in the vehicle interior, and can introduce interior air (vehicle interior air) into the air intake casing 10.

A switching damper 50 for opening and closing the outside air intake port 11 and the inside air intake port 12 is provided in the air intake casing 10. In the illustrated example, the switching damper 50 is a member in the form of what is called a rotary switching damper, and as is understood from fig. 2, as a whole, is formed in the shape of a cylinder having a fan-shaped bottom surface. The switching damper 50 has a peripheral surface 51 and fan-shaped side surfaces 52, the peripheral surface 51 having a circular arc-shaped cross section with the rotation axis Bx as a center, and the fan-shaped side surfaces 52 being connected to both left and right sides of the peripheral surface 51. The switching damper 50 is rotatable by an actuator not shown about a rotation axis Bx extending in the left-right direction. In the example shown in fig. 3 and 4, the cross section perpendicular to the rotation axis Bx of the track surface S of the peripheral surface 51 of the switching damper 50 is formed in an arc shape. The outside air intake port 11 and the inside air intake port 12 open along the track surface S. The switching damper 50 can close the outside air intake port 11 (the inside air intake port 12) and open the inside air intake port 12 (the outside air intake port 11) by facing the peripheral surface 51 to the outside air intake port 11 (the inside air intake port 12). The switching damper 50 is movable along the inner surface of the air intake case 10 between a first position (see fig. 4) where the inside air intake port 12 is opened and the outside air intake port 11 is closed and a second position (see fig. 3) where the outside air intake port 11 is opened and the inside air intake port 12 is closed.

When the blower 2 is operated in the inside mode, the switching damper 50 is disposed at the first position as shown in fig. 4. At this time, the interior air AR is introduced into the air intake casing 10 through the interior air intake port 12. When the blower 2 is operated in the outdoor mode, the switching damper 50 is disposed at the second position as shown in fig. 3. At this time, outside air AE is introduced into the air intake case 10 from the outside air intake port 11. The inside air AR introduced into the air intake casing 10 from the inside air intake port 12 and the outside air AE introduced into the air intake casing 10 from the outside air intake port 11 flow into the space on the radially inner side of the blade row of the impeller 4 from the suction port 6a of the scroll 6.

A filter 13 for extracting pollutants such as dust and particles and offensive odors contained in the air is provided between a region in the air intake casing 10 where the outside air intake port 11 and the inside air intake port 12 are provided and a lower end portion of the air intake casing 10 (an end portion connected to the suction port 6a of the scroll casing 6). The filter 13 is inserted into a filter support portion 14 formed of a slit or a guide rail provided in the air intake case 10 and held at a position close to the suction port 6a of the scroll case 6.

Next, the air-conditioning unit 3 will be described with reference to fig. 1. The air-conditioning unit 3 includes an air-conditioning case 30 in which an air passage 3a through which air flows is formed. An inlet 31 connected to the outlet 6b of the blower 2 is formed at an upstream end (left end in fig. 1) of the air conditioning case 30, and the air sent from the blower 2 flows into the air passage 3a of the air conditioning case 30 through the inlet 31. A plurality of

outlet passages

32a,32b,32c are formed in a downstream end portion (right end portion in fig. 1) of the air conditioning casing 30, and the air flowing into the air passage 3a flows out from the

outlet passages

32a,32b,32 c.

The plurality of

outlet passages

32a,32b,32c of the air conditioning casing 30 include a foot outlet passage 32a, a vent outlet passage 32b, and a defroster outlet passage 32 c. As shown in fig. 1, the foot outlet passage 32a is provided at a lower portion of the downstream end face 33a of the air conditioning casing 30. The downstream end of the foot outlet passage 32a is connected to a foot outlet (not shown) that blows air toward the feet of an occupant seated in the driver seat and the assistant seat (or the rear seat in some cases). The ventilation/air-blowing passage 32b is provided in an upper portion of the downstream end surface 33a of the air conditioning casing 30. The downstream end of the ventilation/air-blowing passage 32b is connected to a ventilation/air-blowing port (not shown) that blows air toward the upper body of a passenger seated in the driver seat and the assistant seat (or the rear seat in some cases). The defroster outlet passage 32c is provided in the top surface 33b of the air conditioning casing 30. The downstream end of the defroster blowing passage 32c is connected to an unillustrated defroster blowing port that blows air toward the inner surface of the front window in the vehicle interior.

In the air passage 3a of the air-conditioning casing 30, a cooling heat exchanger (evaporator) 35, a heating heat exchanger 36, and various dampers (an air mixing damper 7 and

outlet passage dampers

38a,38b,38c) that change the flow direction of air flowing through the air passage 3a are provided.

The cooling heat exchanger 35 is provided to pass all the air flowing into the air-conditioning case 30. The cooling heat exchanger 35 extracts heat from the air passing therethrough, and reduces the humidity of the air by condensing moisture in the air when the air humidity is high.

The heating heat exchanger 36 is disposed so as to form a bypass 3b between the air passage 3a formed in the air-conditioning case 30 and the inner side surface 33c of the air-conditioning case 30 (above the heating heat exchanger 36 in the example shown in fig. 1).

The air mixing damper 7 is provided between the cooling heat exchanger 35 and the heating heat exchanger 36. In the illustrated example, the air mixing damper 7 is a plate-shaped member and is disposed substantially parallel to the upstream surface of the heating heat exchanger 36. The air mixing damper 7 is slidable in the air passage 3a in the vertical direction, and the opening degree of the bypass passage 3b is adjusted by changing the position thereof. The air mixing damper 7 adjusts the ratio of the air flowing toward the heating heat exchanger 36 and the air flowing toward the bypass 3b according to the position thereof.

As shown in fig. 1, the air mix dampers 7 are each coupled to a shaft 7s extending in the left-right direction in the air passage 3a, and can slide in the up-down direction in the air passage 3a by rotating the shaft 7 s. More specifically, a rack, not shown, is provided on one surface of each air mixing damper 7 from the upper end edge to the lower end edge thereof. A pinion gear that meshes with the rack is provided on the outer peripheral surface of each shaft 7 s. When the shaft 7s is rotated in the circumferential direction, the rotational motion of the shaft 7s is converted into a vertical motion by the pinion and the rack, and the air mix damper 7 slides vertically. The shaft 7s is directly or indirectly driven to rotate by an actuator not shown.

As shown in fig. 1, the

outlet passage dampers

38a,38b, and 38c are provided in the

outlet passages

32a,32b, and 32c, respectively, and open and close the

outlet passages

32a,32b, and 32 c. Specifically, the foot outlet passage damper 38a is provided in the foot outlet passage 32a, the vent outlet passage damper 38b is provided in the vent outlet passage 32b, and the defroster outlet passage damper 38c is provided in the defroster outlet passage 32 c. In the illustrated example, the

outlet passage dampers

38a,38b, and 38c are plate-shaped members and extend from shafts 38as,38bs, and 38cs extending in the left-right direction. When the shafts 38as,38bs, and 38cs are rotated in the circumferential direction, the

blow passage dampers

38a,38b, and 38c can be rotated about the rotation axes of the shafts 38as,38bs, and 38cs to open and close the

corresponding blow passages

32a,32b, and 32 c. The shafts 38as,38bs,38cs are directly or indirectly driven to rotate by an actuator not shown.

The

outlet passage dampers

38a,38b,38c open or close the

corresponding outlet passages

32a,32b,32c in accordance with the operation mode (outlet mode) of the air conditioner 1. For example, when the air conditioner 1 is operated in the foot mode, the foot outlet passage 32a is opened, the defroster outlet passage 32c is opened and is narrowed, and the vent outlet passage 32b is closed. When the air conditioner 1 is operated in the ventilation mode, the ventilation outlet passage 32b is opened, and the foot outlet passage 32a and the defroster outlet passage 32c are closed.

In the example shown in fig. 1, the air conditioner 1 further includes an air conditioning casing damper control unit 8b, and the air conditioning casing damper control unit 8b controls an actuator that rotates a shaft 7s of the air mixing damper 7 and shafts 38as,38bs, and 38cs of the blow-out

passage dampers

38a,38b, and 38 c. The air conditioning case damper control unit 8b may be integrally formed with the motor control unit 8 a.

However, in the blower using the impeller, noise such as wind noise is generated by the impeller. Therefore, it is necessary to suppress the leakage of the noise into the vehicle interior for such a blower and an air conditioner using the blower. As a method of suppressing the leakage of the noise into the vehicle interior, a method of providing a volute with a resonance chamber communicating through an opening and attenuating the energy of the noise by the resonance chamber is known.

In general, the resonance frequency of the resonance chamber (the frequency of sound muffled in the resonance chamber) is expressed by the following equation. Here, f is a resonance frequency (frequency of sound muffled in the resonance chamber), c is a sound velocity, a is an opening area of an opening of the resonance chamber, V is a volume of the resonance chamber, and L is a length of the opening.

[ formula 1]

Thus, the resonance chamber can muffle sound of a frequency corresponding to the volume of the resonance chamber and the size of the opening.

However, the frequency characteristic of the noise emitted by the blower varies depending on the operating conditions of the blower, the air conditioning apparatus, and the like. Accordingly, the frequency of the sound to be suppressed by the resonance chamber for effectively reducing the noise also varies depending on the operating conditions of the blower and the air conditioner.

For example, an air conditioner having a blower without a resonance chamber is operated in a foot mode and a ventilation mode, and the noise obtained in the vicinity of the internal air intake port of the blower is measured, and the results shown in fig. 5 are obtained. Fig. 5 is a graph showing the frequency characteristics of the measured noise. The horizontal axis represents frequency, and the vertical axis represents the a characteristic sound pressure level of the 1/3 × band filter.

As shown in fig. 5, in the case of the ventilation mode, the frequency characteristic curve forms a hill having a small gradient as a whole in a frequency range of 63 to 10000 Hz. In the case of noise having such frequency characteristics, if a sound of a frequency having a maximum sound pressure level (a sound of about 630Hz in the example shown in fig. 5) is muted, the noise can be effectively reduced. On the other hand, as understood from fig. 5, in the foot mode, the frequency characteristic curve forms a sharp peak at about 130Hz, and a mountain having a small gradient as a whole is formed in other frequency ranges. In the case of noise having such frequency characteristics, a sound of about 130Hz with a sharp peak in sound pressure level is heard as an irritating sound. Therefore, if the sound of about 130Hz is eliminated, the noise can be effectively reduced. Thus, the frequency of the sound to be muted differs depending on the operation mode of the air conditioner and the like.

In view of the above, the illustrated blower 2 and air conditioner 1 are provided with a resonance chamber 80 for reducing noise emitted from the blower 2. In the illustrated blower 2 and air conditioner 1, the frequency of the sound muffled in the resonance chamber 80 can be changed, and leakage of the sound into the vehicle interior can be effectively suppressed in accordance with the operating conditions of the blower and the air conditioner.

First, when the blower 2 is operated in the inside air mode, the inside air intake port 12 that opens into the interior of the vehicle as described above is opened (see fig. 4). On the other hand, when the blower 2 is operated in the outside air mode, the outside air intake port 11, which opens toward the outlet of the outside air introduction passage provided in the vehicle, is opened, and the inside air intake port 12 is closed (see fig. 3). Therefore, in the case of the inside mode operation, the noise is more likely to be transmitted into the vehicle interior through the inside air intake port 12 than in the case of operating the blower 2 in the outside mode. Therefore, if the noise diffused indoors when the blower 2 is operated in the inside air mode is effectively reduced according to the operating conditions of the blower 2 and the air conditioner 1, etc., the noise leaking indoors of the vehicle can be significantly suppressed. In view of this, according to the illustrated blower 2, the resonance chamber 80 is configured to be able to change the frequency of the sound muffled by the resonance chamber 80 when the blower 2 is operated in the inside air mode.

Specifically, the resonance chamber 80 is provided adjacent to the internal space of the air intake case 10. The internal space of the resonance chamber 80 communicates with the internal space of the air intake case 10 through the communication port 81. The communication port 81 is provided along the track surface S of the switching damper 50 at a position closer to the suction port 6a of the scroll case 6 than the outside air intake port 11. In the example shown in fig. 1 to 3, the resonance chamber 80 is provided below the outside air intake duct 20, and the internal space of the resonance chamber 80 and the internal space of the air intake case 10 are partitioned by the wall portion 82. The communication port 81 is provided in a region of the wall portion 82 below the outside air intake port 11 and above the filter 13.

When the switching damper 50 is located at the first position where the outdoor air intake port 11 is closed, the communication port 81 is at least partially closed by the switching damper 50. The opening area of the communication port 81 can be changed by moving (rotating) the switching damper 50. As understood from the above calculation formula, by changing the opening area of the communication port 81, the frequency of the sound that can be muffled by the resonance chamber 80 can be changed. As a result, the sound to be muffled in the resonance chamber 80 can be appropriately muffled according to the operating conditions of the blower 2 and the air conditioner 1.

For example, fig. 6 shows frequency characteristics of noise obtained in the vicinity of the inside air intake port of each blower when the blower 2 of the present embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 4, and the blower configured similarly to the blower 2 shown in fig. 1 to 4 except that the resonance chamber is not provided are operated in the inside air mode. In fig. 6, the horizontal axis represents frequency, and the vertical axis represents the a characteristic sound pressure level of the 1/3 × band filter.

In the example shown in fig. 6, as will be described later, the blower 2 of the present embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 4 and the blower without the resonance chamber described above are operated under the same conditions except that the opening degree of the communication port 81 is adjusted by the blower 2.

As shown in fig. 6, the frequency characteristic curve of the noise emitted from the blower without the resonance chamber has a small slope as a whole in the frequency range of 100-12500 Hz. In the case of noise having such frequency characteristics, if a sound of a frequency having a maximum sound pressure level (a sound of about 630Hz in the example shown in fig. 6) is muted, the noise can be effectively reduced. Therefore, when the blower 2 of the present embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 4 is operated, the opening area of the communication port 81 is adjusted so as to cancel sound at a frequency of about 630Hz in the resonance chamber 80, and noise is measured in the vicinity of the inner air intake port 12. As a result, as shown in fig. 6, the sound pressure level of the noise obtained in the vicinity of the inside air intake port 12 of the blower 2 is suppressed to about 630Hz, and the overall value in the frequency range of 100-12500Hz is also reduced, as compared with a blower without a resonance chamber.

As understood from the example shown in fig. 6, according to the blower 2 of the present embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 4, when the blower 2 is operated in the inside mode, the frequency of the sound muffled in the resonance chamber 80 is appropriately adjusted, and the noise leaking into the vehicle interior can be effectively suppressed. As understood from the above calculation formula, the smaller the opening area of the communication port 81, the lower the frequency of the sound muffled in the resonance chamber 80.

Further, according to the blower 2 of the present embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 4, since the opening area of the communication port 81 is adjusted by the damper 50 for opening and closing the outside air intake port 11 and the inside air intake port 12, it is not necessary to provide an additional damper for adjusting the opening area of the communication port 81 in the blower 4. Therefore, the structure of the blower 4 can be prevented from being complicated to adjust the opening area of the communication port 81.

In the present embodiment, the control device 60 determines the first position according to the operating conditions of the blower 2 and the air conditioner 1. In the example shown in fig. 1, the controller 60 determines the first position of the switching damper 50 in accordance with the blowing mode of the air-conditioning section 30 (in other words, in accordance with the position of at least one of the blow-out

passage dampers

38a,38b,38c) in consideration of the results shown in fig. 5. When the blower 2 is operated in the inside mode, the switching damper 50 is disposed at the determined first position.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 5, and as described above, in the case where the air conditioner 1 is operated in the ventilation mode and in the foot mode, the frequency of sound to be muffled is lower in the case of operation in the foot mode. Therefore, the control device 60 of the present embodiment determines the first position such that the opening area of the communication port 81 when the switching damper 50 is disposed at the first position is smaller in the case of operation in the foot mode than in the case of operation in the ventilation mode of the air conditioning device 1. In other words, the air conditioner 1 includes the foot outlet passage 32a, an upper outlet passage (ventilation outlet passage) 32b provided above the foot outlet passage 32a, a foot outlet passage damper 38a movable between a position at which the foot outlet passage 32a is opened and a closed position, and an upper outlet passage damper (ventilation outlet passage damper) 38b movable between a position at which the upper outlet passage (ventilation outlet passage) 32b is opened and a closed position, and the control device 60 determines the first position such that the foot outlet passage damper 38a is positioned at a position at which the foot outlet passage 32a is closed and the upper outlet passage damper (ventilation outlet passage damper) 38b is positioned at a position at which the upper outlet passage (ventilation outlet passage) 32b is opened, and the upper outlet passage damper 38b is positioned at a position at which the foot outlet passage 32a is opened and the upper outlet passage damper 38b is positioned at a position at which the upper outlet passage damper 38b is blown out In the case of the closed position of 32b, the opening area of the communication port 81 when the switching damper 50 is disposed in the first position becomes smaller. As can be understood from the above calculation formula, the frequency of the sound muffled in the resonance chamber 80 can be reduced in the foot mode operation compared to the frequency of the sound muffled in the resonance chamber 80 in the ventilation mode operation of the air conditioner 1.

In the example shown in fig. 1, the controller 60 determines the positions of the

outlet passage dampers

38a,38b, and 38c (whether each of the

outlet passage dampers

38a,38b, and 38c is in a position where the

corresponding outlet passage

32a,32b, and 32c is opened or closed) based on information obtained from the air conditioner case damper control unit 8b, and determines the first position of the switching damper 50. When the control device 60 and the air conditioning casing damper control unit 8b are integrated into a composite control device (not shown), the composite control device determines the first position of the switching damper 50 based on the instruction information of the positions of the

outlet passage dampers

38a,38b, and 38 c.

It should be noted that the difference in the frequency of the sound to be muffled depending on the operation mode shown in fig. 5 can also be understood as being caused by the difference in the arrangement of the air mixing damper. That is, generally, when the air conditioner is operated in the ventilation mode, the air mix damper is arranged to maximize the opening area of the bypass between the heating heat exchanger and the inner side surface of the air conditioning casing, whereas when the air conditioner is operated in the foot mode, the air mix damper is arranged to minimize the opening area of the bypass. In the example shown in fig. 5, the air mix damper is arranged to maximize the opening area of the bypass circuit in the ventilation mode operation, and the air mix damper is arranged to minimize the opening area of the bypass circuit in the foot mode operation. Therefore, it can be understood that fig. 5 shows that the frequency of the sound to be suppressed is lower when the air mixing damper is disposed so that the opening area of the bypass is the smallest or the largest and the smallest, respectively.

In view of this, the control device 60 may determine the first position of the switching damper 50 based on the position of the air mix damper 7. In other words, the controller 60 may determine the first position such that the opening area of the outdoor air intake port 11 when the switching damper 50 is disposed at the first position is smaller when the air mixing damper 7 is at the closed position than when it is at the position at which the bypass 3b is open. As can be understood from the above calculation formula, the frequency of the sound muffled in the resonance chamber 80 can be further reduced when the opening area of the bypass passage 3b is arranged to be the smallest, as compared with the frequency of the sound muffled in the resonance chamber 80 when the air mixing damper 7 is arranged to be the largest in opening area of the bypass passage 3 b.

In this case, the controller 60 may determine the position of the air mix damper 7 (whether the air mix damper 7 is located at the position where the opening area of the bypass 3b is maximized or minimized) based on information obtained from the air conditioner case damper control unit 8 b. When the control device 60 and the air conditioning casing interior damper control unit 8b are integrated into a combined control device, the combined control device may determine the first position of the switching damper 50 based on the instruction information of the position of the air mix damper 7.

In addition, the difference in the frequency of the sound to be muffled caused by the difference in the operation mode shown in fig. 5 can also be understood as being caused by the difference in the air-flow resistance in the air-conditioning case. That is, as described above, in the example shown in fig. 5, when the air conditioner is operated in the ventilation mode, the air mixing damper is arranged so that the opening area of the bypass is the largest, and the ventilation resistance in the air conditioning case is low, whereas when the air conditioner is operated in the foot mode, the air mixing damper is arranged so that the opening area of the bypass is the smallest, and the ventilation resistance in the air conditioning case is high. Therefore, it can be understood that fig. 5 shows that, in the case where the air-conditioning case has low air-flow resistance and in the case where the air-flow resistance is high, the frequency of sound that should be muffled is lower.

In view of this, the control device 60 may determine the first position such that the opening area of the outside air intake port 11 when the switching damper 50 is disposed at the first position is smaller as the ventilation resistance in the air conditioning casing 30 is higher or the ventilation resistance to the air flowing out from the discharge port 6b of the scroll 6 is higher. As can be understood from the above calculation formula, the higher the ventilation resistance is, the lower the frequency of the sound muffled in the resonance chamber 80 can be.

In the embodiment described above, the blower 2 used in the air conditioning device 1 for a vehicle includes the impeller 4, and the impeller 4 includes the plurality of blades 4a forming the circumferential blade row and is driven to rotate by the rotating shaft 5a of the motor 5. The blower 2 includes a volute 6, and the volute 6 includes an inner space for accommodating the impeller 4, a suction port 6a that opens in the axial direction of the rotary shaft 5a, and a discharge port 6b that opens in the circumferential direction of the impeller 4. The blower 2 has an air intake casing 10, and the air intake casing 10 has an internal space communicating with the suction port 6a of the scroll casing 6. The air intake casing 10 is provided with at least one outside air intake port 11 for taking outside air into the internal space of the air intake casing 10, and at least one inside air intake port 12 for taking inside air into the internal space of the air intake casing 10. The blower 2 has at least one switching damper 50 for opening and closing the outside air intake port 11 and the inside air intake port 12. Further, the air intake case 10 is provided with a resonance chamber 80, the resonance chamber 80 being located closer to the suction port 6a than the outside air intake port 11 and having an internal space communicating with the internal space of the air intake case 10 via a communication port 81 provided along the track surface S of the switching damper 50, and the switching damper 50 can close the outside air intake port 11 and at least partially close the communication port 81, and can change the opening area of the communication port 81.

According to the above-described fan 2, the noise generated by the fan 2 can be reduced in the resonance chamber 80. Therefore, the noise can be suppressed from leaking into the vehicle interior. Further, although noise generated by the blower 2 tends to leak into the vehicle interior when the blower 2 is operated in the inside air mode, the noise can be effectively reduced and the leakage of the noise into the vehicle interior can be effectively suppressed when the blower 2 is operated in the inside air mode according to the blower 2. Specifically, according to the above-described blower 2, when the blower 2 is operated in the inside mode, the opening area of the communication port 81 can be changed by switching the damper 50, and the frequency of the sound muffled in the resonance chamber 80 can be changed. Thus, when the blower 2 is operated in the inside mode, the frequency characteristics of the noise generated by the blower 2 change according to the operating conditions of the blower 2 and the air conditioner 1, and even if the frequency of the sound to be muffled in the resonance chamber 80 changes, the sound to be muffled in the resonance chamber 80 can be appropriately muffled in order to effectively reduce the above-described noise.

In addition, according to the above-described blower 2, since the opening area of the communication port 81 is adjusted by the switching damper 50 for opening and closing the outside air intake port 11 and the inside air intake port 12, it is not necessary to provide an additional damper for adjusting the opening area of the communication port 81 in the blower 4. Therefore, the structure of the blower 4 can be prevented from being complicated to adjust the opening area of the communication port 81.

Specifically, in the above embodiment, the switching damper 50 is a rotary switching damper movable along the inner surface of the air intake case 10 between a first position at which the inner air intake port 12 is opened and a second position at which the inner air intake port 12 is closed. According to the switching damper 50, the outside air intake port 11 can be closed, and the opening area of the communication port 81 can be easily changed.

In the embodiment described above, the vehicle air conditioner 1 includes the blower 2 and the air conditioner 3 that blows air sent from the blower 2 into the vehicle interior.

In the above embodiment, the blower 2 further includes the control device 60, and the control device 60 controls the switching damper 50 to be disposed at the first position or the second position. The air conditioning unit 3 of the air conditioner 1 includes an air conditioning case 30 in which an air passage 3a through which air flows is formed. The air conditioning casing 30 has an inflow port 31 connected to the discharge port 6b of the scroll casing 6 to flow in air from the blower 2, and at least one

blowout passage

32a,32b,32c through which the air passing through the air passage 3a blows out. The air-conditioning unit 3 has at least one blow-out

passage damper

38a,38b,38c, and the at least one blow-out

passage damper

38a,38b,38c is provided for each of the at least one blow-out

passages

32a,32b,32c and is movable between a position at which the corresponding blow-out passage is opened and a closed position. The controller 60 determines the first position based on the position of at least one of the

outlet passage dampers

38a,38b, and 38 c.

According to the air conditioning apparatus 1, when the blower 2 is operated in the air-in mode, it is possible to appropriately mute the sound to be muted that differs depending on the position of the

outlet passage dampers

38a,38b,38c (in other words, the sound to be muted that differs depending on whether or not each of the

outlet passages

32a,32b,32c is open (closed)).

Specifically, the at least one

blowout passage

32a,32b,32c includes a foot blowout passage 32a and an upper blowout passage (vent blowout passage) 32b provided above the foot blowout passage 32 a. The at least one

outlet passage damper

38a,38b,38c includes a foot outlet passage damper 38a movable between a position at which the foot outlet passage 32a is opened and a closed position, and an upper outlet passage damper (vent outlet passage damper) 38b movable between a position at which the upper outlet passage (vent outlet passage) 32b is opened and a closed position. The controller 60 determines the first position such that the opening area of the communication port 81 when the switching damper 50 is disposed in the first position is smaller when the foot outlet passage damper 38a is in the position where the foot outlet passage 32a is open and the upper outlet passage damper (ventilation outlet passage damper) 38b is in the position where the upper outlet passage (ventilation outlet passage) 32b is closed than when the foot outlet passage damper 38a is in the position where the foot outlet passage 32a is closed and the upper outlet passage damper (ventilation outlet passage damper) 38b is in the position where the upper outlet passage (ventilation outlet passage) 32b is open.

In general, when the air conditioner 1 is operated in an operation mode (for example, the foot mode) in which the foot outlet passage 32a is opened and the upper outlet passage (the ventilation outlet passage) 32b is closed, the frequency of the noise generated by the blower 2 to be muffled is lower than that in a case in which the air conditioner 1 is operated in an operation mode (for example, the ventilation mode) in which the foot outlet passage 32a is closed and the upper outlet passage (the ventilation outlet passage) 32b is closed. According to the air conditioner 1, the frequency of sound muffled in the resonance chamber 80 can be reduced more in the case of operating in the operation mode (for example, the foot mode) in which the foot outlet passage 32a is opened and the upper outlet passage (the ventilation outlet passage) 32b is closed, than in the case of operating the air conditioner 1 in the operation mode (for example, the ventilation mode) in which the foot outlet passage 32a is closed and the upper outlet passage (the ventilation outlet passage) 32b is opened.

Alternatively, in the above embodiment, the air conditioner 1 includes the blower 2 having the control device 60 and the air conditioning unit 3 that blows air sent from the blower 2 into the vehicle interior. The air conditioning unit 3 includes an air conditioning case 30, a heating heat exchanger 36, and an air mixing damper 7, the air conditioning case 30 forming an air passage 3a through which air flows, the heating heat exchanger 36 being disposed in the air passage 3a so as to form a bypass 3b with an inner surface 33a of the air conditioning case 30, the air mixing damper 7 being disposed in the air passage 3a and being movable between a position at which the bypass 3b is opened and a position at which the bypass is closed, and adjusting a ratio of air flowing toward the heating heat exchanger 36 and air flowing toward the bypass 3 b. Further, the controller 60 determines the first position such that the opening area of the communication port 81 when the switching damper 50 is disposed at the first position is smaller when the air mixing damper 7 is located at the position where the bypass 3b is closed than when the air mixing damper 7 is located at the position where the bypass 3b is open.

In general, when the air conditioner 1 is operated by disposing the air mix damper 7 at the position where the bypass 3b is closed, the frequency of the sound to be muffled of the noise generated by the blower 2 is lower than when the air conditioner 1 is operated by disposing the air mix damper 7 at the position where the bypass 3b is open. According to the air conditioning apparatus 1, the frequency of sound muffled in the resonance chamber 80 can be reduced when the air mixing damper 7 is located at the position where the bypass 3b is closed, as compared to when the air mixing damper 7 is located at the position where the bypass 3b is open.

Alternatively, in the above embodiment, the controller 60 determines the first position such that the opening area of the communication port 81 when the switching damper 50 is disposed at the first position is smaller as the ventilation resistance to the air flowing out from the discharge port 6b is higher. Generally, when the air flow resistance is low or when the air flow resistance is high, the frequency of the sound to be suppressed in order to effectively reduce the noise generated by the blower 2 is lower. Therefore, by determining the first position so that the opening area of the outside air intake port 11 when the switching damper 50 is disposed at the first position is smaller as the ventilation resistance is higher, the sound to be suppressed can be appropriately suppressed in the resonance chamber 80.

< modification 1 >

Next, a modified example 1 of the air conditioner according to the above embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 7 and 8. Fig. 7 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of an air conditioner 1a according to modification 1. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a difference in frequency characteristics of noise generated by a blower without a resonance chamber due to a difference in the rotational speed of the impeller. The blowing mode is a foot mode.

In modification 1 shown in fig. 7 and 8, the controller 60a differs from the air conditioner 1 of the embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 6 in that the switching damper 50 is controlled based on the rotation speed of the motor 5. The other configurations of the blower 2a and the air conditioner 1a are substantially the same as those of the blower 2 and the air conditioner 1 according to the embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 6. In modification 1 shown in fig. 7 and 8, the same portions as those of the embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

First, with reference to fig. 8, a description will be given of a difference in frequency characteristics of noise generated by a blower without a resonance chamber, the difference being caused by a difference in the rotational speed of an impeller. Fig. 8 is a graph showing frequency characteristics of noise obtained in the vicinity of the internal air intake port of the blower when the impeller of the blower without the resonance chamber is rotated at a rotation speed of 2900rpm and when the impeller is rotated at a rotation speed of 2000 rpm. The horizontal axis represents frequency, and the vertical axis represents the a characteristic sound pressure level of the 1/3 × band filter.

As shown in fig. 8, the frequency characteristic curve of the noise obtained when the impeller was rotated at a rotational speed of 2000rpm was a mountain with a small gradient as a whole at 80 to 6300 Hz. In the case of noise having such frequency characteristics, if the sound of the frequency with the highest sound pressure level (the sound of about 800Hz in the example shown in fig. 8) is silenced, the noise can be effectively reduced. On the other hand, when the impeller was rotated at a rotational speed of 2900rpm, the frequency characteristic curve of the obtained noise formed a sharp peak at about 130Hz, and in the other frequency ranges, a mountain with a small gradient was formed as a whole. In the case of noise having such frequency characteristics, a sound of about 130Hz with a sharp sound pressure level is heard as an irritating sound. Therefore, when the sound of about 130Hz is silenced, the noise can be effectively reduced.

In this way, the characteristics of the noise generated by the blower differ according to the rotation speed of the impeller, and therefore the frequency of the sound to be muffled also differs according to the rotation speed of the impeller. Also, as shown in fig. 8, in the case where the rotation speed of the impeller is fast and in the case where it is slow, the frequency of the sound that should be muffled is lower.

In view of this, the control device 60a of modification 1 determines the first position based on the rotation speed of the motor 5 that rotates the impeller 4.

Specifically, the controller 60a determines the first position such that the opening area of the communication port 81 when the switching damper 50 is disposed at the first position is smaller as the rotation speed of the motor 5 is higher. As can be understood from the above calculation formula, when the blower 2a is operated in the inside air mode, the faster the rotation speed of the motor 5 is, the lower the frequency of the sound muffled in the resonance chamber 80 can be.

In the example shown in fig. 7, the control device 60a determines the rotation speed of the motor 5 based on information obtained from the motor control unit 8 a.

In this way, in the blower 2a of modification 1, the controller 60a determines the first position such that the opening area of the communication port 81 when the switching damper 50 is disposed at the first position is smaller as the rotation speed of the motor 5 is higher. Generally, the faster the rotation speed of the motor 5, the lower the frequency of the sound to be muffled of the noise generated by the blower 2. According to the above-described blower 2a, when the blower 2a is operated in the inside air mode, the faster the rotation speed of the motor 5 is, the lower the frequency of the sound muffled in the resonance chamber 80 can be.

< modification 2 >

Next, a modified example 2 of the air conditioner according to the above embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of an air conditioner 1b according to modification 2.

In modification 2 shown in fig. 9, the fan 2b includes a noise detection means 65, and the control device 60b can determine the first position based on the detection result of the noise detection means 65, unlike the fan 2 of the embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 6. The other configurations of the blower 2b and the air conditioner 1b are substantially the same as those of the blower 2 and the air conditioner 1 according to the embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 6. In modification 2 shown in fig. 9, the same portions as those of the embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

As described above, the blower 2b further includes the noise detection means 65 for detecting the noise level. In the example shown in fig. 9, the noise detection mechanism 65 is disposed in the vicinity of the indoor air intake port 12, and detects the noise level at the indoor air intake port 12 for each frequency. Then, the controller 60b determines the first position based on the noise level corresponding to each frequency detected by the noise detection means 65. Specifically, the first position is determined so that the opening area of the communication port 81 when the switching damper 50 is disposed at the first position is smaller as the frequency of the sound to be muffled for effectively reducing the noise is lower.

In this way, the fan 2b of modification 2 further includes a noise detection mechanism 65 that detects the noise level at the inside air intake port 12 for each frequency. Then, the control device 60b determines the first position based on the noise level of each frequency detected by the noise detection means 65. According to the blower 2b, when the blower 2b is operated in the air-inside mode, the sound to be muffled among the noise generated by the blower 2b can be appropriately muffled in the resonance chamber 80.

< modification 3 >

Next, a modified example 3 of the air conditioner according to the above embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 10 and 11. Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an air intake case 10c of a blower 2c according to modification 3. Fig. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the switching damper 55 of the air intake case 10.

In modification 3 shown in fig. 10 and 11, the switching damper 55 is different from the blower 2 of the embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 6 in that it is a slide type switching damper. The rib 70 is also different from the rib disposed inside the resonance chamber 80. The other configurations of the blower 2b and the air conditioner 1b are substantially the same as those of the blower 2 and the air conditioner 1 according to the embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 6. In modification 3 shown in fig. 10 and 11, the same portions as those of the embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

First, the switching damper 55 will be explained. As described above, the switching damper 55 is in the form of what is called a slide type switching damper. As will be understood from fig. 10 and 11, the switching damper 55 is a plate-like member that moves along the inner surface of the air intake casing 10c on the track surface Sc near the inside air intake port 12 and the outside air intake port 11 of the air intake casing 10 c. The switching damper 55 is movable between a first position (a position indicated by a solid line in fig. 9) at which the inside air intake port 12 is opened and the outside air intake port 11 is closed, and a second position (a position indicated by a broken line in fig. 9) at which the inside air intake port 12 is closed and the outside air intake port 11 is opened.

More specifically, the switching damper 55 is inserted into a damper support portion (not shown) formed of a slit or a guide rail provided in the vicinity of the inner air intake port 12 and the outer air intake port 11 in the air intake casing 10c, and is held so as to be movable between the first position and the second position. A rack 55a is provided on one surface (a surface opposite to the side facing the inside air intake port 12 or the outside air intake port 11) 55m of the switching damper 55. The rack 55a extends from one end edge 55f located on one side in the moving direction of the switching damper 55 to the other end edge 55r located on the other side. A shaft 56 extending in the left-right direction is provided in the air intake case 10c so as to face one surface 55m of the switching damper 55. A pinion gear 56a that meshes with the rack 55a is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 56. When the shaft 57 is rotated in the circumferential direction, the switching damper 55 is driven via the pinion gear 56a and the rack gear 55a, and slides between the first position and the second position. The shaft 56 is driven to rotate by an actuator not shown.

Next, the rib 70 disposed inside the resonance chamber 80 will be described. In the illustrated example, the rib 70 is a plate-like member, and extends from the wall portion 82 provided with the communication port 81 toward the internal space of the resonance chamber 80 in a direction intersecting the track surface Sc of the switching damper 55. The rib 70 extends along the inner surface 80a of the resonance chamber 80 (more specifically, the upper surface 80au of the inner surface 80a located upward). The end of the rib 70 on the internal space side of the air intake case 10c is disposed along the lower end edge (the one end edge 55f in the illustrated example) of the switching damper 55 disposed at the first position. The rib 70 forms a passage 71 with the upper surface 80au of the inner surface 80 a. One end of the passage 71 opens into the internal space of the air intake case 10c, and the other end opens into the internal space of the resonance chamber 80.

The length L70 of the rib 70 corresponds to the opening length L in the above calculation formula. Therefore, according to the air intake case 10c, as understood from the above calculation formula, the frequency of the sound muffled in the resonance chamber 80 can be adjusted by adjusting the length L70 of the rib 70. That is, the frequency of the sound muffled in the resonance chamber 80 can be reduced without depending on the thickness of the wall portion 82 provided with the communication port 81. The longer the length L70 is, the lower the frequency of the sound muffled in the resonance chamber 80 can be.

In this way, according to the blower 2c of modification 3, the switching damper 55 is a slide type switching damper movable along the inner surface of the air intake case 10c between a first position to open the inside air intake port 12 and a second position to close the inside air intake port 12. By such a switching damper 55, the opening degree of the communication port 81 can be changed while the outside air intake port 11 is closed.

In the blower 2c of modification 3, a rib 70 is disposed in the resonance chamber 80, the rib 70 extends so as to intersect the raceway surface Sc of the switching damper 55, and a passage is formed between the rib 70 and the inner surface 80a of the resonance chamber 80, one end of the passage opening into the internal space of the air intake case 10c and the other end of the passage opening into the internal space of the resonance chamber 80. According to the blower 2c, the frequency of the sound muffled in the resonance chamber 80 can be adjusted by adjusting the length L70 of the rib 70.

< modification 4 >

Next, a modified example 4 of the air conditioner according to the above embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 12 and 13. Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an air intake case 10d of a blower 2d according to modification 4. Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the air intake case 10d taken along line I-I in fig. 12.

In modification 4 shown in fig. 12 and 13, the air intake case 10d is different from the air intake case 10 of the embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 6 in that a plurality of

resonance chambers

85,86 are provided. The other configurations of the air intake case 10d and the blower 2d are substantially the same as those of the air intake case 10 and the blower 2 of the embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 6. In modification 4 shown in fig. 12 and 13, the same portions as those of the embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

As described above, in the example shown in fig. 12 and 13, the blower 2d has the plurality of

resonance chambers

85, 86. Each of the

resonance chambers

85,86 has an internal space communicating with the internal space of the air intake case 10d via the

communication ports

87, 88. The

communication ports

87 and 88 are provided along the track surface S of the switching damper 50 at a position closer to the suction port 6a of the scroll case 6 than the outside air intake port 11. In the illustrated example, the blower 2d has a first resonance chamber 85 and a second resonance chamber 86. The first resonance chamber 85 and the second resonance chamber 86 are arranged below the outside air intake duct 20 in the left-right direction (the direction intersecting the moving direction of the switching damper 50), and the internal space thereof is partitioned by a partition wall 90. The internal spaces of the first resonance chamber 85 and the second resonance chamber 86 and the internal space of the air intake case 10c are partitioned by the

wall portions

82a and 82b, respectively. The volumes of the first resonance chamber 85 and the second resonance chamber 86 are different from each other. The first resonance chamber 85 and the second resonance chamber 86 have a first communication port 87 and a second communication port 88, respectively, which are open in the internal space of the air intake case 10 d. The first communication port 87 and the second communication port 88 are provided in the

wall portions

82a and 82b, respectively, in a region below the outside air intake port 11 and above the filter 13. The first communication port 87 and the second communication port 88 are arranged in the left-right direction (the direction intersecting the moving direction of the switching damper 50).

The volumes of the first resonance chamber 85 and the second resonance chamber 86 correspond to the volume V of the resonance chamber in the above calculation formula. Therefore, according to the blower 2d, as can be understood from the above calculation formula, it is possible to cancel sounds of different frequencies in the first resonance chamber 85 and the second resonance chamber 86. That is, the noise generated by the blower 2d can be reduced in a wider frequency range by the first resonance chamber 85 and the second resonance chamber 86.

In the illustrated example, the volumes of the first resonance chamber 85 and the second resonance chamber 86 are different, and the sizes (maximum opening areas) of the first communication port 87 and the second communication port 88 are different, but the sizes of the first communication port 87 and the second communication port 88 may be equal. The volumes of the first resonance chamber 85 and the second resonance chamber 86 may be equal to each other, and the sizes (maximum opening areas) of the first communication port 87 and the second communication port 88 may be different from each other. By making the sizes of the first communication port 87 and the second communication port 88 different from each other, the opening areas of the first communication port 87 and the second communication port 88 when the switching damper 50 is disposed at the first position can be made different from each other. Here, the opening areas of the first communication port 87 and the second communication port 88 correspond to the opening area a of the opening of the resonance chamber in the above calculation formula. Therefore, even if the volumes of the first resonance chamber 85 and the second resonance chamber 86 are equal, the frequencies of the sounds muffled in the first resonance chamber 85 and the second resonance chamber 86 can be made different from each other by making the opening areas of the first communication port 87 and the second communication port 88 different from each other.

In the illustrated example, the first communication port 87 and the second communication port 88 are arranged in the left-right direction (the direction intersecting the moving direction of the switching damper 50), and if the first position of the switching damper 50 is changed, the opening areas of both the first communication port 87 and the second communication port 88 are changed. However, it is not limited thereto. The first communication port 87 and the second communication port 88 are arranged in parallel in the moving direction (vertical direction in the illustrated example) of the switching damper 50, and when the first position of the switching damper 50 is changed, only one of the opening areas of the first communication port 87 and the second communication port 88 may be changed.

Thus, the fan 2d of modification 4 has a plurality of

resonance chambers

85,86, and the volumes of the plurality of

resonance chambers

85,86 are different from each other. According to the blower 2d, sounds having different frequencies can be suppressed in the first resonance chamber 85 and the second resonance chamber 86. Therefore, the noise generated by the blower 2d can be reduced in a wider frequency range.

Industrial applicability

The air conditioner for a vehicle and the blower used in the air conditioner for a vehicle according to the present invention can be industrially manufactured and can be commercially purchased, and thus have economic value and can be industrially used.

Claims

1. A blower (2,2a,2b,2c,2d) used in a vehicle air conditioner includes:

an impeller (4) having a plurality of blades (4a) forming a circumferential blade row and rotated by being driven by a rotating shaft (5a) of a motor (5);

a volute (6) having an internal space for housing the impeller (4), a suction port (6a) that opens in the axial direction of the rotating shaft (5a), and a discharge port (6b) that opens in the circumferential direction of the impeller;

an air intake casing (10) having an internal space communicating with the suction port (6a) of the scroll casing (6), the air intake casing (10,10c,10d) being provided with at least one external air intake port (11) for taking external air into the internal space of the air intake casing and at least one internal air intake port (12) for taking internal air into the internal space of the air intake casing;

at least one switching damper (50,55) that opens and closes the outside air intake port (11) and the inside air intake port (12);

the air blower is characterized in that the air blower is provided with a blower body,

resonance chambers (80,85,86) are further provided in the air intake cases (10,10c,10d), the resonance chambers (80,85,86) have internal spaces that communicate with the internal spaces of the air intake cases (10,10c,10d) via communication ports (81; 87,88), the communication ports (81; 87,88) are located closer to the intake port (6a) than the outside air intake port (11) and are provided along the track surfaces (S, Sc) of the switching dampers (50,55),

the switching damper is capable of closing the outside air intake port and at least partially closing the communication port (81; 87,88), and is capable of changing an opening area of the communication port (81; 87, 88).

2. The blower (2,2a,2b,2c,2d) according to claim 1,

the switching damper (50,55) is a rotary type switching damper or a slide type switching damper movable along an inner surface of the air intake case (10,10c,10d) between a first position at which the inner air intake port (12) is opened and a second position at which the inner air intake port (12) is closed.

3. The blower (2,2a,2b,2c,2d) according to claim 2, wherein,

the air conditioner further comprises a control device (60,60a,60b) for controlling the switching damper (50,55) and arranging the switching damper (50,55) at the first position or the second position.

4. The blower (2) of claim 3,

the control device (60) determines the first position such that the opening area of the communication ports (81; 87,88) when the switching dampers (50,55) are disposed at the first position is smaller as the ventilation resistance to the air flowing out from the discharge port (6b) is larger.

5. The blower (2a) of claim 3,

the control device (60a) determines the first position such that the opening area of the communication ports (81; 87,88) when the switching dampers (50,55) are disposed at the first position is smaller as the rotational speed of the motor (5) is higher.

6. The blower (2b) according to claim 3,

further comprises a noise detection means (65) for detecting the noise level in the inside air intake port (12) for each frequency,

the control device (60b) determines the first position based on the noise level of each frequency detected by the noise detection means (65).

7. The blower (2c) of claim 1,

a rib (70) is disposed in the resonance chamber (80), the rib (70) extends so as to intersect the raceway surfaces (Sc) of the switching dampers (50,55), and a passage is formed between the rib (70) and the inner surface of the resonance chamber (80), one end of the passage being open to the internal space of the air intake case (10c), and the other end of the passage being open to the internal space of the resonance chamber (80).

8. The blower (2d) according to claim 1,

having a plurality of said resonance chambers (85,86),

the volumes of the plurality of resonance chambers (85,86) are different from each other.

9. An air conditioning device (1,1a,1b) for a vehicle, comprising the blower (2,2a,2b,2c,2d) according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and an air conditioning unit (3) for blowing out air sent out from the blower into a vehicle interior.

10. An air conditioner (1) for a vehicle, comprising a blower (2) according to claim 3 and an air conditioner (3) for blowing air sent from the blower into a vehicle interior, the air conditioner (1) being characterized in that,

the air-conditioning unit (3) comprises:

an air conditioning casing (30) that forms an air passage (3a) through which air flows, and that has an inlet (31) that is connected to a discharge port (6b) of the scroll casing (6) and into which air from the blower (2) flows, and at least one blowout passage (32a,32b,32c) through which air that has passed through the air passage (3a) is blown;

at least one blow-out passage damper (38a,38b,38c) provided with respect to each of the at least one blow-out passages (32a,32b,32c) and movable between a position at which the corresponding blow-out passage is opened and a closed position;

the control device (60) determines the first position based on the position of the at least one blow-out passage damper.

11. Air conditioning unit (1) according to claim 10,

the at least one blowout passage (32a,32b,32c) includes a foot blowout passage (32a) and an upper blowout passage (32b) provided above the foot blowout passage,

the at least one outlet passage damper includes a foot outlet passage damper (38a) movable between a position at which the foot outlet passage (32a) is opened and a closed position, and an upper outlet passage damper (38b) movable between a position at which the upper outlet passage (32b) is opened and a closed position,

the control device (60) determines the first position such that, when the foot outlet passage damper (38a) is located at a position at which the foot outlet passage (32a) is open and the upper outlet passage damper (38b) is located at a position at which the upper outlet passage (32b) is closed, the opening area of the communication port (81) is smaller when the switching damper (50,55) is disposed at the first position, as compared to when the foot outlet passage damper (38a) is located at a position at which the foot outlet passage (32a) is closed and the upper outlet passage damper (38b) is located at a position at which the upper outlet passage (32b) is open.

12. An air conditioner (1) for a vehicle, comprising a blower (2) according to claim 3 and an air conditioner (3) for blowing air sent from the blower into a vehicle interior, the air conditioner (1) being characterized in that,

the air-conditioning unit (3) includes:

an air conditioning case (30) in which an air passage (3a) through which air flows is formed;

a heating heat exchanger (36) disposed in the air passage (3a) so as to form a bypass (3b) with an inner surface of the air conditioning casing (30);

an air mixing damper (7) that is disposed in the air passage (3a), moves between a position at which the bypass (3b) is opened and a closed position, and adjusts the ratio of air flowing toward the heating heat exchanger (36) to air flowing toward the bypass (3 b);

the control device (60) determines the first position such that the opening area of the communication port (81) when the switching damper (50,55) is disposed in the first position is smaller when the air mixing damper (7) is located at a position at which the bypass (3b) is closed than when the air mixing damper (7) is located at a position at which the bypass (3b) is open.