EP3749536A1

EP3749536A1 - Casing intended to be mounted on a motor vehicle door

Info

Publication number: EP3749536A1
Application number: EP19710037.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Thierry Petit; Bruno Demory; Yves Rousseau
Original assignee: Valeo Systemes Thermiques SAS
Current assignee: Valeo Systemes Thermiques SAS
Priority date: 2018-02-08
Filing date: 2019-02-06
Publication date: 2020-12-16
Also published as: WO2019155162A1; FR3077528A1; FR3077528B1; CN111836735A; US20210362561A1

Abstract

Casing (30) intended to be mounted on a motor vehicle door, the casing (30) comprises a first air inlet (35) for admitting a first air flow (FR) into the casing (30), an air outlet (36), a chamber delimited by at least one partition, arranged inside the casing (30), a second air inlet (39) for directly admitting a second air flow (FE) into the chamber.

Description

BOITER INTENDED TO BE MOUNTED ON A DOOR

MOTOR VEHICLE

The present invention relates to a housing intended to be mounted on a door of a motor vehicle. This device is part of an air distribution device for automobile type vehicle.

Generally, a motor vehicle is equipped with a ventilation system, heating and / or air conditioning that can heat treat the air and then send it to the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The ventilation system, heating and / or air conditioning is configured to achieve a set thermal comfort responding to a request of a user, and for example a given temperature of the air present in one area or the other of the cabin of the vehicle. For this purpose, the ventilation, heating and / or air-conditioning system draws outside air and / or air from the passenger compartment and then processes it through successive passages in heat exchangers, in particular so that it reaches temperature and / or ventilation speed conditions determined to approach the thermal comfort. The treated air is then projected into the passenger compartment by means of aerators arranged appropriately for the treated air supply of this or that area of the passenger compartment. Depending on whether the aim is a treated air supply of the front seats or rear seats, these aerators can be arranged at the dashboard, the center console or in the lateral uprights of the vehicle.

The ventilation system, heating and / or air conditioning is required to treat a significant amount of air before reaching the thermal comfort. Nowadays, users demand to reach this thermal comfort set more quickly, without altering the air quality of the cabin. Manufacturers and automotive suppliers must therefore offer ventilation, heating and / or air conditioning systems that meet these requirements without this generating too much costs, while remaining with a compact system, lightweight and easy to implant. Another constraint is the standardization of vehicles, where manufacturers must be able to adapt to the needs of the consumer and implement or not such a system according to the wishes of the buyer of the vehicle.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a solution for improving both the distribution of air and the thermal comfort of the passenger compartment, without oversizing the ventilation system, heating and / or air conditioning and which can be easily mounted or disassembled.

In this context, the subject of the invention is a housing, in particular a removable housing, intended to be mounted on a motor vehicle door comprising

- a chamber, delimited by at least one wall, arranged inside the housing

a first air inlet for direct admission of a first air flow into the chamber,

a second air inlet for an intake of a second air flow within the housing,

- an air outlet,

the second air inlet, the chamber and the air outlet being fluidly connected.

Thus, the invention allows the two air flow to mix which ensures a better mixing of the air of the passenger compartment thus improving the comfort of users. Indeed, by increasing the amount of air stirred, the thermal mixtures between the different air flows are faster. The housing is an easily grippable element that can be easily mounted or removed from a vehicle door.

According to one or more characteristics of the invention, which can be taken alone or in combination, provision may be made for:

the chamber comprises a blade extending inside the chamber;

the casing has a curved shape; a duct is connected to the second air intake for the direct admission of the second air flow inside the chamber, the second air flow coming from a heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning system ;

the duct comprises bellows;

the chamber has an oblong section;

a channel for the at least partial flow of the first and second air flows extends from the first air inlet to the air outlet and is delimited by the walls of the housing and said at least one partition of the bedroom ;

- the chamber opens into the canal by a narrowing;

the box comprises a first part, a chamber, corresponding to the supply of the first treated air stream from the heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning system, this chamber opening into a second part of the box arranged outside the the chamber by a narrowing;

the shrinkage extends all along the chamber, in a direction followed by the flow of air treated in the mouth of the second air inlet or in the supply duct connected to this second air inlet;

- The box comprises a mixing zone in which the second stream of air treated and from the heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning and the first flow of air from the passenger compartment are intended to mix by licking the partition forming the chamber along a path tangential to this partition.

The invention also relates to an assembly of a vehicle door comprising a support for a housing and a housing as described above.

According to the invention the door comprises at least one trim panel and a door body together forming the door.

Other features, details and advantages of the invention will emerge on reading the description given below as an indication in relation to drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective representation of a part of the case according to the invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective representation of the case according to an embodiment according to the invention,

- Figure 3 is a schematic sectional representation of the housing according to the invention.

FIG. 4 is a partial schematic representation in section of a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle and a door of the vehicle comprising a housing according to an example embodiment of the present invention,

- Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of a portion of the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle and the door comprising the housing.

It should first be noted that the figures disclose the invention in detail to implement the invention, said figures can of course be used to better define the invention where appropriate.

In the following description, the relative notions such as "internal", "external", "upper", "lower", "front" or "rear" are defined with respect to a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle and to the vehicle itself. . The notion of "internal" according to this reference means that the considered element is located or is moving towards the cockpit, while the notion of "external" according to this reference means that the element considered is located or is heading towards the outside of the motor vehicle, moving away from the passenger compartment. The notion of "superior" according to this reference means that the element considered is located or is moving towards the pavilion of the motor vehicle, while the notion of "inferior" according to this reference means that the element considered is located or is heading to the floor of the motor vehicle. A longitudinal axis L is defined as the axis in which the motor vehicle extends along its length, the longitudinal axis L being parallel to an axis of advance of the motor vehicle while driving. In the description which follows, reference will also be made to an orientation as a function of a vertical axis V defined as being the axis perpendicular to the floor of the vehicle during taxiing and of a transverse axis T defined as being the axis perpendicular to both the longitudinal axis L and the transverse axis T. It is then understood that the concepts "internal" and "external" are heard along the transverse axis T, the notions of "superior" and "lower" are heard along the vertical axis V and the notions of "before" and "backward" refer to the axis longitudinal L, the "front" of the vehicle being defined as the part of the vehicle in front of the driver in driving condition and "the rear" being the part behind the back of the driver's seat. The terms "upstream" and "downstream" are defined with respect to the flow of an airflow.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a housing 30 according to the present invention. The housing is defined by a set of walls 31, here four in number, arranged to define an internal volume 32, or internal space. As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the housing 30 here corresponds to a rectangular parallelepiped with four contiguous walls 31 and the other two opposite faces 33 being empty or being provided with a gate 34. In other words, the housing 30 comprises therefore four walls 31 which define an internal volume 32, or a cavity, the housing further comprises a first air inlet 35 to admit a first air flow FR into the housing 30 and an air outlet 36 to leaving an air flow FS from the housing 30. The housing 30 thus comprises a channel 42 for the flow of the air flow FR from the first inlet of air 35 to the air outlet 36.

The housing 30 according to the invention further comprises a chamber 37, delimited by at least one partition 38, arranged inside the housing 30 within the internal volume 32. The housing 30 further comprises a second air inlet 39 for direct admission of a second air flow FE into the chamber 37. The channel 42 corresponds to the internal volume 32 of the housing 30 situated outside the chamber 37, in other words, the channel 42 is delimited by the walls 31 of the housing 30 and said partition 38 of the chamber 37. The chamber 37 has at least one surface coinciding with a wall 31 of the housing 30, the second air inlet 39 being arranged on this surface.

The housing 30 according to the invention is arranged in such a way that the first air inlet 35, the chamber 37 and the air outlet 36 are fluidly connected. In other words, the chamber 37 has an opening 40 arranged so as to allow the second air flow FE to flow out of the chamber 37 and to mix with the first flow of air FR within the internal volume 32 and In other words, the first air flow FR enters the housing through the air inlet 35 and flows within the housing 30 towards the air outlet 36, the second air flow FE penetrates directly inside the chamber 37 and then flows through the opening 40 within the housing 32 in the channel 42. The chamber 37 opens into the channel 42 so as to allow the second air flow FE to mix with the first air flow FR. In other words, the housing 30 comprises a channel 42 for the flow of the first and second air flows FE, FR and extends from the first air inlet 35 to the outlet 36 is delimited by the walls 31 of the housing 30 and said at least one partition 38 of the chamber 37.

According to the invention, the first air flow FR can for example come from the passenger compartment of the vehicle while the second air flow FE can for example come from a ventilation, heating and / or air conditioning system ( not shown) located upstream of the housing. In order to respond to a request from a user on the thermal comfort of the passenger compartment 5, the temperature of the second stream of treated air FE can vary, especially between the hot, cold and temperate, as well as the speed of the second FE airflow treated by varying the fan speed of the ventilation, heating and / or air conditioning system. The housing 30 according to the invention allows the air of the passenger compartment 5 to mix with a treated air from the ventilation system, heating and / or air conditioning, which ensures a better mixing of the air of the cabin thus improving the comfort of users, ensuring a renewal of the cabin air and achieving faster thermal comfort. Indeed, by increasing the amount of air stirred, the thermal mixtures between the different air flows are faster.

In order to allow better mixing between the two air flows FE, FR, the chamber 37 the chamber comprises a blade 46 extending within its internal space. This blade 46 corresponds to an internal partition, in other words, a rib, groove, protuberance or protrusion, which extends partly inside the chamber 37. The blade 46 has a quarter-circle shape and is to deflect the path of the second FE airflow thus inducing turbulence. The second air flow FE enters through the second air inlet 39 within the chamber 37 in the upper portion 48 of the chamber 37 located above the blade 46. Said air flow FE is then directed to the opening 40 to be able to lead into the channel 42, the opening being arranged in the lower part 49 of the chamber located below the blade 46.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the chamber 37 opens into the channel 42 through a constriction 51. In other words, the chamber 37 comprises an opening 40 allowing the second air flow FE to flow from the chamber 37 into the chamber 37. channel 42. This opening 40, extending along the partition 38, comprises a narrowing 51 of the passage section so as to create a pressure difference between the interior of the chamber 37 and the channel 42, to outside the chamber 37. Given the pressure differential, the second air flow FE located inside the chamber 37 is sucked in the direction of the constriction 51 and is propelled inside the channel 42 where it is mixed with the first air flow FR, and flows to the air outlet 36. In other words, the constriction 51 causes an accelerating passage section reduction and increasing the flow rate of the second flow of air. FE air from the heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning system which then generates a vacuum capable of sucking the first flow of air from the passenger compartment via the first air intake 35.

As illustrated in Figure 3, the chamber 37 has an oblong section. In other words, the chamber 37 has a section of a shape that is longer than wide and whose angles are rounded. In other words, the transverse plane section of the chamber 37 is oblong. This shape, in combination with the exit angle of the second airflow FE at the narrowing 51, allows to induce a Coandâ effect, where the partition 38 of the chamber 37 corresponds to a surface of Coandâ where the flows of Air FE and FR are mutually deflected along this partition 38, particularly at the flat surface and the convex surface (rounded edge), thus improving their mixing.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the housing 30 comprises a duct 52 connected to the second air inlet 39 for the direct admission of the second air flow FE into the interior of the chamber 37. The duct 52 is for example connected the heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning system of the vehicle, thus the second FE airflow from the heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning system directly in room 37.

According to one embodiment, the duct 52 comprises bellows 54 as illustrated in FIG. 5. In fact, the casing 30 is arranged to be mounted in a door 4. However, the door will have to be opened and closed, so that by arranging a bellows 54, that is to say an element formed of a cavity of flexible material able to expand in order to fill with air by suction and to empty by compression by producing a directed air jet , one makes sure of the good sealing and to avoid the losses of air flow.

In order to adapt to the shape of the door, the housing 30 may have a straight or rectilinear shape, or a curved or curved shape.

FIG. 4 shows a passenger compartment 5 of a motor vehicle in which a housing 30 is integrated with a door 4 whose structure and the walls form a hollow body 10. The hollow body 1 comprises at least three mouths 6, 7, 8 opening into the door. cockpit 5.

Figure 4 also shows that the door 2 comprises a door body 22 here associated with a first trim panel 21 and a second trim panel 23 on the other side. The trim panels 21, 23 are arranged on either side of the casing 30. The trim panels 21, 23 and the door casing 22 form between them a hollow body 10, or a channel in which the casing 30 is arranged. The door body 22 delimits the motor vehicle relative to the outside of the motor vehicle and has a face exposed to the outside of the motor vehicle and a face facing the hollow body 10. The door comprises a support means 61 to carry the housing 30. The support means 61 may correspond to hooks, notches being arranged on the housing 31, a screen on which the housing 30 is placed. The housing 30 can also be maintained only by the two trim panels 21, 23.

The trim panels 21, 23 and the door casing 22 are at least partially connected by walls extending transversely with respect to these faces. More particularly, it defines a first transverse wall supporting the hinge for the mobility of the door 2 relative to the vehicle, and a second transverse wall comprising a locking system of the door 2. It is then understood that the first transverse wall is located at the front of the vehicle compared to the second transverse wall which is located further to the rear of the vehicle, according to the previously defined reference.

FIG. 4 makes it possible to distinguish between the mouths 6, 7, 8 of the air distribution device operating a housing 30 a first outlet mouth 6 arranged at the foot of the window 9, a second outlet mouth 7 arranged at the level of the armrests 63 and a third inlet mouth 8 arranged at the level of the foot area, or at the floor of the passenger compartment 5.

Figure 5 shows that several outlets 6, 7 opening into the hollow body 10 may be provided. Concerning the arrangement of these outlets 6, 7 with respect to the door 2, a first outlet mouth 6 is disposed at the foot of a window 9 and a second outlet mouth 7 is disposed at a support arm, or armrest 63 to deliver a stream of air 70 emitted towards the bust of a user of the vehicle.

In general, each outlet mouth 6,7 is located in an upper part of the door 2 according to the previously defined reference system. In other words, each outlet mouth 7 is located closer to the roof of the floor of the motor vehicle. Outlets 6, 7 are not coaxial

According to the invention, and as illustrated by Figures 4 and 5, a third inlet mouth 8 is provided. This additional inlet mouth 8 corresponds to a porous wall also opening into the hollow body 10. More specifically, the additional inlet mouth 8 is disposed on the trim panel 23, so that an air flow FR of the cabin 5 is sucked into the hollow body 10, then enters the housing 30 at the first air inlet 35 of the housing 30 and is mixed with the second treated air stream FE at the channel 42. The mixed air flow flows through the air outlet 36 of the housing 30 and is oriented through the body hollow towards the outlets 6,7.

The principle of the suction of a flow by the flow of another flow is called flux induction, the first air flow FR coming from the passenger compartment then forming a flow induced by a second flow depression FE air from the heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning in the housing 30. The second air flow FE and the first mixed air flow FR then form the air flow FS which is emitted by the the outlets 6,7.

In order to ensure better mixing of the mixture between the second air flow coming from the HVAC and the first air flow FR coming from the passenger compartment, the hollow body 10 can be equipped with a mixing channel arranged to collect these two flows downstream of the inlet mouth 8 and guide them to the outlets 6, 7, with, for example, one or more flow disturbers arranged in this mixing channel to optimize the mixture of the airflow FE with the flow of air FR within the hollow body 10.

The inlet mouth 8 is configured in terms of size, arrangement, or physical characteristics such that the second air flow FE entering the channel 42 of the housing can not exit through the inlet mouth 8. The speed of the second airflow FE entering the channel 42 can also participate in avoiding its exit through the inlet mouth 8.

Without departing from the scope of the invention, several inlet mouths 8 may be provided. It should be noted that or the inlet mouths 8 are located in a lower portion of the door 2. In other words, each inlet mouth 8 is located closer to the floor of the pavilion of the motor vehicle. More specifically, or the inlet mouths 8 are located closer to the underside of the door 2, or even under the armrests 63, that is the housing 30. Thus, according to the previously defined reference, the one or more inlet mouths 8 are disposed below the housing 30 along the vertical axis V.

The mouth of entry 8 corresponds here to a porous wall able to pass a flow of air from the passenger compartment penetrate into the hollow body 10 present in the door 4. The air flow FR enters the housing 30, possibly through the support 61, by the first air inlet 35.

The invention as just described can not be limited to the means and configurations exclusively described for a particular embodiment, and also applies to any combination of these means or configurations, as well as the equivalents and any combination of such means or configurations with the equivalents. Indeed, if the invention has been described and illustrated according to different embodiments in the context of a vehicle door, it is obvious that other elements forming hollow bodies in the passenger compartment can be envisaged without this adversely affecting the invention.

According to a non-illustrated embodiment, at least one heat exchanger can be arranged within the housing 30. For example, an electric heating device, or radiator on electric air, can be arranged within the housing, said heating device comprising at least one heating element, such as a positive thermal coefficient stone (also known by the acronym "PTC"), arranged in a frame and able to pass a flow of air to heat the air flow . This electric heater can be arranged within the housing at the first air inlet 35 so as to heat the first air flow FR. More precisely, the heating device may be arranged downstream, with respect to the first air flow FR, from the first air inlet 35 and upstream, with respect to the first air flow FR, from the opening 40. According to another embodiment, the heating device can be arranged downstream, with respect to an air flow, from the opening 40. According to another embodiment, the heat exchanger can be arranged between the support 61 and the housing 30. According to another embodiment, the heat exchanger can be arranged between the support 61 and the housing 30. According to another embodiment, the heat exchanger can be arranged between the trim panels 21, 23 and the door body 22 within the hollow body 10 so as to heat the first air flow FR and / or the second air flow FE.

Claims

Housing (30) intended to be mounted on a door (4) of a motor vehicle comprising

a first air inlet (35) for admission of a first air flow (FR) into the housing (30),

an air outlet (36),

a chamber (37) delimited by at least one partition (38) arranged inside the housing (30),

a second air inlet (39) for a direct admission of a second air flow (FE) into the chamber (37),

the first air inlet (35), the chamber (37) and the air outlet (36) being fluidly connected.

The housing (30) of claim 1, wherein the chamber (37) comprises a blade (46) extending within the chamber (37).

3. Housing (30) according to one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the housing (30) has a curved shape.

4. Housing (30) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a duct (52) is connected to the second air inlet (39) for direct admission of the second air flow (FE) to the interior of the chamber (37), the second airflow (FE) from a heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning system.

5. Housing (30) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the conduit (52) comprises bellows (54).

6. Housing (30) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the chamber (37) has an oblong section.

7. Housing (30) according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a channel (42) for at least partial flow of the first (FR) and second (FE) airflow extends from the first air inlet (35) to the air outlet (36) and is delimited by the walls (31) of the housing (30) and said at least one partition (38) of the chamber (37). ).

8. Housing (30) according to claim 7, wherein the chamber (37) opens into the channel (42) by a constriction (51).

9. A vehicle door assembly (4) comprising a housing support (61) and a housing (30) according to one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the door (4) comprises at least one trim panel (21, 23) and a door body (22) together forming the door (4).