Air conditioner having tunnel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10076945-B2
Application number	US-201615003963-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2016
Priority date	Jan 22, 2016
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

An evaporator and a heater may be accommodated in a case. A tunnel in a tubular shape forms a tunnel passage. The case may form an evaporator passage and a heater passage. The evaporator passage may be located on a downstream side of the evaporator and extended without passing through the heater. The heater passage may be located on a downstream side of the heater. The tunnel may extend from the heater passage through the evaporator passage toward an inner wall of the case.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air conditioner comprising:
a case;
an evaporator accommodated in the case;
a heater accommodated in the case; and
a tunnel in a tubular shape forming a tunnel passage, wherein
the case forms an evaporator passage and a heater passage,
the evaporator passage is located on a downstream side of the evaporator and extended without passing through the heater,
the heater passage is located on a downstream side of the heater, and
the tunnel extends from the heater passage through the evaporator passage toward an inner wall of the case, wherein
the tunnel has an upper wall, a lower wall, a top wall and a bottom wall, which are integrated to form the tunnel passage, the top wall bridges the upper wall with the lower wall, and the lower wall is more tilted to the inner wall than the upper wall is tilted to the inner wall, wherein
the lower wall is located upstream of the upper wall in the evaporator passage.

2. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein:
the tunnel passage intersects with the evaporator passage, and
the tunnel isolates the tunnel passage from the evaporator passage.

3. The air conditioner of claim 2 , wherein:
the tunnel is protruded into the evaporator passage.

4. The air conditioner of claim 3 , wherein:
the tunnel is configured to divide air after passing through the heater into the tunnel passage and the evaporator passage.

5. The air conditioner of claim 4 , wherein:
the tunnel is configured to cause air, which is after passing through the tunnel passage, to merge with air passing through the evaporator on a downstream side of the tunnel.

6. The air conditioner of claim 5 , wherein:
the tunnel passage is configured to conduct air from the heater, without interfering with air flowing through the evaporator passage.

7. The air conditioner of claim 1 , further comprising:
a partition partitioning the case into a first compartment and a second compartment, and
the tunnel is equipped to the partition.

8. The air conditioner of claim 1 , further comprising:
a deflector located on a downstream side of the heater and configured to deflect airflow from the heater passage toward the tunnel.

9. The air conditioner of claim 8 , further comprising:
a heater wall located on a downstream side of the heater and partitioning the heater passage from the evaporator passage.

10. The air conditioner of claim 9 , wherein:
the heater wall and the deflector form a heater opening therebetween, and
the heater opening communicates the heater passage with both the tunnel passage and the evaporator passage.

11. The air conditioner of claim 10 , wherein:
the tunnel has an inlet opposed to the heater opening.

12. The air conditioner of claim 11 , wherein:
the tunnel has an outlet, which is inclined at an angle and is directed toward a downstream side of the evaporator passage.

13. The air conditioner of claim 1 , further comprising:
a heater door movable along a rail and configured to control a quantity of air passing through the heater.

14. The air conditioner of claim 13 , wherein:
the tunnel has a height, which is less than a height of the rail.

Assignees

• Denso Int America Inc
• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Lewczynski Ian
• Mazzocco Nicholas

Classifications

• B60H1/3202

  using evaporation, i.e. not including a compressor, e.g. involving fuel or water evaporation · CPC title

• B60H1/00564 Primary

  of air ducts · CPC title

• B60H1/00007

  Combined heating, ventilating, or cooling devices (control systems or mechanisms B60H1/00642) · CPC title

• B60H1/00521 Primary

  Mounting or fastening of components in housings, e.g. heat exchangers, fans, electronic regulators · CPC title