CN112203881A

CN112203881A - Air conditioner for vehicle

Info

Publication number: CN112203881A
Application number: CN201980036421.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 杰罗德·威廉姆森; 刘四虎
Original assignee: Dometic Sweden AB
Current assignee: Dometic Sweden AB
Priority date: 2018-05-31
Filing date: 2019-05-31
Publication date: 2021-01-08
Also published as: DE112019002266T5; WO2019229706A1

Abstract

An air conditioner (10) for a vehicle (12) is provided. The air conditioner (10) includes a base (14) adapted to be mounted to the vehicle and a compressor (20) mounted to the base. The compressor (20) is adapted to compress a refrigerant used in a refrigeration system. The compressor includes one or more pairs of opposed cylinders so that vibration transmitted to the base and the vehicle is generally reduced.

Description

Air conditioner for vehicle

Technical Field

The invention relates to an air conditioner, in particular to a vehicle-mounted air conditioner.

The present invention has been developed as an air conditioner for recreational vehicles, and will be described hereinafter with reference to this application. It will be appreciated, however, that the invention is not limited to this particular field of use.

Background

The following discussion of the prior art is intended to place the invention in a suitable technical context and enable a full understanding of the associated advantages. However, any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should not be considered as an admission that such art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.

Air conditioning systems are often used to make the environment more pleasant for its occupants. This is particularly relevant when the occupant is in a confined space such as a caravan, motor home or other recreational vehicle.

As used herein, the term "recreational vehicle" refers to motor caravans, van-style recreational vehicles, and other similar vehicles. Each of these vehicles has relatively limited space for occupants to reside, and due to the nature of their use, these vehicles are often used with many people, such as couples or family.

Conventional recreational vehicles have an air conditioning system built into the vehicle in some manner. For example, an air conditioning unit may be mounted in a floor or roof and direct air around a cabin inside a vehicle to provide conditioned air to occupants in a particular area.

One problem with roof mount air conditioners is the operating noise they produce. Such noise may be the result of excessive airflow or alternatively/additionally be operational noise of the air conditioner. Regarding the operation noise of the rooftop air conditioner, the sound is mainly caused by the vibration generated from the rotating member and then transmitted to the vehicle.

It is known in the art to minimize the transmission of vibrations by mounting some or all of the components of the air conditioner using isolation methods such as dampers and/or dedicated mounts (typically rubber and/or springs). However, a more efficient method of damping vibration is to reduce the source of the vibration.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative.

Disclosure of Invention

According to the present invention, there is provided an air conditioner for a vehicle, the air conditioner including:

a base mountable to the vehicle;

a compressor mounted to the base, the compressor adapted to compress a refrigerant used in a refrigeration system,

wherein the compressor includes one or more pairs of opposed cylinders such that vibration transmitted to the vehicle is generally reduced.

In one embodiment, the compressor includes a pair of cylinders.

In one embodiment, the compressor is a two-cylinder rotary compressor.

In one embodiment, the compressor is mounted substantially horizontally to the base.

In one embodiment, the compressor includes lubrication passages to distribute oil from the sump to all moving parts of the compressor.

In one embodiment, the air conditioner is adapted to be mounted to a roof of the vehicle.

In one embodiment, the air conditioner includes inverter control for the compressor.

In one embodiment, the refrigeration system is mounted to the base.

In one embodiment, the refrigeration system includes the compressor, condenser coil, and evaporator coil such that the air conditioner is a packaged air conditioner.

In one embodiment, the vehicle is a recreational vehicle.

Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment," "some embodiments," or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, but may. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure.

Drawings

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the rooftop air conditioner of the present invention according to one embodiment, shown mounted on a recreational vehicle;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view, partially in section, of the rooftop air conditioner of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the air conditioner of FIG. 1 shown without the top cover; and

fig. 4 is a perspective view of a compressor used in the rooftop air conditioner of fig. 1, shown with an outer cover removed.

Detailed Description

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like elements are denoted by like reference numerals throughout. In the following description, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein has been omitted for conciseness and clarity.

Referring to the drawings and initially to fig. 1, there is provided an air conditioner 10 for mounting on the roof of a recreational vehicle 12. Air conditioners are used to provide heated or cooled conditioned air to the interior of a vehicle. As shown, vehicle 12 may be a recreational vehicle in the form of a van, a caravan, a trailer, or the like, however, air conditioner 10 may be used with other types of vehicles without departing from the scope of the present invention. As used herein, the term "recreational vehicle" is intended to encompass all such motor vehicles and non-motor vehicles.

Referring now to fig. 2, the air conditioner 10 including the outer cover 16 is mounted on the roof of the vehicle directly above a corresponding air distribution box 30 mounted inside the vehicle. The air distribution box 30 draws in interior air from the vehicle and introduces it into the air conditioner 10. The interior air is then conditioned by the compression refrigeration system 18 and returned to the vehicle through an outlet port in the air distribution box 30.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the air conditioner 10 is shown with the outer cover 16 removed to show the internal components thereof. The air conditioner 10 includes a base 14 and a flange 18 for mounting an outer cover 16. The base 14 and cover 16 together form an enclosure (shown in fig. 1) in which a compression refrigeration system 18 is housed. The compression refrigeration system 18 includes a rotary compressor 20, an evaporator coil 22, and a condenser coil 24 operatively coupled together in a known closed-loop manner.

More specifically, the compressor 20 compresses and increases the temperature of the refrigerant, which is then delivered through a discharge line to the condenser coil 24. The compressed refrigerant is then cooled by outside air flowing around and through the condenser coil 24. The cooled refrigerant then travels toward the evaporator coil 22 where it flows through an expansion valve or the like. The refrigerant traveling through the evaporator coil 22 absorbs heat from the indoor air and then returns to the compressor 20 through a suction line. In this manner, the evaporator coil 22 and the condenser coil 24 act as heat exchangers to remove heat from the indoor air and transfer the heat to the outside air.

It will be apparent that the illustrated air conditioner 10 is of the type known as a unitary air conditioner whereby the refrigeration system including the evaporator coil and the condenser coil are housed on a common base and within a common housing. This is in contrast to split air conditioners, where the condenser section is housed remotely from the evaporator section. To this end, the outer cover 16 has openings to allow outside air to enter and exit the condenser heat exchange area of the air conditioner, respectively.

In prior art arrangements, the air conditioner would typically include a single cylinder rotary (or reciprocating) compressor. Single cylinder rotary compressors have found widespread use in past air conditioning systems due to their high efficiency, compact size and relatively low weight. However, it is known that the single cylinder rotary compressor causes significant vibration due to the rotational movement of the compression chamber. It should be appreciated that in the present case, substantial vibration is undesirable because it is transmitted through the base plate 14 to the roof and then into the vehicle 12.

On the other hand, a multi-cylinder rotary compressor having an even number of cylinders generates less vibration than a single-cylinder compressor having a similar compressible volume capacity. These compressors have at least one pair of generally opposed cylinders which have a relatively small cylinder volume as compared to single cylinder compressors of comparable capacity. The cylinders are reciprocally driven by a common shaft, one cylinder being pressurized and the other unpressurized at each point of rotation of the shaft. Further, each pair of cylinders comprises two concentric journals and ring rolls, which are 180 ° out of phase. These features make the multi-cylinder rotary compressor advantageously less vibrating and quieter in operation than a single-cylinder rotary compressor with a comparable compression volume.

To this end, as best shown in fig. 4, according to one aspect, the present invention provides an air conditioner having a multi-cylinder rotary compressor 20. More specifically, the illustrated compressor 20 is a two-cylinder rotary compressor including a first cylinder 40, a second cylinder 42, an input conduit 44, and an output conduit 46. In this way, less noise and vibration is advantageously transmitted to the base plate 14 and the roof of the vehicle during operation of the air conditioner. Further, it should be appreciated that by using an isolation mount that mounts the compressor to the base plate, vibration may be further reduced.

Another advantage of the double cylinder rotary compressor of the present application is that they are designed to be installed substantially horizontally with respect to the orientation of the inner cylinder. Thus, in accordance with the present invention, the compressor 20 is mounted substantially horizontally, as best shown in FIG. 3. By having the compressor mounted generally horizontally, the height clearance space required for the outer cover 16 is small, which in turn allows for a low profile air conditioner to be mounted on the roof of a vehicle, as best shown in FIG. 1. The smaller profile of the rooftop vehicle air conditioner is advantageous because the aerodynamic drag on the vehicle 12 is less. Another advantage, particularly for rooftop air conditioners mounted on recreational vehicles, is that the smaller profile provides additional clearance for sheds, trees, and other obstacles, making vehicle handling less challenging for the driver.

It should also be appreciated that it may be difficult to maintain an air conditioner on the roof of a recreational vehicle because the vehicle may be located in a remote location in the event of a malfunction. In addition, since the air conditioner is mounted on the roof, there is a potential safety hazard in terms of climbing the roof of the vehicle for repair/maintenance or replacement of heavy parts. These problems can be alleviated to some extent by providing the air conditioner with a more reliable operation. To this end, the compressor 20 of the present invention advantageously includes a two-stage differential pressure oil supply structure designed to reduce the refrigerating machine oil in compression. This structure guides high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas discharged from a cylinder of the compressor to a head cover of the compressor through a gap in the stator and the rotor. The refrigerant gas flowing in this manner causes cooling by using the principle of forced convection heat transfer. By providing such an internal structure, the amount of oil discharged from the compressor is effectively reduced, and the cooling effect on the motor is improved, thereby reducing thermal stress and improving operational reliability of the compressor.

Another feature for improving the reliability of the air conditioner 10 is that the dual cylinder compressor 20 further includes a lubrication passage to distribute oil from the sump to all moving parts of the compressor. Advantageously, this lubrication channel improves lubrication and reduces the overall size of the compressor by requiring only a small capacity sump. These features make the compressor 20 of the present invention more reliable and extend its useful life.

In some embodiments, an inverter (not shown) will be provided to control the speed of the compressor motor in order to continuously regulate the temperature of the vehicle interior.

Advantageously, the present invention provides a vehicle rooftop air conditioner that is quieter and transmits less vibration to the vehicle interior during operation than prior art vehicle rooftop air conditioners. Thus, the occupant in the vehicle is more comfortable. The vehicle rooftop air conditioner shown also has a relatively small frontal profile resulting in less aerodynamic drag and therefore less power is required to drive the vehicle, particularly at highway speeds. Having a smaller frontal profile also reduces wind noise when the vehicle is traveling. Advantageously, the vehicle is more able to avoid drooping branches and can be placed more easily under the shed and in the garage.

In the foregoing description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects. However, the methods of the present disclosure should not be construed as reflecting the intent: the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into this detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this invention.

In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are set forth. However, it is understood that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of this description.

While there has been described what are believed to be the preferred embodiments of the invention, those skilled in the art will recognize that other and further modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended to claim all such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the invention. For example, any of the formulas given above are merely representative of programs that may be used. Functions may be added or deleted from the block diagrams and operations may be exchanged between function blocks. Steps may be added or deleted to the described methods within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An air conditioner for a vehicle, the air conditioner comprising:

a base adapted to be mounted to the vehicle;

2. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the compressor includes a pair of opposed cylinders.

3. The air conditioner as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the compressor is a double-cylinder rotary compressor.

4. The air conditioner of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the compressor is mounted substantially horizontally to the base.

5. The air conditioner of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the compressor includes a lubrication channel to distribute oil from the sump to all moving parts of the compressor.

6. The air conditioner of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the air conditioner is adapted to be mounted to a roof of the vehicle.

7. The air conditioner of any one of the preceding claims, comprising an inverter control for the compressor.

8. The air conditioner of any preceding claim, wherein the refrigeration system is mounted to the base.

9. The air conditioner of claim 7, wherein the refrigeration system includes the compressor, a condenser coil, and an evaporator coil such that the air conditioner is a unitary air conditioner.

10. The air conditioner of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the vehicle is a recreational vehicle.