Vehicle interior structure which can uniformly ventilate interior of vehicle

[0002] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-293744 filed on Oct. 7, 2002, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] The present invention relates to a vehicle interior structure having air vent walls for introducing conditioned air or ventilating air there through into the interior of a vehicle, and, more particularly to a vehicle temperature control system employing the vehicle interior structure.

[0004] Heretofore, the interior of a vehicle is ventilated through ventilating openings provided in predetermined positions thereof. For example, in a system described in JP-A-H5-244731, air is drawn from the outside through an air inlet of a ventilator, and interior air is discharged through a ventilating opening positioned in a rear tray. The air inlet and the ventilating opening are hard to be mounted on the other parts of the vehicle. Therefore, the ventilating air is likely to be drawn into only predetermined compartments inside the vehicle, that is, the interior of the vehicle is hard to be uniformly ventilated.

[0005] In view of the foregoing problem, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a vehicle interior structure that can achieve comfortable air conditioning and effective ventilation inside a vehicle.

[0006] According to the present invention, a vehicle interior structure has at least one air vent wall. The interior structure includes a nonpermeable layer, a nonpermeable surface layer and a permeable layer. The permeable layer has a three-dimensional net construction and is disposed between the nonpermeable layer and the nonpermeable surface layer. The permeable layer has at least two welded nonpermeable portions, which are extended linearly. An air passage is formed between the welded nonpermeable portions.

[0007] Since the air vent wall has the air passage, the air passages can be formed in various interior components having the air vent walls. Therefore, the air can be blown from the various interior components of the vehicle.

[0008] The invention, together with additional objectives, features and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings in which:

[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle interior structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0010] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a part of a vehicle temperature control system according the embodiment;

[0011] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of another part of the vehicle temperature control system;

[0012] FIGS. 4A to 4E are schematic diagrams of an air vent wall of the vehicle interior structure illustrating the structure and the producing method thereof; and

[0013] FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between interior temperature of a vehicle and elapsed time since the vehicle is parked, the vehicle employing the vehicle interior structure.

[0014] The embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0015] In this embodiment, a vehicle temperature control system is applied to a vehicle provided with a vehicle interior structure according to the present invention.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, electrically operational sun shades 1 are provided for a windshield 17, side windows 18 and a rear window 19. The sun shades 1 are cloth curtains and reduce the amount of the sunlight permeating the interior of the vehicle. Moreover, the sun shades 1 can be closed or shut by an electric motor (not shown) controlled by an electrical control device (not shown).

[0017] A vehicle air conditioner 10 is provided for the vehicle. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the vehicle air conditioner 10 includes a front conditioner unit 2, a rear conditioner unit 3, a front blower unit 5 and a rear blower unit 7. The front conditioner unit 2 conditions the air around the front passenger compartment of the vehicle. The rear conditioner unit 3 conditions the air around the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The front blower unit 5 sends the air through the surface of a front seat 4. The rear blower unit 7 sends the air through the surface of a rear seat 6.

[0018] The conditioner units 2, 3 respectively have low pressure side heat exchangers 2a, 3a, heaters 2b, 3band blowers 2c, 3c. The low pressure side heat exchanger 2a(3a) is a thermo-compression refrigerator that cools the air blowing toward the passenger compartment. The heater 2b(3b) is disposed downstream from the low pressure side heat exchanger 2a(3a) in the air flowing direction and heats the air blowing toward the passenger compartment.

[0019] Moreover, film doors 2d, 2eshown in FIG. 2 control the circulation of the air. Specifically, the door 2dswitches an opening degree of a cool air passage, which bypasses the heater 2b, and the door 2eswitches an opening degree of a hot air passage, which passes through the low pressure side heat exchanger 2a. In the rear conditioning unit 3, film doors corresponding to the film doors 2d, 2eare omitted to be shown.

[0020] A blower 5aof the blower unit 5, which is installed in a lower part of the front seat 4, draws the air conditioned in the front conditioner unit 2 and sends it through the surface of the seat 4. Moreover, a blower 7aof the front blower unit 7, which is installed in a lower part of the rear seat 6, draws the air conditioned in the rear conditioner unit 3 and sends it through the surface of the seat 6.

[0021] Further, in the front conditioner unit 2, the mixing ratio between cool air and hot air is controlled by an air mix door 5b, and thereby the temperature of the air blown from the seat 4 is controlled. In the rear conditioner unit 3, an air mix door corresponding to the air mix door 5bis omitted to be shown. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, a discharge blower 8 is provided and thereby forcibly discharges the inside into a trunk room.

[0022] In this embodiment, air vent walls 9 are provided for a plurality of interior components (e.g. a roof 20, passenger seats 21, pillars 22, 23, 24, a rear tray 28 and doors 26, 27, etc.). The air vent wall 9 has a multilayer structure shown in FIG. 4A and has a permeable layer 9a. The permeable layer 9ais made of polyethylene terephthalate and has a three-dimensional net construction. Each air vent wall 9 is communicated with the front conditioning unit 2 or the rear conditioning unit 3, and thereby the air from the conditioning units 2, 3 can be blown out through the air vent walls 9 of the roof 20, the pillars 22, 23, 24, the doors 26, 27 and so on. Specifically, the surfaces from which the air blows are located at blower surfaces 25, which are elliptically hatched in FIG. 1. Moreover, the roof 20 and the rear tray 28 have the blower surfaces 25 (not shown).

[0023] The air vent wall 9 essentially consists of a metallic exterior wall (nonpermeable layer) 9b, a heat-insulating layer (nonpermeable layer) 9c, the permeable layer 9aand a designed interior wall (nonpermeable surface layer) 9d. The heat-insulating layer 9cis made of resin (e.g. polyester, polyurethane). The designed interior wall 9dis made of a fabric material and electrified, and thereby its backside can function as a filter for filtering dusts.

[0024] In regard to an air passage inside the air vent wall 9, the permeable layer 9ahas two welded nonpermeable portions 9a3, 9a4, and the air passage is formed between the two welded nonpermeable portions 9a3, 9a4. In the air vent wall 9 shown in FIG. 4A, a partial permeable layer disposed between the welded nonpermeable portions 9a3, 9a4 is used as the air passage 9a1, and partial permeable layers 9a2, which are not used as air passages, are disposed outside of the welded nonpermeable portions 9a3, 9a4.

[0025] The air vent walls 9 having the air passages form the walls of the interior components of the vehicle. Moreover,the air passages are communicated with the front conditioner unit 2. Specifically, the air from the air conditioner 2 passes through the air passages 9a1 (air vent walls 9) of the interior components (e.g. the roof 20, the seats 21, the pillars 22, 23, 24, the rear tray 28 and doors 26, 27). Moreover, the air reaches the blower surfaces 25 and blown therefrom.

[0026] When the air vent wall 9 is manufactured, at first as shown in FIG. 4B, the welded nonpermeable portions 9a3, 9a4 are formed by way of irradiating the laser or the ultrasonic welding. In this way, the welded nonpermeable portions 9a3, 9a4 are formed to be nonporous, and the air passage 9a1 is formed therebetween. Moreover, the permeable layer 9 is installed on the heat-insulating layer 9con the metallic exterior wall 9b, for example, of the roof 20.

[0027] Next, the designed interior wall 9d, made of a fabric material, is electrically charged on the side of the metallic exterior wall 9band attached to the permeable layer 9a. Otherwise, the heat-insulating layer 9c, the permeable layer 9aand the designed interior wall 9dmay be simultaneously attached to the metallic exterior wall 9bafter integrated.

[0028] FIG. 4C shows another example of an air vent wall 9 having an air passage 9a1. In the air vent wall 9 shown in FIG. 4A, the air passage 9a1 is filled with the permeable layer 9a. However, in the air vent wall shown in FIG. 4C, the air duct 9a1 is a vacant space.

[0029] In order to manufacture the air vent wall 9 shown in FIG. 4C, at first, as shown in FIG. 4D, a welded nonpermeable portion 9a4 is formed in the permeable layer 9aby way of ultrasonic welding. Next, as shown in FIG. 4E, the three dimensional net 9ais separated at the welded nonpermeable portion 9a4. Moreover, the separated pieces of permeable layer 9aare installed on the heat-insulating layer 9con metallic body 9b, for example, of the roof 20. Finally, the designed interior wall 9d, made of a fabric material, is electrically charged on the side of the metallic body 9band installed on the permeable layer 9a. In this connection, by virtue of the welded nonpermeable portions 9a4, the air does not enter the partial permeable layers 9a2 from the air passage 9a1. Otherwise, the heat-insulating layer 9c, the permeable layer 9aand the designed interior wall 9dmay be simultaneously installed on the metallic body 9bafter integrated.

[0030] The designed interior walls 9dshown in FIGS. 4A and 4C are generally nonpermeable. Moreover, the heat-insulating layer 9cis nonpermeable. In this case, the air passage 9a1 functions as an air duct. However, when the air vent wall 9 is used for an interior component though which the air is required to be blown out, the designed interior wall 9dof this air vent wall 9 may be formed to be permeable.

[0031] As the other structure of an air vent wall 9, the heat-insulating layer 9cmay be omitted. Moreover, a thin nonpermeable sheet may be disposed between the permeable layer 9 and the designed interior wall 9dso as to prevent the air from leaking.

[0032] Hereinafter, the actions of this embodiment will be described.

[0033] For example, in a case where the vehicle is parked, when the temperature outside the vehicle becomes higher than 20 degrees, or when the amount of the sunlight irradiating the interior of the vehicle becomes more than 150 W/m², the windshields are covered by sunshades 1, and thereby the sunlight is shut off. Simultaneously, the front conditioner unit 2 introduces the outside air into the vehicle, and moreover the blowers 5a, 7aof the air blower units 5, 7 are driven so as to circulate the air inside the vehicle.

[0034] In this connection, the rear conditioner unit 3 can only circulate the air inside the vehicle and cannot introduce the outside air into the vehicle. Therefore, the outside air is not introduced enough into the rear passenger compartment. However, when employing a vehicle air conditioner having a rear conditioner unit that can introduce the outside air into the vehicle, it is desired that the outside air be introduced into the vehicle through the use of the rear conditioner unit by driving a blower of its rear blower unit.

[0035] Moreover, in addition to the blowers 5a, 7aof the blower units 5, 7, the blowers 2c, 3cof the conditioner units 2, 3 are driven, and thereby the circulating performance is enhanced. Incidentally, in the parked vehicle, the blowing performance of the blower 2cis set to be about 160 m³/h, and the blowing performance of the blower 3cis set to be about 80 m³/h. Moreover, the blowing performance of the blowers 5a, 5cis set to be about 40 m³/h.

[0036] Further, in this embodiment, while the starter switch (e.g. ignition switch) of the vehicle is OFF, the vehicle is determined to be parked. Otherwise, while the starter switch is ON, the vehicle is determined not to be parked. For detecting the amount of the sunlight irradiating the interior of the vehicle, a sunlight sensor (not shown) of the air conditioner is used. For detecting the temperature of the outside, an outside temperature sensor (not shown) of the air conditioner unit is used. In this way, the amount of the sunlight and the outside temperature are detected.

[0037] Hereinafter, the effects of this embodiment will be described. When the vehicle is parked, the amount of the sunlight is reduced by the sunshades 1. Therefore, the interior components of the vehicle, which generally have the larger heat capacities, can be prevented from being heated. Accordingly, the radiant heat from the interior components is restricted, and thereby the air inside the vehicle is prevented from being heated.

[0038] Moreover, as shown in FIG. 5, after a passenger get on the vehicle and manually starts activating the air conditioner, the temperature inside the vehicle can be lowered into a comfortable value rapidly. Consequently, the electric power consumption of the vehicle air conditioner can be totally reduced.

[0039] Furthermore, the air vent wall 9, including the permeable layer 9ahaving the three-dimensional net structure, is employed for the interior components of the vehicle. Therefore, the higher heat-insulation performance is achieved by virtue of air stored in the permeable layer 9a. In addition, the air can be effectively blown through the air vent walls into the passenger compartment wholly, and thereby the comfortable air conditioning can be achieved.

[0040] Other Embodiments

[0041] In the above embodiment, the sunshades 1 shut off the sunlight irradiating the vehicle interior, and simultaneously the air starts to be ventilated. Otherwise, when the temperature inside the vehicle becomes more than a predetermined value, or when the amount of the sunlight becomes more than a predetermined value, or when the temperature outside the vehicle becomes more than a predetermined value, only the air ventilation may be performed. In this case, it is desired that the above amount of the sunlight be detected as the total amount the sunlight since the vehicle has been parked.

[0042] Moreover, when the temperature outside the vehicle becomes a value more than 20 degrees, or when the amount of the sunlight irradiating the vehicle interior becomes more than 150 W/m², the sunlight is shut by the sunshades 1. Otherwise, the sunlight may be shut on the basis of the position of the sun detected by a global positioning system (GPS) or a calendar device.

[0043] Moreover, both the blowers 5a, 7aof the blower units 5, 7 and the blowers 2c, 3cof the conditioner units 2, 3 are driven and thereby the air inside the vehicle is ventilated. However, the air may be ventilated by driving only one set of the blowers. In this connection, since the blowers 2c, 3care more effectively, the set of the blowers 2c, 3care desired to be driven for ventilating the air.

[0044] While the vehicle is parked, the air conditioner may be manually started by switching, for example, a door knob or an accessory switch.

[0045] Moreover, the sunshades 1 are employed for shutting off the sunlight. Otherwise, the windshields may be made of a dimmer glass, the light-transmittance of which can be controlled by applying a voltage thereto. Understandably, both the sunshades 1 and the dimmer glass may be employed for shutting off the sunlight.

[0046] Moreover, only the air passage 9a1 between the welded nonpermeable portions 9a3, 9a4 is used as the air duct. However, all the permeable layer 9 may be used as the air duct.

[0047] Moreover, the blower surfaces 25 are defined as the surfaces through which the air is blown. However, the blower surfaces 25 may be used as the surfaces through which the air is discharged or drawn.

[0048] It will be obvious to those having skill in the art that many changes may be made in the above-described details of the preferred embodiments of the present invention. The scope of the present invention, therefore, should be determined by the following claims.