# US 10,245,919 B2 · Forced cooling of vehicle air-conditioning blower motor with airflow regulating ribs

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- Number: US 10,245,919 B2
- Document ID: US10245919B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/007,418
- Filed: 2016-01-27
- Published: 2016-08-11
- Granted: 2019-04-02
- Earliest claimed: 2015-02-05
- Assignees: Valeo Japan Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Valeo Japan Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Mitsunobu Yamanaka; Kazuo Oshima
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10245919B2

## CPC

- B60H 1/00521: {Mounting or fastening of components in housings, e.g. heat exchangers, fans, electronic regulators}
- B60H 1/00021: {Air flow details of HVAC devices}
- B60H 1/00507: {Details, e.g. mounting arrangements, desaeration devices (B60H1/32 takes precedence)}
- B60H 1/00514: {Details of air conditioning housings}
- B60H 1/00528: {Connections between housing parts}
- B60H 1/00564: {of air ducts}
- F04D 29/282: {the leading edge of each vane being substantially parallel to the rotation axis}
- F04D 29/422: {Discharge tongues (F04D17/04 takes precedence)}
- F04D 29/4226: {Fan casings}
- F04D 29/444: {Bladed diffusers}
- F04D 29/667: {by influencing the flow pattern, e.g. suppression of turbulence}
- B60H 2001/00085: {of air intake}
- B60H 2001/00092: {of air deflecting or air directing means inside the device}
- B60H 2001/006: {Noise reduction}
- F05D 2250/52: Outlet
- B60H: ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES
- F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02)
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS

## Abstract

A vehicle air-conditioning apparatus that includes a blower unit including a scroll casing including a first wall having an intake port, a second wall opposing the first wall, and a peripheral wall, and an impeller. The apparatus further includes a motor of the impeller, a blow-out flow channel, and a motor cooling air introduction chamber. The motor cooling air introduction chamber is in communication with the blow-out flow channel via an air intake port opening in the peripheral wall of a tongue portion facing the blow-out flow channel at a position more closer to the first wall side than an inner wall surface of the second wall. At least one airflow regulating rib facing the peripheral wall provided with the air intake port is provided, and the airflow regulating rib projects from the inner wall surface of the second wall and having a top portion in the blow-out flow channel.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle air-conditioning apparatus comprising:
a blower unit, the blower unit including:
a scroll casing including a first wall having an intake port; a second wall facing the first wall; and a peripheral wall connecting peripheral edge portions of the first wall and the second wall, and
an impeller rotatably provided in the scroll casing;
a motor having a revolving shaft configured to rotate the impeller and to be mounted on the second wall;
a blow-out flow channel provided between a bending end portion of the scroll casing and a tongue portion of the scroll casing; and
a motor cooling air introduction chamber provided outside the tongue portion, wherein:
the motor cooling air introduction chamber is in communication with the blow-out flow channel via an air intake port opening in a peripheral wall of the tongue portion facing the blow-out flow channel at a position more closer to the first wall side than an inner wall surface of the second wall,
the blow-out flow channel is provided with a plurality of airflow regulating ribs comprising a first rib and a second rib intersecting a blow-out plane formed by a blow-out port and facing the peripheral wall provided with the air intake port,
the plurality of airflow regulating ribs projects from an inner wall surface of the second wall and having a top portion in the blow-out flow channel, and
the plurality of airflow regulating ribs are arranged so that an upstream end of the first rib among the plurality of airflow regulating ribs is arranged at a position farther from the peripheral wall than a downstream end of the first rib provided the air intake port is located on the upstream side, the first rib approaching the peripheral wall from the upstream end to the downstream end,
wherein the first rib defines a first angle with the blow-out plane and the second rib defines a second angle with the blow-out plane, and
wherein the first angle is greater than the second angle.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the blow-out flow channel includes an enlarged portion gradually spread out in a direction along the revolving shaft at least as the first rib goes downstream of the first wall, and
an entire part or part of the plurality of airflow regulating ribs is provided in an enlarged portion projection range, which is an area of the enlarged portion projected on the second wall along the revolving shaft.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
a maximum height of a rib arranged adjacent to the peripheral wall (53a) provided with the air intake port out of the plurality of airflow regulating ribs is not higher than Hb+2 mm where Hb [mm] is a minimum height of an end portion of the air intake port on the second wall side.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the top portions of the plurality of airflow regulating ribs approach the second wall as they go downward.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of airflow regulating ribs are arranged along an air flow, and the plurality of airflow regulating ribs are arranged in descending order according to the height from a peripheral wall side provided with the air intake port.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the maximum height of the rib arranged adjacent to the peripheral wall provided with the air intake port out of the plurality of airflow regulating ribs is lower than the minimum height of the end portion of the air intake port on the second wall side and is not lower than Hb−10 mm where Hb [mm] is the minimum height of the end portion of the air intake port on the second wall side.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of airflow regulating ribs are arranged along the air flow, and a rib arranged at a position farthest from the peripheral wall provided with the air intake port out of the plurality of the airflow regulating ribs has an area having a larger radius of curvature than a maximum radius of curvature of the rib adjacent to the peripheral wall provided with the air intake port.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of airflow regulating ribs are arranged so that a downstream end of the second rib is arranged at a position nearer to the peripheral wall than an upstream end of the second rib provided the air intake port is located on a downstream side.