Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air conditioner for a vehicle, and more particularly, to an air conditioner for a vehicle, which includes a sealing member having a first sealing part for sealing a space between a flange of inlet and outlet pipes of an evaporator and a pipe penetration part of an air-conditioning case and a second sealing part for sealing a space between a dash panel of the vehicle and an outer face of the air-conditioning case, thereby simplifying an assembling process and reducing manufacturing costs by reducing the number of components for sealing of the pipe penetration part and minimizing vibration and noise transferred from an engine room side of the vehicle to the air-conditioning case.
Background Art
An air conditioner for a vehicle is an apparatus for cooling or heating the interior of the vehicle by cooling or heating through the process of introducing outdoor air into the interior of the vehicle or circulating indoor air of the vehicle. Such an air conditioner for a vehicle includes an evaporator for cooling the inside of an air-conditioning case; a heater core for heating the inside of the air-conditioning case; and a mode switching door for selectively blowing the air cooled by the evaporator or heated by the heater core toward parts of the interior of the vehicle.
According to independent structures of a blower unit, an evaporator unit and a heater core unit, such an air conditioner is classified into a three-piece type air conditioner in which the blower unit, the evaporator unit and the heater core unit are disposed independently, a semi-center type air conditioner in which the evaporator unit and the heater core unit are embedded in the air-conditioning case and the blower unit is mounted separately, and a center-mounting type air conditioner in which the three units are all embedded in the air-conditioning case.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a conventional air conditioner for a vehicle. As shown in the drawing, the air conditioner 1 includes: a blower 10 which has an inside air inlet 21 and an outside air inlet 22 formed at one side, an inside air and outside air switching door 23 for selectively opening and closing the inside air inlet 21 and the outside air inlet 22 and a blowing fan 35 for forcedly blowing inside air and outside air toward an air inflow port 43 of an air-conditioning case 40; and the air-conditioning case 40 which includes the air inflow port for introducing the air blown from the blower 10 and a plurality of air outflow ports 44 for discharging the air introduced to the air inflow port 43 and in which an evaporator 41 and a heater core 42 are mounted to be spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval in order.
Moreover, the air conditioner further includes a temperature-adjusting door 45 mounted between the evaporator 41 and the heater core 42 for controlling temperature by adjusting the degree of opening of a cold air passageway bypassing the heater core 42 and of a warm air passageway passing through the heater core 42.
Furthermore, the air conditioner further includes mode doors 46 which are respectively mounted at the air outflow ports to open and close the corresponding air outflow ports 44 according to various air-conditioning modes.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the semi-center type air conditioner 1 out of the air conditioners of three types. The air conditioner 1 includes: an air-conditioning case 40 having an air inflow port 43 formed at an entrance side and a plurality of air outflow ports 44 formed at an exit side; and a blower 10 for selectively introducing inside air and outside air through an inside and outside air inlet 22 formed at an upper side to forcedly blow the air toward the air inflow port 43.
Furthermore, an evaporator 41 and a heater core (not shown) are mounted inside the air-conditioning case 40 in order, and a temperature-adjusting door (not shown) for controlling temperature and mode doors (not shown) for carrying out various air-conditioning modes are mounted inside the air-conditioning case 40.
The evaporator 41 has inlet and outlet pipes 41a formed protrudingly at one side of the evaporator 41 to introduce and discharge refrigerant, and a flange 41b is joined to end portions of the inlet and outlet pipes 41a to be joined with an expansion valve (not shown).
Additionally, the flange 41b of the inlet and outlet pipes 41a is exposed to the outside of the air-conditioning case 40 to be joined with the expansion valve. In this instance, a pipe penetration part 47 is formed on the front side of the air-conditioning case 40 to support the inlet and outlet pipes 41a exposed to the outside.
In the meantime, the air-conditioning case 40 generally has a structure that upper cases 40a and 40b and an integrated lower case 40c are joined to each other to prevent leakage of condensate water. As shown in FIG. 3, the evaporator 41 is assembled between the upper cases 40a and 40b and the lower case 40c. Here, because the pipe penetration part 47 is formed on the joined side of the upper and lower cases 40a and 40b, the pipe penetration part 47 is also divided into an upper part and a lower part.
According to the air conditioner 1, the air blown to the inside of the air-conditioning case 40 by the blower 10 passes the evaporator 41, and then, the air is cooled or heated while selectively passing through the heater core by the temperature-adjusting door. After that, the air cooled or heated is supplied to the interior of the vehicle through ducts (not shown) connected with the air outflow ports 44 so as to cool or heat the interior of the vehicle.
Meanwhile, when an air conditioning system for a vehicle is operated, the evaporator 41 generates condensate water around the evaporator 41 while exchanging heat with the outdoor air because cold refrigerant circulates inside the evaporator 41. Of course, condensate water is generated also in the inlet and outlet pipes 41a of the evaporator 41.
In this instance, the condensate water generated from the evaporator 41 drops down in the direction of gravity or drops to a lower part of the air-conditioning case 40 by the blown wind, and then, is discharged out through a condensate outlet (not shown) formed at the lower part of the air-conditioning case 40. However, condensate water generated in the inlet and outlet pipes 41a may directly drop to the inside of the air-conditioning case 40, but some of the condensate water flows along the inlet and outlet pipes 41a and is introduced into the pipe penetration part 47.
Therefore, in order to prevent the condensate water introduced into the pipe penetration part 47 from leaking out of the air-conditioning case 40, insulating members 48a are respectively wound on the inlet and outlet pipes 41a at the rear side of the flange 41b, and then, a fixture 48b which is made of a plastic material and is divided into the right and left is joined and fastened on the insulating members 48a by a screw 48c. 
In this instance, because the fixture 48b is joined to surround the inlet and outlet pipes 41a on which the insulating members 48a are wound and a joining groove 48e is formed in the circumference of the fixture 48b, they fix the inlet and outlet pipes 41a and prevents movement of the flange 41b when the joining groove 48e is fit to a support part 47a of the pipe penetration part 47.
Moreover, a sealing member 48d which is made of an NBR material is mounted in front of the fixture 48b to prevent leakage of condensate water.
However, the conventional air conditioner for a vehicle has several problems in that manufacturing costs are increased and assembly of the air conditioner is very complicated because it requires lots of components, such as the insulating members 48a respectively wound on the inlet and outlet pipes 41a, the fixture 48b which is made of a plastic material and is divided into the right and left, and the screw 48c, in order to prevent leakage of condensate water.
Furthermore, the conventional air conditioner for a vehicle has another problem in that the air-conditioning case 40 generates vibration to generate booming noise or serves as a sound box to amplify booming noise because vibration of an engine room side transferred from an engine and a compressor is transferred to the air-conditioning case 40 through the inlet and outlet pipes 41a and the fixture 48b. 