INTERFACE DEVICE FOR CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES, CENTRALIZED VEHICLE SYSTEM COMMAND COMBINATION, CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES, AND AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE

• US 20080135206A1
• Filed: 11/26/2007
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Marinone, Alonso, Bastos, Fabio, Alves, Alessandro Domingues
• Application Number:
  US11/944,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20080135206A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/42
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/0065 Control members, e.g. levers or knobs B60H1/00985 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention discloses an interface device to control a climate control system for automotive vehicles having at least one first command to drive a heating equipment and/or at least one second command to drive a cooling equipment and/or at least one third command to drive an ambient air flow control equipment, the first and/or second and/or third drive commands only altering the working status of the respective first, second and third equipments by direct control of the user, the device also comprising at least one printed circuit board or the like having means that enable the conversion of the movements of the first and/or second and/or third commands into electrical information visualized on a digital display.

Claims

1. Interface device to control a climate control system for automotive vehicles that comprises at least one first ambient air heating equipment and/or at least one second ambient air cooling equipment and/or at least one third equipment to control the flow of heated and/or cooled ambient air or not, the device having at least one first command to drive the heating equipment and/or at least one second command to drive the cooling equipment and/or at least one third command to drive the ambient air flow control equipment, the first and/or second and/or third drive commands only altering the working status of the respective first, second and third equipments by direct control of the user, the device being characterized by the fact that it comprises at least one printed circuit board or the like having means that enable the conversion of the movements of the first and/or second and/or third commands into electrical information visualized on a digital display.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the first and/or second and/or third commands operate mechanically to alter the working status of the respective first, second and third equipments.

3. Device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the first and/or second and/or third commands are manual/mechanical.

4. Device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the means that enable the conversion of the manual/mechanicals movements of the first and/or second and/or third commands into electrical information visualized on the digital display are potentiometers associated to the printed circuit board.

5. Device according to claim 4, characterized by the fact that the digital display is associated to the printed circuit board and their visualization is facilitated by means of at least one light source associated to the board, such as, for example an incandescent lamp or LED.

6. Device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that first and/or second and/or third commands operate mechanically in the respective first, second and third equipments by movement of the steel cables.

7. Device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that first and/or second and/or third commands operate mechanically in the respective first, second and third equipments by sending electric signals.

8. Device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that first and/or second and/or third commands operate mechanically in the respective first, second and third equipments by the pneumatic control of low pressure lines (vacuum).

26. Automotive vehicle, characterized by the fact that it comprises at least one interface device to control a climate control system as defined in claim 1.

9. Centralized vehicle system command combination, to command a climate control system for automotive vehicles that comprises at least one first ambient air heating equipment and/or at least one second ambient air cooling equipment and/or at least one third equipment to control the flow of heated and/or cooled ambient air or not, and other vehicle systems, such as sound and entertainment systems, onboard computers, navigation system, among others, the combination being characterized by the fact that it comprises at least one interface device to control a climate control system having

(i) at least one first command to drive the heating equipment and/or at least one second command to drive the cooling equipment and/or at least one third command to drive the ambient air flow control equipment, and

(ii) at least one printed circuit board or the like;

the first and/or second and/or third drive commands only altering the working status of the respective first, second and third equipments by direct control of the user, and the board having means that enable the conversion of the movements of the first and/or second and/or third commands into electrical information visualized on a digital display.

10. Combination according to claim 9, characterized by the fact that the first and/or second and/or third commands of the device operate mechanically to alter the working status of the respective first, second and third equipments.

11. Combination according to claim 9, characterized by the fact that the first and/or second and/or third commands of the device are manual/mechanical.

12. Combination according to claim 9, characterized by the fact that the means that enable the conversion of the manual/mechanical movements of the first and/or second and/or third commands into electrical information visualized on the digital display are potentiometers associated to the printed circuit board.

13. Combination according to claim 12, characterized by the fact that the digital display of the device is associated to the printed circuit board and their visualization is facilitated by means of at least one light source associated to the board, such as, for example an incandescent lamp or LED.

14. Combination according to claim 9, characterized by the fact that first and/or second and/or third commands operate mechanically in the respective first, second and third equipments by movement of the steel cables.

15. Combination according to claim 9, characterized by the fact that first and/or second and/or third commands of the device operate mechanically in the respective first, second and third equipments by sending electric signals.

16. Combination according to claim 9, characterized by the fact that first and/or second and/or third commands of the device operate mechanically in the respective first, second and third equipments by the pneumatic control of low pressure lines (vacuum).

25. Manual climate control system for automotive vehicles, having at least one first ambient air heating equipment and/or at least one second ambient air cooling equipment and/or at least one third equipment to control the flow of heated and/or cooled ambient air or not, characterized by the fact that it comprises at least one centralized vehicle system command combination as defined in claim 9.

27. Automotive vehicle, characterized by the fact that it comprises at least one centralized vehicle system command combination as defined in claim 9.

17. Manual climate control system for automotive vehicles, having at least one first ambient air heating equipment and/or at least one second ambient air cooling equipment and/or at least one third equipment to control the flow of heated and/or cooled ambient air or not, characterized by the fact that it comprises at least one interface device to control a climate control system having

(i) at least one first command to drive the heating equipment and/or at least one second command to drive the cooling equipment and/or at least one third command to drive the ambient air flow control equipment, and

(ii) at least one printed circuit board or the like;

the first and/or second and/or third drive commands only altering the working status of the respective first, second and third equipments by direct control of the user, and the board having means that enable the conversion of the movements of the first and/or second and/or third commands into electrical information visualized on a digital display.

18. System according to claim 17, characterized by the fact that the first and/or second and/or third commands of the device operate mechanically to alter the working status of the respective first, second and third equipments.

19. System according to claim 17, characterized by the fact that the first and/or second and/or third commands of the device are manual/mechanical.

20. System according to claim 17, characterized by the fact that the means that enable the conversion of the manual/mechanicals movements of the first and/or second and/or third commands into electrical information visualized on the digital display are potentiometers associated to the printed circuit board.

21. System according to claim 20, characterized by the fact that the digital display of the device is associated to the printed circuit board and visualization thereof is facilitated by means of at least one light source associated to the board, such as, for example an incandescent lamp or LED.

22. System according to claim 17, characterized by the fact that first and/or second and/or third commands operate mechanically in the respective first, second and third equipments by movement of the steel cables.

23. System according to claim 17, characterized by the fact that first and/or second and/or third commands of the device operate mechanically in the respective first, second and third equipments by sending electric signals.

24. System according to claim 17, characterized by the fact that first and/or second and/or third commands of the device operate mechanically in the respective first, second and third equipments by the pneumatic control of low pressure lines (vacuum).

28. Automotive vehicle, characterized by the fact that it comprises at least one manual climate control system as defined in claim 17.