VEHICLE AIR CONDITIONER

• US 20130168458A1
• Filed: 09/05/2011
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ichishi, Yoshinori, Kondo, Yasushi, Yanagimachi, Yoshinori, Kumamoto, Yoshinori, Tanaka, Seiji, Goto, Takaaki
• Application Number:
  US13/822,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20130168458A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 237/2.A
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/004 for vehicles having a combustion engine and electric drive means, e.g. hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/02 the heat being derived from the propulsion plant B60H1/00492 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/034 from the cooling liquid of the propulsion plant and from an electric heating device
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0644 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/084 State of vehicle accessories, e.g. air condition or power steering
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/023 Engine temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0806 Air condition state
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

An air conditioner is applied to a vehicle having a first operation mode in which an internal combustion engine-side driving force is more than a motor-side driving force, and a second operation mode in which the motor-side driving force is more than the internal combustion engine-side driving force, as an operation mode for the vehicle. The air conditioner includes a heater for heating air using a coolant of an internal combustion engine as a heat source, and a request signal output portion for outputting a request signal for increasing the number of revolutions of the internal combustion engine to a driving force controller during a heating operation of the vehicle interior. The request signal output portion outputs as the request signal, a signal that makes the number of revolutions increased in the second operation mode higher than that increased in the first operation mode.

Claims

1. An air conditioner for a vehicle including an electric motor for traveling and an internal combustion engine as a driving source for outputting a driving force for traveling of the vehicle, the vehicle having a first operation mode in which an internal combustion engine-side driving force output from the internal combustion engine is more than a motor-side driving force output from the electric motor for traveling, and a second operation mode in which the motor-side driving force is more than the internal combustion engine-side driving force, as an operation mode for the vehicle, the air conditioner comprising:

a heater which heats air to be blown into a vehicle interior using a coolant of the internal combustion engine as a heat source; and

a request signal output device, which outputs a request signal for increasing the number of revolutions of the internal combustion engine to a driving force controller for controlling an operation of the internal combustion engine, during a heating operation of the vehicle interior,

wherein the request signal output device outputs as the request signal, a signal that makes the number of revolutions increased in the second operation mode higher than that increased in the first operation mode.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising

an outside air temperature detection device which detects an outside air temperature,

wherein the request signal output device outputs as the request signal, a signal that increases the number of revolutions with decreasing outside air temperature.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising

a target temperature setting portion for setting a target temperature of the vehicle interior by an operation of a passenger,

wherein the request signal output device outputs as the request signal, a signal that increases the number of revolutions with increasing target temperature.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary heater which increases a temperature of at least a part of a vehicle interior,

wherein the request signal output device outputs as the request signal, a signal that increases the number of revolutions when the auxiliary heater is operating, as compared to when the auxiliary heater is not operating.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising

an energy saving request device, which outputs an energy saving request signal for requesting energy saving of power required for air conditioning of the vehicle interior, by an operation of the passenger,

wherein the request signal output device outputs as the request signal, a signal that decreases the number of revolutions when the energy saving request signal is output, as compared to when the energy saving request signal is not output.

18. The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the auxiliary heater is a seat heater for increasing a temperature of a seat where the passenger sits.

19. The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the auxiliary heater is a windshield heating device for heating the windshield of the vehicle.

6. An air conditioner for a vehicle including an electric motor for traveling and an internal combustion engine as a driving source for outputting a driving force for traveling of the vehicle, the vehicle having a first operation mode in which an internal combustion engine-side driving force output from the internal combustion engine is more than a motor-side driving force output from the electric motor for traveling, and a second operation mode in which the motor-side driving force is more than the internal combustion engine-side driving force, as the operation mode for the vehicle, the air conditioner comprising:

a heater which heats air to be blown into a vehicle interior using a coolant of the internal combustion engine as a heat source; and

a request signal output device, which outputs a request signal for decreasing a driving force ratio of the internal combustion engine-side driving force to the motor-side driving force, to a driving force controller for controlling operations of the internal combustion engine and the electric motor for traveling, when a heating operation of the vehicle interior is performed in the second operation mode.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 6, further comprising

an outside air temperature detection device which detects an outside air temperature,

wherein the request signal output device outputs as the request signal, a signal that decreases the driving force ratio with decreasing outside air temperature.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 6, further comprising

a target temperature setting portion for setting a target temperature of the vehicle interior by an operation of a passenger,

wherein the request signal output device outputs as the request signal, a signal that decreases the driving force ratio with increasing target temperature.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 6, further comprising

an auxiliary heater which increases a temperature of at least a part of a vehicle interior,

wherein the request signal output device outputs as the request signal, a signal that decreases the driving force ratio when the auxiliary heater is operating, as compared to when the auxiliary heater is not operating.

10. The air conditioner according to claim 6, further comprising

an energy saving request device, which outputs an energy saving request signal for requesting energy saving of power required for air conditioning of the vehicle interior, by an operation of the passenger,

wherein the request signal output device outputs as the request signal, a signal that increases the driving force ratio when the energy saving request signal is output, as compared to when the energy saving request signal is not output.

11. An air conditioner for a vehicle including an electric motor for traveling and an internal combustion engine as a driving source for outputting a driving force for traveling of the vehicle, the vehicle having a first operation mode in which an internal combustion engine-side driving force output from the internal combustion engine is more than a motor-side driving force output from the electric motor for traveling, and a second operation mode in which the motor-side driving force is more than the internal combustion engine-side driving force, as the operation mode for the vehicle, the air conditioner comprising:

a heater which heats air to be blown into a vehicle interior using a coolant of the internal combustion engine as a heat source; and

a request signal output device, which outputs a request signal for requesting a driving force controller to perform switching into the first operation mode when a predetermined condition is satisfied during a heating operation of the vehicle interior in the second operation mode, the driving force controller being adapted to control operations of the internal combustion engine and the electric motor for traveling.

12. The air conditioner according to claim 11, further comprising

an outside air temperature detection device which detects an outside air temperature,

wherein the predetermined condition is determined to be satisfied when the outside air temperature becomes equal to or less than a predetermined reference outside air temperature.

13. The air conditioner according to claim 11, further comprising

a target temperature setting portion for setting a target temperature of the vehicle interior by an operation of the passenger,

wherein the predetermined condition is determined to be satisfied when the target temperature is equal to or more than a predetermined reference target temperature.

14. The air conditioner according to claim 11, further comprising

an auxiliary heater which increases a temperature of at least a part of a vehicle interior,

wherein the predetermined condition is determined to be satisfied when the auxiliary heater is operating.

15. The air conditioner according to claim 11 further comprising

an energy saving request device, which outputs an energy saving request signal for requesting energy saving of power required for air conditioning of the vehicle interior, by an operation of the passenger,

wherein the predetermined condition is determined to be satisfied when the energy saving request signal is not output.

16. The air conditioner according to claim 11, further comprising

a humidity detection device which detects a humidity near a windshield of the vehicle,

wherein the predetermined condition is determined to be satisfied when the humidity detected by the humidity detection device is equal to or more than the predetermined reference humidity.

17. The air conditioner according to claim 11, further comprising

an air outlet mode switching portion for switching between a plurality of air outlet modes by changing a ratio of volumes of air blown from a plurality of air outlets between the air outlets, the air outlets including at least a defroster air outlet for blowing the air toward a windshield of the vehicle,

wherein the predetermined condition is determined to be satisfied when the air outlet mode switching portion performs switching into the defroster mode for blowing out the air from the defroster air outlet.