AIR STREAM VELOCITY CONTROL FOR VENTILATION SYSTEM

• US 20130344791A1
• Filed: 06/21/2012
• Published: 12/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mahle International GmbH (MAHLE-STIFTUNG GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: WANG, MINGYU, KADLE, PRASAD S., GHOSH, DEBASHIS
• Granted Patent: US 9,409,461 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 454/155
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00742 by detection of the vehicle occupants' presence; by detection of conditions relating to the body of occupants, e.g. using radiant heat detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00828 Ventilators, e.g. speed control B60H1/00864 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00871 Air directing means, e.g. blades in an air outlet construction of nozzles or air diffusers B60H1/34
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/3414 with means for adjusting the air stream direction B60H1/345 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3471 Details of actuators

Abstract

A system and a method of controlling a ventilation or HVAC system that is configured to provide an air stream having a comfortable contact velocity to an occupant seated in a vehicle cabin. The system includes a sensor to determine the distance from a discharge nozzle to the vehicle occupant and a controller to control the exit velocity and/or an effective diameter of the nozzle. The sensor may use ultrasonic, infrared, LIDAR, or RADAR technology to determine distance. The system may determine the distance from the nozzle to the occupant based on a seat location determined by a seat location sensor. The seat location sensor may be common to an inflatable restraint (air bag) system.

Claims

1. A ventilation system configured to provide an air stream, said system comprising:

a nozzle configured to direct the air stream toward a vehicle occupant seated in a vehicle cabin;

a controller configured to control a nozzle velocity of the air stream to establish a comfortable contact velocity; and

a sensor configured to determine a distance between the nozzle and the vehicle occupant, said sensor in communication with the controller.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to determine the distance between the nozzle and the vehicle occupant based on a seat location.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to determine the distance between the nozzle and the vehicle occupant based on waves emitted from the sensor and reflected from the vehicle occupant, wherein the waves are selected from a group consisting of ultrasonic waves and electromagnetic waves.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further includes a servo mechanism coupled to the nozzle and in communication with the controller, said servo mechanism configured to articulate the nozzle in order to direct the air stream in a direction determined by the controller.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the air stream is directed toward a sensitive portion of a body of the vehicle occupant that is more sensitive to heat loss than other portions of the body, wherein the controller is configured to

identify the sensitive portion,

determine a location of the sensitive portion, and

operate the servo mechanism to articulate the nozzle in order to direct the air stream to the location of the sensitive portion.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the sensor is configured to determine the distance between the nozzle and the vehicle occupant based on a seated height of the vehicle occupant and the controller is configured to determine the location of the sensitive portion based on the seated height of the vehicle occupant.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the controller includes a database of location information of the sensitive portion correlated to the seated height of the vehicle occupant.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the comfortable contact velocity is dependent on a temperature of the air stream.

9. The system of claim 1,

wherein the nozzle is a first nozzle, the air stream is a first air stream, the distance is a first distance, the nozzle velocity is a first nozzle velocity, and the comfortable contact velocity is a first comfortable contact velocity,

wherein the system further includes a second nozzle configured to direct a second air stream toward the vehicle occupant,

wherein the sensor is configured to determine a second distance between the second nozzle and the vehicle occupant and the controller is configured to control a second nozzle velocity to establish a second comfortable contact velocity, and

wherein the first comfortable contact velocity is distinct from the second comfortable contact velocity.

10. A vehicle ventilation system comprising:

a nozzle operable to direct an air stream toward a vehicle occupant seated in a vehicle cabin;

a sensor configured to determine a distance between the nozzle and the vehicle occupant; and

a controller configured to control a nozzle velocity of the air stream based on the distance to establish a comfortable contact velocity for the vehicle occupant.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the sensor is configured to determine the distance between the nozzle and the vehicle occupant based on a seat location.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the system further includes a servo mechanism coupled to the nozzle and in communication with the controller, said servo mechanism configured to articulate the nozzle in order to direct the air stream in a direction determined by the controller.

13. A method of controlling a ventilation system to provide an air stream, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a nozzle configured to direct the air stream;

determining a distance between the nozzle and a vehicle occupant; and

operating the nozzle to direct the air stream toward the vehicle occupant, wherein the air stream is characterized as having a nozzle velocity effective to establish a comfortable contact velocity.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the comfortable contact velocity is dependent on a temperature of the air stream.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of determining the distance between the nozzle and the vehicle occupant is based on a seat location.

16. The method of claim 13,

wherein the nozzle is a first nozzle, the air stream is a first air stream, the distance is a first distance, the nozzle velocity is a first nozzle velocity, and the comfortable contact velocity is a first comfortable contact velocity, wherein the method further includes the steps of

providing a second nozzle configured to direct a second air stream toward the vehicle occupant,

determining a second distance between the second nozzle and the vehicle occupant,

controlling a second nozzle velocity to establish a second comfortable contact velocity, and

wherein the first comfortable contact velocity is distinct from the second comfortable contact velocity.

17. The method of claim 13, further including a step of articulating the nozzle in order to direct the air stream toward a desired location.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the desired location is a sensitive portion of a body of the vehicle occupant that is more sensitive to heat loss than other portions of the body, wherein the method further includes the steps of

identifying the sensitive portion,

determining a location of the sensitive portion, and

articulating the nozzle in order to direct the air stream toward the location of the sensitive portion.

19. The method of claim 18, further including the steps of

determining the distance between the nozzle and the vehicle occupant based on a seated height of the vehicle occupant;

and

determining the location of the sensitive portion based on the seated height of the vehicle occupant.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of determining the location of the sensitive portion is further based on a seat location.