Air-conditioner control system for vehicles

• US 4,417,618 A
• Filed: 06/19/1981
• Issued: 11/29/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Kamiya, Michihiko, Yoshimi, Akiro, Moriya, Mitsutoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Cline, William R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ford, John K.
• Application Number:
  US06/275,508
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 165/12, 165/28, 165/16, 165/41, 165/42, 165/43, 237/5, 237/12.3 R, 237/12.3 A, 237/12.3 B, 236/91 C, 236/91 D, 236/91 E, 236/91 F, 236/91 G, 236/91 R, 236/49, 340/57, 340/600, 364/424, 364/425, 62/239, 62/243, 62/244, 62/179, 62/186, 62/187
• US Class Current: 165/204
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00842 the system comprising a plurality of damper doors; Air distribution between several outlets
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/20 with sensing elements having variation of electric or magnetic properties with change of temperature G05D23/13 takes precedence

Abstract

An air-conditioner control system for vehicles which is responsive to a condition in the compartment of a vehicle to move an air-flow controlling damper in an air duct. When the supply mode of conditioned air is a heater supply mode and when it is detected that the level of insolation in the vehicle compartment is higher than a predetermined level, the control system alters the supply mode of conditioned air to a bi-level supply mode.

Claims

1. An air conditioning system for a vehicle compartment of an automotive vehicle comprising:

an air duct having an inlet for receiving air to be conditioned and a first and a second outlets for supplying conditioned air into the vehicle compartment, said first and second outlets being directed to an upper and a lower portion of the vehicle compartment, respectively;

an air conditioner for cooling and heating air received through said inlet of said air duct to supply conditioned air through said first and second outlets of said air duct;

an air distributing damper positioned in said air duct downstream of and in cascade with said air conditioner to be movable to a first, second and third positions, said damper substantially closing said second outlet of said air duct at said first position thereof to supply conditioned air of a comparatively low temperature through said first outlet of said air duct, said damper substantially closing said first outlet of said air duct at said second position thereof to supply conditioned air of a comparatively high temperature through said second outlet of said air duct, and said damper further permitting, at said third position thereof, said first and second outlets of said air duct to supply conditioned air of comparatively low and high temperatures through said first and second outlets of said air duct, respectively;

first means for setting a desired temperature in the vehicle compartment;

second means sensing an actual temperature in the vehicle compartment;

third means sensing an insolation level in the vehicle compartment;

first control means controlling the rate of cooling and heating of said air conditioner to effect a temperature of the conditioned air on the basis of the desired temperature along with other conditional temperature information including an output signal of said third means; and

second control means controlling the position of said air distributing damper in relation to the controlled rate of cooling and heating of said air conditioner, said second control means controlling said air distributing damper to move from said second position to said third position when insolation of a level higher than a predetermined level in the vehicle compartment is sensed by said third means and said air distributing damper is at said second position thereof.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the controlling of said second control means is effected upon determination that the temperature of the conditioned air is lower than a predetermined temperature.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said air conditioner comprises an evaporator, a heater core, a bypass passage and an air mixing damper, and, when said air distributing damper is at said third position thereof, said first outlet of said air duct communicates with said bypass passage and said second outlet of said air duct communicates with said heater core, and the temperature of conditioned air supplied through said first outlet of said air duct is lower than the temperature of conditioned air supplied through said second outlet of said air duct.

4. An air conditioning system for a vehicle compartment of an automotive vehicle comprising:

an air ducting having an inlet for receiving air to be conditioned and a first and a second outlets for supplying conditioned air into the vehicle compartment, said first and second outlets being directed to an upper and a lower portion of the vehicle compartment, respectively;

an air conditioner for cooling and heating air received through said inlet of said air duct to supply conditioned air through said first and second outlets of said air duct;

an air distributing damper positioned in said air duct downstream of and in cascade with said air conditioner to be movable to a first, second and third positions, said damper substantially closing said second outlet of said air duct at said first position thereof to supply conditioned air of a comparatively low temperature through said first outlet of said air duct, said damper substantially closing said first outlet of said air duct at said second position thereof to supply conditioned air of a comparatively high temperature through said second outlet of said air duct, and said damper further permitting, at said third position thereof, said first and second outlets of said air duct to supply conditioned air of comparatively low and high temperatures through said first and second outlets of said air duct, respectively;

first means for setting a desired temperature in the vehicle compartment;

second means sensing an actual temperature in the vehicle compartment;

third means sensing an insolation level in the vehicle compartment; and

a microcomputer and input/output means thereof functioning so that, when a temperature of conditioned air supplied through said air supply outlets has been computed and the supply mode has been selected to be a heater supply mode in accordance with the computed supply air temperature, an alteration from the heater supply mode to the bi-level supply mode is effected upon detection that the level of insolation in said vehicle compartment is higher than the predetermined level and upon determination that the computed supply air temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said microcomputer has another function of generating command signals for the adjustment of a wind rate and a temperature of conditioned air supplied through said air supply outlets.

6. A system according to claim 4, wherein said air conditioner comprises an evaporator, a heater core, a bypass passage and an air mixing damper, and, when said air distributing damper is at said third position thereof, said first outlet of said air duct communicates with said bypass passage and said second outlet of said air duct communicates with said heater core, and the temperature of conditioned air supplied through said first outlet of said air duct is lower than the temperature of conditioned air supplied through said second outlet of said air duct.