Automobile air-conditioning apparatus with air blower control
First Claim
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1. An air conditioning apparatus for a motor vehicle having a passenger compartment, said air conditioning apparatus comprising:
- a duct means extending from a position in the compartment and opening back into the compartment at another position and having a first passage opening into said duct means from outside the apparatus;
an intake damper in said duct means at said first passage and movable for controlling the amount of ambient air introduced into said duct means and the amount of air circulating from the compartment through said duct means;
an air blower disposed in said duct means between said intake damper and the compartment for drawing air from the position of said intake damper and supplying such air into the compartment, and drive means connected to said air blower for adjusting the operation of said air blower for adjusting an amount of air fed by said air blower into the compartment;
a cooling system including an evaporator disposed in said duct means between said air blower and the compartment;
a heater core disposed in said duct means between said evaporator and the compartment for heating air that has passed through said evaporator;
an air mixing damper means disposed in said duct means between said evaporator and said heater core and movable for controlling the amount of air that has passed through said evaporator and is to be fed to said heater core;
a temperature setting unit;
a compartment temperature detector in the compartment;
means for recognizing the first time at which the cooling cycle of said cooling system is started after the air conditioning apparatus has started to operate;
a sunlight detector for detecting an amount of sunlight applied to the motor vehicle; and
a control system to which said temperature setting unit, said compartment temperature sensor, said recognizing means and said sunlight detector are connected and connected to said air blower driving means, said air mixing damper, and said evaporator for controlling an amount of air fed from said air blower, controlling said cooling system and said air mixing damper in response to any difference between a temperature preset by said temperature setting unit and the temperature of the air in the compartment to automatically adjust the temperature of air in the compartment in an automatic adjusting mode which is controlled dependent on the difference between the temperature preset by said temperature setting unit and the temperature of air in the compartment, and further controlling said air blower driving means in a first gradient mode the first time the cooling cycle is started to maintain a prescribed low amount of air fed into the compartment for a first prescribed period of time and then to progressively increase the amount of air from said air blower at a first prescribed gradient with respect to time from the prescribed low amount of air up to an amount of air which is the same as the amount of air from the blower when said apparatus is operating in said automatic adjusting mode, said further controlling of said air blower being when the amount of sunlight is at least equal to a first prescribed value or the temperature of air in the compartment is at least equal to a second prescribed value, and the air temperature at the outlet of said evaporator is at least equal to third prescribed value, still further controlling said air blower driving means in a second gradient mode the first time the cooling cycle is started to progressively increase the amount of air from said air blower from the prescribed low amount of air up to an amount of air which the same as the amount of air from the blower when the apparatus is operating in said automatic adjusting mode, said still further controlling of the blower being when the amount of sunlight is at least equal to the first prescribed value or the temperature of the air in the compartment is at least equal to the second prescribed value, and the air temperature at the outlet of said evaporator is lower than a third prescribed value, and yet further controlling said air blower driving means in a third gradient mode the first time the cooling cycle is started to maintain a prescribed low amount of air fed into the compartment for a second prescribed period of time and then to progressively increase the amount of air from said air blower at a third prescribed gradient with respect to time from the prescribed low amount of air up to an amount of air which is the same as the amount of air from the blower when said apparatus is operating in said automatic adjusting mode, said lastmentioned controlling of said air blower being when the amount of sunlight is lower than said first prescribed value and the temperature of the air in the compartment is lower than said second prescribed value.
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Abstract
An automobile air-conditioning apparatus with air blower control air-conditions the passenger compartment of an automobile by cooling and/or heating air delivered from an air blower into the compartment. During a period in which the compartment starts being cooled, the rate of air flow form the air blower is progressively increased up to an air flow rate in an automatic temperature adjusting mode. The gradient at which the air flow rate is increased is selected dependent on the amount of sunlight applied to the automobile, the temperature of air in the compartment, and the temperature of air at the outlet of an evaporator.
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Citations
3 Claims
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1. An air conditioning apparatus for a motor vehicle having a passenger compartment, said air conditioning apparatus comprising:
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a duct means extending from a position in the compartment and opening back into the compartment at another position and having a first passage opening into said duct means from outside the apparatus; an intake damper in said duct means at said first passage and movable for controlling the amount of ambient air introduced into said duct means and the amount of air circulating from the compartment through said duct means; an air blower disposed in said duct means between said intake damper and the compartment for drawing air from the position of said intake damper and supplying such air into the compartment, and drive means connected to said air blower for adjusting the operation of said air blower for adjusting an amount of air fed by said air blower into the compartment; a cooling system including an evaporator disposed in said duct means between said air blower and the compartment; a heater core disposed in said duct means between said evaporator and the compartment for heating air that has passed through said evaporator; an air mixing damper means disposed in said duct means between said evaporator and said heater core and movable for controlling the amount of air that has passed through said evaporator and is to be fed to said heater core; a temperature setting unit; a compartment temperature detector in the compartment; means for recognizing the first time at which the cooling cycle of said cooling system is started after the air conditioning apparatus has started to operate; a sunlight detector for detecting an amount of sunlight applied to the motor vehicle; and a control system to which said temperature setting unit, said compartment temperature sensor, said recognizing means and said sunlight detector are connected and connected to said air blower driving means, said air mixing damper, and said evaporator for controlling an amount of air fed from said air blower, controlling said cooling system and said air mixing damper in response to any difference between a temperature preset by said temperature setting unit and the temperature of the air in the compartment to automatically adjust the temperature of air in the compartment in an automatic adjusting mode which is controlled dependent on the difference between the temperature preset by said temperature setting unit and the temperature of air in the compartment, and further controlling said air blower driving means in a first gradient mode the first time the cooling cycle is started to maintain a prescribed low amount of air fed into the compartment for a first prescribed period of time and then to progressively increase the amount of air from said air blower at a first prescribed gradient with respect to time from the prescribed low amount of air up to an amount of air which is the same as the amount of air from the blower when said apparatus is operating in said automatic adjusting mode, said further controlling of said air blower being when the amount of sunlight is at least equal to a first prescribed value or the temperature of air in the compartment is at least equal to a second prescribed value, and the air temperature at the outlet of said evaporator is at least equal to third prescribed value, still further controlling said air blower driving means in a second gradient mode the first time the cooling cycle is started to progressively increase the amount of air from said air blower from the prescribed low amount of air up to an amount of air which the same as the amount of air from the blower when the apparatus is operating in said automatic adjusting mode, said still further controlling of the blower being when the amount of sunlight is at least equal to the first prescribed value or the temperature of the air in the compartment is at least equal to the second prescribed value, and the air temperature at the outlet of said evaporator is lower than a third prescribed value, and yet further controlling said air blower driving means in a third gradient mode the first time the cooling cycle is started to maintain a prescribed low amount of air fed into the compartment for a second prescribed period of time and then to progressively increase the amount of air from said air blower at a third prescribed gradient with respect to time from the prescribed low amount of air up to an amount of air which is the same as the amount of air from the blower when said apparatus is operating in said automatic adjusting mode, said lastmentioned controlling of said air blower being when the amount of sunlight is lower than said first prescribed value and the temperature of the air in the compartment is lower than said second prescribed value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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Specification
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Current AssigneeMazda Motor Corporation, Zexel Valeo Climate Control Corporation (Valeo SE)
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Original AssigneeMazda Motor Corporation, Diesel Kiki Co Ltd (Robert Bosch GmbH)
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InventorsIida, Katsumi, Doi, Shigetoshi, Sakurai, Yoshihiko, Nagayama, Yoshiaki
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Primary Examiner(s)Davis, Jr., Albert W.
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Assistant Examiner(s)Ford, John K.
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Application NumberUS07/061,268Time in Patent Office802 DaysField of Search165/12, 165/16, 165/39, 165/40, 165/42, 165/43, 236/49, 236/13, 236/46 F, 62/158, 98/201US Class Current165/202CPC Class CodesB60H 1/00828 Ventilators, e.g. speed con...
