Regulating heater discharge air temperature for front and rear passengers in a vehicle
First Claim
1. A forced air heater discharge temperature control system for a vehicle passenger compartment having front and rear seating comprising:
- (a) a source of heated fluid including pump means for circulating same;
(b) first exothermic heat exchanger means disposed for heating passenger compartment for said front seating and operatively connected to have said heated fluid circulated therethrough by said pump means;
(c) front blower means operative to effect a flow of air over said first heat exchanger means;
(d) front speed selector means disposed for ready access by passengers in said front seating and operative to enable said passengers to select the speed of said front blower means;
(e) first valve means including a moveable valve member and including actuator means operative upon receipt of control input to move said valve member for controlling flow through said first heat exchanger means;
(f) second exothermic heat exchanger means disposed for heating said passenger compartment for said rear seating and operatively connected to have said fluid circulated therethrough by said pump means;
(g) rear blower means operative to effect a flow of air over said second heat exchanger means;
(h) rear speed selector means disposed for ready access by passengers in said rear seating and operative to enable said passengers to select the speed of said rear blower means;
(i) rear valve means disposed adjacent said second heat exchanger means including a moveable valve member and actuator means operative upon receipt of an electrical control signal to move said valve member for controlling flow through said valve means to said second heat exchanger means;
(j) means operative to provide an electrical indication of the position of said rear valve member;
(k) temperature sensing means disposed to sense the temperature of said forced air discharging over said second heat exchanger means and operative to provide an electrical signal indicative of said discharge temperature;
(l) temperature selector means including a user actuator selector and disposed for ready access by passengers in said rear seating, said selector means operative to provide an electrical reference signal indicative of a user selected relative temperature level;
(m) controller means connected to receive input from said temperature selector means, said temperature sensing means and said position indicating means, said controller means including means operable to sum only said inputs from said temperature selector means, said temperature sensing means and said position indicating means and provide a control signal to said rear valve actuator for moving said rear valve member until said sum is zero.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A temperature control system for a passenger van having individual temperature selection controls for passengers in the forward and rear sections of the passenger compartment. Separate exothermic heat exchangers for circulation of engine coolant therethrough are provided for the forward and rear passengers. Each heat exchanger is supplied by a coolant control valve and individual blowers provide a stream of forced air over the heat exchangers. A thermistor senses the temperature of the air discharge over each heat exchanger and a controller sums the sensed temperature signal with a user selected relative temperature reference signal provided independently by the forward and/or rear passenger selector inputs and a valve position signal; and, the controller generates a control signal proportional to the summation. An electrical actuator for each valve moves the valve until the sum is a null for controlling coolant flow to each heat exchanger to thereby regulate the discharge air temperature about the individually selected relative levels for the front and rear independently of the selected blower speed. Air conditioning evaporators may be disposed upstream of each of the heat exchangers; and, the thermistors sense the combined effect of heating and cooling and the system continues to modulate coolant flow to the heat exchangers for temperature regulation.
-
Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A forced air heater discharge temperature control system for a vehicle passenger compartment having front and rear seating comprising:
-
(a) a source of heated fluid including pump means for circulating same; (b) first exothermic heat exchanger means disposed for heating passenger compartment for said front seating and operatively connected to have said heated fluid circulated therethrough by said pump means; (c) front blower means operative to effect a flow of air over said first heat exchanger means; (d) front speed selector means disposed for ready access by passengers in said front seating and operative to enable said passengers to select the speed of said front blower means; (e) first valve means including a moveable valve member and including actuator means operative upon receipt of control input to move said valve member for controlling flow through said first heat exchanger means; (f) second exothermic heat exchanger means disposed for heating said passenger compartment for said rear seating and operatively connected to have said fluid circulated therethrough by said pump means; (g) rear blower means operative to effect a flow of air over said second heat exchanger means; (h) rear speed selector means disposed for ready access by passengers in said rear seating and operative to enable said passengers to select the speed of said rear blower means; (i) rear valve means disposed adjacent said second heat exchanger means including a moveable valve member and actuator means operative upon receipt of an electrical control signal to move said valve member for controlling flow through said valve means to said second heat exchanger means; (j) means operative to provide an electrical indication of the position of said rear valve member; (k) temperature sensing means disposed to sense the temperature of said forced air discharging over said second heat exchanger means and operative to provide an electrical signal indicative of said discharge temperature; (l) temperature selector means including a user actuator selector and disposed for ready access by passengers in said rear seating, said selector means operative to provide an electrical reference signal indicative of a user selected relative temperature level; (m) controller means connected to receive input from said temperature selector means, said temperature sensing means and said position indicating means, said controller means including means operable to sum only said inputs from said temperature selector means, said temperature sensing means and said position indicating means and provide a control signal to said rear valve actuator for moving said rear valve member until said sum is zero. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
-
-
5. A method of independently controlling temperature in front and rear zones of a vehicle passenger compartment, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) providing a first heat exchanger in said rear zone and a moveable control valve member for controlling a flow of heated liquid therethrough; (b) flowing a stream of air over said heat exchanger and directing the stream into said rear zone; (c) selecting a desired relative temperature level for said rear zone and providing an electrical reference signal indicative thereof; (d) sensing the temperature of said stream of air discharging from said heat exchanger, and providing a temperature signal indicative thereof; (e) sensing the position of said control valve member and providing an electrical indication of said sensed position; (f) electrically summing only said reference signal, and said temperature signal and said electrical indication of said valve member position; (g) moving said control valve member until said sum is a zero for controlling flow of said heated liquid flow; and (h) providing a second heat exchanger having a flow of heated liquid therethrough for said front zone and flowing a second stream of air thereover and directing said flow to said front zone. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. An air blower discharge temperature control system for vehicle passenger compartments with front and rear seating comprising:
-
(a) a front heat exchanger disposed in proximity to the front seating; (b) first valve means, operable upon connection to a source of heated fluid, to circulate said fluid through said front heat exchanger; (c) front blower means disposed adjacent said front heat exchanger to blow air to said front seating; (d) front speed control means disposed for actuation by occupants of said front seating for selecting from a plurality of speeds of said front blower means; (e) a rear heat exchanger disposed in proximity to said rear seating; (f) second valve means including a moveable member operable upon connection to a source of heated heated fluid to control flow of said fluid through said rear heat exchanger; (g) rear blower means operative to effect a flow of air over said rear heat exchanger means to said rear seating; (h) rear speed control means disposed for actuation by occupants of said rear seating and operative to vary the speed of said rear blower means; (i) temperature sensing means disposed adjacent said rear heat exchanger means and operative to provide an electrical signal indicative of the temperature of said air flow discharging to said rear seating; (j) temperature level selection means disposed for ready access by occupants of said rear seating and operable upon said occupant actuation to provide an electrical reference signal indicative of a desired relative increase or decrease in the temperature of said air discharge; (k) means operative to sense the position of said second valve member and to provide an electrical indication thereof; (l) rear controller means operative to electrically sum only said sensed temperature signal, said reference signal, and said electrical indication of said second valve member; and
,(m) actuator means responsive to said sum and operative to move said second valve means moveable member until said sum is zero.
-
-
11. A climate control ensemble for a vehicle passenger compartment comprising:
-
(a) a housing defining air inlet, a plenum chamber and a discharge outlet from said plenum, said housing adapted for mounting with said outlet discharging to a vehicle passenger compartment; (b) an exothermic heat exchanger disposed in said housing between said air inlet and said discharge outlet and adapted for circulation of heated fluid therethrough; (c) blower means mounted on said housing operable upon energization to effect a flow of air from said inlet to said discharge outlet; (d) temperature sensing means disposed adjacent said outlet and operable to provide an electrical temperature signal indicative of discharge air flow temperature; (e) valve means including a moveable valve member and operative upon connection to a source of heated fluid to control flow of said fluid through said heat exchanger; (f) means operable to determine the position of said valve member and provide an electrical indication thereof; (g) level select means adapted for mounting in a vehicle passenger compartment and operable upon user actuation to provide an electrical reference signal indicative of a selected relative temperature change; (h) electrical controller means operable to sum only said reference signal, said temperature signal and said electrical indication of said valve member position and further operative to generate a control signal proportional to said sum; and
,(i) servo-actuator means operatively responsive to said sum and operative to move said valve member until said sum is a zero for regulating flow through said valve means. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method of controlling the temperature of air discharged into a vehicle passenger compartment comprising the steps of:
-
(a) providing a heat exchanger and flowing heated fluid therethrough; (b) blowing a stream of air over said heat exchanger and directing the discharge therefrom into the vehicle passenger compartment; (c) sensing the temperature of the air discharge from the heat exchanger into the passenger compartment and providing an electrical temperature signal indicative of the sensed temperature; (d) providing a valve having a movable member for controlling the flow of heated fluid through said heat exchanger and providing an electrical indication of the position of said valve member; (e) providing an electrical reference signal indicative of a user desired relative change in said discharge air temperature; and
,(f) summing only said electrical reference signal, said temperature signal and said electrical indication of said valve position and moving said valve member until said sum is zero for regulating the temperature of said discharge air from said heat exchanger. - View Dependent Claims (18)
-
Specification