Apparatus for controlling an automotive air-conditioner
First Claim
1. An apparatus for controlling an automotive air-conditioner including an air-flow duct having at least left and right air outlets disposed on left and right sides, respectively, a passenger component of a motor vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
- (a) an air-distribution door adapted to be disposed adjacent to a downstream end of the air-flow duct for changing proportions of air distributed toward the left air outlet and air distributed toward the right air outlet;
(b) air-distribution setting means for setting proportions of air to be distributed toward said left air outlet and air to be distributed toward said right air outlet;
(c) solar radiating direction calculation means for calculating a direction of solar radiation based on quantities of solar radiation detected by at least two solar radiation sensors;
(d) solar radiation quantity calculation means for calculating an intensity of solar radiation based on the detected solar radiation quantities;
(e) air distribution door drive means for actuating said air distribution door selectively in an automatic mode and in a manual mode, based on an air distribution rate calculated by said air-distribution setting means and said solar radiating direction calculation means; and
(f) control system calculation means for selecting one of the automatic mode and the manual mode based on a predetermined solar radiation quantity when a vehicle passenger compartment temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature, and based on a characteristic performance curve higher than said predetermined solar radiation quantity when the vehicle passenger compartment temperature is higher than said predetermined temperature.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for controlling an automotive air-conditioner wherein an air distribution to left and right sides of a vehicle passenger compartment is achieved either in an automatic control mode or in a manual control mode which is selected by a judgement made based on the vehicle passenger compartment and the quantity of solar radiation. In case of the automatic control mode, the rate of change of the air distribution control is changed dependent upon the position set by an air-distribution setting unit relative to the direction of solar radiation so as to meet the occupant desire.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. An apparatus for controlling an automotive air-conditioner including an air-flow duct having at least left and right air outlets disposed on left and right sides, respectively, a passenger component of a motor vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) an air-distribution door adapted to be disposed adjacent to a downstream end of the air-flow duct for changing proportions of air distributed toward the left air outlet and air distributed toward the right air outlet; (b) air-distribution setting means for setting proportions of air to be distributed toward said left air outlet and air to be distributed toward said right air outlet; (c) solar radiating direction calculation means for calculating a direction of solar radiation based on quantities of solar radiation detected by at least two solar radiation sensors; (d) solar radiation quantity calculation means for calculating an intensity of solar radiation based on the detected solar radiation quantities; (e) air distribution door drive means for actuating said air distribution door selectively in an automatic mode and in a manual mode, based on an air distribution rate calculated by said air-distribution setting means and said solar radiating direction calculation means; and (f) control system calculation means for selecting one of the automatic mode and the manual mode based on a predetermined solar radiation quantity when a vehicle passenger compartment temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature, and based on a characteristic performance curve higher than said predetermined solar radiation quantity when the vehicle passenger compartment temperature is higher than said predetermined temperature. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An apparatus for controlling an automotive airconditioner including an air-flow duct having at least left and right air outlets disposed on left and right sides, respectively, a passenger component of a motor vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) an air-distribution door adapted to be disposed adjacent to a downstream end of the air-flow duct for changing proportions of air distributed toward the left air outlet and air distributed toward the right air outlet; (b) air-distribution setting means for setting proportions of air to be distributed toward said left air outlet and air to be distributed toward said right air outlet; (c) solar radiating direction calculation means for calculating a direction of solar radiation based on quantities of solar radiation detected by at least two solar radiation sensors; (d) solar radiation quantity calculation means for calculating an intensity of solar radiation based on the detected solar radiation quantities; (e) control system calculation means for performing a calculation to determine whether a left and right air distribution control be made in an automatic mode or in a manual mode; (f) a manual air-distribution ratio calculation means for calculating the ratio of left to right air distribution dependent upon the position set by said air-distribution setting means when the result of calculation by said control system calculation means selects the manual control mode; (g) automatic air-distribution ratio calculation means for calculating the ratio of left to right air distribution when the result of calculation by said control system calculation means selects the automatic control mode, in such a manner that if the position set said the air-distribution setting means and the solar radiating direction are disposed on a same side, the rate of change of a control characteristic on this side is increased, and if the position set by said air-distribution setting means and the solar radiating direction are disposed on opposite sides, the rate of change of the control characteristic on the side of the solar radiating direction is reduced; and (h) air-distribution door drive means for actuating said air-distribution door dependent upon the result of calculation by said automatic air-distribution ratio calculation means or said manual air-distribution ratio calculation means. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification