Automobile air-conditioner

• US 5,056,421 A
• Filed: 10/03/1990
• Issued: 10/15/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zexek Corporation
• Original Assignee: Zexek Corporation
• Inventors: Iida, Katsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wayner, William E.
• Application Number:
  US07/593,024
• Time in Patent Office: 377 Days
• Field of Search: 98/2.01, 98/40.24, 98/40.26, 165/43, 165/49.3, 236/91 C
• US Class Current: 454/75
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/0075 the input being solar radiation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 454/90 Ventilator using solar power

Abstract

An automobile air-conditioner wherein a direction of the sunlight coming into the passanger compartment of an automobile is detected, and if a deviated solar radiation is present, air-distribution is controlled to increase and decrease the quantity of air discharged from upper air outlets according to the detected solar radiating direction, while at the same time, louvers disposed in the respective air outlets are directed to an occupant to force conditioned air directly against the occupant. In the absence of the deviated solar radiation, the louvers are not directed to the occupant.

Claims

1. An air-conditioner for an automobile, comprising:

(a) solar radiation quantity detecting means for detecting a quantity of solar radiation at the right side of a passenger compartment of the automobile and a quantity of solar radiation at the left side of the passenger compartment;

(b) solar radiating direction calculating means for calculating a solar radiating direction based on a solar radiation quantity signal detected by the solar radiation quantity detecting means;

(c) air-distribution control means for determining proportions of air to be distributed to the left side of the passenger compartment and air to be distributed to the right side of the passenger compartment according to the solar radiating direction calculated by the solar radiating direction calculating means;

(d) an air-distribution door operable under the control of the proportions of air determined by the air-distribution control means;

(e) a plurality of louvers disposed, respectively, at a plurality of upper air outlets facing to the passenger compartment, the louvers being capable of swinging to set the direction air-discharged from the respective upper air outlets; and

(f) louver control mean for controlling the direction of louvers so that said louvers are directed straight when an angle of deviation of the solar radiation direction relative to the direction of travel of the automobile is within a predetermined angle, and when said angle of deviation exceeds said predetermined angle, said louvers are tilted toward an occupant of the automobile.

2. An air-conditioner according to claim 1, wherein said solar radiation quantity detecting means comprises a pair of solar radiation sensors disposed on two opposite oblique surfaces of a sensor base, said oblique surfaces facing to the left and right, respectively, of the automobile, said sensor base being tilted toward the direction of travel of the automobile at a predetermined angle.

3. An air-conditioner according to claim 1, wherein said solar radiation quantity is a largest one of said left side solar radiation quantity, said right side solar radiation quantity, and the sum of said left and right solar radiation quantities whole divided by a predetermined value.

4. An air-conditioner according to claim 1, wherein said solar radiating direction is calculated by subtracting from a larger one of said left side solar radiation quantity and said right side solar radiation quantity minus a smaller solar radiation quantity whole divided by a predetermined value.

5. An air-conditioner according to claim 1, wherein said proportions of air to be distributed to the left side and air to be distributed to the right side is 1:

1 when an angle of deviation of the solar radiation direction relative to the direction of travel of the automobile is within a predetermined range, and when said deviation angle exceeds said predetermined range in one direction, a quantity of air to be distributed to the same direction is increased, while at the same time a quantity of air to be distributed to the opposite direction is reduced correspondingly.