Automotive air conditioner

• US 5,582,234 A
• Filed: 09/19/1995
• Issued: 12/10/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Honda, Yuji, Samukawa, Katsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Tapolcai, William E.
• Application Number:
  US08/530,579
• Time in Patent Office: 448 Days
• Field of Search: 165/28, 165/42, 165/43, 237/2 A, 237/12.3 A, 237/12.3 B, 454/75, 62/244, 236/49.3
• US Class Current: 165/204
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00735 Control systems or circuits characterised by their input, i.e. by the detection, measurement or calculation of particular conditions, e.g. signal treatment, dynamic models
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00828 Ventilators, e.g. speed control B60H1/00864 takes precedence

Abstract

A base mode is set at a face mode or foot mode based on an external air temperature signal TAM detected by an external air temperature sensor. An automotive air conditioner includes a driver side air conditioning zone and a passenger side air conditioning zone. When the blow mode for the driver side air conditioning zone is set in the foot mode and the blow mode for the passenger side air conditioning zone is set in the face mode or vice versa, the blow mode which is identical to the base mode is maintained. The other blow mode is changed to a bilevel mode. This prevents frequent change in the base mode and avoids hunting.

Claims

1. An automotive air conditioner independently controlling temperature of air blown to a driver seat side and a passenger seat side in response to first and second selected temperatures selected through temperature selectors mounted in a vehicle and airconditioning two air conditioning zones for driver side and passenger side, each air conditioning zone being controlled into three blow modes, a foot mode for directing the air toward a lower half of an occupant of a vehicle, a face mode for directing the air toward an upper half of the occupant of the vehicle, and a bilevel mode for directing the air toward the upper and lower halves of the occupant of the vehicle, said automotive air conditioner comprising:

physical value detecting means for detecting a physical value corresponding to an external air temperature outside the vehicle;

base mode setting means for setting the face mode or the foot mode as a base mode based on said physical value detected by said physical value detecting means;

blow mode selection means for selecting said base mode selected by said base mode setting means for one of said air conditioning zone and the bilevel mode for the other air conditioning zone when there is a large difference between said first and second selected temperatures; and

blow mode control means for controlling said blow modes in said air conditioning zones to be identical to said blow modes selected by said blow mode selection means.

2. An automotive air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein said base mode setting means is arranged to select the face mode as said base mode when said physical value detected by said physical value detecting means is high and the foot mode when low.

3. An automotive air conditioner according to claim 2, further comprising:

internal air temperature detecting means for detecting temperature of internal air within the vehicle; and

target blow temperature calculation means for calculating target blow temperatures for said two air conditioning zones based on said internal air temperature detected by said internal air temperature detecting means and said first selected temperature, and based on said internal temperature and said second selected temperature.

4. An automotive air conditioner according to claim 3, further comprising target blow temperature correcting means for reducing said target blow temperature for one of said air conditioning zones of which blow mode is changed to the bilevel mode when said base mode selected by said base mode setting means is the face mode, and increasing said target blow temperature for one of said air conditioning zones of which blow mode is changed to the bilevel mode when said base mode selected by said base mode setting means is the foot mode.

5. An automotive air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein said blow mode selection means selects said blow mode for each of said air conditioning zones in response to said target blow temperature, and includes a first zone wherein the face mode is selected when said target blow temperature is low and a second zone wherein the bilevel mode is selected when said target blow temperature is higher than that of the first zone, and a third zone wherein the foot mode is selected when said target temperature is higher than that of the second zone.

6. An automotive air conditioner according to claim 5, wherein said target blow temperature correcting means corrects said target blow temperature for one of the air conditioning zones wherein the bilevel mode is selected to fall within said second zone.

7. An automotive air conditioner independently controlling temperature of air blown to a driver seat side and a passenger seat side and airconditioning two air conditioning zones for driver side and passenger side, each air conditioning zone being controlled into three blow modes, a foot mode for directing the air toward a lower half of an occupant of a vehicle, a face mode for directing the air toward an upper half of the occupant of the vehicle, and a bilevel mode for directing the air toward the upper and lower halves of the occupant of the vehicle, said automotive air conditioner comprising:

temperature setting means for setting first and second temperatures corresponding to said two air conditioning zones;

physical value detecting means for detecting a physical value corresponding to an external air temperature outside the vehicle;

base mode setting means for setting the face mode or the foot mode as a base mode based on said physical value detected by said physical value detecting means;

blow mode selection means for selecting said blow mode in each of said air conditioning zones based on a selected temperature selected by said temperature setting means and thermal physical values within and inside the vehicle;

blow mode changing means whereby when said blow mode for one of said air conditioning zones is selected as the foot mode, and said blow mode for the other air conditioning zone is selected as the face mode, for maintaining one of said selected blow modes which is identical to said base mode determined by said base mode setting means and changing the other selected mode to the bilevel mode; and

air conditioner control means for performing air condition based on said blow mode maintained or changed by said blow mode changing means, so that said blow mode for said one air conditioning zone is maintained, and the blow mode for the other air conditioning zone is changed to the bilevel mode.

8. An automotive air conditioner according to claim 7, wherein said base mode setting means is arranged to select the face mode as said base mode when said physical value detected by said physical value detecting means is high and the foot mode when low.

9. An automotive air conditioner according to of claim 8, further comprising:

internal air temperature detecting means for detecting temperature of internal air within the vehicle; and

target blow temperature calculation means for calculating target blow temperatures for said two air conditioning zones based on said internal air temperature detected by said internal air temperature detecting means and said first selected temperature, and based on said internal temperature and said second selected temperature.

10. An automotive air conditioner according to claim 9, further comprising target blow temperature correcting means for reducing said target blow temperature for one of said air conditioning zones of which blow mode is changed to the bilevel mode when said base mode selected by said base mode setting means is the face mode, and increasing said target blow temperature for one of said air conditioning zones of which blow mode is changed to the bilevel mode when said base mode selected by said base mode setting means is the foot mode.

11. An automotive air conditioner according to claim 10, wherein said blow mode selection means selects said blow mode for each of said air conditioning zones in response to said target blow temperature, and includes a first zone wherein the face mode is selected when said target blow temperature is low and a second zone wherein the bilevel mode is selected when said target blow temperature is higher than that of the first zone, and a third zone wherein the foot mode is selected when said target temperature is higher than that of the second zone.

12. An automotive air conditioner according to claim 11, wherein said target blow temperature correcting means corrects said target blow temperature for one of the air conditioning zones wherein the bilevel mode is selected to fall within said second zone.