Air conditioner

• US 5,642,856 A
• Filed: 10/18/1995
• Issued: 07/01/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1994
• 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): Tanner, Harry B.
• Application Number:
  US08/544,466
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 62/179, 62/243, 62/244, 62/186, 165/203, 165/204, 165/205, 236/1 B, 236/13, 236/49.3
• US Class Current: 236/49.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00864 Ventilators and damper doors

Abstract

An air conditioner capable of separately controlling the temperatures of the conditioned air blown to first and second air conditioning zones and making respective blowing modes be common on both air passage sides, wherein the target blowing temperature is determined from the necessary blowing temperature corresponding to respective blowing modes and the opening degree of the air mix door is controlled based on said target blowing temperature, thereby the blowing temperature to the respective air conditioning zones in the respective modes being within a range of temperatures that cause no feeling of discomfort to an air conditioner user in the respective blowing modes.

Claims

1. An air conditioner having:

a blowing means for generating an air flow,

first and second air passages for leading the air from said blowing means to first and second air conditioning zones in a compartment, respectively, and

first and second temperature regulating means for regulating the air temperature in said first and second air passages, respectively,

wherein the temperatures of the conditioned air respectively blown to said first and second air conditioning zones can be separately controlled by separately regulating said first and second temperature regulating means,

said air conditioner comprising;

a first face air outlet and a first foot air outlet which are arranged at the downstream end of said first air passage, said first face air outlet being for blowing the conditioned air directing to the upper half of an air conditioner user'"'"'s body in said first air conditioning zone and said first foot air outlet being for blowing the conditioned air directing to the foot area of the air conditioner user in said first air conditioning zone;

a second face air outlet and a second foot air outlet which are arranged at the downstream end of said second air passage, said second face air outlet being for blowing the conditioned air directing to the upper half of the air conditioner user'"'"'s body in said second air conditioning zone and said second foot air outlet being for blowing the conditioned air directing to the foot area of the air conditioner user in said second air conditioning zone;

an air volume proportion regulating means for regulating a proportion between the air volume blown from said first and second face air outlets and the air volume blown from said first and second foot air outlets; and

an air volume proportion setting means for setting said air volume proportion in said air volume proportion regulating means;

whereby a variable range of the blowing temperature to said first and second air conditioning zones is made changeable in response to the air volume proportion set by said air volume proportion setting means.

2. An air conditioner as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are provided:

first and second temperature setting means for setting the target temperatures in said first and second air conditioning zones;

a compartment temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature in a compartment, and

first and second necessary blowing temperature calculating means for calculating first and second necessary blowing temperatures in said first and second air conditioning zones based on the temperatures set by said first and second temperature setting means and the temperature as detected by said compartment temperature detecting means; and

wherein said air volume proportion setting means is constituted with a target air volume proportion deciding means for deciding a target air volume proportion in said air volume proportion regulating means based on said first and second necessary blowing temperatures, and an air volume proportion controlling means for controlling said air volume proportion regulating means for regulating the air volume in such a manner that said actual air volume proportion becomes said target air volume proportion.

3. An air conditioner having:

a blowing means for generating an air flow,

first and second air passages for leading the air from said air blowing means to first and second air conditioning zones in a compartment, respectively,

first and second temperature regulating means for regulating the air temperatures in said first and second air passages, respectively,

first and second target blowing temperature calculating means for calculating first and second blowing temperatures to said first and second air conditioning zones, and

first and second temperature control means for controlling said first and second temperature regulating means in such a manner that the blowing temperatures to said first and second air conditioning zones come to said first and second target blowing temperatures that are calculated by said first and second target blowing temperature calculating means,

said air conditioner comprising;

a first face air outlet and a first foot air outlet which are arranged at the downstream end of said first air passage, said first face air outlet being for blowing the conditioned air directing to the upper half of an air conditioner user'"'"'s body in said first air conditioning zone and said first foot air outlet being for blowing the conditioned air directing to the foot, area of the air conditioner user in said first air conditioning zone;

a second face air outlet and a second foot air outlet which are arranged at the downstream end of said second air passage, said second face air outlet being for blowing the conditioned air directly onto the upper half of an air conditioner user'"'"'s body in said second air conditioning zone and said second foot air outlet being for blowing the conditioned air directly into the foot area of the air conditioner user in said second air conditioning zone;

an air volume proportion regulating means for regulating a proportion between the air volume blown from said first and second face air outlets and the air volume blown from said first and second foot air outlets;

an air volume proportion setting means for setting said air volume proportion in said air volume proportion regulating means;

first and second temperature setting means for setting the target temperatures to said first and second air conditioning zones; and

a compartment temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature in a compartment,

wherein said first and second target temperature calculating means are constituted with;

first and second necessary blowing temperature calculating means for calculating the first and second necessary blowing temperatures in said first and second air conditioning zones based on the first and second temperatures set by said first and second temperature setting means and the temperature detected by said room temperature detecting means; and

first and second target blowing temperature deciding means which decide first and second target blowing temperatures by limiting said first and second necessary blowing temperatures to the temperatures within a range corresponding to said air volume proportion set by said air volume proportion setting means, and using said limited temperatures as the first and second target blowing temperatures.

4. An air conditioner claimed as claim 3, wherein said first and second target blowing temperature deciding means comprises:

a face mode condition judging means for judging whether or not the condition set by said air volume proportion setting means is the face mode condition that said first and second face air outlets are opened while said first and second foot air outlets are closed, and

first and second face mode target blowing temperature deciding means, which decide the first and second target blowing temperatures by limiting said first and second necessary blowing temperatures to the temperatures lower than a first predetermined temperature, and using said limited temperatures as first and second target blowing temperatures, when said face mode condition is judged by said face mode condition judging means.

5. An air conditioner as claimed in claim 3, wherein said first and second target blowing temperature deciding means comprises:

a bi-level mode condition judging means for judging whether or not the condition set by said air volume proportion setting means is the bi-level mode condition that said first and second face air outlets and said first and second foot air outlets are all opened; and

first and second bi-level mode target blowing temperature deciding means, which decide the first and second target blowing temperatures by limiting said first and second necessary blowing temperatures to the temperature that is higher than a second predetermined temperature but lower than a third predetermined temperature, and using said limited temperature as first and second target blowing temperatures, when said bi-level mode condition is judged by said bi-level mode condition judging means.

6. An air conditioner claimed as claim 3, wherein said first and second target blowing temperature deciding means comprises:

a foot mode condition judging means for judging whether or not the condition set by said air volume proportion setting means is the foot mode condition and that said first and second face air outlets are closed while said first and second foot air outlets are opened, and

first and second foot mode target blowing temperature deciding means, which decide the first and second target blowing temperatures by limiting said first and second necessary blowing temperatures to a temperature that is higher than a fourth predetermined temperature, and using said limited temperature as first and second target blowing temperatures, when said foot mode condition is judged by said foot mode condition judging means.

7. An air conditioner as claimed in claim 3, wherein said air volume proportion setting means comprises:

a target air volume proportion deciding means which decides a target air volume proportion in said air volume proportion setting means based on said first and second necessary blowing temperature, and

an air volume proportion control means which controls said air volume proportion regulating means in such a manner that the actual air volume proportion becomes said target air volume proportion.

8. An air conditioner as claimed in claim 4, wherein said air volume proportion setting means comprises:

a target air volume proportion deciding means which decides a target air volume proportion in said air volume proportion setting means based on said first and second necessary blowing temperatures, and

an air volume proportion control means which controls said air volume proportion regulating means in such a manner that the actual air volume proportion becomes said target air volume proportion.

9. An air conditioner as claimed in claim 5, wherein said air volume proportion setting means comprises:

a target air volume proportion deciding means which decides a target air volume proportion in said air volume proportion setting means based on said first and second necessary blowing temperatures, and

an air volume proportion control means which controls said air volume proportion regulating means in such a manner that the actual air volume proportion becomes said target air volume proportion.

10. An air conditioner as claimed in claim 6, wherein said air volume proportion setting means comprises:

a target air volume proportion deciding means which decides a target air volume proportion in said air volume proportion setting means based on said first and second necessary blowing temperatures, and

an air volume proportion control means which controls said air volume proportion regulating means in such a manner that the actual air volume proportion becomes said target air volume proportion.