Method and arrangement for regulating air mixing in a heating or air conditioning system of a motor vehicle

• US 6,659,858 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2002
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BEHR GmbH & Company KG (MAHLE-STIFTUNG GmbH)
• Original Assignee: BEHR GmbH & Company KG (MAHLE-STIFTUNG GmbH)
• Inventors: Riegel, Harald, Moellert, Thorsten, Kemle, Andreas, Schweizer, Gebhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Boles, Derek
• Application Number:
  US10/045,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20020115405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 454/121, 454/139, 454/256, 454/229
• US Class Current: 454/121
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00849 for selectively commanding the induction of outside or inside air B60H1/00842 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for regulating air mixing in a heating and/or air-conditioning system of a motor vehicle. In the system, recirculated air and/or fresh air is/are distributed via air-flow control elements to different air vents and supplied to the passenger compartment. In order to optimize energy consumption and provide a simpler and therefore more cost effective arrangement, the proportion of recirculated air is determined as a function of the position of the air-flow control element(s). The control unit is designed in such a manner, e.g., by implementation of a computer program, that signals being emitted by the control unit for opening the recirculated-air intake opening are dependent on, inter alia, the position(s) of the air-flow control element(s).

Claims

1. A method for regulating air mixing in a heating and/or air-conditioning system of a motor vehicle having a passenger compartment, comprising:

supplying at least one of recirculated air and fresh air to an air-guiding housing;

conditioning the supplied air in the housing;

distributing conditioned air to different locations in the passenger compartment by means of at least one air-flow control element; and

controlling the proportion of recirculated air supplied primarily as a function of the position of said at least one air-flow control element.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, only in a defrost mode, in which most of the conditioned air is guided onto a windshield, exclusively fresh air is supplied.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a maximum proportion of recirculated air is defined as a function of at least one parameter.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said parameter comprises the number of vehicle occupants.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising controlling the proportion of recirculated air as a function of heater output of the heating and/or air-conditioning system.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein only above approximately 80% of the maximum heater output is recirculated air supplied.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein a maximum proportion of recirculated air is supplied at maximum heater output.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising controlling the proportion of recirculated air as a function of the fan output of the heating and/or air-conditioning system.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein no proportion of recirculated air is supplied at a small fan output, and as the fan output increases a higher proportion of recirculated air is supplied.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising controlling the proportion of recirculated air supplied as a function of vehicle driving speed.

11. An arrangement for regulating air mixing in a heating and/or air-conditioning system of a motor vehicle having a passenger compartment, comprising:

an air-guiding housing having at least one recirculated-air intake opening and at least one fresh-air intake opening;

an intake air control element for selectively supplying at least one of recirculated air and fresh air to the housing;

a fan and at least one heat exchanger positioned in the housing for conditioning the supplied air;

a plurality of distributing air-flow control elements for distributing conditioned air from the housing to different locations in the passenger compartment; and

a control unit for controlling the proportion of recirculated air supplied by the intake air-flow control element as a function of the position of at least one of the distribution air-flow control elements.

12. A method for regulating air mixing in a heating and/or air-conditioning system of a motor vehicle having a passenger compartment, comprising:

supplying at least one of recirculated air and fresh air to an air-guiding housing;

conditioning the supplied air in the housing;

distributing conditioned air to different locations in the passenger compartment by means of at least one air-flow control element; and

controlling the proportion of recirculated air supplied primarily as a function of the position of said at least one air-flow control element.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the proportion of recirculated air is controlled in response to a signal that consists essentially of a signal indicative of the position of said at least one air control element.

14. An arrangement for regulating air mixing in a heating and/or air-conditioning system of a motor vehicle having a passenger compartment, comprising:

an air-guiding housing having at least one recirculated-air intake opening and at least one fresh-air intake opening;

an intake air control element for selectively supplying at least one of recirculated air and fresh air to the housing;

a fan and at least one heat exchanger positioned in the housing for conditioning the supplied air;

a plurality of distributing air-flow control elements for distributing conditioned air from the housing to different locations in the passenger compartment; and

a control unit for controlling the proportion of recirculated air supplied by the intake air- flow control element primarily as a function of the position of at least one of the distribution air-flow control elements.

15. An arrangement as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a first signal generator generating a signal indicative of the position of at least one of said distributing air-flow control elements, and wherein said flow control unit is responsive to a signal that consists essentially of the signal from said first signal generator.

16. An arrangement as claimed in claim 14, consisting essentially of the recited elements.