Air stream velocity control for ventilation system

• US 9,409,461 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2012
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mahle International GmbH (MAHLE-STIFTUNG GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Mahle International GmbH (MAHLE-STIFTUNG GmbH)
• Inventors: Wang, Mingyu, Kadle, Prasad S., Ghosh, Debashis
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): TIGHE, DANA K
• Application Number:
  US13/528,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20130344791A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 454/143, 454/153, 454/154, 454/155, 454/162
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00742 by detection of the vehicle occupants' presence; by detection of conditions relating to the body of occupants, e.g. using radiant heat detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00828 Ventilators, e.g. speed control B60H1/00864 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00871 Air directing means, e.g. blades in an air outlet construction of nozzles or air diffusers B60H1/34
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/3414 with means for adjusting the air stream direction B60H1/345 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3471 Details of actuators

Abstract

A system and a method of controlling a ventilation or HVAC system that is configured to provide an air stream having a comfortable contact velocity to an occupant seated in a vehicle cabin. The system includes a sensor to determine the distance from a discharge nozzle to the vehicle occupant and a controller to control the exit velocity and/or an effective diameter of the nozzle. The sensor may use ultrasonic, infrared, LIDAR, or RADAR technology to determine distance. The system may determine the distance from the nozzle to the occupant based on a seat location determined by a seat location sensor. The seat location sensor may be common to an inflatable restraint (air bag) system.

Claims

1. A ventilation system configured to provide a plurality of air streams to targeted body parts, the system comprising:

a plurality of nozzles configured to direct the air streams toward different body parts of a vehicle occupant seated in a vehicle cabin;

a blower supplying air to the plurality of nozzles;

a controller including a database storing information of sensitivities of the different body parts and configured to control individual nozzle velocities of the air streams to establish a comfortable contact velocity for the different body parts dependent on a seat position of the vehicle occupant; and

a seat location sensor configured to communicate the seat position to the controller for determining a distance between the plurality of nozzles and the different body parts of the vehicle occupant.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to determine the distance between each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles and the different body parts of the vehicle occupant.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the sensor is configured to determine the distance between each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles and the different body parts of the vehicle occupant based on waves emitted from the sensor and reflected from the vehicle occupant, wherein the waves are selected from a group consisting of ultrasonic waves and electromagnetic waves.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further includes a servo mechanism coupled to the plurality of nozzles and in communication with the controller, the servo mechanism configured to articulate the plurality of nozzles in order to direct the air stream in a direction determined by the controller.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the air streams are directed toward a set of body parts of the vehicle occupant that is more sensitive to heat loss than other portions of the body, wherein the controller is configured to

identify the set of more heat-sensitive body parts,

determine locations of the set of more heat-sensitive body parts, and

operate the servo mechanism to articulate the plurality of nozzles to direct the air streams to the locations of the set of more heat-sensitive body parts.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to determine the distances between the plurality of nozzles and the set of more heat-sensitive body parts of the vehicle occupant based on a relative distance of a vehicle seat from a dashboard accommodating the plurality of nozzles, the controller configured to receive the relative distance from a seat controller.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the controller includes a database of location information of the sensitive portion correlated to a seat height of the vehicle seat.

8. The system of claim 1,

wherein the plurality of nozzles includes a first nozzle, the air streams include a first air stream, the distance is a first distance, the individual nozzle velocities include a first nozzle velocity, and the comfortable contact velocity is a first comfortable contact velocity,

wherein the system further includes a second nozzle configured to direct a second air stream toward the vehicle occupant,

wherein the sensor is configured to determine a second distance between the second nozzle and one of the different body parts and the controller is configured to control a second nozzle velocity to establish a second comfortable contact velocity,

wherein the first comfortable contact velocity is distinct from the second comfortable contact velocity.

9. A method of controlling a ventilation system to provide a spot cooling air stream, the method comprising the steps of:

storing a database of temperature sensitivities of sensitive body parts of a vehicle occupant;

determining a distance between a nozzle and a respective body part of the vehicle occupant by way of a seat position communicated by a seat location sensor, the respective body part being one of the sensitive body parts;

determining a desired contact velocity for the respective body part;

calculating a required nozzle velocity based on the determined distance to the respective body part, a respective nozzle hydraulic diameter, and the desired contact velocity for the respective body part;

operating the nozzle to target the air stream toward the respective body part, and

operating a blower to generate the required nozzle velocity.

10. The method of claim 9,

wherein the nozzle is a first nozzle, the air stream is a first air stream toward a first respective body part, the distance is a first distance, the nozzle velocity is a first nozzle velocity, and the comfortable contact velocity is a first comfortable contact velocity, wherein the method further includes the steps of

providing a second nozzle configured to direct a second air stream toward a second respective body part,

determining a second distance between the second nozzle and the second respective body part,

controlling a second nozzle velocity to establish a second comfortable contact velocity, and

wherein the first comfortable contact velocity is distinct from the second comfortable contact velocity.

11. The method of claim 9, further including a step of articulating the nozzle to direct the air stream toward a desired location.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the nozzle velocity is correlated to the desired contact velocity by a mathematic function in the form of a formula, or a table, with the nozzle to body part distance and nozzle hydraulic diameter as parameters.

13. The method of claim 9, further including the steps of

acquiring the seat location from a seat controller;

determining an occupant seated height based on the seat location;

determining a location of a sensitive body part based on the occupant seated height and the seat location; and

calculating the distance between the nozzle and the respective body part.