Vehicle cabin venting system and method

• US 9,656,532 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2014
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Cardoso, Jesus, Blackburn, Thomas, Schamber, Michael, Swoish, James Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): McAllister, Steven B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cotov, Jonathon
• Application Number:
  US14/223,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20150266354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00278 for the battery arrangement of batteries B60R16/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/241 characterised by the location of ventilation devices in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/248 Air-extractors, air-evacuation from the vehicle interior
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/26 Ventilating openings in vehicle exterior; Ducts for conveying ventilating air
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20918 the components being isolated from air flow, e.g. hollow heat sinks, wind tunnels or funnels
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A vehicle cabin venting method includes cooling a vehicle battery charger by drawing outside air through a vehicle outside air vent door; and operating a hybrid vehicle battery system to establish and maintain flow of fresh air in a cabin of the vehicle by ensuring an open position of a blend door in the vehicle if the outside air vent door will not close. A vehicle cabin venting system is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A battery charger cooling method, comprising:

cooling a vehicle battery charger by drawing outside air through a vehicle outside air vent door; and

operating a hybrid vehicle battery system to establish and maintain flow of fresh air in a cabin of the vehicle by ensuring an open position of a blend door in the vehicle if the outside air vent door will not close in response to a command from a controller to close the outside air vent door, the position of the air vent door determined by the controller;

the ensuring an open position of a blend door comprising the controller causing the blend door to be in an open position if the blend door is determined to be in a closed position and causing prevention of closure of the blend door if the blend door is determined to be in an open position.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising drawing outside air through the vehicle outside air vent door by operating the hybrid vehicle battery system to operate an outside air fan.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein operating the hybrid vehicle battery system to establish and maintain flow of fresh air in a cabin of the vehicle by ensuring an open position of a blend door in the vehicle comprises operating the hybrid vehicle battery system to operate a vehicle climate control fan.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein cooling a vehicle battery charger comprises opening the vehicle outside air vent door in the vehicle if a temperature of the cabin of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined set temperature.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein drawing outside air through the outside air vent door comprises drawing outside air through the outside vent door through a fan outlet duct disposed in thermally conductive contact with a vehicle battery charger.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein ensuring an open position of a blend door in the vehicle comprises operating a battery energy control module to open the blend door from a closed position wherein the controller comprises the battery energy control module.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein ensuring an open position of a blend door in the vehicle comprises operating a battery energy control module to maintain the blend door in an open position wherein the controller comprises the battery energy control module.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising removing inside air from the cabin of the vehicle.

9. A battery charger cooling method, comprising:

charging a vehicle battery of a vehicle by operation of a vehicle battery charger;

cooling the vehicle battery charger by opening an outside air vent door in a vehicle and drawing outside air from outside the vehicle, through the outside air vent door into a cabin of the vehicle;

operating a battery energy control module to determine whether the outside air vent door is closed; and

operating a hybrid vehicle battery system to establish and maintain flow of fresh air in a cabin of the vehicle by ensuring an open position of a blend door in the vehicle if the outside air vent door will not close in response to a command from battery energy control module to close the outside air vent door, the position of the air vent door determined by the battery energy control module;

the ensuring an open position of a blend door comprising the controller causing the blend door to be in an open position if the blend door is determined to be in a closed position and causing prevention of closure of the blend door if the blend door is determined to be in an open position.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising further comprising drawing outside air through the outside air vent door by operating the hybrid vehicle battery system to operate an outside air fan.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein operating a hybrid vehicle battery system to establish and maintain flow of fresh air in a cabin of the vehicle by ensuring an open position of a blend door in the vehicle comprises operating the hybrid vehicle battery system to operate a vehicle climate control fan.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein cooling a vehicle battery charger comprises opening the outside air vent door in the vehicle if a temperature of the cabin of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined set temperature.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein drawing outside air through the outside air vent door comprises drawing outside air through the outside vent door through a fan outlet duct disposed in thermally conductive contact with the vehicle battery charger.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein ensuring an open position of a blend door in the vehicle comprises operating the battery energy control module to open the blend door from a closed position.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein ensuring an open position of a blend door in the vehicle comprises operating the battery energy control module to maintain the blend door in an open position.

16. The method of claim 9 further comprising removing inside air from the cabin of the vehicle.

17. A vehicle cabin venting system, comprising:

a controller;

an outside air vent door interfacing with the controller, the controller configured to determine when the vehicle outside air vent door will not close in response to a command from the controller to close the outside air vent door, the position of the air vent door determined by the controller; and

a blend door interfacing with the controller, the controller configured to maintain the blend door in an open position when the vehicle outside air vent door will not close;

the maintaining the blend door in an open position comprising the controller causing the blend door to be in an open position if the blend door is determined to be in a closed position and causing prevention of closure of the blend door if the blend door is determined to be in an open position.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the controller comprises a hybrid vehicle battery system, the outside air vent door interfacing with the hybrid vehicle battery system.

19. The system of claim 18 further comprising a climate control module interfacing with the hybrid vehicle battery system, the climate control module interfacing with the blend door.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising a climate control fan interfacing with the blend door and the climate control module.