Automotive HVAC system with suction surfaces to control local airflow

• US 9,597,945 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2011
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company), Hanon Systems (Hahn & Co. Auto Holdings Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company), Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Hesse, Michael E., Maranville, Clay W., Greiner, Christopher M., Hoke, Paul B., Goenka, Lakhi, Schneider, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): McAllister, Steven B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lin, Ko-Wei
• Application Number:
  US13/156,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20120315835A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,112 Days
• Field of Search: 454/75
• 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 1/00842 the system comprising a plurality of damper doors; Air distribution between several outlets

Abstract

An HVAC system provides airflow in a vehicle having a plurality of seating locations in a passenger cabin for respective passengers of the vehicle. The system includes a plurality of outlet vents and a plurality of suction returns disposed at various air return locations adjacent to the seating locations within the vehicle. An air handling unit is in fluid communication between the suction returns and the outlet vents. A plurality of flow control elements are provided, each one in series with at least one respective suction return for selectably modifying a respective flow of the respective suction return in response to a respective flow command. An occupancy determining apparatus identifies one or more seating locations for receiving enhanced airflow. A controller generates the respective flow commands in response to the identified seating locations.

Claims

1. A heating, ventilating, air conditioning system for providing an airflow in a vehicle having a plurality of seating locations in a passenger cabin for respective passengers of the vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of outlet vents providing a shared outlet airflow to be distributed to the plurality of seating locations;

a plurality of suction returns disposed at various air return locations adjacent to the seating locations within the vehicle;

an air handling unit in fluid communication between the suction returns and the outlet vents;

a plurality of flow control elements each in series with at least one respective suction return for selectably modifying a respective flow of the respective suction return in response to a respective flow command so that a corresponding seating location receives a modified portion of the shared outlet airflow;

an occupancy determining apparatus for identifying one or more seating locations for receiving enhanced airflow; and

a controller for generating the respective flow commands in response to the identified seating locations.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the flow control elements include a dedicated fan for blowing air from a respective suction return to an outlet in the passenger cabin.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the flow control elements include a valve selectably modifying a flow coefficient of a respective suction return.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the air handling unit comprises:

a blower; and

a heat exchanger coupled in series with the blower.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the air handling unit is a central unit providing conditioned air throughout the passenger cabin of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the passenger cabin contains a plurality of groups of seating locations, and wherein the air handling unit is a zonal unit providing conditioned air to one of the groups of seating locations.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the passenger cabin contains a plurality of groups of seating locations, wherein the system includes a plurality of air handling units, and wherein each air handling unit is a zonal unit providing conditioned air to a respective one of the groups of seating locations.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein each suction return is disposed on a respective surface within the vehicle, wherein each surface is selected from a group comprising a seat surface, a console surface, a pillar surface, a roof surface, a package tray surface, and a floor well surface.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein a suction return is comprised of:

an inlet having an opening for receiving air from the passenger cabin; and

a conduit in communication with the inlet and having an outlet for directing the received air to the air handling unit.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

a perforated plate covering the opening.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

a fabric finisher covering the perforated plate.

12. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

a duct routed within the vehicle connecting the conduit to the air handling unit.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the flow control elements include a plurality of flow control valves each selectably modifying a flow coefficient of a respective suction return, and wherein a flow control valve is integral with the suction return and comprises:

a movable plate disposed between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the movable plate is rotatable between an open position and a closed position for selectably controlling flow of the received air to the outlet; and

an electrically controlled actuator for positioning the movable plate according to the respective flow command.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the occupancy determining apparatus is comprised of mechanical sensors generating respective occupant signals when an occupant is present in each respective seat, and wherein the controller configures the respective flow commands to shift the airflow according to the occupant signals.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the occupancy determining apparatus is comprised of a human interface generating respective occupant signals in response to manual activation, and wherein the controller configures the respective flow commands to shift the airflow according to the occupant signals.

16. A heating, ventilation, air conditioning system for providing an airflow in a passenger cabin of a vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of seats providing corresponding seating locations for respective occupants;

an occupancy determining apparatus for identifying one or more seating locations containing a respective occupant;

a plurality of outlet vents providing a shared outlet airflow to be distributed to the plurality of seating locations;

a plurality of suction returns disposed on respective surfaces of the vehicle, wherein each suction return is associated with at least one seating location and dissociated with at least one other seating location;

an air handling unit in fluid communication between the suction returns and the outlet vents;

a plurality of flow control elements each in series with at least one respective suction return for selectably modifying a respective flow of the respective suction return in response to a respective flow command so that a corresponding seating location receives a modified portion of the shared outlet airflow; and

a controller for generating the respective flow commands in response to the identified seating locations so that a flow control element in series with a suction return associated with a seating location containing a respective occupant creates a reduced pressure region and a flow control element in series with a suction return associated with a seating location not containing a respective occupant does not create a reduced pressure region.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein each suction return is disposed on a respective surface within the vehicle, wherein each surface is selected from a group comprising a seat surface, a console surface, a pillar surface, a roof surface, a package tray surface, and a floor well surface.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein a suction return is comprised of:

an inlet having an opening for receiving air from the passenger cabin; and

a conduit in communication with the inlet and having an outlet for directing the received air to the air handling unit.

19. The system of claim 18 further comprising:

a perforated plate covering the opening.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising:

a fabric finisher covering the perforated plate.

21. The system of claim 18 further comprising:

a duct routed within the vehicle connecting the conduit to the air handling unit.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein a flow control element is comprised of a flow control valve integral with the suction return, wherein the flow control valve comprises:

a movable plate disposed between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the movable plate is rotatable between an open position and a closed position for selectably controlling flow of the received air to the outlet; and

an electrically controlled actuator for positioning the movable plate according to the respective flow command.

23. The system of claim 16 wherein the occupancy determining apparatus is comprised of mechanical sensors generating respective occupant signals when an occupant is present in each respective seat.

24. The system of claim 16 wherein the occupancy determining apparatus is comprised of a human interface generating respective occupant signals in response to manual activation.