JP7552031B2 - Vehicle air conditioning system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an air conditioning system for vehicles.

Currently, structures have been disclosed in which air conditioning equipment outlets are provided in vehicle seats (seat air conditioning). For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which a sensor that detects sweating by the seat occupant and an air conditioning fan are provided in the seat as technology related to seat air conditioning. In the technology of Patent Document 1, when the air conditioner is operating in summer and the sweat sensor detects sweating by the occupant, the air conditioning fan in the seat is automatically turned on to ensure the comfort of the occupant.

Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 1-145252

The above-mentioned seat air conditioning can blow air at the occupants from a close distance, so it can give the occupants a feeling of cool air more efficiently than a normal interior air conditioner that has an air outlet on the instrument panel, etc. In particular, by using the seat air conditioning in conjunction with the interior air conditioner, it is possible to give the occupants a feeling of cool air without having to lower the temperature setting of the interior air conditioner, which can contribute to fuel savings.

However, if the airflow from the seat air conditioning is too high when the occupant's skin temperature is high and the occupant is sweating, the sweat may evaporate rapidly, lowering the perceived temperature below a comfortable temperature, causing the sweaty areas to feel overly cold. In such a case, the occupant may turn off the seat air conditioning and lower the temperature setting of the cabin air conditioning, thereby losing the fuel-saving effect.

In view of these problems, the present invention aims to provide a vehicle air conditioner that improves comfort in the vehicle cabin and reduces fuel consumption.

In order to solve the above problems, a typical configuration of a vehicle air conditioning device according to the present invention includes an air outlet provided on the occupant side of the backrest or seating area of a vehicle seat, a seat air conditioning unit mounted on the seat and blowing air out of the air outlet or sucking air in through the air outlet, and a control unit mounted on the vehicle and controlling the seat air conditioning unit, characterized in that the control unit controls the seat air conditioning unit to reduce the amount of air from the air outlet when it is determined that an occupant who has entered the vehicle is sweating more than a predetermined amount.

The present invention makes it possible to provide a vehicle air conditioner that improves cabin comfort and fuel economy.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of a vehicle interior air conditioning unit provided in the vehicle air conditioning system of FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a process performed by the vehicle air conditioner of FIG. FIG. 4 shows a subroutine of the sweat level determination process shown in FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the control of the control unit in the steps of FIG. 3. (a) is a graph showing the relationship between the sweat level of the occupant and the air volume of the seat air conditioning. (b) is a graph showing the relationship between the sweat level of the occupant and the set temperature of the interior air conditioning unit. (c) is a graph showing the relationship between the set temperature of the interior air conditioning unit and the fuel efficiency of the vehicle.

The vehicle air conditioning system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an air outlet provided on the occupant side of the backrest or seating area of a vehicle seat, a seat air conditioning unit mounted on the seat and blowing air out of the air outlet or drawing air in through the air outlet, and a control unit mounted on the vehicle and controlling the seat air conditioning unit, and is characterized in that the control unit controls the seat air conditioning unit to reduce the amount of air from the air outlet when it is determined that an occupant who has entered the vehicle is sweating more than a predetermined amount.

The above configuration prevents the occupant from feeling an excessively cool breeze on sweaty areas of the body, and extends the time it takes for sweat to evaporate, allowing the cool breeze to last longer, thereby contributing to improved comfort in the vehicle cabin. In addition, this configuration can provide the occupant with a feeling of cool breeze without lowering the set temperature of the normal vehicle interior air conditioner, which can also result in fuel savings.

The vehicle air conditioning system may further include a sweat sensor provided in at least one of the seat backrest and the seating area to detect the amount of sweat generated by the occupant, and the control unit may control the seat air conditioning unit according to the information acquired by the sweat sensor. This sweat sensor enables air conditioning control that is in line with the occupant's condition.

The vehicle air conditioning system may further include one or more environmental sensors installed at predetermined locations in the vehicle to acquire at least one of the outside air temperature, the interior temperature, and the amount of solar radiation, and the control unit may estimate the amount of sweat of the occupant from the information acquired by the environmental sensor and control the seat air conditioning unit.

The above-mentioned environmental sensors also enable air conditioning control that is tailored to the state of the occupants. In particular, sensors that measure the temperature inside the vehicle cabin are already installed in typical vehicles, so the above configuration can be implemented at low cost using existing sensors.

The vehicle air conditioner may further include an interior air conditioning unit capable of adjusting the temperature of the air inside the vehicle cabin, and the control unit may increase the set temperature of the interior air conditioning unit when it is determined that the occupant is sweating more than a predetermined amount. This configuration also prevents an excessively cool feeling from being felt on sweaty parts of the occupant's body, and improves comfort by extending the evaporation time of sweat and maintaining the cool feeling for a longer period of time. In addition, when the occupant is sweating more than a predetermined amount, it is possible to contribute to low fuel consumption without reducing comfort by raising the set temperature of the interior air conditioning unit while blowing air with the seat air conditioning.

The control unit may set the temperature to a value proportional to the amount of sweat produced by the passenger. This configuration makes it possible to control the air conditioning in a way that is more in line with the passenger's condition.

The control unit may control the air volume of the air outlet to an amount inversely proportional to the amount of sweat produced by the occupant. This configuration also prevents a localized feeling of cool air from being felt on sweaty parts of the occupant's body, and extends the time it takes for sweat to evaporate, thereby lengthening the duration of the feeling of cool air, thereby contributing to improved comfort in the vehicle cabin.

The following describes in detail preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific values shown in the embodiments are merely examples to facilitate understanding of the invention, and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In this specification and drawings, elements that have substantially the same functions and configurations are given the same reference numerals to avoid duplicated explanations, and elements that are not directly related to the present invention are not illustrated.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a vehicle air conditioner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is intended for a case in which the vehicle air conditioner 100 is in cooling operation in summer. In the following, in Figure 1 and all other drawings of the present application, the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle is indicated by arrows F (Forward) and B (Backward), the left and right directions of the vehicle width are indicated by arrows L (Leftward) and R (Rightward), and the top-to-bottom directions of the vehicle are indicated by arrows U (Upward) and D (Downward).

The vehicle air conditioning device 100 provides so-called seat air conditioning 102. The seat air conditioning 102 includes seat air conditioning units 110, 112 mounted inside the backrest 106 and seating area 108 of the vehicle seat 104, and air outlets 114, 116 provided on the passenger side of the backrest 106 and seating area 108.

The seat air conditioning units 110, 112 blow air from the air outlets 114, 116 or draw air in from the air outlets 114, 116, blowing air on the occupants from close range to give them a feeling of cool air. The seat air conditioning units 110, 112 may be configured to perform only air blowing operation, but may also be equipped with a temperature adjustment function independent of the interior air conditioning unit 122 (see FIG. 2), which will be described later. Alternatively, they may be configured to receive temperature-adjusted air from the interior air conditioning unit through a duct (not shown).

The vehicle air conditioner 100 also includes perspiration sensors 118, 120 that detect the amount of sweat generated by the occupant. The perspiration sensors 118, 120 are provided on the inside of the outer skin of the backrest 106 and the seating portion 108 of the seat 104 on the occupant's side. The perspiration sensors 118, 120 detect perspiration, for example, by measuring humidity. The vehicle air conditioner 100 utilizes the perspiration sensors 118, 120 of the backrest 106 and the seating portion 108 to control the seat air conditioner main units 110, 112, respectively, based on the amount of sweat generated by the occupant.

In this embodiment, the above-mentioned seat air conditioning units 110, 112, air outlets 114, 116, and sweat sensors 118, 120 are provided in both the backrest 106 and the seating portion 108 of the seat 104, but each of these elements may be provided in only one of the backrest 106 or the seating portion 108.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing an overview of the vehicle interior air conditioning unit 122 provided in the vehicle air conditioning device 100 of Figure 1. The vehicle interior air conditioning unit 122 (HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning)) is a device that adjusts the temperature of the air in the vehicle interior, and is installed inside the vehicle's instrument panel 124.

When the vehicle interior air conditioning unit 122 performs cooling operation, it first compresses the refrigerant in the A/C compressor 126, and dissipates the heat of the refrigerant in the condenser 128. Next, the vehicle interior air conditioning unit 122 reduces the pressure of the refrigerant to a low temperature in the expansion valve 130, exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the air in the vehicle interior in the evaporator 132, and sends the heat-exchanged air through the air supply duct 134 into the vehicle interior to cool the interior. In addition, the vehicle interior air conditioning unit 122 is equipped with elements of general vehicle interior air conditioning equipment, such as a heater core for heating and a blower motor (not shown).

The vehicle air conditioner 100 is equipped with various environmental sensors. The environmental sensors include a solar radiation sensor 136 installed on the top of the instrument panel 124, an interior temperature sensor 138 installed on the passenger side of the instrument panel 124, and an outside air temperature sensor 140 installed at a location exposed to outside air. Each sensor obtains information regarding the amount of solar radiation, the interior temperature, and the outside air temperature.

The vehicle interior air conditioning unit 122 is provided with a sweat estimation unit 142 and a control unit 144. In particular, the control unit 144 not only controls the vehicle interior air conditioning unit 122, but also controls the seat air conditioning main units 110 and 112 in FIG. 1.

The sweat estimation unit 142 estimates the amount of sweat of the occupant at the time the occupant gets into the vehicle based on information from the above-mentioned environmental sensors (such as the solar radiation sensor 136).

The control unit 144 controls the set temperature of the vehicle interior air conditioning unit 122, the air volume of the air supply duct 134, and the air volume of the seat air conditioning main units 110 and 112, based on the amount of sweat of the occupant estimated by the sweat estimation unit 142. The control unit 144 can also obtain information from the sweat sensors 118 and 120 in FIG. 1, and can also control the air volume of the seat air conditioning 102 according to the information from the sweat sensors 118 and 120.

The vehicle air conditioner 100 can improve the comfort and fuel economy of the vehicle interior by operating the seat air conditioner 102 in FIG. 1 and the vehicle interior air conditioning unit 122 in FIG. 2. The processing performed by the vehicle air conditioner 100 will be described below with reference to FIG. 3 and subsequent figures.

Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the processing performed by the vehicle air conditioning system 100 of Figure 1. First, in step 200, it is determined whether the switch of the interior air conditioning unit 122 is ON/OFF. If the interior air conditioning unit 122 is ON, the process proceeds to step 202, and if it is OFF, the process ends. In step 202, it is determined whether the switch of the seat air conditioning 102 is ON/OFF. If the switch of the seat air conditioning 102 is ON, the process proceeds to step 204, and if it is OFF, the process returns to step 200.

Figure 4 is a subroutine showing the process of determining the sweat level (step 204) in Figure 3. In step 220, it is determined whether or not the sweat sensors 118, 120 (see Figure 1) are installed. If the sweat sensors 118, 120 are installed (Yes in step 220), in step 222 the sweat sensors 118, 120 detect the sweating state of the occupant who has entered the vehicle, and the amount of sweat is obtained.

If the sweat sensors 118, 120 are not installed (No in step 220), information such as the outside air temperature, the temperature inside the vehicle cabin, and the amount of solar radiation is acquired from an environmental sensor (such as the outside air temperature sensor 140 in FIG. 2) in step 224. These environmental sensors can be existing sensors installed in general vehicles, so processing can be performed at low cost without installing the sweat sensors 118, 120 (see FIG. 1).

In step 226, the sweating estimation unit 142 (see FIG. 2) estimates the sweating state of the occupant who has entered the vehicle from the information acquired by the above-mentioned environmental sensors, and calculates the estimated amount of sweating.

Both steps 222 and 226 proceed to step 228. In step 228, the level of sweating of the occupant (sweating level) is determined from the information on the amount of sweating acquired by the sweat sensor 118 or the amount of sweating of the occupant estimated by the sweating estimation unit 142. This ends the process of determining the amount of sweating (step 204) in FIG. 3, and the process proceeds to the next step 206.

In step 206 of FIG. 3, it is determined whether the occupant's sweating level calculated in step 204 is low or high. If the occupant's sweating level is low (Yes in step 206), the process proceeds to step 208. In step 208, the control unit 144 (see FIG. 2) increases the airflow rate from the air outlets 114, 116 of the seat air conditioning 102 (see FIG. 1) in accordance with normal summer settings, and lowers the set temperature of the interior air conditioning unit 122. Then, the process returns to step 200.

On the other hand, if the occupant's sweating level is high in step 206 (No in step 206), the process proceeds to step 210. In step 210, the control unit 144 (see FIG. 2) reduces the amount of air blown from the air outlets 114, 116 in the seat air conditioning 102 (see FIG. 1) and also increases the set temperature of the interior air conditioning unit 122 compared to the settings performed in step 208. This configuration prevents the occupant from feeling an excessively cold breeze, and extends the evaporation time of sweat to extend the duration of the cold breeze. In addition, the set temperature of the interior air conditioning unit 122 is increased to prevent an excessively cold breeze feeling and achieve a fuel-saving effect. Then, the process returns to step 200.

Figure 5 shows an example of the control of the control unit 144 (see Figure 2) in step 210 of Figure 3. Figure 5(a) is a graph showing the relationship between the occupant's sweat level and the airflow rate of the seat air conditioning 102 (see Figure 1). The horizontal axis is the occupant's sweat level obtained in step 204, and the vertical axis is the airflow rate of the seat air conditioning 102 controlled in step 210.

As shown in FIG. 5(a), the controller 144 reduces the airflow rate of the air outlet 114 of the seat air conditioning 102 (see FIG. 1) as the occupant's sweating level increases, i.e., the occupant sweats more. This configuration prevents a localized feeling of cool air from being felt on sweaty parts of the occupant's body, and extends the evaporation time of sweat to extend the duration of the feeling of cool air, thereby contributing to improved comfort in the vehicle cabin.

Figure 5(b) is a graph showing the relationship between the occupant's sweating level and the set temperature of the vehicle interior air conditioning unit 122 (see Figure 2). The horizontal axis is the occupant's sweating level obtained in step 204, and the vertical axis is the set temperature of the vehicle interior air conditioning unit 122 controlled in step 210.

As shown in FIG. 5(b), the control unit 144 (see FIG. 2) sets the temperature of the interior air conditioning unit 122 higher the higher the occupant's sweating level, i.e., the more the occupant sweats. This configuration also prevents a localized feeling of cool air from being felt on sweaty parts of the occupant's body, and extends the evaporation time of sweat to extend the duration of the feeling of cool air, thereby contributing to improved comfort in the vehicle. This control also helps improve the fuel efficiency of the vehicle.

Figure 5 (c) is a graph showing the relationship between the set temperature of the interior air conditioning unit 122 (see Figure 2) and the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. The horizontal axis is the set temperature of the interior air conditioning unit 122 controlled in step 210, and the vertical axis is the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. During cooling, by setting the set temperature higher for a long period of time, the operating time of the A/C compressor 126 in Figure 2 (the electric A/C compressor in the case of an EV) and the fan air volume of the interior air conditioning unit 122 are reduced, improving the fuel efficiency of the vehicle.

As described above, in the vehicle air conditioning device 100, when it is determined that an occupant who has entered the vehicle is sweating more than a predetermined amount, as shown in step 210 of FIG. 3, the seat air conditioning main body 110, 112 (see FIG. 1) is controlled to reduce the air volume of the air outlets 114, 116. This configuration prevents the occupant from feeling an excessively cool breeze on sweaty parts of the occupant's body, and extends the evaporation time of sweat to maintain the cool breeze for a longer period, thereby contributing to improved comfort in the vehicle cabin. In addition, this configuration can provide the occupant with a cool breeze feeling without lowering the set temperature of the vehicle interior air conditioning unit 122 (see FIG. 2), which can also achieve fuel saving effects.

In addition, in step 206 of FIG. 3, the control unit 144 (see FIG. 2) may not only determine whether the occupant's sweating level is low or high, but may also determine it by dividing it into a number of stages. The control unit 144 may then control the airflow rate of the air outlets 114, 116 of the seat air conditioning 102 (see FIG. 1) and the set temperature of the interior air conditioning unit 122 according to each level. In either case, the control unit 144 controls the airflow rate of the air outlets 114, 116 of the seat air conditioning 102 to an amount inversely proportional to the amount of sweating of the occupant, and controls the set temperature of the interior air conditioning unit 122 to a value proportional to the amount of sweating of the occupant. With these configurations, the vehicle air conditioning device 100 is able to perform air conditioning control that is more in line with the occupant's condition.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the attached drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the examples described. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can come up with various modified or revised examples within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

This invention can be used in vehicle air conditioning systems.

100...vehicle air conditioning device, 102...seat air conditioning, 104...seat, 106...backrest, 108...seating area, 110, 112...seat air conditioning main body, 114, 116...air outlet, 118, 120...perspiration sensor, 122...vehicle interior air conditioning unit, 124...instrument panel, 126...A/C compressor, 128...condenser, 130...expansion valve, 132...evaporator, 134...air duct, 136...solar radiation sensor, 138...vehicle interior temperature sensor, 140...outdoor air temperature sensor, 142...perspiration estimation unit, 144...control unit

Claims (6)

An air outlet provided on a passenger side of a backrest or a seating portion of a vehicle seat;
A seat air conditioning main body that is mounted on the seat and draws in air through the air outlet;
A control unit is mounted on the vehicle and controls the seat air conditioning main unit.
The vehicle air conditioning system is characterized in that the control unit controls the seat air conditioning main unit to reduce the amount of air drawn in from the air outlet when it determines that an occupant who has entered the vehicle is sweating more than a predetermined amount. The vehicle air conditioning system further includes a perspiration sensor provided in at least one of the backrest portion or the seating portion of the seat to detect an amount of perspiration of the occupant,
The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the seat air conditioning main unit in response to information acquired by the perspiration sensor. The vehicle air conditioning system further includes one or more environmental sensors that are installed at predetermined locations of the vehicle and acquire at least one of an outside air temperature, an interior temperature, and an amount of solar radiation;
2. The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit estimates an amount of sweat of the occupant from information acquired by the environmental sensor and controls the seat air conditioning main unit. The vehicle air conditioning device further includes an interior air conditioning unit capable of adjusting the temperature of air in the vehicle interior,
4. The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit increases a set temperature of the vehicle interior air conditioning unit when it is determined that the occupant is sweating at a predetermined rate or more. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 4, characterized in that the control unit controls the set temperature to a value proportional to the amount of sweating of the occupant. The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the control unit controls the air volume of the air outlet to an amount inversely proportional to the amount of sweat of the occupant.

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