CN111035789A

CN111035789A - Device for removing active substance

Info

Publication number: CN111035789A
Application number: CN201910962693.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: R·孟克莫勒
Original assignee: Paragon GmbH and Co KGaA
Current assignee: Paragon GmbH and Co KGaA
Priority date: 2018-10-12
Filing date: 2019-10-11
Publication date: 2020-04-21
Also published as: DE102018008082A1

Abstract

A device for taking out active substances has active substance storage compartments (19, 20) in which different active substances are stored and from which the active substances stored therein can be taken out by means of an air flow and introduced into an interior space. In order to be able to mix different active substances in any predefinable mixing ratio, in which a respective one of the active substances is stored in an active substance storage magazine, it is proposed that each active substance storage magazine has an on/off valve device (21, 22) which can be controlled in any desired time period.

Description

Device for removing active substance

Technical Field

The invention relates to a device for taking out active substances, comprising an active substance storage magazine, in which different active substances are stored and from which the active substances stored therein can be taken out by means of an air flow and introduced into an interior, or to a corresponding method for taking out active substances from an active substance storage magazine and introducing them into an air flow supplied to an interior.

Background

The active substance is usually a fragrance, which can be stored in various forms, for example in solid or liquid form. The release of these active substances in the interior space takes place by means of an air flow. The air flow or a part thereof passes through the active substance storage compartment, where the active substance is taken and the taken active substance is brought into the inner space.

In known active substance feeders of this type, a plurality of active substance storage compartments are provided, in which different active substances are stored. Accordingly, the different active substances can be selected individually or in a program-controlled manner. For example, a fresh, vital aroma, such as mint or a sedating aroma, such as lavender, can be stored in the active substance storage silo and activated as required. A greater variation possibility can be achieved if the active substances stored in the active substance storage magazine can be mixed with one another in a freely selectable mixing ratio. Accordingly, known active substance supply devices of this type or active substance storage silos thereof are equipped with proportional valves. In this way, different active substance components are brought into the air stream. For example, if a specific fragrance should be dosed into the interior space, this is generally possible without a separate mixing chamber, wherein the mixing takes place directly in the interior space. Instead of in the mixing chamber, the mixing can also be effected in a tube or hose which then carries the mixture out into the interior space. In the following steps of 1: a mixing ratio in the range of 100 can only be achieved with very precise proportional valves and very exactly reproducible adjustments to the proportional valves. The use of corresponding active substance supply devices in combination with interior space odorant devices (interior space aromas) or the like results in considerable technical and also economic expenditure. Furthermore, the proportional valve described has the disadvantage that it does not automatically change into the closed position when the operating voltage is switched off, which is relatively frequent in the operation of a motor vehicle. Accordingly, the active substance can leave the active substance storage magazine uncontrolled and in an undesired manner.

Disclosure of Invention

Starting from the prior art described above, the object of the present invention is to further develop a device for extracting active ingredient of this type in such a way that the possibility of achieving any desired mixing ratio of different active ingredients is opened at low technical construction costs and, in addition, the extraction of active ingredient is reliably prevented when the device for extracting active ingredient is out of operation.

According to the invention, this object is achieved in that: each active substance storage compartment has an on/off valve device which can be controlled with an arbitrary time period. With a device constructed according to the invention, a very large mixing range between the active substances stored in the active substance storage can be adjusted very precisely. 1: the mixing ratio of 100 can be achieved without any problem. The cycle time of the time period can be selected to be short, so that the active substances are reliably mixed before they exert their effect, or the person in the interior space cannot recognize the sequence of events (active substance mixing) because of their perception potential. When the active substance is carried out, the carried-out active substance or the fragrance thereof can no longer be distinguished individually by a person within a cycle of, for example, 500 ms; rather, they are considered to be a homogeneous mixture of fragrances. Opening and closing times of less than 4ms can be achieved by means of an electromagnetically designed on/off valve arrangement. Thus, 1: 100 in proportion.

Advantageously, each open/close valve device assigned to the active substance storage compartment has (one) open/close valve on the inlet side in the flow direction of the air flow and (one) open/close valve on the outlet side in the flow direction of the air flow. In this way, a continuous and uniform corresponding flow through (flow through) of the active substance storage compartment can be ensured by the air flow or by a portion of the air flow.

The technical idea of the on/off valves can suitably be selected such that they close the active substance storage compartments assigned to them when they are not controlled or supplied with current.

This can be achieved, for example, in that the on/off valve is pretensioned into its closed position by means of a spring element.

Alternatively or additionally, the on/off valve can be arranged suspended and thereby pretensioned into its closed position by means of gravity.

In order to ensure that the on/off valve assumes (assumes) its closed position quickly and permanently in the event of a specific requirement for the active substance supply device, it is advantageous if a permanent magnet is arranged in the valve tappet of the on/off valve and the coil current which acts on the valve coil of the on/off valve can be switched in polarity. Whereby a significantly increased closing force can be applied to the on/off valve. When the motor vehicle is stopped, the on/off valve is in its closed position, in which the active substance storage compartment assigned to it is closed, solely due to gravity. However, this weight force may be insufficient in order to prevent the on/off valve from lifting or rattling when, for example, the motor vehicle is running on a poor road section. In this way, it is possible to support and ensure the occupation and maintenance of the closed position of the on/off valve, and thus the sealing action thereof, by reversing the polarity of the coil current.

In the method according to the invention for removing active substance from an active substance storage magazine and introducing it into an air flow which is loaded into an interior, the active substance is stored in the active substance storage magazine assigned to it in each case, and the active substance is removed from the active substance storage magazine and introduced into the air flow by means of the air flow which flows through the active substance storage magazine, wherein the active substance storage magazine is opened and closed by means of an on/off valve arranged there according to the time period (rhythm) of the mixing ratio which is achieved by the active substance. In order to ensure that the total flow resistance of the active substance supply device with different active substance reservoirs is almost constant and thus to exclude adverse effects due to the possibility of different numbers of active substance reservoirs being connected to the air flow at the same time, it is proposed that only one active substance reservoir is open to the air flow at any time by means of a corresponding time period of the on/off valve. Any adverse effects due to variations in the total flow resistance of the active substance supply means can be excluded. According to this treatment method, for example, when a mixing ratio of 90: 10 should be achieved, the on/off valve device of one active substance storage compartment may be opened for 450ms and then the on/off valve device of the other active substance storage compartment may be opened for 50 ms. Only one on/off valve device is always in its open position with its inlet and outlet side on/off valves, while the respective other on/off valve device is in its closed position with its inlet side on/off valve and its outlet side on/off valve. Thus eliminating the adverse effect between different effective substance storage bins. Irrespective of the mixing ratios to be achieved between the different active substances, the same amount of air is always introduced into the interior space. The expenditure for determining (calculating) the opening time of the on/off valve device necessary for a determined mixing ratio can be minimized.

Drawings

The invention will be further explained below according to embodiments with reference to the drawings.

The figures show:

fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a device according to the invention for taking out an active substance;

fig. 2 is a sectional view of an effective substance supply device of the apparatus for carrying out an effective substance according to the present invention shown in fig. 1; and

fig. 3 shows a longitudinal section through the active substance storage magazine of the embodiment of the active substance supply device of the apparatus according to the invention shown in fig. 2 for taking out active substance.

Detailed Description

The active substance supply device 3 is an embodiment of the device according to the invention shown in fig. 1 for carrying out an active substance. The active substance is stored in the active substance supply device 3 in such a way that the air flow 4 can take or carry (draw) the active substance out of the active substance supply device 3, the air flow 4 flowing through the active substance supply device 3 via a suitable channel 5 or the like.

The mixing station 6 also belongs to the device 1 for removing the active substance. In the embodiment shown, the air streams 4 are mixed together in the mixing station 6 by two air streams 8, 9. For this purpose, adjustable flaps (valves) 7 are used, by means of which the air flow 8 from the supply line 11 into the channel 5 and the air flow 9 from the supply line 12 into the channel 5 can be controlled or regulated.

In the embodiment of the device 1 according to the invention for taking off active substance shown in the figures, an air transport unit 13 is furthermore provided, which can be a fan or a ventilator, by means of which air can be conveyed from the supply lines 11, 12 into the channel, wherein the proportion of the air streams 8, 9 in the air stream 4 can be varied depending on the position of the flaps 7.

In order to guide the air flow 4 through the channel 5 past the active substance supply device 3 at an optimum temperature level for the removal of active substance from the active substance supply device 3, the device 1 for removing active substance has a temperature control device 14 assigned to the mixing station 6. The temperature regulating device 14 is connected to a temperature sensor 15 which is arranged, as seen in the flow direction, behind the flap 7 in the channel 5 through which the air flow 4 flows. If the temperature of the air flow 4 delivered to the temperature regulating device 14 by means of the temperature sensor 15 does not correspond to a desired theoretical value (which is preferably between 19 degrees celsius and 24 degrees celsius), the position of the flap 7 can be changed by means of the temperature regulating device 14 in the following direction until the proportion of the air flow 8 or the air flow 9 in the air flow 4 is adjusted such that the air flow 4 has a desired temperature level.

The active substance 2 stored in the active substance supply 3 of the device 1 for taking out active substance generally means a fragrance which can be stored in solid form or in fluid form. The active substance or aroma is released by the air flow 4.

In the embodiment shown, a device 1 for carrying out an active substance is described as an example, which is connected to a vehicle. By means of the channel 5, the air flow 4 and the active substance 2 are introduced together with the air flow 4 into the vehicle interior 16. The active substance or fragrance 2 is used here for the comfort of the vehicle occupants located in the vehicle interior.

The mixing station 6 is connected to the heating, air conditioning and ventilation (HKL) device 17 of the vehicle via an inlet line 11 leading to it, the air flow 8 reaching the mixing station 6 through this inlet line 11. Correspondingly, the air flow 8 has the temperature at the output side of the air conditioned in the HKL device 17. It is to be noted that the HKL device 17 may of course be connected to the vehicle interior space 16 via other lines not shown in fig. 1. Correspondingly, the air stream 8 fed out of the HKL device 17 in the mixing station 6 is mixed with the air stream 9 fed out of the vehicle interior 16 into the mixing station 6, so that the air stream 4 flowing through the active substance supply 3 in the channel 5 has the desired temperature level.

The temperature regulating device 14 can regulate the temperature level of the air flow 4 at the output side of the mixing station 6 in an electronic or thermostatic manner.

The mixing station 6 of the device 1 for taking out the active substance 2 can be designed as a separate mixing module with or without an integrated air transport unit 13. It is of course also possible to configure the mixing station 6 as an integrated module of the device 1 for carrying out the active substance.

The HKL device 17 already mentioned is generally installed in the basic equipment of a vehicle in which the device 1 for bringing out an active substance is used in order to add a fragrance to the vehicle interior space 16. There are in principle three different operating states for such an HKL device 17, namely a heating operation, a cooling operation and a quasi-static operation.

In the heating mode, the interior 16 must be heated within a very short time in order to quickly reach a pleasant temperature level there, wherein the temperature level which is evaluated as pleasant in this respect for the vehicle occupants is generally a temperature range between 19 ℃ and 24 ℃. This is always related to the personal experience of the vehicle occupants located in the vehicle interior space 16. Heating of the in-vehicle space may take ten minutes or more for a fully cooled vehicle in winter with an out-of-vehicle temperature of-10 degrees celsius.

During the heating operation, the temperature level of the air flow 4 required for the removal of the active substance 2 is reached in the device 1 in such a way that the air flow 8 exiting the HKL device 17, which can have an exit temperature of more than 60 degrees celsius, is mixed with the air flow 9 reaching the mixing station 6 from the still cold interior 16. By adjusting the appropriate mixing ratio between the air stream 8 and the air stream 9 by means of the temperature adjustment device 14, the desired temperature level of the air stream 4 can be adjusted.

In the cooling mode, the vehicle interior 16 must be cooled down in a very short time in order to reach as quickly as possible a pleasant temperature level for the occupants. A pleasant temperature level is in turn a range between 19 degrees celsius and 24 degrees celsius. Here again in relation to the personal experience of the vehicle occupant located in the vehicle interior space 16. For a vehicle that is heated to perhaps 60 degrees celsius under the sun, it may take ten minutes or more to cool the interior space 16. In order to achieve relatively cool air in this cooling operation, the air flow 8, which arrives at the mixing station from the HKL device 17 and whose outflow temperature from the HKL device 17 can be below 10 degrees celsius in the cooling operation, is fed to the mixing station 6. In the mixing station 6, the air flow 8 is mixed with the air flow 9 which arrives at the mixing station 6 from the still hot vehicle interior 16. By means of a suitable mixing ratio between the air stream 8 and the air stream 9, the optimum temperature level can be set for the air stream 4 flowing through the active substance supply device 3 in the channel 5 of the device 1 for entraining active substance.

During quasi-static operation of the HKL device 17, the temperature in the vehicle interior 16 is regulated within a comfort range. In this case, the air flow 9 arriving at the mixing station 6 from the vehicle interior 16 constitutes the main part of the air flow 4.

The supply line 12 through which the air flow 9 reaches the device 1 for entraining active substance is connected in the exemplary embodiment shown to the vehicle interior 16.

As explained below with particular reference to fig. 2 and 3, the active substance supply device 3 has an air guiding portion 18, which air guiding portion 18 is connected to the channel 5 at its input side and output side. The air flow 4 flows correspondingly through the air guiding portion 18.

In the illustrated embodiment of the active substance supply device 3, the air-guiding portion 18 is connected to two active substance storage compartments 19, 20. A first effective substance is stored in the effective substance storage chamber 19, and a second effective substance different from the first effective substance is stored in the effective substance storage chamber 20.

Each of the two active substance storage compartments 19, 20 is connectable to the air-guiding portion 18 and thus to the air flow 4 by means of an on/off

valve arrangement

21, 22 and is separable from the air flow 4 or the air-guiding portion 18.

In the embodiment shown, the on/off

valve device

21, 22 has an on/off valve 21 arranged on the input side of the air guiding portion 18 in the flow direction of the air flow 4 and an on/off valve 22 arranged on the output side in the output area of the air guiding portion 18 in the flow direction of the air flow 4.

In the case of the embodiment of the active substance supply device 3 shown in fig. 2 and 3, the on/off

valves

21, 22 are arranged in a suspended manner, with the result that the on/off

valves

21, 22 in the unpowered state of the apparatus 1 for taking out active substance close the connection between the air guide section 18 on the one hand and the active substance storage compartments 19, 20 on the other hand due to gravity.

The open/

close valves

21, 22 assigned to the

active substance reservoirs

19 and 20, respectively, can be controlled at any desired time period. In the non-controlled state, the on/off

valves

21, 22 close the active substance storage compartments 19 or 20 assigned to them, as described above.

Additionally or alternatively, the on/off

valves

21, 22 can also be pretensioned into their closed position by means of a spring element, which is not shown in the figures.

In the specification of the specific requirements for the active substance supply device 3, permanent magnets may be arranged in the valve tappets 23 of the on/off

valves

21, 22, respectively. In order to increase the closing force of the open/

close valves

21, 22, the coil current applied to the valve coils of the open/

close valves

21, 22 may be reversed in polarity.

In the case of the active material supply device 3 described above, the adjustment of the mixing ratio of the active material in the active material storage compartments 19, 20 is performed by the aforementioned time period of the open/

close valves

21, 22 of the respective active material storage compartments 19, 20.

The cycle time of this time period is selected to be short, so that the different active substances introduced into the air flow 4 from the active substance storage compartments 19, 20 are reliably mixed before their action is taken.

When carrying out the fragrance-inducing active substance, it is established that the active substance or the aroma thereof carried out within a cycle time of, for example, 500ms is no longer individually distinguishable by, for example, a person located in the vehicle interior 16, but is perceived as a homogeneous fragrance mixture.

The opening and closing times of less than 4ms can be achieved without problems with the above-described opening/

closing valve arrangement

21, 22, which is composed of an input-side opening/closing valve 21 and an output-side opening/closing valve 22, respectively. Thus, 1: 100 in proportion.

The on/off

valves

21, 22, which are usually designed as solenoid valves, are designed such that they close the respective

active substance reservoir

19, 20 without control or current being supplied to their valve coils.

The desired closing position in the non-controlled state can be achieved by a spring element assigned to the on/off

valve

21, 22 and/or by the weight of the on/off

valve

21, 22, for which purpose the on/off

valve

21, 22 is arranged suspended, as described above.

In order to increase the pretensioning force of the on/off valve into the closed position, a permanent magnet is arranged in the valve tappet 23 as already mentioned above. Due to the permanent magnet, when the coil current applied to the valve coils of the opening/

closing valves

21, 22 is reversed in polarity, an enhanced closing force can be applied to the opening/

closing valves

21, 22.

When the motor vehicle equipped with the apparatus for taking out active material 1 according to the present invention is stopped, the open/

close valves

21, 22 close the active material storage compartments 19, 20 of the active material supply device 3 only by gravity. However, in order to prevent lifting or rattling of the on/off

valves

21, 22 during operation of the vehicle, for example over poor road sections, this force of gravity and, if necessary, the pretension exerted by the spring element can be insufficient. The sealing action of the on/off

valves

21, 22 is then supported or ensured by reversing the polarity of the coil current.

The active substance supply device 3 described above can be used for the purpose of dosing (metering) and mixing the active substances stored in its active substance storage compartments 19, 20 in a manner described in more detail below.

The on/off

valves

21, 22 have only two stable operating positions. In their open position they are fully open and in their closed position they are fully closed. There are no other stable operating positions.

In order to remove the active substance stored in the active

substance storage compartment

19 or 20 assigned to it, the two on/off

valves

21, 22 of the active

substance storage compartment

19 or 20 are opened. Correspondingly, the air flow 4 can flow into the active mass storage chamber at the inlet-side on/off valve 21 and flow out of the active

mass storage chamber

19 or 20 at the outlet-side on/off valve 22. In the active

substance storage compartment

19 or 20, the air flow 4 is mixed with, for example, evaporated active substance and thus conveyed into the vehicle interior 16 to be loaded.

In a first method mode, one active substance is mixed with a second active substance at a lower concentration. During the entire time duration of the removal of the active substance, the open/

close valves

21, 22 assigned to the active substance storage magazine 19 for one active substance are opened. The on/off valve assigned to the active substance storage magazine 20 for storing a further active substance is opened within a cycle time of, for example, 500ms only until the desired mixing ratio for the mixture of the two active substances is produced.

In this way, the flow resistance of the active material supply device 3 changes during the period in which the on/off

valves

21, 22 of the active material storage 20 assigned to the other active materials are also open. Correspondingly, the amount of air flowing through the active substance storage compartment 19 assigned to one active substance changes. The exact and precise adjustment of the mixing ratio between the two active substances in the air stream 4 is therefore relatively complicated and must be achieved, if necessary, by empirical methods.

In a further method variant, it is thereby ensured that at any time only the on/off

valves

21, 22 assigned to a single active

substance storage magazine

19 or 20 are opened precisely. If, in the case of this treatment method, a mixing ratio of, for example, 90: 10 is to be achieved, the on/off

valves

21, 22 of the active substance storage magazine 19 assigned to one active substance are opened for 450ms and then the on/off valve of the active substance storage magazine 20 assigned to the other active substance is opened for 50 ms. Thus, the on/off

valves

21, 22 assigned to the different active substance storage compartments 19, 20 are alternately implemented. Correspondingly, no further reaction takes place between the

active substance reservoirs

19, 20. Independently of the desired mixing ratio between the two active substances, the same amount of air is always carried over into the vehicle interior 16 to be loaded. The calculation effort for the opening times to be predefined of the on/off

valves

21, 22 is relatively low depending on the respective desired mixing ratio between the active substances.

Claims

1. An apparatus for taking in active substances, which apparatus has active substance storage compartments (19, 20) in which different active substances are stored and from which the active substances stored therein can be taken out by means of an air flow (4) and introduced into an interior space (16), characterized in that each active substance storage compartment (19, 20) has an open/close valve device (21, 22) which can be controlled over an arbitrary period of time.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that each of the on/off valve devices (21, 22) assigned to the active substance storage compartments (19, 20) has an on/off valve (21) on the inlet side in the flow direction of the air stream (4) and an on/off valve (22) on the outlet side in the flow direction of the air stream (4).

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that its on/off valve (21, 22) closes the active substance storage compartment (19, 20) assigned to it when it is not controlled.

4. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that its on/off valve (21, 22) is pretensioned into its closed position by means of a spring element.

5. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that its on/off valve (21, 22) is arranged suspended and is pretensioned into its closed position by means of gravity.

6. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that permanent magnets are arranged in the valve tappets of the on/off valves (21, 22) and that the coil current loading the valve coils of the on/off valves (21, 22) can be reversed in polarity.

7. Method for taking active substance out of an active substance storage magazine (19, 20) and introducing it into an air stream (4) which is supplied to an interior (16), wherein the active substance is stored in the active substance storage magazine (19, 20) respectively allocated thereto and the active substance is introduced from the active substance storage magazine (19, 20) into the air stream (4) by means of the air stream (4) flowing through the active substance storage magazine (19, 20), characterized in that the active substance storage magazine (19, 20) is opened and closed by means of an on/off valve (21, 22) arranged there by means of a time period which is dependent on the desired mixing ratio of the active substance.

8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that only one of the active substance storage compartments (19, 20) is opened for the air flow (4) at any time by means of a corresponding time period of the on-off valve (21, 22).