GB2304182A - Controlling vehicle ventilation when reversing - Google Patents

Controlling vehicle ventilation when reversing Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2304182A
GB2304182A GB9516548A GB9516548A GB2304182A GB 2304182 A GB2304182 A GB 2304182A GB 9516548 A GB9516548 A GB 9516548A GB 9516548 A GB9516548 A GB 9516548A GB 2304182 A GB2304182 A GB 2304182A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
control system
vehicle
air
reversing
climatic control
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB9516548A
Other versions
GB9516548D0 (en
Inventor
Kevin Trevor Talbot
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
MG Rover Group Ltd
Original Assignee
MG Rover Group Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by MG Rover Group Ltd filed Critical MG Rover Group Ltd
Priority to GB9516548A priority Critical patent/GB2304182A/en
Publication of GB9516548D0 publication Critical patent/GB9516548D0/en
Publication of GB2304182A publication Critical patent/GB2304182A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60H—ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES
    • B60H1/00—Heating, cooling or ventilating [HVAC] devices
    • B60H1/00642—Control systems or circuits; Control members or indication devices for heating, cooling or ventilating devices
    • B60H1/00735—Control systems or circuits characterised by their input, i.e. by the detection, measurement or calculation of particular conditions, e.g. signal treatment, dynamic models
    • B60H1/008—Control systems or circuits characterised by their input, i.e. by the detection, measurement or calculation of particular conditions, e.g. signal treatment, dynamic models the input being air quality
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60H—ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES
    • B60H1/00—Heating, cooling or ventilating [HVAC] devices
    • B60H1/00642—Control systems or circuits; Control members or indication devices for heating, cooling or ventilating devices
    • B60H1/00735—Control systems or circuits characterised by their input, i.e. by the detection, measurement or calculation of particular conditions, e.g. signal treatment, dynamic models
    • B60H1/00764—Control systems or circuits characterised by their input, i.e. by the detection, measurement or calculation of particular conditions, e.g. signal treatment, dynamic models the input being a vehicle driving condition, e.g. speed
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60H—ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES
    • B60H1/00—Heating, cooling or ventilating [HVAC] devices
    • B60H1/00642—Control systems or circuits; Control members or indication devices for heating, cooling or ventilating devices
    • B60H1/00814—Control systems or circuits characterised by their output, for controlling particular components of the heating, cooling or ventilating installation
    • B60H1/00821—Control systems or circuits characterised by their output, for controlling particular components of the heating, cooling or ventilating installation the components being ventilating, air admitting or air distributing devices
    • B60H1/00835—Damper doors, e.g. position control
    • B60H1/00849—Damper doors, e.g. position control for selectively commanding the induction of outside or inside air

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Air-Conditioning For Vehicles (AREA)

Abstract

A climatic control system for a motor vehicle senses when the vehicle is reversing and prevents or minimises flow of air in from outside. A flap 11 in position 11B or 11A blocks off fresh air intake duct 14 or recirculation intake duct 15 respectively. Motors 10,16 controlling the flap 11 and a downstream fan are arranged to respond to a control logic (22, Fig 2). The control logic (22) will select recirculation and drive the flap 11 to position 11B when it detects that a reversing state has been selected. A reversing state is detected by the reverse light switch (20), or by a wheel rotation sensor, a road speed sensor, a vehicle braking system or a transmission controller. The fan motor responds to the same sensor. The system may not have a flap, in which case the fan motor would be switched off on vehicle reversing to reduce the risk of exhaust fumes being drawn in.

Description

A Climatic Control System This invention relates to climatic control systems and in particular to climatic control systems for motor vehicles in which the climatic control systems draw air into the vehicle from outside.
When a vehicle having such a climatic control system is in a confined space, such as a garage, the vehicle tends to suck its own exhaust fumes into the passenger compartment.
It is known to provide such prior art systems with a pollution detection sensor to sense toxic gases and either switch the blower off or change the system over to recirculation if the vehicle is suitably equipped.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved climatic control system.
According to the invention a motor vehicle climatic control system is provided, comprising air intake means to take in air from outside the vehicle, reversing state detection means to detect when the vehicle is in a reversing state and control means which is receptive to the reversing state detection means and is arranged to stop the air intake means from taking in air from outside the vehicle when a reversing state is detected.
The climatic control system may further comprise air propelling means to propel air into the vehicle.
The control means may be operative to switch off the propelling means when a reversing state is detected.
The air intake means may further comprise recirculation means to recirculate air inside the vehicle.
The air intake means may be switchable between a first state of taking in air from outside the vehicle and a second state of recirculating the air within the vehicle.
The control means may be operative to switch the air intake means between its first and second states in response to the reversing state detection means.
The control means may be arranged to allow the air intake means to return to its original state after a predetermined delay.
The delay may be a time period measured from the detection or cessation of a reversing state.
The delay may be effective until the vehicle has travelled a pre-set distance in a forward direction after the cessation of a reversing state.
The reversing state detection means may operate by detecting the selection of a reverse gear.
The reversing state detection means may comprise a reverse light switch.
The reversing state detection means may alternatively comprise: a wheel rotation sensor, a road speed sensor, a vehicle braking system or a transmission controller.
The climatic control system may comprise a heating and ventilating system.
The climatic control system may comprise an air conditioning system.
The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is a schematic longitudinal section through part of a motor vehicle including a climatic control system in accordance with the invention.
Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the control system for the climatic control system shown in Figure 1.
Referring to Figure 1, a section of the body 19 of a complete motor vehicle (not shown) has a windscreen 18 bonded into it. The climatic control system has a fresh air intake duct 14 and a recirculation intake duct lS.
These converge into a blower duct 17, which then splits into upper and lower outlet ducts 17A and 17B. A directional flap 11 is controlled by a servo motor 10 and is provided to select which inlet duct will be used. Air is drawn into the blower duct 17 through a heater matrix 12 by a heater blower 16 in the form of an electric fan.
With reference to Figure 2, the control system comprises a reversing light switch 20, reversing lamps 21A and 21B, a manual switch 23 for manually selecting recirculation and a control logic 22 which controls the heater blower 16 and the servo motor 10.
Air travels along the air ducts 14, 15, 17, 17A and 17B in the direction shown by the arrows. The heater blower 16 draws air through a heater matrix 12 and propels it along the blower duct 17 and out through outlet ducts 17A and 17B. Air from the upper outlet duct 17A blows onto the windscreen 18 and air from the lower outlet duct 17B blows into the rest of the car interior (not shown). Air is taken into the heater matrix 12 through either the fresh air intake duct 14 or the recirculation intake duct 15.
The selection of intake duct 14 or 15 is made by the directional flap 11, which will selectively shut off air from recirculation intake duct 15 when it is in position llA or the fresh air intake duct 14 when in position 11B.
Selection of positions 11A and 11B is made by the control logic 22 driving the servo motor 10. If the fresh air intake duct 14 is selected, air will be taken in from outside the vehicle bodywork 19 and if the recirculation intake duct 15 is selected, air will be recirculated from inside the vehicle.
The reversing light switch 20 is arranged to detect the selection of reverse gear and illuminate the reversing lamps 21A and 21B in response to such a gear selection.
The control logic 22 is arranged to recognise the selection of reverse gear by monitoring the output of the reversing light switch 20.
If reverse gear is selected and the directional flap 11 is in position llA, the control logic 22 is arranged to control the servo motor 10 to select position llB. In this manner, the climatic control system will automatically switch to recirculation of air from inside the vehicle when reverse gear is selected. It does this by drawing air through the recirculation intake duct 15 into the heater matrix 12, while potentially toxic fumes are excluded by the directional flap 11 blocking the fresh air intake duct 14. When reverse gear is deselected, the reverse lamp switch 20 will change in state and the control logic 22 will detect that change.The control logic 22 will respond to the deselection of reverse gear by driving the servo motor 10 and thereby returning the directional flap 11 to position 11A so that air is drawn through the fresh air intake duct 14 from outside the vehicle body 19. The control logic 22 is also provided with an internal timing controller (not shown) to return the directional flap 11 to position llA after a predetermined time lapse from'the detection of reverse travel, unless reverse gear has already been deselected before the end of this time lapse.
This feature prevents the system from engaging air recirculation permanently in the event of the reverse light switch 20 sticking in its "on" position. The time delay is made long enough to prevent premature return of the directional flap 11 to position 11A and could be set at 5 minutes. The return to fresh air after the time delay is overridden by manual selection of recirculation using the manual switch 23. An additional time delay is provided between deselection of reverse gear and returning the directional flap 11 to position 11A and is set at one minute. This prevents the vehicle from sucking in exhaust fumes on selection of neutral or a forward gear whilst still in the area it has just reversed into and filled with gases and protects the occupants in the event of a succession of forward and reverse movements in a single manoeuvre, such as parking in a garage. A further delay is implemented to prevent premature deselection of recirculation when a forward gear is selected. In this case, recirculation is not deselected until the vehicle has travelled forward a certain distance which could be fixed at 20 metres to allow the vehicle to exit a fume filled garage (not shown). All the delays run concurrently and recirculation is not deselected until they have all finished.
If recirculation is selected manually using the manual switch 23, the control logic 22 will drive the servo motor 10 to select position llB for directional flap 11.
Selection or deselection of reverse gear will then not result in movement of the directional flap 11. If the driver uses the manual selection switch 23 to try to deselect recirculation while reverse gear is selected, the control logic 22 will not deselect recirculation until it detects that the reverse light switch 20 has changed from its reverse gear state.
This climatic control system uses parts already on existing vehicles for a new and additional purpose without the need for a pollution sensor and increases user comfort and safety by substantially reducing the risk of exhaust fumes entering the vehicle while reverse gear is selected.
It will be appreciated by a man skilled in the art that the climatic control system described herein could be easily adapted to control a system without a directional flap 11. In such a system, the control logic 22 would switch off the heater blower 16 on detection of the selection of reverse gear, thereby substantially reducing the risk of ingress by exhaust fumes.
The climatic control system disclosed herein could form part of a heating and ventilating system for a motor vehicle. In addition it could be adapted to operate in conjunction with a motor vehicle air conditioning system.
It will be appreciated by the man skilled in the art that the system disclosed herein is not limited to climatic control systems only using a reversing lamp switch as a reversing state detection means. The detection of the reversing state could be achieved by sharing signals from other existing systems. One such method would be to read a wheel rotation sensor which could have asymmetrically missing targets to show the direction of travel. A second option would be to derive a signal from a road speed sensor or a vehicle braking system. A transmission controller could provide a signal indicative of the selection of reverse gear or reverse travel instead of using an independent reverse light switch 20.

Claims (19)

1. A motor vehicle climatic control system comprising air intake means to take in air from outside the vehicle, vehicle reversing state detection means to detect when the vehicle is in a reversing state and control means which is receptive to the reversing state detection means and is arranged to stop the air intake means from taking in air from outside the vehicle when a reversing state is detected.
2. A climatic control system according to Claim 1 further comprising air propelling means to propel air into the vehicle.
3. A climatic control system according to Claim 2 wherein the control means is operative to switch off the propelling means when a reversing state is detected.
4. A climatic control system according to Claim 2 or Claim 3 wherein the air intake means further comprises recirculation means to recirculate air inside the vehicle.
5. A climatic control system according to Claim 4 wherein the air intake means may be switched between a first state of taking in air from outside the vehicle and a second state of recirculating the air within the vehicle.
6. A climatic control system according to Claim 5 wherein the control means is operative to switch the air intake means between its first and second states in response to the reversing state detection means.
7. A climatic control system according to any preceding claim wherein the control means is arranged to allow the air intake means to return to its original state after a predetermined delay.
8. A climatic control system according to Claim 7 wherein the delay is a time period measured from the detection of a reversing state.
9. A climatic control system according to Claim 7 wherein the delay is a time period measured from the detection of the cessation of a reversing state.
10.A climatic control system according to claim 7 wherein the delay is effective until the vehicle has travelled a pre-set distance in a forward direction after the cessation of a reversing state.
l1.A climatic control system according to any preceding claim in which the reversing state detection means operates by detecting the selection of a reverse gear.
l2.A climatic control system according to any preceding claim in which the reversing state detection means comprises a reverse light switch.
13.A climatic control system in accordance with any one of Claims 1 to 10 in which the reversing state detection means comprises a wheel rotation sensor.
14. A climatic control system in accordance with any one of Claims 1 to 10 in which the reversing state detection means comprises a vehicle road speed sensor.
15.A climatic control system in accordance with any one of Claims 1 to 10 in which the reversing state detection means comprises a vehicle braking system.
16.A climatic control system in accordance with any one of Claims 1 to 10 in which the reversing state detection means comprises a transmission controller.
17.A climatic control system according to any preceding claim which comprises a heating and ventilating system.
18.A climatic control system according to any preceding claim which comprises an air conditioning system.
19.A climatic control system substantially as described herein and with reference to the accompanying drawings.
GB9516548A 1995-08-11 1995-08-11 Controlling vehicle ventilation when reversing Withdrawn GB2304182A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9516548A GB2304182A (en) 1995-08-11 1995-08-11 Controlling vehicle ventilation when reversing

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9516548A GB2304182A (en) 1995-08-11 1995-08-11 Controlling vehicle ventilation when reversing

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB9516548D0 GB9516548D0 (en) 1995-10-11
GB2304182A true GB2304182A (en) 1997-03-12

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Family Applications (1)

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GB9516548A Withdrawn GB2304182A (en) 1995-08-11 1995-08-11 Controlling vehicle ventilation when reversing

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GB (1) GB2304182A (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102007015477A1 (en) * 2007-03-30 2008-10-02 Siemens Ag Rail vehicle for passenger transportation, has control device, which detects release of brake applications and reduces fresh air supply for air conditioning unit during detection of brake applications
DE102007048682A1 (en) * 2007-10-10 2009-04-16 Volkswagen Ag Air conditioning arrangement for air conditioning in internal space of motor vehicle, has controlling device, which is interconnected with air processing device, where controlling device is controlled on basis of input signal

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0226222A2 (en) * 1985-12-20 1987-06-24 Audi Ag Motor vehiclewith a ventilation device

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0226222A2 (en) * 1985-12-20 1987-06-24 Audi Ag Motor vehiclewith a ventilation device

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102007015477A1 (en) * 2007-03-30 2008-10-02 Siemens Ag Rail vehicle for passenger transportation, has control device, which detects release of brake applications and reduces fresh air supply for air conditioning unit during detection of brake applications
DE102007048682A1 (en) * 2007-10-10 2009-04-16 Volkswagen Ag Air conditioning arrangement for air conditioning in internal space of motor vehicle, has controlling device, which is interconnected with air processing device, where controlling device is controlled on basis of input signal

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9516548D0 (en) 1995-10-11

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Legal Events

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WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)