JP2001150920A - Air conditioner for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioner for a vehicle capable of controlling comfortably air-conditioning with a simple structure. SOLUTION: An infrared line sensor 40 is mounted on an instrument panel. The sensor 40 is formed transversely in a long, slender shape to have four infrared detecting elements 41-44 linearly arranged. The element 41 detects infrared from a side window 5 on a driver's seat side. The element 42 detects infrared from an occupant A in a driver's seat 3. The element 43 detects infrared from an occupant B in a front seat 4. The element 44 detects infrared from a side window 6 on a front seat passenger side. By the detected signals from the elements 41-44, temperature information on each detecting object part is obtained. A controlling part controls air conditioning according to the temperature information.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an air conditioner using an infrared detection signal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, an air conditioner has been developed which detects infrared rays emitted from an occupant using an infrared sensor and performs more comfortable air conditioning control in accordance with temperature information obtained from the detection signal. Have been. JP-A-7-18
In the air conditioner disclosed in JP-A-6691, the temperatures of the occupants in the driver's seat and the passenger's seat are each detected by an infrared sensor, and based on the detected temperatures, the outlet temperatures of the left and right outlets are independently controlled or the air distribution ratio is controlled. I can do it. In addition, a solar radiation sensor is provided, and more comfortable air conditioning control is performed in consideration of information on the solar radiation direction and the solar radiation intensity detected by the solar radiation sensor.

[0003]

As described in the above publication, if both the infrared sensor and the solar radiation sensor are used, highly accurate and very comfortable air conditioning control can be performed. However, different types of sensors are required, and the signal processing thereof is required. However, there are drawbacks in that the circuit configuration for this is complicated and the cost is increased.

[0004]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided:
In a vehicle air conditioner, a device main body that supplies temperature-controlled air to a vehicle compartment, a first infrared detection unit that detects infrared radiation emitted from an occupant seated in a seat, and radiation from a window glass of the vehicle. It is characterized by comprising a second infrared detecting section for detecting infrared rays, and a control section for controlling the apparatus main body based on temperature information obtained from detection signals of the first and second infrared detecting sections.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle air conditioner according to the first aspect, the first infrared detecting section detects infrared rays emitted from an occupant seated in a driver's seat, and detects the second infrared detecting section. The unit detects infrared rays emitted from a window glass beside the driver's seat. A third aspect of the present invention is the vehicle air conditioner according to the second aspect, further comprising: a third infrared detection unit that detects infrared rays emitted from an occupant seated in the front passenger seat; and a window glass next to the front passenger seat. A fourth infrared detector for detecting infrared radiation emitted from
The control unit is configured to control the device based on the temperature information obtained from the detection signals of the third and fourth infrared detection units in addition to the temperature information obtained from the detection signals of the first and second infrared detection units. It is characterized by controlling the main body.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle air conditioner of the third aspect, the first to fourth infrared detecting sections are incorporated in one unit, and are linearly arranged in the left-right direction of the vehicle. It is characterized by being arranged side by side. According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the air conditioner for a vehicle according to the third or fourth aspect, the apparatus main body includes an air outlet divided into a driver seat side and a passenger seat side, and the control unit includes According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, at least one of the blow-out temperature and the blow-out air amount is controlled for each of the blow-out ports according to a detection signal of the fourth infrared detecting section.

[0007]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a driver's seat 3 and a passenger's seat 4 are arranged in a vehicle compartment 2 of a vehicle 1 so as to be divided into left and right sides. The vehicle 1 includes the driver's seat 3 and the passenger's seat 4
Are provided with window glasses 5 and 6, respectively. further,
An instrument panel 7 is provided in front of the vehicle cabin 2, and a device body 8 of the air conditioner shown in FIG.
Is housed.

The apparatus main body 8 has a main duct 10. The main duct 10 has an outside air introduction port and an inside air introduction port (both not shown) at its upstream end, so that the suction mode can be selected by an intake door. In the air passage 11 of the main duct 10, a blower 12, an evaporator 13, and a heater core 14 are arranged in this order from the upstream side. The evaporator 13 is incorporated in the refrigeration cycle and cools the air sent from the blower 12. The heater core 14 allows the engine cooling water to pass through and heats the passing air.

The air passage 11 is divided right and left by a partition wall 15 on the downstream side of the evaporator 13, and the heater core 14 is disposed over the divided passages 11a and 11b. Further, outside these divided passages 11a and 11b, bypass passages 11x and 11x are provided.
y is provided.

On the upstream side of the heater core 14, air mixing doors 16a, 16b are provided for each of the divided passages 11a, 11b.
Is rotatably provided. These air mix doors 16a and 16b are for adjusting the mixing ratio of the air to be heated by the heater core 14 and the air that passes through the bypass passages 11x and 11y without being heated. Split passage 11
In a and 11b, the air heated on the downstream side of the heater core 14 and the air that is not heated merge, whereby the desired blowing is performed for each of the divided passages 11a and 11b according to the rotational position of the air mix doors 16a and 16b. The temperature can be obtained.

A vent duct 20, a defrost duct, a foot duct (not shown) and the like are connected to a downstream end of the main duct 10, and are selectively blown by opening and closing a mode door (not shown). The mode can be selected. Here, the vent duct 20
Will be described in detail. The vent duct 20 includes center outlets 21a, 21b located near the downstream ends of the divided passages 11a, 11b, respectively, and divided passages 11a, 11b.
Extension portions 22a and 22b extending from the left and right sides, and side air outlets 23a and 23b provided at the tips of the extension portions 22a and 22b. Center outlet 21
a and 21b include louvers 24a that change the blowing direction.
24b are provided.

The vent duct 20 has an outlet from the center outlets 21a and 21b and a side outlet 23.
The air distribution doors 25a and 25b for adjusting the ratio of the amount of air blown out from a and 23b are provided.

The instrument panel 7 is provided with a thermopile type infrared line sensor 40 (infrared sensor) constituting a characteristic part of the present invention. The infrared line sensor 40 is elongated in the left-right direction of the vehicle 1. The infrared line sensor 40 includes infrared detectors 41, 42, 43, linearly arranged in the longitudinal direction.
44, and optical systems 45, 46, 47, and 48 installed to face the detection units 41, 42, 43, and 44, respectively.
In one unit 40a.

The optical system 45 at the left end when viewed from the front of the vehicle is
The infrared rays from the window glass 5 beside the driver's seat 3 are collected and supplied to the infrared ray detecting section 41 (second infrared ray detecting section). The optical system 46 on the right side collects infrared rays from the occupant A (driver) seated in the driver's seat 3 and supplies the infrared rays to the infrared detecting section 42 (first infrared detecting section). The optical system 47 on the right side collects infrared rays from the occupant B seated in the passenger seat 4 and supplies the infrared rays to the infrared detecting section 43 (third infrared detecting section). The right end optical system 48 collects infrared rays from the window glass 6 beside the passenger seat 4 and supplies the infrared rays to the infrared detecting section 44 (fourth infrared detecting section). From the detection signals of the detection units 41 to 44, temperature information of each part is obtained. The detection unit 41
The arrangement order of the window glass 5 on the driver's seat side, the driver's seat 3, the passenger's seat 4, and the window glass 6 on the passenger's seat side are in accordance with the arrangement sequence of the optical systems 45 to 44 and the optical systems 45 to 48.

The vehicle air conditioner further includes a control unit 50 shown in FIG. The control unit 50 receives various input signals and controls various components. To briefly explain, as input signals, a set temperature signal from a setter for independently setting left and right (driver's seat side and passenger's seat side) blowout temperatures, an outside air temperature sensor, an infrared line sensor 40, engine cooling water There are detection signals from a temperature sensor, an evaporator blow-out temperature sensor, an exhaust gas sensor, a humidity sensor for detecting the humidity in the passenger compartment, an occupant sensor for detecting whether or not an occupant is seated in the driver's seat 3 and the passenger's seat 4.

The control unit 50, based on the input signal,
The voltage applied to the motor of the blower 12 is controlled to adjust the air flow, the rotation position of the intake door is controlled to select the suction mode, and the rotation position of the air mix doors 16a and 16b is controlled to control the driver's seat. Side and passenger seat side air temperature, the mode door is controlled to select the air outlet mode and the like, the turning position of the air distribution doors 25a and 25b is controlled to adjust the air distribution ratio, and the louvers 25a and 25b are controlled. The motor controls the motor to adjust the blowing direction, and also controls the compressor clutch, air purifier, rear defogger, etc. of the refrigeration cycle.

The control unit 50 includes the infrared line sensor 4
Based on the detection signal from 0, the air conditioning control of the passenger compartment 2 is executed separately for the left and right, that is, the driver's seat side and the passenger's seat side. More specifically, from the surface temperature of the occupant A in the driver's seat 3 detected by the infrared detector 42, the vehicle interior temperature on the driver's seat 3 side is estimated, and the deviation between the estimated temperature and the set temperature on the driver's seat side is calculated. Based on this, the temperature of the air blown out from the air outlets 21a and 22a on the driver's seat side is controlled so that this deviation is made zero, that is, the estimated temperature is made to coincide with the set temperature. The blowing temperature is controlled by the turning position of one of the air mix doors 16a.

Similarly, from the surface temperature of the occupant B of the passenger seat 4 detected by the infrared detecting section 43, the passenger compartment temperature on the passenger seat 4 side is estimated, and the estimated temperature and the set temperature on the passenger seat side are calculated. The temperature of air blown from the air outlets 21b and 22b on the passenger seat side is controlled based on the deviation. This blowing temperature is controlled by the turning position of the other air mix door 16b.

As described above, comfortable air conditioning can be performed for each of the occupants A and B by detecting the surface temperatures of the occupants A and B and adjusting the outlet temperatures on the driver's seat side and the passenger's seat side. Further, the control unit 50 executes control based on temperature information of the window glasses 5 and 6 from the infrared detection units 41 and 44.

If the temperature of the window glass 5 is high at the time of cooling, the air mixing door 16a is controlled to adjust the blowing temperature on the driver's seat side lower, and the air distribution door 25a is controlled to the side outlet 23a. To the center outlet 2
Increase from 1a. Similarly, when the temperature of the window glass 6 is high at the time of cooling, the air mixing door 16b is controlled to adjust the blowing temperature on the passenger seat side lower, and the air distribution door 25b is controlled to the side outlet 23b. Blowout volume,
It is increased from the center outlet 21b.

If the temperature of the window glass 5 is low at the time of heating, the air mixing door 16a is controlled to adjust the blowing temperature on the driver's seat side higher, and the air distribution door 25a is controlled to the side outlet 23a. To the center outlet 2
Increase from 1a. Similarly, when the temperature of the window glass 6 is low at the time of heating, the air mixing door 16b is controlled to adjust the blowing temperature on the passenger side to a higher level, and the air distribution door 25b is controlled to the side outlet 23b. Blowout volume,
It is increased from the center outlet 21b.

The temperatures of the window glasses 5 and 6 are as follows.
It corresponds to the intensity of solar radiation, which is 6. Therefore, control equivalent to control based on the solar radiation information can be performed based on the detection information of the infrared detectors 41 and 44 of the infrared line sensor 40 without using a solar radiation sensor as in the related art.

The louvers 24a, 24a, 2 are based on the detection signals of the infrared detectors 41 to 44 of the infrared line sensor 40.
The rotation position of 4b may be adjusted, thereby adjusting the blowing direction. In the present embodiment, an occupant sensor is provided in each of the driver's seat 3 and the passenger seat 4, and the above-described control is performed when the driver's seat 3 and the passenger seat 4 are seated with the occupant sensors. When the occupant sensor does not detect the occupant seating in the passenger seat 4, control is performed ignoring the detection signals from the infrared detectors 43 and 44 on the passenger seat side, and if necessary, the side outlet 23b on the passenger seat side. May be set to zero. The occupant sensor is omitted, and the infrared detector 4
The sensors 2 and 44 may also be used as sensors for detecting the presence or absence of an occupant. In the present embodiment, the vehicle interior temperature is estimated using the detection signals from the infrared detectors 42 and 43 without using the vehicle interior temperature sensor, but the deviation between the detected temperature from the vehicle interior temperature sensor and the set temperature is estimated. Perform basic control based on
Further, control may be performed in consideration of detection signals from the infrared detectors 41 to 44.

[0024]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, comfortable air conditioning can be performed based on the temperature of the occupant, and further more comfortable air conditioning can be performed in consideration of the temperature of the window glass. It can be carried out. Since the temperature of the window glass corresponds to the intensity of solar radiation, it is possible to execute air conditioning control that is substantially equivalent to air conditioning control that takes into account the intensity of solar radiation. In addition, the temperatures of the occupant and the window glass can be detected by the infrared detecting unit, and the need for using a solar radiation sensor is eliminated. Therefore, the configuration can be simplified, the cost can be reduced, and the signal processing is easy. According to the second aspect of the present invention, comfortable air conditioning control for the driver can be performed based on the temperatures of the driver's seat and the window glass beside the driver's seat. According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to perform air conditioning control that is comfortable for the occupant in the passenger seat based on the temperatures of the passenger seat and the window glass beside the passenger seat. According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, by incorporating the first to fourth infrared detection units into one unit, the configuration can be further simplified, and the installation work can be simplified.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, via the left and right outlets,
Comfortable air-conditioning control can be provided to the driver and front passenger.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a detection target unit by an infrared line sensor.

FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a device main body of the air conditioner.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating input information to a control unit and a control target.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle 2 Cab 3 Driver's seat 4 Passenger's seat 5, 6 Window glass 8 Main body 21a, 21b, 23a, 23b Outlet 40 Infrared line sensor (infrared sensor) 40a Unit 41 Second infrared detector 42 First infrared Detector 43 Third infrared detector 44 Fourth infrared detector 50 Controller

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Satoshi Tagawa 39, Higashihara, Chiyo, Odai-gun, Osato-gun, Saitama Pref.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An apparatus main body for supplying temperature-controlled air to a vehicle compartment, a first infrared detecting section for detecting infrared rays emitted from an occupant seated in a seat, and an infrared ray emitted from a window glass of the vehicle. A vehicle air, comprising: a second infrared detecting section for detecting; and a control section for controlling the apparatus main body based on temperature information obtained from detection signals of the first and second infrared detecting sections. Harmony equipment. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first infrared detecting section detects infrared rays emitted from an occupant seated in a driver's seat, and the second infrared detecting section detects infrared rays emitted from a window glass beside the driver's seat. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein: 3. A third infrared detector for detecting infrared radiation emitted from an occupant seated in a passenger seat, and a fourth infrared detector for detecting infrared radiation emitted from a window glass beside the passenger seat. The control unit, in addition to the temperature information obtained from the detection signals of the first and second infrared detection units,
The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the device main body is controlled based on temperature information obtained from detection signals of the third and fourth infrared detection units. 4. The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein the first to fourth infrared detection units are incorporated in one unit and are arranged linearly in the left-right direction of the vehicle. apparatus. 5. The apparatus main body has an outlet separated into a driver's seat side and a passenger seat side, and the control unit controls an outlet temperature and an outlet according to detection signals of first to fourth infrared detecting units. The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the air volumes is controlled for each of the outlets.