JP2004026139A - Method and device for controlling air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and a device for avoiding excessive displeasure conventionally inevitable to experience when getting on a vehicle exposed to the blazing sun for a long time in a season with strong sunlight like summer and having high temperature inside. <P>SOLUTION: This air conditioner for a vehicle is provide with at least one compressor, a driving means driving the compressor and constituted to select at least one of an engine for driving the vehicle or a power source other than the engine to start activate the compressor, and a control device controlling at least the driving means. The control method for the air conditioner for the vehicle is provided with a procedure receiving a signal showing that an occupant is getting on the vehicle and starting pre-air conditioning in the vehicle, a procedure driving the compressor for a fixed period to carry out the pre-air conditioning, and a procedure stopping the compressor. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly to a method for controlling an air conditioner and an apparatus for performing the method.
[0002]
[Prior art]
If the vehicle is parked for a long time on a road under the scorching sun or the like in a season with strong sunlight, the inside of the vehicle becomes extremely hot, and it is uncomfortable to get on the vehicle. To cope with this problem, the window may be opened, and the vehicle air discharge blower may be driven to forcibly discharge the vehicle air. Thereafter, the window is closed again to drive the air conditioner. However, these measures must be taken at least once, and it is inevitable that at least a driver or the like will experience discomfort in a hot vehicle. Further, when the air conditioner is driven without discharging the high-temperature air, the cooling load is large, which is not preferable in terms of power saving.
[0003]
As a conventional technology, there is a system that has a main compressor and a sub-compressor as typified by a refrigerating car, and performs refrigeration and cooling operation with the main compressor when the vehicle is running and with the sub-compressor when the vehicle is stopped. Conventionally, a cool-down operation is performed by the main compressor after the engine is started, the interior of the vehicle is brought to an optimum temperature, and the sub-compressor is used only when the engine is stopped such as at a traffic light. In this case, there is a problem that the cool-down by the main compressor blows warm air into the vehicle compartment until the evaporator cools down, or it takes a long time to reach an optimum temperature. Furthermore, discomfort due to the high temperature of the cabin when riding in the above environment cannot be excluded.
[0004]
Further, in the prior art, for example, it has been proposed to ventilate by driving a fan of a blower or an air conditioner by simply inserting a key into a door when the room temperature is high, and simultaneously opening a window of the vehicle (for example, Patent Document 1). ). In this case, it is a limit to lower the room temperature to about the outside temperature, so that it takes time, and since there is only one compressor, the capacity is large and air conditioning cannot be performed unless the engine is driven. There was also a temperature and time limit in lowering the temperature.
[Patent Document 1]
JP-B-62-36884 (page 3)
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a case where the interior of a vehicle that has been exposed to the sunshine for a long time in a season with strong sunlight, such as summer, has a high temperature and is to be used in this situation. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of controlling an air conditioner that avoids the terrible discomfort that had to be experienced in the past, and an apparatus for implementing the method.
[0006]
Further, in the configuration disclosed in the above-described related art, there is a temperature and time limit in lowering the room temperature inside the vehicle. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for overcoming such disadvantages of the prior art and an apparatus for performing the method. The present invention relates to a vehicle equipped with a hybrid compressor that selects and drives either an engine or a motor or both as a drive source of an air conditioning compressor, or a main compressor driven by an engine and a sub driven by a motor. This includes vehicles equipped with a compressor as applicable.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to an aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the above-described object, the vehicle air conditioner includes at least one compressor and driving means for driving the compressor. The vehicle includes a drive unit configured to select at least one of a drive engine or power other than the engine to operate the compressor, and a control device that controls at least the drive unit. In such a control method for a vehicle air conditioner, a procedure for receiving a signal indicating that a passenger intends to board the vehicle and starting pre-air conditioning in the vehicle, and driving the compressor for a predetermined period to perform pre-air conditioning. And a step of stopping the compressor.
[0008]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the control method of the air conditioner according to the first aspect, the compressor is driven by a motor supplied with power from a power source such as a battery as a means driven by power other than the engine. Is driven.
[0009]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the control method of the air conditioner according to the first or second aspect, the signal indicating that the occupant intends to enter the vehicle is a signal for releasing the vehicle door lock key. It is characterized by the following.
[0010]
When the air conditioner is controlled by the method described in any one of the above three modes, when the driver or the like rides in a vehicle that has been parked for a long time under the sunshine on a hot day, the driver or the like cannot enter the vehicle completely. Do not get in, for example, release the door lock key, operate the compressor to perform pre-air conditioning, and lower the temperature in the cabin, so that the passengers always experienced the above- It is possible to eliminate the unusually unpleasant cabin atmosphere experienced when riding the vehicle after parking in the vehicle. After that, the driver can get into the vehicle and operate the air conditioner normally to prepare for operation while cooling.
[0011]
According to a mode described in claim 4 of the present invention, in the control method of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in the procedure of driving the compressor for a fixed period to perform pre-air conditioning, A timer is used for controlling the compressor to be driven for a certain period of time.
[0012]
By including such a procedure, in addition to the effect of the method according to the first to third aspects, the compressor is automatically stopped at an operation time of an appropriate set period, and then the compressor is driven by the engine. It is possible to perform normal air-conditioning operation by setting the set time in consideration of the capacity of the power supply such as a battery, thereby preventing the battery power supply capacity from excessively lowering and hindering the start of the engine and the like. Not even.
[0013]
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the method for controlling an air conditioner according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the stopping of the compressor is performed by a start signal of the engine. Features.
[0014]
By including such a procedure, in addition to the effects of the method according to the first to fourth aspects, the compressor is stopped according to the judgment of the occupant, and the starting of the engine and the stop of the compressor are performed in one operation. Since it can be implemented, the operation of the vehicle is simplified.
[0015]
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the control method of the air conditioner according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, when the air conditioner switch of the air conditioner is in an off state, the compressor Is characterized by including a procedure for not driving.
By including such a procedure, when the pre-air conditioning by the compressor is unnecessary, by turning off the air conditioner switch of the air conditioner, the compressor is not started, and the unnecessary pre-air conditioning can be not performed. .
[0016]
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the method for controlling an air conditioner according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the air conditioner further includes a vehicle interior temperature measuring unit, When the air conditioner switch of the air conditioner is in an off state, the compressor is driven for a certain period of time when the temperature in the vehicle compartment is equal to or higher than a predetermined value.
[0017]
By including such a control procedure, the necessity of pre-air conditioning by the compressor is determined in accordance with the vehicle room temperature, and if not necessary, the compressor is not started and unnecessary pre-air conditioning is not performed. Pre-air conditioning can be performed only when necessary.
[0018]
In a mode described in claim 8 of the present invention, in the control method of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 7, the air conditioner is configured such that refrigerant compressed by the compressor is liquefied, The air conditioner further includes an evaporator (evaporator) that expands at an expansion valve or the like during cooling to lower the temperature, and is then introduced. During the air-conditioning operation of the air conditioner, the refrigerant in the evaporator is used for air conditioning. The evaporator is used to exchange heat with the air conditioning air used, and the evaporator includes a blower that supplies the air conditioning air to the evaporator and is driven by an electric motor or the like. In some cases, the method further comprises the step of setting the air volume of the blower to a minimum while driving the compressor.
[0019]
By including such a procedure, in addition to the effects of the method according to the first to seventh aspects, in the pre-air conditioning by the compressor, the power consumption of the blower of the evaporator can be reduced and the consumption of the battery power can be suppressed. As a result, the battery power capacity is prevented from being excessively reduced, so that the starting of the engine and the like are not hindered.
[0020]
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the method for controlling an air conditioner according to the eighth aspect, the procedure in which the air volume of the blower is set to a minimum is such that the air volume of the blower is zero, that is, the blower is stopped. It is characterized by being performed.
By including such a procedure, in the pre-air conditioning by the compressor, since the power consumption of the blower of the evaporator is zero, the consumption of the battery power is further suppressed, and the excessive decrease in the battery power capacity is prevented. The possibility of hindering starting of the engine and the like is further reduced.
[0021]
According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioner capable of performing the method according to any one of the first to ninth aspects.
With the air conditioner configured as described above, the control method for the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 9 can be implemented, and the effects of the present invention described above can be exerted.
[0022]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, based on an embodiment, an embodiment of an air conditioner of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The air conditioner 1 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 includes a hybrid compressor 2 having two types of driving means, that is, driven by an engine and a motor. The configuration of a vehicle air conditioner (system) having a hybrid compressor and having an idle stop function will be described with reference to FIG. Although the air conditioner 1 of FIG. 1 has a cooling and heating function, the air conditioner according to the present invention will be described for cooling related to the present invention.
During a normal cooling operation, the refrigerant is compressed by the engine 3 or the compressor 2 driven by the motor 12 and liquefied via the condenser 4 that cools the refrigerant. The liquefied refrigerant is decompressed by the expansion valve 5, adiabatically expanded, supplied to the evaporator 6 through the refrigerant pipe 8, and vaporized here. At this time, the surroundings are cooled by removing heat from the surroundings. The evaporator 6 is accommodated in an air-conditioning duct. Here, air sent by a blower 7 driven by an electric motor exchanges heat with the evaporator when passing through the evaporator 6 and is cooled to form air for air conditioning. The air is blown into the vehicle compartment to cool the room. Thereafter, the refrigerant is sucked by the compressor 2 and recirculated.
[0023]
In the present embodiment, the compressor 2 is a hybrid compressor that can be driven by both the engine 3 and the motor 12, as described above. As will be described later, the compressor 2 is an engine which is a driving means of the vehicle or a drive source other than the engine, and can be driven by selecting one of the motors 12 in the present embodiment. The selection of the driving means of the compressor 2 is performed by the control device 20. The control device 20 has a motor drive control circuit 23 for controlling the drive of the motor and a control sequence by receiving various control signals. And a control circuit 22 for controlling the motor. In the present embodiment, the drive motor 12 of the compressor 2 is supplied with power from the battery 14 and controlled by the motor drive control circuit 22 of the control device 20. The drive source other than the engine is not limited to the motor, and may be another drive source known to those skilled in the art.
[0024]
A control method of the air conditioner 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. When driving a vehicle on a day with strong sunlight, the driver must first unlock the vehicle door lock key to get on the vehicle. In the first embodiment, a release signal for the vehicle door lock key is provided. Generally, the release signal is an electric signal, and is provided by an electric contact corresponding to the position of the lock or release of the door lock key. A signal is generated and transmitted, and the release signal is transmitted to at least the control circuit 22 of the control device 20. This operation of releasing the vehicle door lock key is a first step (S1). The release signal of the vehicle door lock key is sent to the control device 20, and in a second step (S2), the timer 21 provided in the control device 20 is turned on. Further, in the third step (S3), the control device 20 turns on the motor (electric motor) 12 of the compressor 2 and starts the compressor 2 according to the vehicle door lock key release signal transmitted to the control device 20. The compressor 2 compresses the refrigerant as described above and supplies it to the refrigerant circuit of the air conditioner 1 to start the pre-air-conditioning operation.
[0025]
The control device 20 includes the timer 21, and the timer 21 determines an operation time of the compressor 2 by the motor 12. Therefore, in the fourth step (S4), when a predetermined time period elapses after the timer 21 is turned on, the timer 21 is turned off. Timer 21 is generally arbitrarily adjustable in set time, as is known in the art. In the fifth step (S5), when the timer 21 turns off after the predetermined time period has elapsed, the compressor 2 stops. Thus, a certain amount of pre-air conditioning is performed, and then, in a sixth step (S6), the vehicle engine 3 is automatically started, and then, in a seventh step (S7), the compressor 2 is driven by the engine 3. Then, normal air conditioning by the compressor 2 is started. Here, the sixth step (S6) and the seventh step (S7) may be combined into one step (may be performed automatically and continuously).
[0026]
In the present embodiment, the engine 3 may be started not in the sixth step but in any one of the first to fifth steps. Further, in the sixth step, the driver may receive an indication or signal indicating that the compressor 2 is stopped, instead of the automatic start, and start the engine 3 so that the compressor may be started in the seventh step. 2 may be driven again.
The release signal of the vehicle door lock key is not an electric signal, but may be another type of signal such as an optical signal or a pneumatic signal.
Timer 21 may be a soft timer.
[0027]
FIG. 3 shows a control method according to the second embodiment. Here, the first step is the same as that of the first embodiment in the procedure of releasing the vehicle door lock key, but the difference from the process of the first embodiment is that in the second step, A procedure for determining whether the switch (the operation switch of the air conditioner 1) is on or off is included. In this step, it is determined whether the air conditioner switch is on or off. If the air conditioner switch is on, the procedure of turning on the timer 21 in the second step of the first embodiment is the same as that of the second embodiment. Now go to the third step. Subsequent steps are the same as in the first embodiment.
On the other hand, when the operation switch is off, the compressor 2 maintains the stopped state.
[0028]
FIG. 4 shows a control method according to the third embodiment. Here, the first step is a procedure for releasing the vehicle door lock key, which is the same as in the first and second embodiments. In the second step, the air conditioner switch (the operation switch of the air conditioner 1) is turned on / off. The procedure includes a procedure for determining whether the operation switch of the air conditioner 1 is turned on or off. If the operation switch is turned on in this step, the third step of the second embodiment is a procedure for turning on the timer 21. And the subsequent steps are the same as in the second embodiment, except that in the second step, if the air conditioner switch is turned off, Proceeding to a ninth step, which includes a procedure for determining the vehicle interior temperature. Therefore, although the vehicle temperature sensor is provided in the third embodiment, the vehicle temperature sensor is well known and implemented in general vehicles. In the ninth step, if the room temperature detected by the room temperature sensor is equal to or more than the set value, the process proceeds to a tenth step of turning on the timer 21. After the tenth step, the same process as the second to seventh steps of the first embodiment or the third to eighth steps of the second embodiment is performed.
On the other hand, when the value of the detected room temperature of the room temperature sensor is equal to or smaller than the predetermined value, the compressor 2 maintains the stopped state.
[0029]
FIG. 5 shows a control method according to the fourth embodiment. Here, the first to third steps are the same as those of the first embodiment, but the difference from the process of the first embodiment is that, in the fourth step, the blower 7 of the evaporator 6 is A procedure for turning off the operation is included. Alternatively, this step may include a procedure in which the blower 7 of the evaporator 6 is turned on to set the air volume to a minimum. Subsequent steps are the same as in the first embodiment. (However, during the normal operation in which the compressor 2 is driven by the engine, the setting of the blower 7 is released and the blower 7 operates normally.)
[0030]
In the first to fourth embodiments, the number of compressors is one, and the driving means is a hybrid compressor selectable by an engine or a motor. However, the air conditioner according to the fifth embodiment 50 includes a main compressor 2 driven by an engine and a sub-compressor 10 driven by a motor 12, and FIG. 6 shows a configuration of an air conditioner 50 according to a fifth embodiment. The operation of the air conditioner 50 during the cooling operation by the main compressor 2 is the same as that described with reference to FIG. 1 for the first embodiment.
[0031]
In the case of the sub compressor 10, cooling is performed by basically the same operation as that of the main compressor 2. Here, the sub-compressor 10 sucks and compresses the refrigerant by a compression unit 11 driven by a motor (electric motor) 12 and supplies the compressed refrigerant to the refrigerant pipe 8. The refrigerant compressed by the sub-compressor 10 passes through the condenser 4, the expansion valve 5, and the evaporator 6 to cool the air-conditioning air and cool the vehicle cabin as in the case of the main compressor 2. In the present embodiment, the drive motor 12 of the sub-compressor 10 is supplied with power by a battery 14 via a motor drive control circuit of a control device 20 and is controlled.
[0032]
The control method of the air conditioner 50 in the fifth embodiment is shown in FIG. 7, and the procedure of this control method is basically the same as the procedure of the control method of the first embodiment. However, in the third step (S3), the compressor that is driven (turned on) is the sub-compressor 10. Therefore, the compressor that is stopped (turned off) in the fifth step (S5) is also the sub-compressor 10. . Further, in the present embodiment, the main compressor 2 is driven in the sixth step (S6), which is a step in which the sixth and seventh steps of the first embodiment are one step. is there. In the present embodiment, since the engine 3 drives only the main compressor 2 (does not drive the sub-compressor 10), it should be understood that such a procedure is performed. The control method is basically the same as in the first embodiment, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.
[0033]
The sixth to eighth control methods corresponding to the control methods of the second to fourth embodiments are the same as the control method of the fifth embodiment corresponding to the control method of the first embodiment. Therefore, detailed description is omitted. In the second to fourth embodiments, one hybrid type compressor 2 which can be driven by either an engine or a motor is provided, whereas the air conditioners 50 of the sixth and eighth embodiments are provided. Is different from the second and fourth embodiments only in that a main compressor 2 driven by an engine and a sub-compressor 10 driven by a motor are provided.
[0034]
Hereinafter, effects of the above embodiment will be described.
The following effects can be expected by controlling the air conditioner by the method according to the first and fifth embodiments of the present invention.
When riding a vehicle that has been parked for a long time under the sunshine on a hot day, the driver etc. does not get into the vehicle interior at all, for example, by releasing the door lock key, for example, the vehicle engine is started By operating the compressor (or sub-compressor) to perform pre-air conditioning and lowering the temperature in the cabin before the vehicle has been parked under the scorching sun, the passengers have always experienced It is possible to eliminate an unpleasant indoor atmosphere when riding. After that, the driver can get into the vehicle and operate the air conditioner normally to prepare for operation while cooling.
It is possible to automatically stop the compressor (or the sub-compressor) during an operation period of an appropriate set time and then start the compressor (or the main compressor) to enter a normal air-conditioning operation; By setting the set time in consideration of the capacity of a power source such as a battery, an excessive decrease in the battery power capacity is prevented, so that starting the engine and the like are not hindered. -Following the pre-air-conditioning by the compressor (or the sub-compressor), the normal air-conditioning operation can be continuously performed without delay, so that the ride comfort of the driver such as the driver is further improved.
[0035]
By controlling the air conditioner by the method according to the second or sixth embodiment of the present invention, the following effects can be expected.
・ If the air conditioner switch of the air conditioner is turned off, unnecessary pre-air conditioning can be stopped.
[0036]
By controlling the air conditioner by the method according to the third or seventh embodiment of the present invention, the following effects can be expected.
・ Determine the necessity of pre-air conditioning by the compressor (or sub-compressor) according to the vehicle room temperature. If not necessary, do not start the compressor (or sub-compressor) and do not perform unnecessary pre-air-conditioning without starting the compressor (or sub-compressor). Pre-air conditioning can be performed only when necessary when the temperature in the vehicle interior is high.
[0037]
By controlling the air conditioner by the method according to the fourth or eighth embodiment of the present invention, the following effects can be expected.
-In pre-air conditioning by a compressor (or sub-compressor), the power consumption of the blower of the evaporator is reduced, the consumption of battery power is suppressed, and the battery power capacity is prevented from being excessively reduced. Can be reduced.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an illustrative view showing a main configuration of an air conditioner according to first to fourth embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing main control steps of a method for controlling an air conditioner according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing main control steps of a method for controlling an air conditioner according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing main control steps of a method for controlling an air conditioner according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing main control steps of a method for controlling an air conditioner according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is an illustrative view showing a main configuration of an air conditioner according to fifth to eighth embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing main control steps of a method for controlling an air conditioner according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Air conditioner 2 ... Compressor 3 ... Engine 4 ... Condenser 5 ... Expansion valve 6 ... Evaporator 7 ... Blower 12 ... Motor (electric motor)
14 battery 20 control device

Claims (10)

Vehicle air conditioner
At least one compressor,
A drive unit for driving the compressor, wherein the vehicle drive engine, or a drive unit configured to select at least one of motive power other than the engine to operate the compressor,
A control device for controlling at least the driving means;
In a control method of a vehicle air conditioner comprising:
A step of receiving a signal indicating that a passenger intends to board the vehicle and starting pre-air conditioning in the vehicle;
Driving the compressor for a certain period to perform pre-air conditioning,
Stopping the compressor;
A control method comprising: The method according to claim 1, wherein the compressor is driven by a motor powered by a power supply such as a battery, as the means for driving with a power other than the engine. The method according to claim 1, wherein the signal indicating that the occupant intends to enter the vehicle is a signal for releasing a vehicle door lock key. The timer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein in the procedure for driving the compressor for a certain period to perform pre-air conditioning, a timer is used for control for driving the compressor for a certain period. the method of. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the stop of the compressor is performed by a start signal of the engine. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising a step of not driving the compressor when an air conditioner switch of the air conditioner is off. The air conditioner further comprises a vehicle interior temperature measuring means,
The compressor according to claim 1, wherein when the air conditioner switch of the air conditioner is in an off state, the compressor is driven for a predetermined period if the temperature in the vehicle compartment is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. A method according to any one of the preceding claims. The air conditioner is provided with an evaporator in which the refrigerant compressed by the compressor is liquefied, further expanded at the time of cooling at an expansion valve or the like to lower the temperature, and thereafter introduced,
During the air conditioning operation of the air conditioner, in the evaporator, the refrigerant is used to exchange heat with air conditioning air used for air conditioning,
The evaporator includes a blower that supplies the air-conditioning air to the evaporator and is driven by an electric motor or the like. In this case, while the compressor is driven, the air volume of the blower is increased. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising the step of: 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the procedure in which the blower air volume is set to a minimum is that the blower air volume is zero, that is, the blower is stopped. An air conditioner capable of performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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