JP2605431B2 - Ice melting equipment for vehicles - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a vehicle ice melting device for melting ice on a windshield of a vehicle in cold weather.

(Prior art) In order to melt ice on the windshield of a vehicle in cold weather, electric power is supplied to a thin film of silver oxide or the like, which is deposited on the glass surface as an electric heating element by sputtering, thereby generating heat. The temperature is raised to freeze the ice.

This type of electric heating element has a high resistance value, and requires a large amount of energy to melt ice, requiring high power.
For example, a power supply that has a voltage of 60 to 70 V and can supply about 1500 W / m ² as electric power is required.

For this reason, various proposals have been made to use an alternator for charging a vehicle-mounted battery as a power source, and to switch its output during ice melting to supply the output to an electric heating element.

As a proposal of this type, a voltage regulator controls the output from a generator driven by an engine to a high voltage and a low voltage, and a region for heating a window glass is divided into upper, middle, and lower stages, and a voltage regulator is provided. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-11463 discloses an icing and melting apparatus for selectively supplying an output from a window glass to a divided area of a window glass.

In addition, according to the present applicant, a heater for heating a window,
An ice melting device for a vehicle, which includes a generator driven by an engine and a switching circuit for the generator output, and switches the switching circuit to a heater for ice melting to melt ice, was filed in Japanese Patent Application No. 143481/1999. ing.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) In the proposal disclosed in the above-mentioned publication, the power from the generator driven by the engine, which is rectified to DC, is applied to the divided heating area of the window glass. However, since a large power is required as described above, the rectifier increases in weight, causes power loss, and is expensive. In addition, the proposal disclosed in the latter publication has the advantage that melting ice during a stop is performed in a short time and the vehicle is started. However, since the generator output itself is at a high voltage, the battery is charged. Cannot be performed at the same time as ice melting, so that ice cannot be melted when the vehicle is not stopped.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems, and has as its object the purpose of using a vehicle rectifier that does not use a rectifier and that can melt ice not only when the vehicle is stopped but also when the vehicle is running. An ice device is provided.

(Means for Solving the Problems) According to the present invention, in a vehicle ice melting device for melting ice of a window glass by electric power of a generator driven by an engine, a multi-phase output terminal driven by the engine is connected to a multi-phase output terminal. A polyphase alternator, a step-up transformer connected to a polyphase output terminal of the polyphase alternator, a rectifier having an input terminal connected to the polyphase output terminal, and an output terminal connected to a DC load of a vehicle. Means, affixed to the melting area of the window glass, star-connected at the outer periphery of the melting area, and the number of phases of the polyphase alternator connected to the polyphase output terminal of the step-up transformer. The same number of resistance heating elements as above are provided between the star-shaped connection end of the resistance heating element stuck on the window glass and the multi-phase output terminal of the step-up transformer to selectively operate the resistance heating element. Switching means; An amphibious ice melting device is provided.

(Operation) In the present invention, the melting area of the window glass is divided into the same number as the number of phases of the AC generator, and the power output of the generator is boosted while the AC power is being increased. By applying this voltage, partial ice melting is possible, and at the same time, the generator output is also supplied to a normal vehicle electric device such as a battery. Electric power can also be supplied to a normal vehicle electric device.

Example Next, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an internal circuit diagram of the switch unit.

In these drawings, reference numeral 1 denotes a window glass of a vehicle, which is made of laminated glass, and has a transparent conductive film formed by sputtering formed as a resistance heating element as an ice melting heater in the middle. As shown in the figure, for example, as shown in the figure, the generator is divided into three layers in the same number as the generators in the region A, the region B, and the region C, and the insulating slits ab and bc are provided between the respective layers. Have been. Further, on one side of the window glass, there are provided bus bars 1a, 1b, 1c that are separately connected to the three layers, and the other side is a bus bar 1d that connects the three layers in common. Is provided. Therefore, when power is applied between the bus bars 1a and 1b, the conductive films in the A region and the B region are energized and generate heat, and the bus bars 1a, 1b,
When three-phase AC power is supplied to each of 1c, electric current is supplied to the conductive films of all three layers as in a star connection, thereby generating heat.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a generator driven by an engine (not shown) via a belt 2a.
It has a phase AC generator and a rectifier circuit for converting to DC, and this DC output is configured to charge the battery 3.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a step-up transformer, which boosts the three-phase AC output from the generator 2 to a predetermined voltage and supplies it to the conductive film of the window glass 1 via the switch unit 5.

As shown in FIG. 2, the switch unit 5 has three sets of relay contacts 5a, 5b, 5c, and on / off of the three sets of relay contacts is selectively controlled by a command from the controller 6. .

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a circuit related to the controller. As shown in FIG.
, A neutral signal of the transmission, a signal from a window glass temperature sensor, etc., and receives the switch unit 5, the step-up transformer 4, and an idle-up signal for increasing idle rotation of an engine (not shown). It will be issued.

The operation switch 7 stops the ice melting system.
An OFF switch 7a, a DEF switch 7b capable of energizing the three conductive layers even while the vehicle is traveling, a traveling ice melting switch 7c capable of energizing the lower two conductive layers while the vehicle is traveling, and an idle speed. It is provided with four switches including a stop ice melting switch 7d that raises (for example, about 3000 rpm), determines a stopped state of the vehicle, and energizes the three conductive layers.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment thus configured will be described.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram in the case where the conductive films in the A and B areas are energized during traveling. The contacts 5a and 5b of the switch unit 5 are turned on by a command from the controller 6, and the three-phase power from the step-up transformer 4 is turned on. Are connected to the A and B regions. Compare this case to the case of energizing all of the A, B and C regions as shown in FIG. 5, for example, in FIG. 5, the electric power of about 1500 W / m2 is required for melting ice, so the engine speed is about 3000 rpm. Approximately 6000 rpm is required for the rotation speed of the generator 2 with the pulley ratio being 2. At an engine speed of about 3000 rpm, the AT car suddenly starts and is dangerous.
Since the rpm cannot be maintained, the vehicle cannot run.

On the other hand, in FIG.
Therefore, the required power can be sufficiently transmitted even at an engine speed of about 1000 rpm, and the required portion of the ice is melted. Note that the dashed arrows shown in FIG. 4 indicate the current flow.

Next, as described above, ice melting in the state of FIG. 5 is dangerous while the vehicle is running. Considering the case of windshield defogging, the required power is 300 W / m2. Without keeping it high, the entire surface of the glass can be defogged during ordinary driving.

Also, if the vehicle is stopped, the neutral position of the transmission is confirmed and the idling speed is increased, the vehicle is operated in the state shown in FIG. 5, and the power required for melting ice, for example, about 1500 W, is transmitted. Electricity is supplied to all the regions, and the entire surface of the glass can be melted.

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment in which the three divisions of the area of the window glass 11 are changed into vertical divisions, and AC power is used in accordance with the embodiment of FIG.
By selectively energizing j and 1k, ice in a desired area can be melted during traveling.

As described above, the present invention has been described in detail by the above-described embodiments. However, various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention, and these are not excluded from the scope of the present invention.

(Effects of the Invention) According to the present invention, the ice-melt region of the window glass is divided into the same number of layers as the number of phases of the generator, and the conductive film in a desired divided region is energized to melt the ice in that region. Also, even with the generator output during the rotation of the engine during running, there is an advantage that the melting of the part for ensuring the visibility for operation can be performed, and there is an advantage that safe driving can be performed. Since no rectifier is required, there is an advantage that an inexpensive device that is lightweight, has low power loss, and can be provided. Further, in the present invention, since the same number of resistance heating elements as the number of phases of the polyphase AC generator are connected in a star shape on the outer periphery of the ice melting region, there is also an effect that wiring is simplified.

Further, according to the present invention, by operating the operation switch, it is possible to easily melt ice in the entire area of the window glass when the vehicle is stopped, and to easily perform defogging in the entire area during traveling.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an internal circuit of the switch unit, FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a circuit related to the controller, FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for energizing a selected area during traveling, FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a window glass divided vertically. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Window glass, 2 ... Generator, 3 ... Battery, 4 ... Step-up transformer, 5 ... Switch unit, 6
…… Controller, 7 …… Operation switches, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d
…… Bus bar, ab, bc …… Insulated slit.

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. An ice melting device for a vehicle, which melts window glass using electric power of a generator driven by an engine, wherein the polyphase alternating current generator is driven by the engine and has a multiphase output terminal. A step-up transformer connected to the polyphase output terminal of the alternator; a rectifier having an input terminal connected to the polyphase output terminal and an output terminal connected to a DC load of the vehicle; And a star-shaped connection around the outer periphery of the ice melting region, the connection being connected to the multi-phase output terminal of the step-up transformer, the same number of resistance heating elements as the number of phases of the polyphase AC generator, and a window. Switching means provided between the star-shaped connection end of the resistance heating element stuck on the glass and the multi-phase output terminal of the step-up transformer, and selectively operating the resistance heating element. Vehicle ice melting device. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said switching means includes a traveling ice melting switch 7c for energizing a selected resistance heating element during traveling while ensuring visibility for driving. Ice melting equipment. 3. A vehicular vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said resistance heating element is formed of a transparent conductive film in the middle of a window glass made of laminated glass, and a heating area by energization is divided by an insulating slit. Ice melting equipment. 4. A switch according to claim 1, wherein said switching means includes a DEF switch 7b for energizing all divided resistance heating element areas during traveling to enable the defrosting of the window glass. Ice melting equipment for vehicles.