JP5858904B2 - Vehicle air conditioning system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle air-conditioning system used for vehicles such as passenger railway vehicles and large buses.

In a conventional vehicle air conditioning system, an air conditioner is provided on the roof of the vehicle, and an air inlet and a blowout port of the air conditioner are provided on the ceiling of a passenger cabin.
When the air in the cabin is warmed by the heating operation of such an air conditioning system for vehicles, the heating airflow blown out from the outlet of the air conditioner tends to accumulate above the cabin. For this reason, the temperature of the air below the passenger compartment where the seats and the like are provided remains low, and passengers feel that their feet are cold, and passenger comfort may not be maintained.

  Therefore, an air passage is provided on the wall surface of the passenger compartment of the vehicle and a discharge port is formed at a lower position and an intermediate position of the air passage, and a heating air flow is blown out from the discharge port of the air passage to the vicinity of the floor during heating operation. There has been proposed an air conditioning system for a vehicle (see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-200563 (page 2, lower left column, lines 14 to 18)

  In the vehicle air conditioning system described in Patent Document 1, since the air passage is provided on the wall surface of the cabin, there is a problem that the width dimension of the cabin is reduced. Further, since the air passage is provided on the wall surface of the guest room, there is a problem that the structure of the wall forming the guest room becomes complicated. In addition, in order to make the temperature distribution of the air in the passenger cabin uniform, it is necessary to provide a large number of air outlets, and there is a problem that the structure of the wall and the air passage forming the passenger cabin is further complicated.

  The present invention has been made against the background of the above problems, and provides a vehicle air-conditioning system capable of making the temperature distribution of air in a guest room closer to uniform while ensuring the width of the guest room. Moreover, the air conditioning system for vehicles which can make temperature distribution of the air of a passenger | crew close uniformly, suppressing the airflow which a passenger feels with a simple structure.

An air conditioning system for a vehicle according to the present invention includes an air conditioner that air-conditions a space inside a vehicle, a transverse flow that is provided on the back side of the ceiling of the space and in the center in the width direction of the vehicle, and sends air to the space. Based on a blower, passenger estimation means for estimating the number of passengers inside the vehicle, a heating operation start signal of the air conditioner, and estimation information output from the passenger estimation means, air flow of the cross flow blower Control means for controlling the operation, the control means, when the air conditioner performs a heating operation, the air flow direction of the cross flow blower at the swing angle based on the estimation information, the width direction of the vehicle Rocks.

  According to the vehicle air conditioning system of the present invention, when performing a heating operation, relatively warm air and cold air in the space inside the vehicle can be mixed, so that the temperature distribution in the space inside the vehicle Can be made uniform in a short time. In addition, when performing the heating operation, the air flow direction of the cross flow fan is swung in the width direction of the vehicle at a swing angle based on the number of passengers, so that the air flow of the cross flow fan can be made difficult to hit the passenger. Comfort can be improved. Moreover, since it is not necessary to provide a new air path on the wall surface of the passenger cabin, the passenger comfort can be improved with a simple structure.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the vehicle air conditioning system which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the rocking | swiveling angle in rocking | fluctuation operation | movement of the crossflow fan of the vehicle air conditioner system which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the relationship between operation | movement of the crossflow fan of the vehicle air conditioner system which concerns on Embodiment 1, and the number of passengers. It is a figure which shows the result of having simulated the temperature distribution of the air of a guest room after the air conditioner of the vehicle air conditioning system which concerns on the comparative example 1 starts heating operation. It is a figure which shows the result of having simulated the temperature distribution of the air of a guest room after the air conditioner of the vehicle air conditioning system which concerns on Embodiment 1 starts heating operation. The figure which shows the result of having simulated the temperature difference of the height direction of the air temperature of the guest room of the vehicle air conditioning system which concerns on the comparative example 1, and the vehicle air conditioning system which concerns on Embodiment 1 when rocking angle (theta) is changed. It is. It is a figure which shows the outline | summary of the airflow of the vehicle air conditioning system which concerns on the comparative example 1 and Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of control of the vehicle air conditioning system which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of control of the vehicle air conditioning system which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the vehicle air conditioning system which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the ventilation pattern determination method of the crossflow fan 3 by the human detection sensor of the vehicle air conditioning system which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG.

Hereinafter, a vehicle air conditioning system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
In the description of the embodiment, a vehicle air-conditioning system used for a passenger railway vehicle is described. However, the vehicle air-conditioning system according to the present invention includes a vehicle used for other vehicles such as a bus. Includes air conditioning system. Moreover, in each figure, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same member or the same part. In the drawings shown below, the configuration related to the main part of the present invention is mainly shown, and the detailed structure of the vehicle air conditioning system not directly related to the main part is simplified or omitted. Yes. Further, the present invention is not limited by the form of the drawings shown below.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
(Configuration of vehicle air conditioning system)
First, the configuration of the vehicle air conditioning system according to Embodiment 1 will be described.
1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle air conditioning system according to Embodiment 1. FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle air conditioning system 1 includes at least an air conditioner 2, a cross flow blower 3, a suction port temperature sensor 4, and a control unit 5. The control unit 5 of the first embodiment corresponds to the “control unit” in the present invention.

  The air conditioner 2 is provided on the roof 21 of the vehicle 20. The cross-flow blower 3 is provided in the space on the back side of the ceiling 23 of the passenger cabin 22 provided in the vehicle 20 (the ceiling back 24) and in the center in the width direction of the vehicle 20. The “center” in the width direction of the vehicle 20 does not necessarily mean strictly the center, and the wind sent from the cross-flow blower 3 into the cabin 22 is not biased in the width direction of the cabin 22. If it is, it is allowed to be off the center. The cabin 22 corresponds to the “space inside the vehicle” in the present invention.

  The air in the guest room 22 is sucked into the air conditioner 2 from the suction port 25 formed in the ceiling 23 and is air-conditioned by the air conditioner 2. Ducts (not shown) are provided on both sides of the cross flow blower 3, and the air conditioned by the air conditioner 2 is blown out from the outlet 26 to the cabin 22 through the ducts (not shown). The suction port 25 and the blowout port 26 are formed in the ceiling 23. In the first embodiment, the suction port 25 and the blowout port 26 are provided symmetrically with respect to the center in the width direction of the vehicle 20, and the suction port 25 is closer to the side wall of the vehicle 20 than the blowout port 26. It is provided in the position near.

  The air conditioner 2 is controlled by the control unit 5 and performs the heating operation, the cooling operation, or the like to air-condition the air in the cabin 22. The air in the guest room 22 is sucked from the suction port 25 as indicated by an arrow 41 indicating the suction airflow of the air conditioner 2. Heating airflow and cooling airflow from the air conditioner 2 are blown out from the outlet 26 to the cabin 22 as indicated by arrows 42 indicating the airflow of the air conditioner.

  The cross flow blower 3 is provided such that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 20. The cross-flow blower 3 is provided with an air discharge port 3a, and this discharge port 3a can swing in the direction of an arrow 43 indicating the movement of air in FIG. The air sent out from the discharge port 3 a of the cross flow blower 3 is blown out from the blowout port 27 provided in the ceiling 23 to the cabin 22. In FIG. 1, the blown air flow blown out from the cross flow blower 3 into the cabin 22 is indicated by an arrow 44. The blowout port 27 is formed at the approximate center in the width direction of the vehicle 20.

Here, the swing angle of the cross flow fan 3 will be described.
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a swing angle in a swing operation of the cross flow fan of the vehicle air conditioning system according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the swinging operation of the discharge port 3a of the cross-flow blower 3 is performed symmetrically in the width direction with a swing angle of ± θ around the lower direction in FIG.

The description of FIG. 1 is continued.
The suction port temperature sensor 4 is provided in the vicinity of the suction port 25 and detects the temperature of the suction airflow of the air conditioner 2 sucked from the suction port 25. The suction port temperature sensor 4 is composed of an arbitrary temperature sensor that can detect the temperature of air, such as a thermistor. The temperature information detected by the suction port temperature sensor 4 is input to the control unit 5.

Under the floor 29 of the vehicle 20, a load that detects the internal pressure of a spring provided on the carriage of the vehicle 20 to measure the weight data of the vehicle 20 and estimates the number of passengers of the vehicle 20 based on the weight. A sensor 30 is provided. Information on the number of passengers estimated by the load sensor 30 is input to the control unit 5. In the first embodiment, the load sensor 30 corresponds to “passenger estimation means” of the present invention. Note that the load sensor 30 may output information on the weight of the vehicle 20 to the control unit 5, and the control unit 5 may estimate the number of passengers based on the weight information. In this case, the control unit 5 and the load sensor may be estimated. 30 corresponds to the “passenger estimation means” of the present invention.

  The control unit 5 controls the operation (heating operation, cooling operation, etc.) of the air conditioner 2 based on an operation signal from an operation unit (not shown) provided in the cab, for example. An operation unit (not shown) outputs a signal for instructing the start of the heating operation or the cooling operation, a signal for instructing the stop of the heating operation or the cooling operation, and the like. In addition, when the temperature of the air in the cabin 22 is set by the operation unit (not shown), the control unit 5 operates the temperature of the suction airflow of the air conditioner 2 detected by the suction port temperature sensor 4. The operation of the air conditioner 2 is controlled so that the temperature is set by a unit (not shown). Hereinafter, the temperature set by the operation unit (not shown) is referred to as “set temperature”. The control unit 5 can be configured by hardware such as a circuit device that realizes the function, or can be configured by an arithmetic device such as a microcomputer or a CPU, and software executed thereon.

  Moreover, the control part 5 controls the ventilation operation | movement of the crossflow fan 3 so that it may mention later according to the state (in heating operation or during heating operation stop) of the air conditioner 2, and the signal from the load sensor 30. To do.

(Operation of vehicle air conditioning system)
Next, the operation of the vehicle air conditioning system 1 according to Embodiment 1 will be described.
The control part 5 will start the ventilation operation | movement of the crossflow air blower 3, if the start signal of the heating operation of the air conditioner 2 is acquired. Here, the heating operation start signal is a signal instructing the start of the heating operation output from the operation unit (not shown) to the air conditioner 2, or that the air conditioner 2 has started the heating operation. As long as the signal can be synchronized with the start of the heating operation of the air conditioner 2 such as a signal output from the air conditioner 2, the source is not limited. When the start signal of the heating operation is acquired, the control unit 5 causes the cross-flow fan 3 to perform a transient air blowing operation that blows air while swinging at a swing angle ± θ degrees in the width direction of the vehicle 20. The discharge port 3a is swung. Such a transient air blowing operation promotes the agitation of the air in the cabin 22 and the mixing of the warm air and the cold air, so that the temperature of the air in the cabin 22 can be made uniform. When the heating operation of the air conditioner 2 is stopped, the control unit 5 stops the blowing operation of the cross flow fan 3.

The controller 5 basically controls the cross flow blower 3 so that the air blowing direction from the cross flow blower 3 becomes the swing angle ± θ during the heating operation as described above. The operation is variably controlled based on the number of passengers estimated by the load sensor 30.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the operation of the cross-flow blower of the vehicle air-conditioning system according to Embodiment 1 and the number of passengers.
The number of passengers 61 by the load sensor 30 provided in the vehicle 20, for example, is estimated based on the average weight per person (e.g., 65 kg).
When it is estimated that the number of passengers 61 is less than the number of seats of the vehicle 20, the control unit 5 considers that all the passengers 61 are sitting on the seats 28. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3A, the control unit 5 performs air flow control so that the cross flow blower 3 blows air while swinging at a swing angle ± θ. Note that θ is an angle at which the passenger 61 sitting on the seat 28 does not feel the airflow and is, for example, ± 40 degrees or less although it varies depending on the dimensions of the vehicle 20.

When the estimated number of passengers 61 is equal to or greater than the number of seats of the vehicle 20 but less than the number of [seats] + [hanging leather], the control unit 5 determines that the passengers 61 are sitting on the seats 28. It is considered to be in leather or near the door. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3B, the control unit 5 fixes the blowing direction of the cross flow blower 3 downward (θ = ± 0 degrees) to perform the blowing operation. That is, the wind from the cross flow blower 3 is supplied between passengers 61 caught on the strap at a position substantially symmetrical with respect to the center in the width direction of the vehicle 20, and the air flow from the cross flow blower 3 is directly supplied to the passenger 61. You can avoid hitting.

Furthermore, when the estimated number of passengers 61 is equal to or greater than the number of [seats] + [straps] of the vehicle 20, the control unit 5 considers that the inside of the vehicle 20 is almost full. At this time, the control unit 5 stops the blowing operation of the cross flow blower 3 as shown in FIG. This is because in the state where the passenger 61 is almost full, the amount of heat generated from the passenger 61 becomes very large, so the cabin 22 is kept warm even if the cross-flow fan 3 is not blown. is there.

Thus, the control unit 5 varies the blowing operation pattern of the cross flow fan 3 according to the estimated number of passengers 61.

  It should be noted that the number of passengers 61 sitting on the seat 28, the number of passengers 61 held on the strap, and the like may be misaligned between the actual state in the vehicle 20 and those estimated by the control unit 5. In order to reduce this deviation, a cross-flow blower in which the passenger feels the least airflow by changing the estimated amount of average weight per person to an optimal value in consideration of the airflow feeling experienced by the passenger in the actual vehicle 20 in advance. 3 blowing operation patterns can be obtained.

(Operation of air conditioning system for vehicles)
Next, the operation of the vehicle air conditioning system 1 according to Embodiment 1 will be described.
First, the operation of a vehicle air conditioning system (hereinafter referred to as “Comparative Example 1”) that does not have the cross-flow blower 3 will be described as a conventional vehicle air conditioning system.
Before the air conditioner 2 starts the heating operation, the temperature of the air in the cabin 22 is equal to or lower than the set temperature. After the air conditioner 2 starts the heating operation, since the heating airflow is blown out from the outlet 26, the temperature of the air in the cabin 22 rises, but the heating airflow has a lower density than the air in the cabin 22, It accumulates above the guest room 22 and does not reach the lower part of the guest room 22. Therefore, a large temperature difference occurs in the air in the cabin 22 in the height direction. For example, a passenger sitting on the seat 28 feels cold.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a result of simulating the temperature distribution of the air in the cabin after the air conditioner of the vehicle air conditioning system according to Comparative Example 1 starts the heating operation. In addition, in FIG. 4, the result of having simulated the temperature distribution 4 minutes after starting the heating operation of an air conditioner is shown. As shown in FIG. 4, a large temperature distribution is generated in the air in the cabin 22 in the height direction. The temperature distribution is stratified in the height direction, and a large temperature difference occurs particularly below the passenger cabin 22 where passengers sit.

Next, the operation of the vehicle air conditioning system according to Embodiment 1 will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a result of simulating the temperature distribution of the air in the cabin after the air conditioner of the vehicle air conditioning system according to Embodiment 1 starts the heating operation.
FIG. 5 shows the result of simulating the temperature distribution 4 minutes after starting the heating operation of the air conditioner 2 as in FIG. 4. FIG. When not moving (fixed downward), FIG. 5B shows a case where the cross-flow fan 3 is swung. As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the temperature difference of the air in the cabin 22 is reduced. In particular, it can be seen that the warm air reaches the lower part of the passenger cabin 22 where the passengers sit, and the temperature difference of the air in the passenger cabin 22 is smaller than that in FIG.

FIG. 6 shows a simulation of the temperature difference in the height direction of the air temperature in the cabin 22 of the vehicle air conditioning system according to the first comparative example and the vehicle air conditioning system according to the first embodiment when the swing angle θ is changed. It is a figure which shows the result. The temperature difference ΔT shown in FIG. 6 is obtained by averaging the temperature of air at several heights over the entire horizontal plane based on the temperature distribution in the height direction, and in the range from the floor surface to a height of 2 m. The maximum temperature difference is calculated. As shown in FIG. 6, it can be seen that the temperature difference ΔT is small in the vehicle air conditioning system according to Embodiment 1 compared to the vehicle air conditioning system according to Comparative Example 1, and the temperature of the air in the cabin 22 approaches uniformly. .
On the other hand, although the temperature difference is significantly improved as compared with Comparative Example 1, when the swing angle is increased to ± 38 degrees in the first embodiment, the temperature difference becomes relatively large.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an outline of the airflow of the vehicle air conditioning system according to the first comparative example and the first embodiment. FIG. 7A is Comparative Example 1 and there is no cross flow fan 3 (or when the cross fan 3 is stopped), FIG. 7B is the cross flow fan 3 according to the first embodiment. When the swing angle θ is ± 0 degrees, FIG. 7C shows the crossing in Embodiment 1 when the swing angle θ of the cross flow fan 3 is ± 20 degrees, and FIG. 7D shows the crossing in Embodiment 1. The case where the swing angle θ of the air blower 3 is ± 38 degrees is shown.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, when there is no cross flow blower 3 (or when the blow of the cross flow blower 3 is stopped), the air temperature in the cabin 22 is layered in the height direction, Has a low temperature region. On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C, when the swing angle θ of the cross flow blower 3 is ± 0 degrees and the swing angle θ is ± 20 degrees, the air blown out from the outlet 26 The blown airflow (arrow 42) of the conditioner 2 is attracted by the blown airflow (arrow 44) of the cross flow blower 3 blown out from the blowout port 27 and reaches the floor 29 (in FIGS. 7B and 7C). , Indicated by black arrows). Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7D, when the swing angle of the cross flow blower 3 is ± 38 degrees, the blown airflow (arrow 42) from the air conditioner 2 blown from the blowout port 26 is It is agitated by the blown airflow (arrow 44) of the cross flow blower 3 blown out from the blowout port 27, supplied to the vicinity of the ceiling 23, and partly sucked from the suction port 25. Therefore, the amount of airflow reaching the floor 29 is smaller than in the case of FIGS. 7B and 7C, and a relatively low temperature region is created at the lower part of the cabin 22.

  Thus, it is desirable that the swing angle θ when swinging the cross flow fan 3 is an angle within ± 20 degrees. However, even when the swing angle θ is set to a value larger than ± 20 degrees, the temperature of the air in the cabin 22 can be made to be substantially uniform in a short time compared to the first comparative example.

As described above, in the vehicle air conditioning system 1 according to the first embodiment, the air in the passenger compartment 22 can be agitated to mix relatively warm air and cold air. Can be made uniform in a short time and raised in a short time. Since useless operation of the air conditioner 2 is suppressed, an energy saving effect can be obtained.
Furthermore, the vehicle air conditioning system 1 according to the first embodiment changes the swing angle θ of the cross flow blower 3 and the blowing operation (blowing execution / blowing stop) based on the estimated number of passengers 61. When the estimated number of passengers 61 is large, the swing angle in the blowing direction of the cross flow fan 3 is made smaller than when the number of passengers 61 is small. The air can be stirred.
Thus, according to the vehicle air conditioning system 1 of Embodiment 1, passenger comfort can be improved. Moreover, since it is not necessary to provide a new air path in the wall surface etc. of the guest room 22, there exists an outstanding effect that a passenger's comfort can be improved with a simple structure.

  Moreover, since the cross-flow blower 3 is provided on the back side of the ceiling 23 of the cabin 22 of the vehicle 20 and in the center in the width direction of the vehicle 20, air can be efficiently sent to the entire cabin 22. Therefore, stirring and mixing of the air in the passenger compartment 22 are further promoted, and the temperature of the air in the passenger compartment 22 can be made uniform in a shorter time and increased in a shorter time.

  In the first embodiment, the configuration example in which one cross-flow fan 3 is provided for one air conditioner 2 has been described. However, the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 20 with respect to one air conditioner 2 is described. A plurality of cross flow fans 3 may be arranged side by side in the direction, and when one air conditioner 2 performs a heating operation, a plurality of cross flow fans 3 may perform a blowing operation. In addition, a configuration in which a plurality of air conditioners 2 are provided side by side in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 20, and a configuration in which one or a plurality of cross flow fans 3 are provided for each of the plurality of air conditioners 2. Also good.

  Further, in the above description, as the operation pattern of the cross flow blower 3, three patterns of operation with the swing angle θ set to ± 0 degrees, operation with the swing angle θ set to ± 20 degrees, and operation stop are provided. Although it has been described that the cross flow fan 3 operates in any one of the operation patterns according to the number, other operation patterns having different swing angles θ (for example, the swing angle θ is ± 10 degrees) may be further provided. .

  Here, in the above description, when the air conditioner 2 performs the heating operation when the number of passengers is small or medium, the operation example in which the cross flow blower 3 always performs the blowing operation has been described. However, when the temperature distribution of the air in the cabin 22 becomes uniform as time elapses after the heating operation and the air blowing operation of the cross air blower 3 are started, the cross air blower 3 always performs the air blowing operation. It is not necessary to perform. Hereinafter, the example of the ventilation operation | movement of such a crossflow fan 3 is demonstrated.

(Control example of air conditioning system for vehicles)
8 and 9 are diagrams showing a control example of the vehicle air conditioning system according to Embodiment 1. FIG. In FIG.8 and FIG.9, the example of the heating operation of the air conditioner 2 and the ventilation operation | movement of the cross flow fan 3 is shown with the timing chart.
For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 5 starts the air-conditioner 2 heating operation and simultaneously starts the air blowing operation of the cross-flow fan 3, and then the cross-flow fan for the _first time (Δt _ON-1 ). 3 can perform the air blowing operation, and the air blowing operation of the cross flow blower 3 can be stopped after the first time (Δt _ON-1 ) has elapsed. The first time (Δt _ON-1 ) corresponds to the “first time” in the present invention.

Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 5 performs the air blowing operation to the cross flow fan 3 for the first time (Δt _ON−1 ) while the air conditioner 2 is performing the heating operation. Then, the control of stopping the air blowing operation of the cross flow fan 3 for the second time (Δt _OFF−2 ) may be repeatedly performed. The first time (Δt _ON-1 ) is preferably in the range of about 1 to 3 minutes, and needs to be set according to the size and shape of the cabin 22. The second time (Δt _OFF-2 ) needs to be set according to a thermal load such as the amount of heat leakage of the cabin 22, and the air in the cabin 22 after stopping the blowing operation of the cross flow blower 3. It can be set by actually measuring the change in temperature distribution over time.

  Further, in the above description, it is described that the air blowing operation of the cross flow blower 3 is started simultaneously with the start of the heating operation of the air conditioner 2, but for example, the heating operation of the air conditioner 2 and the cross flow blower are started. There may be a time difference from the start of the air blowing operation 3. When the start of the heating operation of the air conditioner 2 and the start of the blowing operation of the cross flow blower 3 are performed simultaneously, the temperature of the air in the cabin 22 is made closer to the uniform in a shorter time and increased in a shorter time. Although it is preferable in that it can be improved and passenger comfort can be further improved, it is not required to be strictly the same.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
Hereinafter, the vehicle air conditioning system according to Embodiment 2 will be described. The second embodiment will be described with a focus on differences from the vehicle air conditioning system according to the first embodiment.

(Configuration of vehicle air conditioning system)
First, the configuration of the vehicle air conditioning system according to Embodiment 2 will be described.
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle air conditioning system according to Embodiment 2. In FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, the vehicle air conditioning system 1 </ b> A includes at least an air conditioner 2, a cross flow blower 3, a suction port temperature sensor 4, and a control unit 5 </ b> A. The control unit 5A corresponds to the “control unit” in the present invention.

  The air conditioner 2 is provided on the roof 21 of the vehicle 20. The cross flow blower 3 is provided in the space on the back side of the ceiling 23 of the passenger cabin 22 of the vehicle 20 (the ceiling back 24) and in the center in the width direction of the vehicle 20. It should be noted that the “center” in the width direction of the vehicle 20 does not necessarily mean that the vehicle is strictly in the center, and the center is such that the wind sent from the cross-flow fan 3 into the cabin 22 is not biased in the width direction. It is allowed to be out of the range. The cabin 22 corresponds to the “space inside the vehicle” in the present invention.

  Air in the guest room 22 that is air-conditioned by the air conditioner 2 is sucked into the air conditioner 2 from a suction port 25 formed in the ceiling 23. Ducts (not shown) are provided on both sides of the cross flow blower 3, and the air conditioned by the air conditioner 2 is blown out from the outlet 26 to the cabin 22 through the ducts (not shown). The suction port 25 and the blowout port 26 are formed in the ceiling 23. In the first embodiment, the suction port 25 and the blowout port 26 are provided symmetrically with respect to the center in the width direction of the vehicle 20, and the suction port 25 is closer to the side wall of the vehicle 20 than the blowout port 26. It is provided in the position near.

  The air conditioner 2 is controlled by the control unit 5 </ b> A, and performs heating operation, cooling operation, and the like to air-condition the air in the cabin 22. The air in the guest room 22 is sucked from the suction port 25 as indicated by an arrow 41 indicating the suction airflow of the air conditioner 2. Heating airflow and cooling airflow from the air conditioner 2 are blown out from the air outlet 26 to the cabin 22 as indicated by arrows 42 indicating the airflow of the air conditioner 2.

  The cross flow blower 3 is provided such that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 20. The cross-flow blower 3 is provided with an air discharge port 3a, and this discharge port 3a can swing in the direction of an arrow 43 indicating the movement of air in FIG. The air sent out from the discharge port 3 a of the cross flow blower 3 is blown out from the blowout port 27 provided in the ceiling 23 to the cabin 22. In FIG. 10, the blown air flow blown out from the cross flow blower 3 into the cabin 22 is indicated by an arrow 44. The blowout port 27 is formed at the approximate center in the width direction of the vehicle 20.

  The suction port temperature sensor 4 is provided in the vicinity of the suction port 25 and detects the temperature of the suction airflow of the air conditioner 2 sucked from the suction port 25. The suction port temperature sensor 4 is composed of an arbitrary temperature sensor that can detect the temperature of air, such as a thermistor. The temperature information detected by the suction port temperature sensor 4 is input to the control unit 5A.

In the second embodiment, the ceiling 23 of the vehicle 20 is provided with a human detection sensor 31 that estimates the number and positions of passengers in the cabin 22. The human detection sensor 31 may be any type of sensor as long as it can detect the number and positions of passengers in the passenger compartment 22, and the number and positions of passengers based on thermal information such as thermopile and pyroelectric elements. Any method may be used, such as a device that detects image detection or a device that uses image recognition by a camera. Information on the number and positions of passengers estimated by the human detection sensor 31 is input to the control unit 5A. In the second embodiment, the human detection sensor 31 corresponds to “passenger estimation means” of the present invention. The human detection sensor 31 detects a physical quantity generated by changes in the number and position of passengers, outputs only the information to the control unit 5A, and the control unit 5A estimates the number and positions of passengers based on the information. In this case, the control unit 5A and the human detection sensor 31 correspond to the “passenger estimation means” of the present invention.

  The control unit 5A is provided inside the air conditioner 2, for example, based on an operation signal from an operation unit (not shown) provided in the cab, the operation of the air conditioner 2 (heating operation, cooling operation, etc.) ) To control. An operation unit (not shown) outputs a signal for instructing the start of the heating operation or the cooling operation, a signal for instructing the stop of the heating operation or the cooling operation, and the like. When the temperature of the air in the cabin 22 is set by the operation unit (not shown), the control unit 5A determines the temperature of the intake airflow of the air conditioner 2 detected by the intake port temperature sensor 4 as shown in FIG. The operation of the air conditioner 2 is controlled so that the temperature is set at (not shown). Hereinafter, the temperature set by the operation unit (not shown) is referred to as “set temperature”. The control unit 5A can be configured by hardware such as a circuit device that realizes the function, or can be configured by an arithmetic device such as a microcomputer or a CPU and software executed thereon.

  Further, the control unit 5A performs the air blowing operation of the cross flow fan 3 as will be described later in accordance with the heating operation state of the air conditioner 2 (during heating operation or during heating operation stop) and a signal from the human detection sensor 31. Control.

(Operation of vehicle air conditioning system)
Next, the operation of the vehicle air conditioning system 1A according to Embodiment 2 will be described.
FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a method for determining a blowing pattern of a cross flow fan by a human detection sensor of the vehicle air conditioning system according to the second embodiment.
The distribution of the passengers 61 in the width direction of the vehicle 20 is measured by the human detection sensor 31. Here, a region where the passenger 61 sits on the seat 28 and a region near the door are a region 71, a region where the passenger 61 is caught by the strap is a region 72, and a region of a passage portion between the left and right straps is a region 73.
Note that when the vehicle 20 stops at the station and the door is opened and closed, the passenger 61 moves in the cabin 22, so the human detection sensor 31 detects that the vehicle 20 leaves the station and the passenger 61 settles at a predetermined position. After that, start the measurement. The timing for starting the measurement may be determined based on the movement amount of the person detected by the human detection sensor 31 or may be determined based on information measured in advance by an actual vehicle.

  The control unit 5 </ b> A controls the blowing operation of the cross flow blower 3 based on the number of passengers in each of the areas 71, 72, and 73 detected by the human detection sensor 31. That is, the control unit 5A determines in advance the number of persons (hereinafter referred to as threshold value N) as a threshold value when making the air blowing operation different, and compares the number of passengers in each region 71, 72, 73 with the threshold value N to cross It is determined how to operate the blower 3. This threshold value N is determined in consideration of the airflow felt by the passenger 61. Since the airflow felt by the passenger 61 varies depending on the dimensions of the vehicle 20 and the time variation of the number of passengers 61, the threshold value N can be determined based on these conditions. The threshold value N can be set to 10 people or less, for example. By determining the threshold value N in this way, a vehicle air conditioning system capable of performing stable air conditioning can be obtained.

Next, a specific example of air blowing operation of the cross flow blower 3 will be described.
When it is determined that the number of passengers 61 in each of the regions 72 and 73 is less than N based on the measurement result of the human detection sensor 31, the control unit 5A moves the cross flow fan 3 at an angle of ± θ degrees. The air is blown to swing. The swing angle θ may be any number as long as the passenger 61 sitting on the seat 28 does not feel the airflow. However, as shown in FIG. The moving angle θ is desirably ± 20 degrees or less.

When it is determined that the number of passengers 61 in the region 72 is N or more and the number of passengers 61 in the region 73 is less than N, the control unit 5A fixes the cross-flow blower 3 downward (θ = ± 0 degrees). Then, the air blowing operation is performed.
Further, when it is determined that there are N or more passengers 61 in the region 73, the control unit 5A stops the blowing of the cross flow blower 3.

  In addition, since there are passengers 61 who move in the cabin 22 while traveling, the human detection sensor 31 continuously measures in time, and increases or decreases in each of the areas 71, 72, and 73 based on differences in heat and camera images. Preferably, the detected passenger 61 is detected, and the control unit 5A controls the air blowing operation of the cross flow blower 3 based on the result.

(Operation of air conditioning system for vehicles)
Next, the operation of the vehicle air conditioning system 1A according to Embodiment 2 will be described.
As a conventional vehicle air-conditioning system, in a vehicle air-conditioning system that does not have the cross-flow blower 3, the temperature of the air in the cabin 22 is equal to or lower than the set temperature before the air conditioner 2 starts the heating operation. After the air conditioner 2 starts the heating operation, since the heating airflow is blown out from the outlet 26, the temperature of the air in the cabin 22 rises, but the heating airflow has a lower density than the air in the cabin 22, It accumulates above the guest room 22 and does not reach the lower part of the guest room 22. Therefore, a large temperature difference occurs in the air in the cabin 22 in the height direction. For example, a passenger sitting on the seat 28 feels cold.

In the vehicle air conditioning system 1A according to the second embodiment, the air in the cabin 22 can be mixed by the cross-flow blower 3 to mix relatively warm air and cold air. Can be made uniform in a short time and raised in a short time. Since useless operation of the air conditioner 2 is suppressed, an energy saving effect can be obtained.
Furthermore, since the swing angle θ of the cross flow blower 3 and the air blowing operation (air blowing execution / air blowing stop) are changed based on the estimated number of passengers 61, the hot air is not easily hit directly on the passenger 61.
Thus, according to the vehicle air conditioning system 1A of Embodiment 2, passenger comfort can be improved. Moreover, since it is not necessary to provide a new air path in the wall surface etc. of the guest room 22, there exists an outstanding effect that a passenger's comfort can be improved with a simple structure.

In the second embodiment, since the human detection sensor 31 is used, the position and number of passengers 61 in the cabin 22 can be grasped more accurately than in the case where only the load sensor 30 is used as in the first embodiment. And the ventilation pattern of the cross flow blower 3 is changed based on the grasped position and number information of the passengers 61.
Therefore, the airflow received by the passenger 61 can be further reduced, and passenger comfort can be further improved.
Even if the number of passengers is estimated based on the outputs of the human detection sensor 31 and the load sensor 30 using the load sensor 30 shown in the first embodiment in addition to the human detection sensor 31 of the second embodiment. Good. By doing in this way, the number of passengers can be estimated more accurately.

  In the above description, when the air conditioner 2 performs the heating operation when the number of passengers in the region 73 is small, the operation example in which the cross flow blower 3 always performs the blowing operation has been described. However, as in, for example, FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 of the first embodiment, the temperature distribution of the air in the cabin 22 becomes uniform over time after the heating operation and the air blowing operation of the cross flow fan 3 are started. If this happens, the cross flow blower 3 may not always perform the blowing operation.

  1, 1A Vehicle air conditioning system, 2 Air conditioner, 3 Cross flow blower, 3a Discharge port, 4 Suction port temperature sensor, 5, 5A Control unit, 20 Vehicle, 21 Roof, 22 Guest room, 23 Ceiling, 24 Ceiling back, 25 Air inlet, 26 Air outlet, 27 Air outlet, 28 Seat, 29 Floor, 30 Load sensor, 31 Person detection sensor, 41 Arrow indicating the airflow of the air conditioner, 42 Arrow indicating the airflow of the air conditioner, 43 Arrow indicating the movement of the crossflow fan, 44 Arrow indicating the blown airflow of the crossflow fan, 61 Passenger.

Claims (6)

An air conditioner that air-conditions the interior space of the vehicle;
A cross flow blower that is provided on the back side of the ceiling of the space and in the center in the width direction of the vehicle, and sends air to the space;
Passenger estimation means for estimating the number of passengers inside the vehicle;
Control means for controlling the blowing operation of the cross flow blower based on the start signal of the heating operation of the air conditioner and the estimation information output from the passenger estimation means,
When the air conditioner performs a heating operation, the control means swings the blowing direction of the cross flow fan in the width direction of the vehicle at a swing angle based on the estimation information. Air conditioning system. The passenger estimating means, in addition to the number of passengers to estimate the position of a passenger in the interior space of the vehicle, according to claim 1, wherein the position of the number and passengers of the passenger and outputs as the estimated information Vehicle air conditioning system. The said control means will start the ventilation operation | movement of the said cross flow air blower, if the start signal of the said air conditioner is acquired. The vehicle air conditioning system of Claim 1 or Claim 2 characterized by the above-mentioned. The said control means stops the said air blow operation, if 1st time passes after making the said cross flow fan start the air blow operation. Vehicle air conditioning system. The said control means makes the said cross flow fan alternately perform execution and a stop of air blowing operation, when the said air conditioner performs heating operation. The any one of Claims 1-3 characterized by the above-mentioned. The vehicle air-conditioning system according to Item. The said control means makes the rocking | fluctuation angle of the said cross flow fan larger when the number of passengers estimated by the said passenger estimation means is smaller than the case where there are many passengers. Item 6. The vehicle air conditioning system according to any one of Items 5.

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