JP6233085B2 - Air conditioner for vehicles - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner that performs air conditioning in a vehicle interior and reduces odor in the vehicle interior when a new vehicle is used.

  Conventionally, what was described in patent documents 1 is known as a ventilation device for houses, for example. In the ventilator of Patent Document 1, the ventilation operation is controlled according to the elapsed time from the initial setting in order to reduce the odor in the room of the newly built house. For example, automatic operation ventilation is performed in a predetermined number of days, and automatic operation ventilation is stopped after a predetermined number of days. In addition, the amount of ventilation when performing automatic operation ventilation is controlled so as to decrease according to the number of days elapsed.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-122613

  However, the ventilator of Patent Document 1 is for a house and is not applied to a vehicle. In a vehicle air conditioner, a target air temperature for controlling the temperature in the passenger compartment is set, and an air-conditioning air introduction mode is generally set according to the target air temperature. There was no fundamental measure to reduce odor at the time of purchase.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle air conditioner that can effectively reduce the odor of a new vehicle.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following technical means.

In the present invention, an air conditioning unit (110) that performs air conditioning of the vehicle interior of the vehicle,
The air conditioning unit (110) is controlled so that the temperature in the passenger compartment becomes the target blowing temperature (TAO) calculated based on the set temperature set by the occupant, and the air conditioning unit is set according to the target blowing temperature (TAO). (110) A vehicle air conditioner comprising an outside air mode for introducing outside air or a control unit (120) for setting an inside air mode for introducing inside air,
The controller (120) is characterized in that, in an initial stage after the purchase of a new car, the outside air mode priority operation is performed to preferentially set the outside air mode out of the outside air mode and the inside air mode regardless of the target outlet temperature (TAO) Yes.

  According to this invention, when the air conditioning unit (110) is air-conditioned by the air conditioning control unit (120) in the initial stage after the purchase of a new vehicle, the outdoor air mode priority operation is executed. By this outside air mode priority operation, outside air is preferentially introduced into the vehicle. Since the air-conditioned air is discharged from the inside of the vehicle to the outside of the vehicle, the vehicle interior is actively ventilated. Therefore, it is possible to effectively reduce the odor inside the new vehicle.

  In addition, the code | symbol in the bracket | parenthesis of each said means shows a corresponding relationship with the specific means of embodiment description mentioned later.

It is the schematic which shows the vehicle air conditioner in 1st Embodiment. It is a control map for performing normal inside / outside air control in the first embodiment. It is a control map for performing outside air mode priority control in a 1st embodiment. It is the schematic which shows the vehicle air conditioner in 2nd Embodiment. It is the schematic which shows the vehicle air conditioner in 3rd Embodiment. It is the schematic which shows the vehicle air conditioner in 4th Embodiment. It is the schematic which shows the vehicle air conditioner in 5th Embodiment. It is the schematic which shows the vehicle air conditioner in 6th Embodiment. It is a control map for performing outside air mode priority control in a 7th embodiment.

  A plurality of modes for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, parts corresponding to the matters described in the preceding embodiment may be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted. When only a part of the configuration is described in each mode, the other modes described above can be applied to the other parts of the configuration. Not only combinations of parts that clearly indicate that the combination is possible in each embodiment, but also a combination of the embodiments even if they are not clearly specified unless there is a problem with the combination. It is also possible.

(First embodiment)
A vehicle air conditioner 100A according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The vehicle air conditioner 100A performs air conditioning in the passenger compartment, that is, cooling, heating, dehumidification, and the like. As shown in FIG. 1, an engine control unit 50 for controlling the engine is provided in a vehicle on which the vehicle air conditioner 100A is mounted.

  First, the engine control unit 50 will be briefly described. The engine control unit 50 determines the injection time (injection amount) of fuel to be injected from the fuel injection valve, the injection timing, and the like so that an appropriate engine operation can be obtained according to the operating state of the engine that changes every moment. It is a control means to control. The engine control unit 50 obtains various signals from various sensors provided in the vehicle or by program calculation in order to grasp the operating state of the engine. The various signals are, for example, intake air amount, intake air temperature, crank position, throttle valve opening, engine speed, engine coolant temperature, travel speed, travel distance, fuel consumption, and the like.

  The engine control unit 50 is connected to a Controller Area Network bus (hereinafter referred to as CAN bus (registered trademark)) 10. The CAN bus 10 is a transmission path used for data transmission between in-vehicle devices in an in-vehicle communication network formed by connecting a plurality of in-vehicle devices mounted on a vehicle. The engine control unit 50 can communicate with the vehicle air conditioner 100 </ b> A (the air conditioning control unit 120) located remotely through the CAN bus 10.

  The vehicle air conditioner 100A includes an air conditioning unit 110, an air conditioning control unit 120, and the like, and is mounted inside the instrument panel. The air conditioning unit 110 further includes a blower unit (not shown) that blows air for air conditioning and a temperature control unit (not shown) that adjusts the temperature of the air for air conditioning.

  The air blower unit introduces air outside the vehicle (outside air mode) or introduces air inside the vehicle interior by the inside / outside air switching unit set at the most upstream part of the air conditioning air flow in the air conditioning unit 110. (Internal air mode) is selected, and the introduced air-conditioning air is blown into the temperature control unit and further into the passenger compartment by a blower.

  The temperature control unit is formed by providing an evaporator, a heater core, a bypass flow path, an air mix door, and the like in the air conditioning duct, and performs temperature control of the air for air conditioning. The evaporator is a cooling heat exchanger that cools air-conditioning air using a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant among refrigerants circulated by a compressor in a refrigeration cycle. The evaporator is disposed upstream of the air flow for air conditioning in the air conditioning duct. The heater core is a heat exchanger for heating that heats air for air conditioning using engine cooling water as a heating source. The heater core is disposed downstream of the air flow for air conditioning from the evaporator. The bypass flow path is a flow path that bypasses the heater core in the air conditioning duct. An air mix door is a door which changes the mixing ratio of the air-conditioning air quantity which passes a heater core, and the air-conditioning air quantity which passes a bypass flow path by changing the opening degree with respect to a heater core.

  Various air outlets are provided on the most downstream side of the air-conditioning air flow in the air-conditioning duct for blowing the air-conditioned air temperature-controlled by the air-conditioning unit 110 to each part in the passenger compartment. The various outlets are a defroster outlet that blows conditioned air toward the front window of the vehicle, a face outlet that blows conditioned air toward the passenger's face, and a foot that blows conditioned air toward the feet of the passenger It is an outlet. Each air outlet is provided with an air outlet door that opens and closes the air outlet.

  In the rear part of the vehicle, there is provided a discharge port for discharging the conditioned air, which is temperature-controlled by the air conditioning unit 110 and blown into the vehicle interior, in the outside air mode.

  The air conditioning control unit 120 is a control unit that performs air conditioning control by controlling the operation of each part in the air conditioning unit 110 based on the target blowing temperature TAO. The air conditioning control unit 120 first calculates the target blowing temperature TAO based on a predetermined arithmetic expression. The target blowing temperature TAO is a target temperature for controlling the temperature of the conditioned air blown from the air conditioning unit 110 into the vehicle interior. The target blowing temperature TAO is calculated based on an arithmetic expression from a set temperature set by the occupant, an outside air temperature, an inside air temperature, an amount of solar radiation, and the like.

  And the air-conditioning control part 120 controls an inside / outside air switching part based on the target blowing temperature TAO. As shown in FIG. 2, the air-conditioning control unit 120 sets the air-conditioning air introduction mode to the inside air mode in a region where the target outlet temperature TAO is relatively low. Moreover, the air-conditioning control unit 120 sets the air-conditioning air introduction mode to the outside air mode in a region where the target blowout temperature TAO is relatively high (normal inside / outside air operation).

  Moreover, the air-conditioning control part 120 controls the air volume of a blower based on the target blowing temperature TAO. The air conditioning control unit 120 increases the air volume of the blower in a region where the target blowing temperature TAO is relatively low and in a relatively high region, and reduces the air volume of the blower in a region where the target blowing temperature TAO is intermediate. It has become.

  Further, the air conditioning control unit 120 controls the discharge amount of the compressor of the refrigeration cycle and the opening degree of the air mix door based on the target blowing temperature TAO, so that the temperature of the air conditioning air approaches the target blowing temperature TAO. So as to control. Furthermore, the air-conditioning control unit 120 controls opening / closing of the outlet door at each outlet based on the target outlet temperature TAO, and controls which outlet air-conditioning air is blown out. ing.

  Here, when purchasing a new car, for example, dashboards and seats used in the passenger compartment, interior materials used for the ceiling, adhesives, etc. remain in the passenger compartment. Many people dislike the smell. Therefore, in the vehicle air conditioner 100A, the air conditioning control unit 120 performs control (outside air mode priority operation) for reducing the smell of the new vehicle at the initial stage when the new vehicle is purchased.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the air-conditioning control unit 120 is a blowout determined by the target blowout temperature TAO from the purchase of a new vehicle to a predetermined travel distance A described later, as shown in FIG. Regardless of the mode, the outside air mode is preferentially set as the air-conditioning air introduction mode (outside air mode priority operation). That is, under the condition that the introduction mode is selected as the outside air mode by the target blowing temperature TAO, the outside air mode setting is set as it is. The mode is set.

  In the case of the outside air mode as described above, air-conditioning air is introduced into the air-conditioning unit 110 from the outside of the vehicle, temperature-controlled, blown out into the passenger compartment, and discharged from the outlet at the rear of the vehicle to the outside of the vehicle. As a result, the vehicle interior is actively ventilated.

  In the initial stage at the time of purchasing a new car, if the occupant intentionally selects the inside air mode by manual operation, the air conditioning control unit 120 sets the inside air mode.

  The air conditioning control unit 120 sequentially obtains a travel distance signal from the engine control unit 50 via the CAN bus 10 while the outside air mode priority operation is being executed. Then, the air conditioning control unit 120 accumulates the travel distance when traveling with priority on the outside air mode, and when the accumulated distance reaches a predetermined travel distance A, the outside air mode priority operation is canceled, The operation is switched to the normal inside / outside air operation described in FIG. That is, the air conditioning control unit 120 determines the period of the initial stage after the purchase of a new vehicle based on the total distance traveled based on the execution of the outdoor air mode priority operation. The predetermined travel distance A can be set as a distance of about 10,000 km to 20,000 km, for example. The predetermined travel distance A can be arbitrarily set in advance for each vehicle type or passenger.

  As described above, in this embodiment, when the air-conditioning control unit 120 controls the air-conditioning unit 110 in the initial stage when a new vehicle is purchased, the outdoor air mode priority operation is executed. By this outside air mode priority operation, outside air is preferentially introduced into the vehicle. Since the air-conditioned air is discharged from the inside of the vehicle to the outside of the vehicle, the vehicle interior is actively ventilated. Therefore, it is possible to effectively reduce the odor inside the new vehicle.

  In addition, the air conditioning control unit 120 determines that the initial stage after the purchase of a new vehicle is based on the sum of the travel distances based on the execution of the outdoor air mode priority operation. In the vehicle, in the outside air mode, in addition to the air blown by the air blower of the air conditioning unit 110, the vehicle speed wind during traveling is introduced into the air conditioning unit 110. That is, when the vehicle is traveling, a ventilation action using outside air can be obtained more effectively. Therefore, it is possible to clearly determine whether or not the outdoor air mode priority operation is necessary by determining the initial stage after the purchase of the new vehicle based on the sum of the travel distances based on the execution of the outdoor air mode priority operation.

(Second Embodiment)
A vehicle air conditioner 100B of the second embodiment is shown in FIG. In contrast to the first embodiment, the second embodiment uses a target vehicle as a plug-in hybrid vehicle, an electric vehicle, or a solar cell mounted vehicle, and parks the vehicle according to the charge amount of the vehicle battery 21 that is charged and managed. Sometimes the outdoor mode priority operation is performed.

  Among target vehicles, a plug-in hybrid vehicle uses an engine and a motor for driving as a driving source for driving, and can charge electric power to the vehicle battery 21 using a plug from a household power source (home outlet). It is.

  In addition, the electric vehicle is a vehicle that uses a traveling motor as a driving source for traveling, and can charge the vehicle battery 21 with electric power from a household power source or a charging station provided in a public facility.

  In addition, the solar cell-equipped vehicle has a solar cell mounted on the roof portion, for example, in a hybrid vehicle, and can convert light energy from the sun into electric power by the solar cell and charge the generated electric power to the vehicle battery 21. It is a vehicle.

  In such a vehicle, for example, when the vehicle is parked, for example, charging of the vehicle battery 21 is controlled by the battery control unit 22. The battery control unit 22 is connected to the CAN bus 10.

  The air conditioning controller 120 of the vehicle air conditioner 100 </ b> B can obtain the state of charge of the vehicle battery 21 via the CAN bus 10. And the air-conditioning control part 120 is a case where the vehicle is parked, and when the charge amount of the vehicle battery 21 is larger than the predetermined charge amount, the outside air mode priority operation is executed. That is, in the present embodiment, in the first embodiment after the purchase of a new vehicle, at the time of parking when the occupant is not on the vehicle, the first embodiment is intended for a vehicle whose charging to the vehicle battery 21 is managed by the battery control unit 22. The outside air mode priority operation described in the above is executed.

  When air-conditioning inside the vehicle when the vehicle is running, if the outside air mode is prioritized, it may take a long time to control the cabin temperature due to the influence of outside air, and the passenger comfort may be reduced. However, it is not necessary to worry about a decrease in comfort for the occupant by performing the outdoor air mode priority operation during parking. At this time, there is a possibility that the vehicle battery 21 may be raised by operating the air conditioning unit 110 during parking. Here, for a plug-in hybrid vehicle, an electric vehicle, or a vehicle equipped with a solar battery to be charged, when the charge amount of the vehicle battery 21 is larger than a predetermined charge amount, the outside air mode priority operation is executed. It is possible to prevent the battery 21 from rising.

(Third embodiment)
A vehicle air conditioner 100C of the third embodiment is shown in FIG. In the third embodiment, an exhaust fan 111 is provided at the exhaust port of the vehicle, and the exhaust air fan 111 is added to perform the outdoor air mode priority operation, compared to the first embodiment.

  The exhaust fan 111 is, for example, a small and thin fan, and is provided at an exhaust port at the rear of the vehicle. The operation of the exhaust fan 111 is controlled by the air conditioning control unit 120.

  The air conditioning control unit 120 of the vehicle air conditioner 100C is configured to simultaneously operate the exhaust fan 111 when executing the outdoor air mode priority operation.

  Thereby, the air in the vehicle compartment can be forcibly discharged by the exhaust fan 111 when the outside air mode priority operation is executed. Therefore, the ventilation effect by the outside air mode priority operation can be enhanced.

(Fourth embodiment)
A vehicle air conditioner 100D of the fourth embodiment is shown in FIG. In the fourth embodiment, an odor sensor 112 as odor detection means is provided with respect to the first embodiment, and the outdoor mode priority operation is temporarily canceled according to a signal obtained by the odor sensor 112. Yes.

  The odor sensor 112 is a sensor that detects a specific odor outside the vehicle. The object of odor is, for example, the odor of fertilizer in cultivated land such as fields, the odor of livestock in livestock farms, and the smell of treatment agents used in factory areas. The odor signal obtained by the odor sensor 112 is output to the air conditioning control unit 120.

  When the air conditioning control unit 120 of the vehicle air conditioner 100D executes the outdoor air mode priority operation, when the odor outside the vehicle (odor signal) obtained from the odor sensor 112 is higher than a predetermined odor level, The outside air mode priority operation is temporarily canceled to switch to the inside air mode. The predetermined odor level is an odor level that is felt uncomfortable for the passenger.

  Accordingly, when the odor outside the vehicle is higher than a predetermined odor level, it is possible to prevent the odor outside the vehicle from being introduced into the vehicle, and a comfortable vehicle interior environment can be maintained.

(Fifth embodiment)
A vehicle air conditioner 100E of the fifth embodiment is shown in FIG. The fifth embodiment is provided with a release switch 113 as a release selection means that can be input by an occupant's manual operation with respect to the first embodiment. To cancel.

  The release switch 113 is a switch that is input when an occupant who is aware in advance of the outdoor air mode priority operation does not feel the necessity of the outdoor air mode priority operation. The input release signal is output to the air conditioning control unit 120. It has become so.

  When the air conditioning control unit 120 of the vehicle air conditioner 100E receives the release signal from the release switch 113 when executing the outside air mode priority operation, even before the predetermined stage after the purchase of the new vehicle is finished, The outside air mode priority operation is canceled, and the normal inside / outside air operation is performed thereafter.

  Some occupants do not care much about the smell in the passenger compartment when the vehicle is new. If such a person makes a selection by the release switch 113 in the initial stage after the purchase of a new vehicle, the outside air mode priority operation based on the intention of the occupant can be released.

(Sixth embodiment)
A vehicle air conditioner 100F of the sixth embodiment is shown in FIG. The sixth embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that an inside / outside air selection switch 114 is provided as a mode selection means that can be input by an occupant's manual operation. Accordingly, the outside air mode priority operation is canceled.

  The inside / outside air selection switch 114 is a switch for selecting and inputting the inside air mode or the outside air mode according to the intention of the occupant, and the input selection signal is output to the air conditioning control unit 120.

  The air conditioning control unit 120 of the vehicle air conditioner 100E stores the frequency when the inside air mode is selected among the selection signals in the initial stage after the purchase of a new vehicle. And if the selection frequency of the stored inside air mode exceeds a predetermined frequency set in advance, the outside air mode priority operation is canceled even after the predetermined stage after the purchase of the new car is finished, and thereafter Operate inside and outside air.

  Some occupants do not care much about the smell in the passenger compartment when the vehicle is new. If such a person likes to select the inside air mode in the initial stage after the purchase of a new car and prefers the outside air mode to be prioritized by automatic control, and the selection frequency exceeds a predetermined frequency, It is not necessary to force the outside air mode priority operation. Therefore, in such a case, it is possible to achieve air conditioning control that meets the passenger's wishes by canceling the outside air mode priority operation.

(Seventh embodiment)
The basic configuration of the vehicle air conditioner of the seventh embodiment is the same as that of the vehicle air conditioner 100A of the first embodiment, but the control content by the air conditioning control unit 120 is different.

  In the vehicle air conditioner of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, in normal control, the air-conditioning air introduction mode set in accordance with the target blowout temperature TAO is the inside air mode and the outside air mode. And an inside / outside air mode for introducing both outside and outside air.

  And in the initial stage after the purchase of a new car, the air conditioning control unit 120 determines that the introduction mode of the air for air conditioning based on the target blowing temperature TAO is a condition for selecting the inside / outside air mode, and the outside air amount to be introduced is greater than the inside air amount. In this way, the outside air mode priority operation is executed. The ratio between the amount of outside air and the amount of inside air can be set, for example, such that the amount of outside air is 70 to 80 and the amount of inside air is 30 to 20.

  As a result, air-conditioning by introducing air-conditioning air using both inside and outside air can be performed, and a ventilation action using more outside air can be exhibited, thereby enabling fine control.

21 Vehicle Battery 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D, 100E, 100F Vehicle Air Conditioner 110 Air Conditioning Unit 111 Ventilation Fan 112 Odor Sensor (Odor Detection Means)
113 release switch (release selection means)
114 Inside / outside air selection switch (mode selection means)
120 Air-conditioning control unit (control unit)

Claims (8)

An air conditioning unit (110) for performing air conditioning in a vehicle interior of the vehicle;
The air conditioning unit (110) is controlled so that the temperature in the passenger compartment becomes a target blowing temperature (TAO) calculated based on a set temperature set by the occupant, and according to the target blowing temperature (TAO). A vehicle air conditioner comprising an outside air mode for introducing outside air into the air conditioning unit (110) or a control unit (120) for setting an inside air mode for introducing inside air,
The control unit (120) performs an outside air mode priority operation that preferentially sets the outside air mode out of the outside air mode and the inside air mode regardless of the target blowing temperature (TAO) in an initial stage after the purchase of a new vehicle. An air conditioner for a vehicle. The vehicle is a plug-in hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle in which the vehicle battery (21) is charged during parking, or a solar cell-equipped vehicle in which the vehicle battery (21) is charged by power generation of a solar cell,
The said control part (120) performs the said external air mode priority driving | operation, when the charge amount of the said vehicle battery (21) is larger than predetermined charge amount at the time of the said parking. Vehicle air conditioner. An exhaust fan (111) is provided at an exhaust port through which air in the vehicle interior is exhausted to the outside of the vehicle,
The said control part (120) operates the said exhaust fan (111) when performing the said external air mode priority driving | operation, The vehicle air conditioner of Claim 1 or Claim 2 characterized by the above-mentioned. Comprising odor detecting means (112) for detecting an odor outside the vehicle;
When the odor outside the vehicle obtained by the odor detecting means (112) is higher than a predetermined odor level, the control unit (120) cancels the outside air mode priority operation, and the inside air mode The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the vehicle air conditioner is switched to. Release selection means (113) that enables selection of release of the outside air mode priority operation by manual operation of the occupant,
The said control part (120) cancels | releases the said external mode priority operation | movement, if selection by the said cancellation | release selection means (113) of the said passenger | crew is performed in the initial stage after the said new vehicle purchase. The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 4 to 5. Mode selection means (114) that enables selection of the outside air mode or the inside air mode by manual operation of the occupant,
In an initial stage after the purchase of the new vehicle, the control unit (120) performs the outdoor air mode priority operation when the frequency of selection of the inside air mode by the mode selection means (114) of the passenger exceeds a predetermined frequency. The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the vehicle air conditioner is canceled. The control unit (120) is configured to set an inside / outside air mode that is intermediate between the outside air mode and the inside air mode according to the target outlet temperature (TAO),
7. The outside air mode priority operation is performed by setting the outside air amount to be larger than the inside air amount under the condition that the original inside / outside air mode should be selected. The vehicle air conditioner as described in any one.   The said control part (120) determines that it is the initial stage after a new vehicle purchase by the sum total of the travel distance based on execution of the said external air mode priority driving | operation. The vehicle air conditioner as described in one.

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