JP6551253B2 - Anti-fog device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an antifogging device that suppresses fogging of a front window of a vehicle.

  The vehicle is provided with an air conditioner, and fogging of the front window of the vehicle is suppressed by this air conditioner. As an air conditioner, one using a refrigeration cycle is known. Air dehumidified by the evaporator constituting the refrigeration cycle is supplied into the passenger compartment, and fogging of the front window is suppressed.

  In addition to the antifogging device using such an air conditioner, an antifogging device described in Patent Document 1 below has also been proposed. The anti-fogging device described in Patent Document 1 below forms a heater, which is a metal pattern thin enough to secure a field of view, on the front window of a vehicle. Suppressed.

JP 2014-218103 A

  Since an air conditioner using a refrigeration cycle needs to drive a compressor, it cannot be employed when a means for driving the compressor is not provided as in a simple electric vehicle. Under the present circumstances, since a simple vehicle can not be equipped with an air conditioner, in order to prevent window fogging, it is necessary to adopt a configuration in which the passenger compartment is opened without being sealed. Therefore, an antifogging device applicable to a simple vehicle not equipped with a conventional air conditioner using a refrigeration cycle contributes to the realization of a simple vehicle capable of sealing a passenger compartment. In addition, when a seat heater or a spot air conditioner is provided, it may be required to separately mount an antifogging device having an antifogging function independent.

  On the other hand, as described in Patent Document 1, when a heater is provided on the front window, the antifogging function can be expressed without relying on a conventional air conditioner, but for antifogging. The constant energization of the heater should be improved from the viewpoint of energy saving.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object thereof is an anti-fogging device of a system different from other air conditioners, which suppresses energy consumption as much as possible and improves the anti-fogging performance of the front window. An object of the present invention is to provide an anti-fogging device that can be secured.

In order to solve the above-described problems, an antifogging device according to the present invention is an antifogging device that suppresses fogging of a front window (20) of a vehicle. A ventilation section (10) capable of adjusting the amount of ventilation with air outside the passenger compartment, a heater section (21) for heating the front window without blocking the view of the front window on the vehicle interior side of the front window, a blower and a heater section And a controller (30) for controlling the The control unit increases the rotational speed of the blower when the anti-fogging execution condition that allows determining that the front window is fogged is satisfied, and energizes the heater unit when the fog of the front window is not removed after that. Execute the anti-fogging mode. In the execution of the anti-fogging mode, the control unit reduces the rotational speed of the blower at least and energizes the heater unit when instruction information for maintaining the humidity in the passenger compartment is input.

  In the present invention, when the control unit determines that the front window is cloudy, the rotational speed of the blower is increased. By driving the blower, the amount of ventilation between the air in the vehicle interior and the air outside the vehicle interior can be adjusted, so that the humidity in the vehicle interior decreases and the front window becomes cloudy. Furthermore, when the fogging of the front window is not removed even by driving the blower, the heater unit is energized, so that the fogging of the front window can be eliminated. In this way, since the blower is driven first and then the heater unit is energized, energy consumption can be suppressed as compared with the case where the heater unit is energized from the beginning to remove fog. Furthermore, since the blower is provided in the ventilating section as long as it can replace the air inside and outside the vehicle compartment, it is possible to exhibit antifogging performance without providing an air conditioner using a refrigeration cycle.

  Reference numerals in parentheses described in “Means for Solving the Problems” and “Claims” indicate a correspondence relationship with “Mode for Carrying Out the Invention” described later, It does not indicate that the invention described in “Means for Solving the Problems” and “Claims” is limited to “Mode for Carrying Out the Invention” described later.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it is an anti-fogging apparatus of a system different from other air conditioners, Comprising: It is providing the anti-fogging apparatus which can suppress energy consumption as much as possible and can ensure the anti-fogging performance of a front window. it can.

FIG. 1 is a view for explaining a schematic configuration of an antifogging device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a view for explaining the interrelationship of functional components of the antifogging device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the antifogging device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a graph showing an example of a change in humidity when the rotational speed of the blower is increased. FIG. 5 is a graph showing an example of a change in humidity when the rotational speed of the blower is increased. FIG. 6 is a graph showing an example of a change in humidity when the rotational speed of the blower is increased. FIG. 7 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the antifogging device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the antifogging device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In order to facilitate understanding of the description, the same constituent elements in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and redundant description will be omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an antifogging device 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a ventilation unit 10 and a film heater 21. The anti-fogging device 2 further includes a humidity sensor 22, an operation panel 23, an outside air temperature sensor 24, and an outside air detection sensor 25.

  The ventilation unit 10 is a device that performs indoor ventilation of a vehicle in which the antifogging device 2 is provided. The ventilation unit 10 includes a ventilation air passage 101, a sensible heat exchanger 102, and a blower 108.

  When the blower 108 is driven, an air flow is generated in the ventilation air passage 101 so that the air inside the vehicle interior and the air outside the vehicle interior are exchanged. The sensible heat exchanger 102 is a heat exchanger that exchanges the sensible heat of air coming out of the vehicle interior to the outside of the vehicle and the sensible heat of air entering the vehicle interior from the outside of the vehicle outside. Therefore, it is configured such that moisture in the passenger compartment is released outside the passenger compartment and the temperature in the passenger compartment does not drop.

  The film heater 21 is provided on the vehicle interior side of the front window 20. The film heater 21 is formed so as not to block the field of view through the front window 20. The film heater 21 is a layer including a transparent thin film-like or linear heater part including any of carbon nanotubes (also called CNTs), metal particles, carbon particles, and metal oxide particles, and is configured as a metal deposition film It may be. For example, it may be configured as a thin film in which any of carbon nanotubes, metal particles, carbon particles, and metal oxide particles are dispersed in a resin as a binder. Moreover, you may be comprised by the several line-shaped heating wire | line using the wire formed using the carbon nanotube. It is also preferable that the film heater 21 be provided with a protective film and a heat insulating film. The film heater 21 and the components associated therewith correspond to the heater portion of the present invention.

  The humidity sensor 22 is a sensor for detecting the humidity in the vehicle interior, particularly in the vicinity of the front window 20. Since it can be determined whether or not the front window 20 is cloudy depending on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22, the humidity sensor 22 corresponds to the cloud detection sensor of the present invention.

  The operation panel 23 is an input unit capable of setting the ventilation state. By operating the operation panel 23 and selecting execution of the anti-fogging mode, the blower 108 can be driven, and the fogging of the front window 20 can be removed by cooperation with the film heater 21 as described later. Further, the operation panel 23 is also provided with an input interface for mode input such as "fogging mode" and "beautifying mode".

  The outside air temperature sensor 24 is a sensor for detecting the temperature outside the vehicle. The outside air detection sensor 25 is a sensor for detecting the degree of contamination of the outside air.

  As shown in FIG. 2, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 30 corresponding to the control unit of the present invention includes a humidity sensor 22, an operation panel 23, an outside air temperature sensor 24, and an outside air detection sensor 25. Or an operation signal is input. The ECU 30 performs calculations based on these detection signals and operation signals, and outputs drive signals for driving them to the blower 108 and the film heater 21.

  Subsequently, the operation of the antifogging device 2 will be described with reference to FIG. Incidentally, unless otherwise specified, the subject of judgment and operation is the ECU 30. In step S101, it is determined whether window fogging of the front window 20 has been detected. The determination of the window fog can be made based on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22. It can also be determined based on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22 and the temperature of the front window 20. The temperature of the front window 20 may be directly detected, or may be estimated from the outside air temperature or the vehicle speed. It can also be estimated using at least one of the outside air temperature, the number of passengers, the vehicle speed, the weather, and the rotation speed of the blower 108. If window fogging of the front window 20 is detected, the process proceeds to step S102. If window fogging of the front window 20 is not detected, the process proceeds to step S103.

  In step S103, the stopped state of the blower 108 and the film heater 21 is maintained, and the process returns. In step S102, the blower 108 is driven to rise to the first upper limit rotation speed. In step S104 following step S102, it is determined whether the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22 has started to decrease. If the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22 decreases, the process proceeds to the process of step S105. If the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22 does not decrease, the process proceeds to the process of step S106.

  As exemplified in FIG. 4, when the blower 108 is started to be driven from time t1 and reaches the first upper limit rotation speed at time t2, the humidity continues to rise as in the humidity line L1 or as in the humidity line L2 It shows the behavior of turning down. In FIG. 4, although the humidity line L1 is depicted as linearly rising for simplification of illustration, in practice, the humidity line L1 often rises so as to be slightly reduced according to the driving of the blower 108. .

  When the degree of increase decreases toward time t2 as shown by the humidity line L2 and starts to decrease at time t2, the rotational speed of the blower 108 is maintained at the first upper limit rotational speed. At time t3, the humidity falls below the condensation threshold, and the fogging of the front window 20 is removed. The determination of “YES” in step S104 of FIG. 3 is a case where the behavior like the humidity line L2 is shown as an example. The determination of “NO” in step S104 of FIG. 3 is a case where the behavior like the humidity line L1 is shown as an example.

  In step S105 after “YES” is determined in step S104 of FIG. 3, the blower 108 is maintained in a state of rotating at the first upper limit rotation speed. It is the state of the time t2 to the time t3 illustrated in FIG. When the process of step S105 ends, the process returns.

  In step S106 after “NO” is determined in step S104 of FIG. 3, the rotational speed of the blower is increased to the second upper limit rotational speed. In step S107 following step S106, it is determined whether the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22 has started to decrease. If the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22 decreases, the process proceeds to the process of step S108. If the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22 does not decrease, the process proceeds to the process of step S109.

  As illustrated in FIG. 5, the blower 108 is controlled to increase the rotational speed also after time t4 slightly after time t2, and when the second upper limit rotational speed is reached at time t5, the humidity is the humidity line L1A It shows the behavior of whether it continues to rise as shown in FIG. 6 or starts to fall like the humidity line L2A.

  When the degree of increase decreases toward time t5 as shown by the humidity line L2A and starts decreasing at time t5, the rotational speed of the blower 108 is maintained at the second upper limit rotational speed. At time t6, the humidity falls below the condensation threshold, and the fogging of the front window 20 is removed. The case where “YES” is determined in step S107 in FIG. 3 is a case where the behavior like the humidity line L2A is shown as an example. The determination of “NO” in step S107 in FIG. 3 is a case where the behavior like the humidity line L1A is shown as an example.

  In step S108 after “YES” is determined in step S107 in FIG. 3, the blower 108 is maintained in a state of rotating at the second upper limit rotation speed. It is the state of time t5 to time t6 illustrated in FIG. When the process of step S108 ends, the process returns.

  In step S109 after “NO” is determined in step S107 of FIG. 3, the film heater 21 is energized and operated. When the film heater 21 is operated, the humidity dew condensation threshold increases as illustrated in FIG. Therefore, even if the fogging can not be removed even if the blower 108 is driven at the second upper limit rotation speed, the fogging can be removed by the operation of the film heater 21.

  As described above, the anti-fogging device 2 according to the present embodiment suppresses the fogging of the front window 20 of the vehicle, and drives the blower 108 so that the ventilation amount between the air in the vehicle interior and the air outside the vehicle interior. A ventilating unit 10 that can adjust the front window 20, a film heater 21 as a heater unit that heats the front window 20 without blocking the field of view of the front window 20 on the vehicle interior side of the front window 20, and a blower 108 and a film heater 21 are controlled. ECU30 as a control part. The ECU 30 raises the rotational speed of the blower 108 when the anti-fogging execution condition that can determine that the front window 20 is cloudy is satisfied, and thereafter the film heater 21 is energized when the cloud of the front window 20 is not removed Execute the anti-fogging mode.

  If the ECU 30 determines that the front window 20 is cloudy, the rotational speed of the blower 108 is increased. By driving the blower 108, it is possible to adjust the amount of ventilation between the air in the vehicle interior and the air outside the vehicle interior, so that the humidity in the vehicle interior decreases and acts to eliminate fogging of the front window 20. Furthermore, when the fogging of the front window 20 is not removed even by driving the blower 108, the film heater 21 is energized, so that the fogging of the front window 20 can be eliminated. Thus, since the blower 108 is driven first and then the film heater 21 is energized, energy consumption can be suppressed as compared with the case where the film heater 21 is energized from the beginning to remove fog. Furthermore, since the blower 108 only needs to be able to exchange the air inside and outside the vehicle interior, the anti-fogging performance can be exhibited without providing an air conditioner using a refrigeration cycle.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the ventilating unit 10 discharges the air inside the vehicle compartment to the outside of the vehicle, takes in the air outside the vehicle into the vehicle compartment, and exchanges sensible heat between the air inside the vehicle interior and the air outside the vehicle outside A heat exchanger 102 is included. By providing the sensible heat exchanger 102, it is possible to ventilate while reducing the temperature change in the passenger compartment.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the ECU 30 raises the rotational speed of the blower 108 to the first upper limit rotational speed when the antifogging execution condition is satisfied in executing the antifogging mode, and the fogging of the front window is eliminated or not. If it is determined that the fogging is removed, the first upper limit rotational speed is maintained, and if it is determined that the fogging is not removed, the rotational speed of the blower 108 is increased to a second upper limit rotational speed higher than the first upper limit rotational speed Is raised. By increasing the rotational speed of the blower 108 stepwise, if the fog can be removed at a lower rotational speed, the blower 108 can be driven at the lower rotational speed, so that energy consumption can be suppressed. In the present embodiment, although the number of rotations of the blower 108 is controlled in two steps, it is also possible to control the number of rotations in more stages such as 10 steps.

  Further, in the present embodiment, when it is determined that the fogging of the front window 20 is not removed even if the rotation speed of the blower 108 is increased to the second upper limit rotation speed or more, the ECU 30 starts energization to the film heater 21. Yes. Since the film heater 21 is energized when the fogging of the front window 20 can not be removed only by the drive of the blower 108, energy consumption for removing the fogging can be suppressed. When the rotational speed of the blower 108 is controlled at the other end of three or more stages, it is preferable that the second upper limit rotational speed corresponds to the stage with the highest rotational speed.

  In the present embodiment, a humidity sensor 22 is provided as a fogging detection sensor that detects the fogged state of the front window 20. When the humidity sensor 22 detects that the front window 20 is clouded, the ECU 30 can determine that the anti-fogging execution condition is satisfied. Since the humidity near the front window 20 can be measured by the humidity sensor 22, the cloudy state of the front window 20 can be grasped more accurately.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the ECU 30 estimates the fogging execution condition by estimating the cloudy state of the front window 20 using at least one of the outside air temperature, the number of occupants, the vehicle speed, the weather, and the rotational speed of the blower 108. It can also be determined whether or not the condition is satisfied. In this case, the antifogging execution condition can be determined without using the humidity sensor 22.

  Next, processing when the “skin-beautifying mode” can be selected on the operation panel 23 will be described with reference to FIG. “Beautiful skin mode” is a mode in which the fog in the front window 20 is removed, but the humidity in the passenger compartment is not excessively lowered. Incidentally, unless otherwise specified, the subject of judgment and operation is the ECU 30.

  In step S201, it is determined whether window fogging of the front window 20 has been detected. The determination of the window fog can be made based on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22. It can also be determined based on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22 and the temperature of the front window 20. The temperature of the front window 20 may be directly detected, or may be estimated from the outside air temperature or the vehicle speed. It can also be estimated using at least one of the outside air temperature, the number of passengers, the vehicle speed, the weather, and the rotation speed of the blower 108. If the window fogging of the front window 20 is detected, the process proceeds to the process of step S201A, and if the window fogging of the front window 20 is not detected, the process proceeds to the process of step S203.

  In step S203, the stopped state of the blower 108 and the film heater 21 is maintained, and the process returns. In step 201A, it is determined whether or not the "beautifying mode" is set. If the "skin care mode" is set, the process proceeds to step S209. If the "skin care mode" is not set, the process proceeds to step S202.

  In step S202, the blower 108 is driven to rise to the first upper limit rotation speed. In step S204 following step S202, it is determined whether or not the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22 has started to decrease. If the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22 decreases, the process proceeds to the process of step S205. If the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22 does not decrease, the process proceeds to the process of step S206.

  In step S205 after “YES” is determined in step S204, the state where the blower 108 is rotated at the first upper limit rotational speed is maintained. When the process of step S205 is completed, the process returns.

  In step S206 after “NO” is determined in step S204, the rotational speed of the blower is increased to the second upper limit rotational speed. In step S207 following step S206, it is determined whether or not the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22 has started to decrease. If the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22 decreases, the process proceeds to the process of step S208. If the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22 does not decrease, the process proceeds to the process of step S209.

  In step S208 after “YES” is determined in step S207, the blower 108 is kept rotating at the second upper limit rotation speed. When the process of step S208 is completed, the process returns.

  In step S209 after the determination of "NO" in step S207, the film heater 21 is energized and operated. When the film heater 21 is operated, the dew condensation threshold of humidity rises. Therefore, even if the fogging can not be removed even if the blower 108 is driven at the second upper limit rotation speed, the fogging can be removed by the operation of the film heater 21.

  In step S210 following step S209, it is determined whether or not the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22 has started to decrease. If the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22 decreases, the process returns. If the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22 does not decrease, the process proceeds to step S211.

  The process of step S211 is a process only when "the skin care mode" is selected. In the “skin-beautifying mode”, since the film heater 21 is operated without increasing the rotational speed of the blower 108, it is possible to remove fog while ensuring humidity. However, there are cases where fogging cannot be removed only with the film heater 21, so ventilation is performed while keeping the rotational speed of the blower 108 low. When the process of step S211 is completed, the process returns.

  As described above, when there is an input of instruction information for maintaining the humidity in the vehicle compartment, such as in the skin care mode, the rotational speed of the blower 108 is at least reduced and the film heater 21 is energized. To do. By preferentially executing the anti-fogging by the film heater 21, the fog of the front window 20 can be removed while keeping the humidity in the vehicle interior moderate.

  Subsequently, the handling in the case where the outside air is dirty will be described with reference to FIG. Incidentally, unless otherwise specified, the subject of judgment and operation is the ECU 30.

  In step S201, it is determined whether window fogging of the front window 20 has been detected. The determination of the window fog can be made based on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22. It can also be determined based on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22 and the temperature of the front window 20. The temperature of the front window 20 may be directly detected, or may be estimated from the outside air temperature or the vehicle speed. It can also be estimated using at least one of the outside air temperature, the number of passengers, the vehicle speed, the weather, and the rotation speed of the blower 108. If the window fogging of the front window 20 is detected, the process proceeds to the process of step S201B, and if the window fogging of the front window 20 is not detected, the process proceeds to the process of step S203.

  In step S203, the stopped state of the blower 108 and the film heater 21 is maintained, and the process returns. In step 201B, it is determined whether the outside air odor level is high or the inside air circulation request is required. The outside air odor level is determined based on the detection result of the outside air detection sensor 25. If the outside air odor level is high or there is an inside air circulation request, the process proceeds to step S209B. If the outside air odor level is not high and there is no inside air circulation request, the process proceeds to step S202.

  In step S202, the blower 108 is driven to rise to the first upper limit rotation speed. In step S204 following step S202, it is determined whether the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22 has started to decrease. If the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22 decreases, the process proceeds to the process of step S205. If the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22 does not decrease, the process proceeds to the process of step S206.

  In step S205 after “YES” is determined in step S204, the state where the blower 108 is rotated at the first upper limit rotational speed is maintained. When the process of step S205 is completed, the process returns.

  In step S206 after “NO” is determined in step S204, the rotational speed of the blower is increased to the second upper limit rotational speed. In step S207 following step S206, it is determined whether the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22 has started to decrease. If the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22 decreases, the process proceeds to the process of step S208. If the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 22 does not decrease, the process proceeds to the process of step S209B.

  In step S208 after “YES” is determined in step S207, the blower 108 is kept rotating at the second upper limit rotation speed. When the process of step S208 is completed, the process returns.

  In step S209B after the determination of "NO" in step S207, the film heater 21 is energized and operated. When the film heater 21 is operated, the dew condensation threshold of humidity rises. Therefore, even if the fogging can not be removed even if the blower 108 is driven at the second upper limit rotation speed, the fogging can be removed by the operation of the film heater 21.

  In step S209B after determining “YES” in step S201B, the blower 108 is stopped and the film heater 21 is energized and operated. This is to remove fog on the front window 20 without ventilating. When the process of step S209B ends, the process returns.

  Thus, when executing the anti-fog mode, the ECU 30 at least reduces the number of rotations of the blower 108, more preferably stops it, and energizes the film heater 21 when it is determined that the outside air is contaminated. Since the rotational drive of the blower 108 is suppressed, the antifogging can be performed without introducing the polluted external air.

  The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to specific examples. However, the present invention is not limited to these specific examples. Those appropriately modified in design by those skilled in the art are also included in the scope of the present invention as long as they have the features of the present invention. The elements included in the above-described specific examples, and the arrangement, conditions, and shapes thereof are not limited to those illustrated, but can be appropriately modified. Each element included in each of the specific examples described above can be appropriately combined as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

2: Anti-fogging device 10: Ventilation unit 20: Front window 21: Film heater 22: Humidity sensor 102: Sensible heat exchanger 108: Blower

Claims (3)

An antifogging device for suppressing fogging of a front window (20) of a vehicle,
A ventilation unit (10) capable of adjusting the ventilation amount of the air in the passenger compartment and the air outside the passenger compartment by driving the blower (108);
A heater unit (21) for heating the front window without interrupting the field of view of the front window on the vehicle cabin side of the front window;
A controller (30) for controlling the blower and the heater unit;
The control unit increases the rotational speed of the blower when the anti-fogging execution condition that can be determined that the front window is cloudy is satisfied, and if the fog of the front window is not removed after that, the controller controls the heater unit. Execute the anti-fogging mode to be energized , and
In the execution of the anti-fogging mode, the control unit reduces at least the number of rotations of the blower and energizes the heater unit when instruction information for maintaining humidity in the passenger compartment is input. . An antifogging device for suppressing fogging of a front window (20) of a vehicle,
A ventilation unit (10) capable of adjusting the ventilation amount of the air in the passenger compartment and the air outside the passenger compartment by driving the blower (108);
A heater unit (21) for heating the front window without interrupting the field of view of the front window on the vehicle cabin side of the front window;
A controller (30) for controlling the blower and the heater unit;
The control unit increases the rotational speed of the blower when the anti-fogging execution condition that can be determined that the front window is cloudy is satisfied, and if the fog of the front window is not removed after that, the controller controls the heater unit. Execute the anti-fogging mode to be energized , and
Furthermore, an outside air detection sensor (25) is provided to detect the level of outside air,
In the execution of the anti-fogging mode, when the control unit determines that the outside air is contaminated, the control unit reduces at least the rotational speed of the blower and energizes the heater unit . The ventilator has a sensible heat exchanger that discharges air inside the passenger compartment to the outside of the passenger compartment, takes air outside the passenger compartment into the passenger compartment, and exchanges sensible heat between the air inside the passenger compartment and the air outside the passenger compartment. The anti-fogging device according to claim 1 or 2 .

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