JP7147244B2 - VEHICLE AIR CONDITIONER AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner and its control method.

2. Description of the Related Art A vehicle is equipped with a vehicle air conditioner for controlling the environment such as the temperature inside the vehicle. A vehicle air conditioner has an inside/outside air switching damper for switching between an outside air introduction mode and an inside air circulation mode. When the occupant selects the outside air introduction mode with the air conditioning control switch installed in the passenger compartment, the position of the valve body is set so that the inside/outside air switching damper can introduce outside air into the cabin, and the inside air circulation mode is selected. In practice, the position of the valve body is set so that the internal air is introduced and circulated in the vehicle interior.

By the way, in recent years, there is a tendency to increase the airtightness of passenger compartments. In a vehicle in which the airtightness of the passenger compartment is improved in this way, when the door is closed, the amount of air released from the door opening is reduced due to the reduction in the opening area of the door, and the vehicle body other than the door opening is reduced. Since the amount of air that escapes from the gap is extremely small, it becomes difficult to close the door. As a result, an ajar door condition may occur.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-300001 discloses a technique for suppressing the occurrence of such an ajar door state when the door is closed. In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, the valve body of the inside/outside air switching damper is configured to take an intermediate state between the posture when the outside air is introduced and the posture when the inside air is circulated. . In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the door of the vehicle is opened, the inside/outside air switching damper is placed in the above-described intermediate state, and after waiting for the door to close, the position of the valve body is changed to the posture just before the door is opened. The configuration of returning to the state is adopted.

JP 2015-39995 A

However, with the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to prevent the door from being ajar when the blower fan that blows the air taken in by the inside/outside air switching damper into the passenger compartment is operating. there are concerns. That is, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, the inside/outside air switching damper is set to an intermediate state from when the door is opened until it is closed, so outside air is not taken into the vehicle compartment by the operation of the blower fan. becomes.

Therefore, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, when an occupant tries to close the door, the pressure inside the vehicle is higher than that outside the vehicle, and the door is likely to be ajar.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and suppresses insufficient closing of the door even when the door is closed while the blower fan is operating. An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle air conditioner and its control method.

A vehicle air conditioner according to an aspect of the present invention includes an outside air introduction mode for introducing air from outside the vehicle compartment of the vehicle, an inside air circulation mode for circulating air inside the vehicle compartment, and an outside air circulation mode for the vehicle outside the vehicle compartment. An inside/outside air switching unit capable of switching between an intermediate mode that takes in air from both the interior of the vehicle and the interior of the vehicle, a blower fan that blows out the air taken in by the inside/outside air switching unit into the interior of the vehicle, and a door of the vehicle. a door open/close detector for detecting the open/close state of the door open/close detector, information on detection from the door open/close detector, information on the mode being executed by the inside/outside air switching unit, and whether or not the blower fan is operating an air conditioning control unit that receives the information and issues a command related to an increase or decrease in the fan air volume of the blower fan; and when the inside/outside air switching unit executes the outside air introduction mode and determines that the blower fan is in operation, it issues a command to the blower fan to reduce the air volume, When the door open/close detector detects that the door is open and determines that the blower fan is not operating, it issues a command to the inside/outside air switching unit to switch to the intermediate mode. Also, when the door open/close detection unit detects the open state of the door, the inside/outside air switching unit executes the intermediate mode, and determines that the blower fan is operating, the blower A command is issued to the fan to reduce the air volume, and in this case, the more the amount of air taken in from outside the vehicle is relatively larger than the amount of air taken in from the vehicle, the more First, the degree of reduction of the air volume is increased, and the degree of reduction of the air volume is relatively decreased as the intake amount of air from outside the vehicle compartment is relatively smaller than the intake amount of air from the vehicle interior.

In the vehicle air conditioner according to the above aspect, when the door is opened and the inside/outside air switching unit is in the outside air introduction mode and the blower fan is in operation, the air conditioning control unit controls the air volume of the blower fan ( Since the amount of air blown into the passenger compartment is reduced, it is possible to prevent the pressure in the passenger compartment from becoming high when the door is closed. That is, in the vehicle air conditioner according to the above aspect, the air volume of the blower fan is reduced while the inside/outside air switching unit is maintained in the outside air introduction mode based on the passenger's instruction, thereby reducing the flow of air from the outside of the vehicle to the inside of the vehicle. The amount of air taken in can be reduced, the pressure inside the vehicle can be suppressed, and the problem of closing the door (occurrence of an ajar state) can be suppressed.

Further, in the vehicle air conditioner according to the above aspect, since the operation of the blower fan is not stopped while respecting the passenger's intention even when the door is opened and closed, the passenger is less likely to feel discomfort.
Further, in the vehicle air conditioner according to the above aspect, if the blower fan is not operating when the door is opened, the inside/outside air switching unit is switched to the intermediate mode. The inside and outside of the vehicle are communicated with each other through the inside/outside air switching unit, and it is possible to suppress the malfunction of the closed state of the door (occurrence of an ajar state). Therefore, in the vehicle air conditioner according to the aspect described above, it is possible to suppress the problem of the degree of closing of the door regardless of whether the blower fan is activated or not.
Further, in the vehicle air conditioner according to the above aspect, even when the inside/outside air switching unit is in the intermediate mode, the blower fan is controlled based on the amount of outside air taken in from outside the vehicle and the amount of inside air taken in from the inside of the vehicle. The degree of air volume reduction is changed. Specifically, as described above, when the amount of outside air taken in is relatively large, the degree of reduction in the air volume of the blower fan is made low, and when the amount of outside air taken in is relatively small, the degree of reduction in the blower fan is reduced. Decrease the degree of airflow reduction.
Further, in the vehicle air conditioner according to the above aspect, by associating the intake amount of outside air with the reduction degree of the air volume of the blower fan as described above, it is possible to prevent the door from being ajar when the door is closed. It is possible to prevent the occupant from feeling uncomfortable with the air volume of the blower fan.

Therefore, in the vehicle air conditioner according to the above aspect, even if the door is closed while the blower fan is operating, it is possible to prevent the door from being sufficiently closed.

In the vehicle air conditioner according to the above aspect, when the air volume of the blower fan is at the minimum level that can be set when the door is opened, the minimum level is maintained until the door is closed. The air volume should be maintained.

In the vehicle air conditioner according to another aspect of the present invention, in the above aspect, the air conditioning control unit detects the closed state of the door after the door open/close detection unit detects the open state of the door. is detected, after a preset set time elapses, a command is issued to the blower fan to restore the air volume to the level immediately before the door opening/closing detection unit detects the open state of the door.

In the vehicle air conditioner according to the above aspect, even when the door is closed, the air volume of the blower fan is not immediately returned to the original state (the state immediately before the door is opened), but is waited until the set time has elapsed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent frequent changes in the air volume of the blower fan when a plurality of passengers get in and out of the vehicle. As a result, it is possible to prevent an occupant from feeling annoyed by frequent changes in the air volume of the blower fan.

In addition, in the vehicle air conditioner according to the above aspect, the air volume of the blower fan is returned to the original state after the set time has elapsed, so that the occupant is less likely to feel discomfort, and the air volume of the blower fan is reduced after the door is closed. It is possible to prevent the occupant from feeling the troublesomeness of resetting.

A control method for a vehicle air conditioner according to an aspect of the present invention includes an outside air introduction mode for introducing air from outside the vehicle interior of the vehicle, an inside air circulation mode for circulating air inside the vehicle interior, and an inside/outside air switching unit that can switch between an intermediate mode that takes in air from both the outside of the vehicle and the inside of the vehicle; a blower fan that blows out the air taken in by the inside/outside air switching unit into the inside of the vehicle; a door open/close detector for detecting the open/closed state of a vehicle door, wherein the door open/close detector detects the open state of the door, and the inside/outside air switching unit introduces the outside air. mode, and when it is determined that the blower fan is operating, an air volume reduction step of reducing the air volume of the blower fan, and the door open/close detection unit detects the open state of the door and an intermediate mode switching step of switching the inside/outside air switching unit to the intermediate mode when it is determined that the blower fan is not in operation , wherein the door opening/closing detection unit detects whether the door is open. The air volume reduction for reducing the air volume of the blower fan also when the state is detected and the inside/outside air switching unit determines that the intermediate mode is executed and the blower fan is in operation. and when executing the air volume reduction step, the air volume is relatively reduced as the amount of air taken in from outside the vehicle compartment is relatively larger than the amount of air taken in from the vehicle interior. As the amount of air taken in from outside the vehicle compartment is relatively smaller than the amount of air taken in from the vehicle interior, the degree of reduction of the air volume is made relatively smaller.

In the method for controlling a vehicle air conditioner according to the above aspect, when the door is opened, the inside/outside air switching unit is in the outside air introduction mode, and the blower fan is in operation, the air volume reduction step is executed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the vehicle interior pressure from becoming high when the door is closed. That is, in the vehicle air conditioner control method according to the above aspect, while maintaining the inside/outside air switching unit in the outside air introduction mode based on the instruction of the occupant, the air volume of the blower fan is reduced, so that It is possible to reduce the amount of air taken in, suppress the pressure in the vehicle interior, and suppress the malfunction of the closed state when closing the door (occurrence of a door ajar state).

Further, in the vehicle air conditioner control method according to the aspect described above, since the operation of the blower fan is not stopped in consideration of the passenger's intention even when the door is opened and closed, the passenger is less likely to feel discomfort.
Further, in the vehicle air conditioner control method according to the above aspect, if the blower fan is not operating when the door is opened, the intermediate mode switching step is executed. The interior of the vehicle and the exterior of the vehicle are communicated with each other through the inside/outside air switching unit, and it is possible to suppress problems in closing the door (occurrence of an ajar state). Therefore, in the vehicle air conditioner control method according to the aspect described above, it is possible to suppress the problem of the degree of closing of the door regardless of whether the blower fan is operating or not.
Further, in the vehicle air conditioner control method according to the above aspect, even when the inside/outside air switching unit is in the intermediate mode, The reduction degree of the air volume of the blower fan is changed. Specifically, as described above, when the amount of outside air taken in is relatively large, the degree of reduction in the air volume of the blower fan is made low, and when the amount of outside air taken in is relatively small, the degree of reduction in the blower fan is reduced. Decrease the degree of airflow reduction.
Further, in the vehicle air conditioner control method according to the above aspect, by associating the intake amount of outside air with the reduction degree of the air volume of the blower fan as described above, the occurrence of the door ajar state when the door is closed is suppressed. On the other hand, it is possible to prevent an occupant from feeling uncomfortable with the air volume of the blower fan.

Therefore, in the vehicle air conditioner control method according to the aspect described above, even if the door is closed while the blower fan is operating, it is possible to prevent the door from being closed sufficiently.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method for a vehicle air conditioner according to the above aspect, wherein after the door opening/closing detection unit detects the open state of the door, the door opening/closing detection unit detects the closed state of the door. In this case, an air volume recovery step is further provided for returning the blower fan to the air volume immediately before the door open/close detection unit detects the open state of the door after a preset set time elapses.

In the vehicle air conditioner control method according to the above aspect, in the air volume recovery step, the air volume of the blower fan is immediately returned to the original state (the state immediately before the door is opened) even when the door is closed. Instead, the air volume of the blower fan is returned to its original state after the set time has elapsed, which prevents frequent changes in the air volume of the blower fan, such as when multiple passengers get in and out of the vehicle. be able to. As a result, it is possible to prevent an occupant from feeling annoyed by frequent changes in the air volume of the blower fan.

Further, in the vehicle air conditioner control method according to the aspect described above, the air volume of the blower fan is returned to its original state after the set time has elapsed, so that the occupant is unlikely to feel a sense of discomfort, and the blower can be turned off after the door is closed. It is possible to prevent the occupant from feeling the trouble of resetting the air volume of the fan.

In each of the above aspects, even if the door is closed while the blower fan is operating, it is possible to prevent the door from being closed sufficiently.

It is a model side view which looked at the vehicle concerning an embodiment from the left side. It is a model side view which shows the A section of FIG. (a) is a schematic side view showing the state of the inside/outside air switching damper in the outside air introduction mode; (b) is a schematic side view showing the state of the inside/outside air switching damper in the inside air circulation mode; ) is a schematic side view showing the state of the inside/outside air switching damper in the intermediate mode. FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing the vehicle with the door on the driver's seat side open. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the air-conditioning control switch provided in the vehicle interior part. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration related to a vehicle air conditioner; 4 is a flowchart showing an air conditioning control method executed by a control unit; 5 is a time chart showing an example of an air conditioning control method; FIG. 4 is a characteristic diagram showing the relationship between the air volume level of a blower fan and the minimum closing energy of a door; FIG. 9 is a schematic side view showing the state of the inside/outside air switching damper according to the modification, where (a) is the state of the inside/outside air switching damper in the second intermediate mode, and (b) is the inside/outside air in the third intermediate mode; Indicates the state of the switching damper.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Below, embodiment of this invention is described, considering drawing into consideration. The embodiment described below is one embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments except for its essential configuration.

In the drawings used in the following description, "forward", "backward", "upward", "downward", "rightward", and "leftward" are directions based on the occupant in the vehicle.

1. Configuration of Vehicle 1 A configuration of the vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1 .

As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle 1 includes a vehicle front portion 1a in which a driving power source such as an engine is mounted, a vehicle interior portion 1b in which a passenger rides, and a vehicle rear portion 1c behind the vehicle interior portion 1b. It consists of Doors 2 (a front door 2a, a rear door 2b, and a rear gate 2c) are provided in a passenger compartment 1b of the vehicle 1 for passengers to get in and out of the vehicle.

Although FIG. 1 shows only the left side of the vehicle 1, a front door 2a and a rear door 2b are also provided on the opposite right side.

Each of the front door 2a and the rear door 2b is provided with a window 3 (front window 3a, rear window 3b) that is opened and closed by the operation of the passenger.

2. Inside/outside air switching damper 4
The configuration of the inside/outside air switching damper 4 provided in the vehicle 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the inside/outside air switching damper 4 mounted in the part A of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing the state of 4, (b) is a schematic side view showing the state of the inside/outside air switching damper 4 when the inside air circulation mode is selected, and (c) is a side view showing the state of the inside/outside air switching damper 4 when the intermediate mode is selected. FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing the state of the inside/outside air switching damper 4 when the inside/outside air switching damper 4 is on.

As shown in FIG. 2, the inside/outside air switching damper 4 has an outside air introduction port 4a for taking in air from the outside (front) of the vehicle 1 and an inside air introduction port 4b for taking in air from the inside of the vehicle interior portion 1b. And prepare.

The inside/outside air switching damper 4 includes a valve element 40 at the confluence of a path extending from the outside air introduction port 4a and a path extending from the inside air introduction port 4b. As shown in FIGS. 3(a) to 3(c), the valve body 40 has a plate-like body 40a and a support arm 40b provided therebelow. The plate-like body 40a and the support arm 40b can rotate integrally around a support shaft 40c that supports the lower portion of the support arm 40b.

Returning to FIG. 2, a filter 5 and a blower fan 6 are attached below the inside/outside air switching damper 4 . While the blower fan 6 is operating, the outside air Flow1 or the inside air Flow2 is introduced into the inside/outside air switching damper 4 according to the state of the valve body 40 . Then, the introduced outside air Flow1 or inside air Flow2 is ejected into the compartment 1b through the filter 5, an evaporator (not shown), and the like (Flow3).

As shown in FIG. 3(a), when the outside air introduction mode is selected, the plate-like body 40a of the valve body 40 is in a posture that closes the inside air introduction port 4b. Accordingly, when the outside air introduction mode is selected, only the outside air Flow1 is introduced into the inside/outside air switching damper 4 from the outside air introduction port 4a.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3(b), when the inside air circulation mode is selected, the plate-like body 40a of the valve body 40 is in a posture that closes the outside air introduction port 4a. Accordingly, when the inside air circulation mode is selected, only the inside air Flow2 is introduced into the inside/outside air switching damper 4 from the inside air introduction port 4b.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3(c), when the inside/outside air switching damper 4 is in the intermediate mode, the plate-like body 40a of the valve body 40 assumes the posture in the outside air introduction mode and the posture in the inside air circulation mode. It is assumed to be the posture of the intermediate position with the posture. As a result, the outside air introduction port 4a and the inside air introduction port 4b are brought into communication with each other, and the outside air and the inside air are introduced into the inside/outside air switching damper 4. FIG.

In this embodiment, among the three modes that the inside/outside air switching damper 4 can take, switching between the outside air introduction mode and the inside air circulation mode is performed by the passenger's operation of the air conditioning control switch 8 provided in the vehicle interior 1b. be done. This will be described later.

3. Opening and Closing of Doors in Vehicle 1 Opening and closing of doors 2 in vehicle 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing the state of the vehicle 1 with the door 2ar on the driver's seat side open.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the vehicle 1, doors 2ar, 2al, 2br, and 2bl are opened and closed when a passenger gets in and out of the vehicle. Further, the rear gate 2c is opened and closed when loading and unloading luggage from the vehicle 1. As shown in FIG.

Here, when a plurality of passengers get in and out of the vehicle 1, or when the passengers take in and out luggage placed on the rear part of the vehicle compartment 1b, the doors 2ar, 2al, 2br, 2bl and the rear gate 2c are Opening and closing are performed with a time lag.

In addition, in the vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment, a door opening/closing sensor is provided in each support portion of the doors 2ar, 2al, 2br, 2bl and the rear gate 2c.

4. Configuration of Air-Conditioning Control Switch 8 The configuration of the air-conditioning control switch 8 provided on the dashboard in the compartment 1b will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the air conditioning control switch 8. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, the air conditioning control switch 8 includes an A/C (air conditioner) switch 80, air volume switches 81 and 82, an outside air introduction switch 83, an inside air circulation switch 84, a set temperature switching dial 85, 86 and an air conditioning information display 87 .

The A/C switch 80 is a switch for the passenger to select whether or not to drive the A/C. When the switch is pressed once, the A/C is turned on, and when the switch is pressed again, the A/C is turned off. state.

Note that the auto mode is set as the initial state when the A/C switch 80 is in the ON state.

The air volume switches 81 and 82 are switches for the passenger to adjust the air volume. When the air volume switch 81 is pressed, the air volume increases in order according to the number of times the air volume switch 81 is pressed. Conversely, when the air volume switch 82 is pressed, the air volume decreases in order according to the number of times the air volume switch 82 is pressed. In this embodiment, as an example, the air volume of the blower fan 6 can be controlled in four stages of Lev1, Lev2, Lev3, and Lev4 in ascending order.

Note that when the passenger operates the air volume switches 81 and 82 after turning the A/C switch 80 ON, the auto mode is canceled.

The outside air introduction switch 83 is a switch that selects the outside air introduction mode when the passenger presses the switch. The inside air introduction switch 84 is a switch that selects the inside air circulation mode when the passenger presses the switch. The outside air introduction switch 83 and the inside air introduction switch 84 are switches for allowing the occupant to select one of them, and are switches capable of alternatively switching modes.

If the passenger operates the outside air introduction switch 83 or the inside air introduction switch 84 after turning on the A/C switch 80, the automatic mode is canceled.

The set temperature switching dial 85 is a dial for setting the temperature on the right side (the driver's seat side in the case of a right-hand drive vehicle and the passenger's seat side in the case of a left-hand drive vehicle) in the vehicle interior portion 1b. The setting temperature switching dial 85 is provided with a setting temperature display portion 85a, and the current setting temperature is displayed.

Similarly, the set temperature switching dial 86 is a dial for setting the temperature of the left side of the compartment 1b (the passenger seat side in the case of a right-hand drive vehicle, and the driver's seat side in the case of a left-hand drive vehicle). . The setting temperature switching dial 86 is also provided with a setting temperature display portion 86a, so that the current setting temperature is displayed.

The air conditioning information display 87 is arranged between the set temperature switching dial 85 and the set temperature switching dial 86, and displays whether the A/C is ON, whether it is in auto mode, and whether each detected temperature is on. and the air volume of the fan are displayed.

5. Control Configuration for Vehicle Air Conditioner 100 A control configuration for vehicle air conditioner 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 6 . FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the vehicle air conditioner 100. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 6, a vehicle air conditioner 100 according to the present embodiment includes a control unit 9, an air conditioning control switch 8, a door opening/closing sensor 11, an inside/outside air switching damper 4 including a damper switching actuator 41, a blower a fan 6;

The control unit 9 has a microprocessor composed of CPU, ROM, RAM and the like. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 9 includes a timer 9a and a memory 9b.

The timer 9a is a timer in which time Ta is set in advance from the start of time measurement until the time expires. In the vehicle air conditioner 100 according to this embodiment, the time Ta is 30 to 40 sec. (for example, 35 sec.) is set.

Note that the time Ta is a value determined experimentally and empirically.

Returning to FIG. 6, information from the air conditioning control switch 8, ON/OFF information from the IG switch 10, information on opening/closing of the door 2 from the door opening/closing sensor 11, and the like are input to the control unit 9. It's like Furthermore, the control unit 9 receives information from the damper switching actuator 41 regarding the current state (selected mode) of the inside/outside air switching damper 4, information regarding operation/non-operation of the blower fan 6, and information regarding operation/non-operation of the blower fan 6. is activated, information about the current set air volume is also entered.

As described above, the door opening/closing sensor 11 is provided on each support portion of the doors 2ar, 2al, 2br, 2bl and the rear gate 2c.

Based on the various information input as described above, the control unit 9 executes drive control of the damper switching actuator 41 as necessary. , setting control of the air volume of the blower fan 6 is executed as required.

2 and 3, the damper switching actuator 41 is provided for driving the valve body 40. As shown in FIG. Then, based on a command from the control unit 9 to the damper switching actuator 41, the inside/outside air switching damper 4 is alternately switched between the outside air introduction mode, the inside air circulation mode, and the intermediate mode.

6. Air Conditioning Control Method The air conditioning control method executed by the control unit 9 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an air conditioning control method executed by the control unit 9, and FIG. 8 is a time chart showing an example of the air conditioning control method.

As shown in FIG. 7, in air conditioning control, the control unit 9 first determines whether or not the IG (ignition) switch 10 is ON (step S1). If so (step S1: No), the air conditioning control is returned.

On the other hand, when the control unit 9 determines that the IG switch 10 is ON (step S1: Yes), it then determines whether the door 2 is open (step S2). Here, in this embodiment, the door 2 to be determined in step S2 is any one of the doors 2ar, 2al, 2br, 2bl, and 2c. If all the doors 2 are kept closed (step S2: No), the air conditioning control is returned.

On the other hand, when the control unit 9 determines that one door 2 is opened (step S2: Yes), it next determines whether the blower fan 6 is in operation (step S3). When the control unit 9 determines that the blower fan 6 is in operation (step S3: Yes), it next determines whether the inside/outside air switching damper 4 is set to the outside air introduction mode (step S4). ).

When the control unit 9 determines in step S4 that the inside/outside air switching damper 4 is set to the outside air introduction mode (step S4: Yes), it reduces the air volume of the blower fan 6 (step S5). . For example, when the air volume of the blower fan 6 is set to Lev4, it is reduced to one of Lev1, Lev2, and Lev3. Then, the control unit 9 waits until the door 2 is closed while reducing the air volume of the blower fan 6 (step S7: No).

On the other hand, when the control unit 9 determines in step S4 that the inside/outside air switching damper 4 is not set to the outside air introduction mode but is set to the inside air circulation mode (step S4: No), In this state, it waits until the door 2 is closed (step S7: No).

If the control unit 9 determines in step S3 that the blower fan 6 is not operating (step S3: No), the inside/outside air switching damper 4 is switched to the intermediate mode (FIG. 3(c)). (step S6), and waits until the door 2 is closed (step S7: No).

Here, although illustration is omitted in FIG. 7, the control unit 9 changes the air volume of the blower fan 6 and the mode of the inside/outside air switching damper 4 immediately before execution of step S5 and step S6. The initial state is stored in the memory 9b.

Next, when the door 2 that was determined to be opened in step S2 is closed (step S7: Yes), the control unit 9 starts the timer 9a to count time (step S8). The control unit 9 waits until the count time T of the timer 9a reaches the preset time Ta (step S9: Yes), and when the count time T reaches the set time Ta (step S9: No), A command is issued to the blower fan 4 and the damper switching actuator 41 to restore the air volume of the blower fan 6 and the mode of the inside/outside air switching damper 4 to the initial state (original state) (step S10).

The "initial state" in the above is the state stored in the memory 9b upon execution of steps S5 and S6 as described above, and the control unit 9 reads out information regarding the state from the memory 9b. , is set as the initial state in step S10.

Finally, the control unit 9 resets the timer 9a and returns air conditioning control.

As described above, the air conditioning control according to the present embodiment ends.

Next, an example of the air conditioning control described using the flowchart of FIG. 7 will be described using FIG. The following example using FIG. 8 is an example when the control unit 9 determines that step S3: Yes and step S4: Yes in the flowchart of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 8, in this example, the IG switch 10 is maintained in the ON state. Further, in this example, the inside/outside air switching damper 4 is maintained in the outside air introduction mode.

At timing t1, one of the doors 2 is opened. The control unit 9, having determined that the door 2 is open, issues a command to the blower fan 6 to switch the air volume of the blower fan 6 from Lev4 to Lev1.

In this example, before and after the timing t1, the mode of the inside/outside air switching damper 4 is maintained in the outside air introduction mode.

Next, at timing t2, when any one of the doors 2 is closed, the control unit 9 starts timing with the timer 9a (timer ON). The control unit 9 waits for the timer 9a to time up, and issues a command to the blower fan 6 to switch the air volume of the blower fan 6 to the initial state, Lev4, at timing t3.

At timing t3, the control unit 9 ends the clocking by the timer 9a and resets the timer 9a. Thus, the air conditioning control in this example ends.

7. Air Volume of Blower Fan 6 and Minimum Door Closing Energy in Outside Air Introduction Mode The relationship between the air volume of the blower fan 6 and the minimum closing energy of the door 2 when the inside/outside air switching damper 4 is in the outside air introduction mode is shown in FIG. explain. FIG. 9 is a characteristic diagram showing the relationship between the air volume level of the blower fan 6 and the minimum closing energy of the door 2. As shown in FIG. FIG. 9 shows the characteristics relative to the minimum closing energy of the door 2 when the air volume level of the blower fan 6 is Lev1.

As shown in FIG. 9, when the inside/outside air switching damper 4 is set to the outside air introduction mode, the minimum closing energy of the door 2 increases as the air volume of the blower fan 6 increases. This is because the larger the air flow rate of the blower fan 6, the more air is taken into the cabin portion 1b from the outside of the cabin, resulting in a higher pressure in the oblique knee portion 1b.

Conversely, when the inside/outside air switching damper 4 is set to the outside air introduction mode, the minimum closing energy of the door 2 can be kept low by reducing the air volume of the blower fan 6 when the door 2 is closed. can prevent the door 2 from being in an ajar state.

[Modification]
Air conditioning control according to a modification will be described with reference to FIG. 10 . 10A and 10B are schematic side views showing the state of the inside/outside air switching damper 4 according to this modification, in which (a) shows the state of the inside/outside air switching damper 4 in the second intermediate mode, and (b) shows the state of the inside/outside air switching damper 4 in the second intermediate mode. 3 shows the state of the inside/outside air switching damper 4 in the intermediate mode. In addition, in this modification, let the intermediate mode shown in FIG.3(c) be a 1st intermediate mode.

In the vehicle 1 according to the above-described embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which the occupant can alternatively select either the outside air introduction mode or the inside air circulation mode via the air conditioning control switch 8, but in this modified example, the outside air introduction mode and the inside air In addition to the circulation mode, a first intermediate mode, and second and third intermediate modes described below can also be selected.

First, as shown in FIG. 10(a), in the second intermediate mode according to this modification, the plate-like body 40a of the valve body 40 forms an angle θ1 (less than 90°) with respect to the vertical axis Ax0. It is in a state of being tilted obliquely. That is, in the second intermediate mode shown in FIG. 10(a), the intake amount of air from the outside air introduction port 4a to the inside/outside air switching damper 4 is more than that in the first intermediate mode described with reference to FIG. 3(c). In this mode, the amount of air taken in from the inside air introduction port 4b to the inside/outside air switching damper 4 is larger than that of the inside air introduction port 4b.

Next, as shown in FIG. 10(b), in the third intermediate mode according to this modified example, the plate-like body 40a of the valve body 40 is inclined in the opposite direction to the second intermediate mode shown in FIG. 10(a). and is tilted obliquely at an angle θ2 (an angle larger than 90°) with respect to the vertical axis Ax0. That is, in the third intermediate mode shown in FIG. 10(b), the amount of air taken in from the outside air introduction port 4a to the inside/outside air switching damper 4 from the inside air introduction port 4b is greater than that in the first intermediate mode and the second intermediate mode. This is a mode in which the amount of air taken in by the inside/outside air switching damper 4 is smaller.

In the air conditioning control method according to this modification, instead of step S4 shown in FIG. to decide. Then, in step S5 of FIG. 7, the control unit 9 determines that the amount of air taken in from outside the vehicle compartment is relatively larger than the amount of air taken in from the inside of the vehicle compartment 1b. The degree of reduction in the air volume in the blower fan 6 is made relatively smaller as the amount of air taken in from outside the vehicle compartment is relatively smaller than the amount of air taken in from the inside of the vehicle compartment 1b. do.

Specifically, when the inside/outside air switching damper 4 is in the second intermediate mode shown in FIG. 10(a), when it is in the first intermediate mode shown in FIG. The degree of decrease in the air volume of the blower fan 6 is made greater than in the case of the third intermediate mode. This is advantageous in suppressing the pressure rise in the compartment 1b.

On the other hand, when the inside/outside air switching damper 4 is in the third intermediate mode shown in FIG. 10(b), it is in the first intermediate mode shown in FIG. The degree of decrease in air volume in the blower fan 6 is made smaller than in the mode. As a result, it is possible to prevent an occupant getting into the vehicle interior portion 1b from feeling uncomfortable about the air volume while suppressing an increase in the pressure inside the vehicle interior portion 1b.

[Other Modifications]
In the above modified example, as described with reference to FIGS. Although the intermediate mode is provided, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it is possible to employ a configuration having two intermediate modes in which the amount of air taken in from outside the vehicle is different, or to employ a configuration having four or more intermediate modes.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the internal/external air switching damper 4 adopts a configuration in which the mode is switched by rotating the plate-like body 40a, but the present invention is not limited to this. A so-called rotary damper structure can also be employed.

Further, in the above embodiment, the control unit 9 is provided with the timer 9a, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 9 may use a timer provided outside the control unit 9 to keep time. Alternatively, two timers may be used to measure time continuously.

In the above embodiment, after the control unit 9 determines that the door 2 is closed, it waits for the set time Ta to restore the air volume of the blower fan 6 to its original state. It is not limited. For example, immediately after determining that the door 2 is closed, the air volume of the blower fan 6 can be restored to its original state.

In the above embodiment, as described with reference to FIG. 9, the blower fan 6 has four air volume levels, but the present invention is not limited to this. It may be in three stages or less, or may be in five stages or more. Further, the air volume level of the blower fan may be increased or decreased continuously (gradually decreasing or gradually increasing) as well as stepwise increase or decrease.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, as described with reference to FIG. 8, the air volume level is at Lev 4 before the door 2 is opened, and the air volume level is reduced to Lev 1 after the door 2 is opened. The invention is not limited to this. For example, the air volume level immediately before the door 2 opens may be Lev4, and the air volume level may be reduced to Lev2 or Lev3 immediately after the door 2 opens.

Further, in the above embodiment, as described with reference to FIG. 8, the case where the air volume level immediately before the door 2 opens is at Lev4 is used as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is conceivable that other levels (Lev1, Lev2, and Lev3) are set by the operation of the passenger.

Further, in the above-described embodiment and modified example, the air volume of the blower fan 6 is reduced during the period after the door 2 is opened until the door 2 is closed. If the air volume of the blower fan 6 is at the minimum level that can be set, the minimum level of air volume may be maintained until the door 2 is closed. As described with reference to FIG. 9, even when the blower fan 6 is operating, when the air volume is at the minimum level (in the case of Lev1), when the air volume is at Lev2, Lev3, and Lev4, Since the minimum closing energy of the door 2 is relatively low, it is considered that the door ajar state is unlikely to occur.

1 vehicle 2 door 4 inside/outside air switching damper (inside/outside air switching unit)
4a outside air introduction port 4b inside air introduction port 6 blower fan 8 air conditioning control switch 10 IG (ignition) switch 11 door opening/closing sensor (door opening/closing detector)
41 damper switching actuator 100 vehicle air conditioner

Claims (4)

An air conditioner for a vehicle,
An outside air introduction mode for introducing air from outside the vehicle interior, an inside air circulation mode for circulating air inside the vehicle interior, and an intermediate mode for taking in air from both the exterior of the vehicle and the interior of the vehicle. an inside/outside air switching unit capable of switching between modes ;
a blower fan for blowing out the air taken in by the inside/outside air switching unit into the vehicle interior;
a door open/close detection unit that detects an open/closed state of a door of the vehicle;
Information related to detection from the door opening/closing detection unit, information related to the mode being executed by the inside/outside air switching unit, and information as to whether or not the blower fan is operating, and a fan of the blower fan an air conditioning control unit that issues a command related to an increase or decrease in air volume;
with
The air conditioning control unit
When the door open/close detector detects the open state of the door, the inside/outside air switching unit executes the outside air introduction mode, and determines that the blower fan is operating, the blower Issue a command to the fan to reduce the air volume ,
When the door open/close detector detects that the door is open and determines that the blower fan is not operating, the inside/outside air switching unit is instructed to switch to the intermediate mode. emitted,
When the door open/close detector detects the open state of the door, the inside/outside air switching unit executes the intermediate mode, and determines that the blower fan is operating, the blower fan is also operated. is issued a command to reduce the air volume, and in that case, the more the amount of air taken in from outside the vehicle compartment is relatively larger than the amount of air taken in from the vehicle interior, the more relatively increasing the degree of reduction of the air volume, and making the degree of reduction of the air volume relatively smaller as the amount of air taken in from outside the vehicle compartment is relatively smaller than the amount of air taken in from the vehicle interior;
Vehicle air conditioner. In the vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1,
The air conditioning control unit waits for a preset set time to elapse when the door open/close detection unit detects the open state of the door after the door open/close detection unit detects the open state of the door. issuing a command to the blower fan to restore the air volume to the level immediately before the door open/close detection unit detects the open state of the door;
Vehicle air conditioner. A control method for an air conditioner for a vehicle, comprising:
The air conditioner is
An outside air introduction mode for introducing air from outside the vehicle interior, an inside air circulation mode for circulating air inside the vehicle interior, and an intermediate mode for taking in air from both the exterior of the vehicle and the interior of the vehicle. an inside/outside air switching unit capable of switching between modes ;
a blower fan for blowing out the air taken in by the inside/outside air switching unit into the vehicle interior;
a door open/close detection unit that detects an open/closed state of a door of the vehicle;
with
When the door open/close detector detects the open state of the door, the inside/outside air switching unit executes the outside air introduction mode, and determines that the blower fan is operating, the blower an air volume reduction step for reducing the air volume with respect to the fan;
an intermediate mode switching step of switching the inside/outside air switching unit to the intermediate mode when the door open/close detection unit detects the open state of the door and determines that the blower fan is not operating;
with
When the door open/close detector detects the open state of the door, the inside/outside air switching unit executes the intermediate mode, and determines that the blower fan is operating, the blower fan is also operated. and performing the air volume reduction step of reducing the air volume relative to the air volume reduction step, and when the air volume reduction step is executed, the amount of air taken in from outside the vehicle is relatively compared to the amount of air taken in from the vehicle interior The larger the amount, the greater the degree of reduction in the air volume, and the smaller the amount of air taken in from outside the vehicle interior compared to the amount of air taken in from the vehicle interior, the relatively the reduction in the air volume. reduce the degree of
A control method for a vehicle air conditioner. In the method for controlling a vehicle air conditioner according to claim 3 ,
After the door open/close detection unit detects the open state of the door, when the door open/close detection unit detects the closed state of the door, the blower fan is controlled after waiting for a preset set time to elapse. further comprising an air volume recovery step of returning to the air volume immediately before the door opening/closing detection unit detects the open state of the door,
A control method for a vehicle air conditioner.

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