JPH0610828U - Sun sensor for automobile air conditioners - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] An object is to provide a sun sensor for an automobile air conditioner that can detect the incident direction of sunlight. A light incident body 11 formed of a transparent body or a semitransparent body and arranged substantially horizontally and having a conical or polygonal pyramid-shaped recess 12 formed on a lower surface thereof; A plurality of photoelectric elements 13L and 13R are provided, which are divided and arranged with the vicinity of the central axis position of the recess 12 as a boundary.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a sun sensor for an automobile auto air conditioner (abbreviated as “auto air con”) that detects the intensity of sunlight that affects the sensible temperature in order to adjust the temperature inside the passenger compartment.

Auto air conditioners for automobiles automatically adjust the air temperature in the passenger compartment to a desired constant temperature. However, since the sensible temperature changes depending on the intensity of sunlight, it is necessary to further lower the room temperature when the sunlight is strong. The room temperature is finely adjusted according to the intensity of light. Therefore, the sun sensor detects the intensity of sunlight and outputs a detection signal.

[0003]

[Prior art]

 When the sunlight is the strongest, that is, when the sun is in the direction directly above, the sensible temperature does not rise so much because there is less sunlight entering the passenger compartment than when it is in the diagonal direction. Therefore, when the sun is in the direction directly above, it is necessary to reduce the detection output of the sun sensor compared to the actual intensity of sunlight.

Therefore, conventionally, a photoelectric element is arranged below a transparent or translucent cover, and a means for preventing incident light from above from entering the photoelectric element to some extent is provided near the cover.

[0005]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 The sun sensor of the conventional automobile air conditioner as described above can attenuate the intensity of the incident light from above and perform air conditioning control according to the sensible temperature.

However, since only one photoelectric element is provided in the cover, the direction of incident sunlight is detected, for example, whether sunlight is incident from the right side or the left side. I couldn't do that.

Therefore, there is no choice but to keep the same air-conditioning condition when the sunlight enters from the right side and the left side. For example, when the sunlight enters from the right side, Sometimes it was too cold and comfort was compromised.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a sun sensor for an automobile auto air-conditioner that can detect the incident direction of sunlight.

[0009]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to achieve the above object, a sun sensor for an automobile air conditioner according to the present invention is a light incident device which is formed of a transparent body or a translucent body and is arranged substantially horizontally and has a conical or polygonal pyramid-shaped recess formed on the lower surface. A body and a plurality of photoelectric elements that are arranged below the light entrance body in an upward direction by dividing the vicinity of the central axis position of the recess as a boundary are provided.

[0010]

[Action]

 On the slope of the concave portion on the side where the sunlight is incident, the light ray is bent in a direction approaching the vertical direction and is incident on the photoelectric element arranged near the sunlight incident side.

However, on the opposite side, the light rays are largely refracted outward or totally reflected, and the sunlight does not much enter the photoelectric device arranged on the opposite side. Therefore, the output signal from the photoelectric element arranged below the slope on the sunlight incident side is large, and the output signal from the photoelectric element arranged below the slope on the opposite side is small.

[0012]

【Example】

 Embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 schematically shows a cooling portion of an automobile auto air conditioner. The operation of a cooling device 1 having a refrigerating cycle is controlled by a control unit 2 having a microcomputer. Reference numeral 3 denotes a temperature sensor that detects the temperature inside the vehicle compartment. Basically, the control unit 2 controls the operation of the cooling device 1 so that the room temperature detected by the temperature sensor 3 reaches the set temperature.

A sun sensor 10 for detecting the intensity of sunlight is provided inside the lower portion of the windshield 4, and the cooling device 1 is provided according to the intensity of sunlight detected by the sun sensor 10. Is corrected. That is, when the sunlight is strong, the room temperature is lowered below the set temperature, and fine adjustment is performed so that the sensible temperature in the passenger compartment becomes constant.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a ventilation door for distributing the cool air that has passed through the cooling device 1 to the left and right of the passenger compartment, and distributes the cool air to the left and right at a ratio according to a control signal from the control unit 2. The auto air conditioner is provided with a heating device, a set temperature input device, an air temperature sensor outside the vehicle, and various other devices, but their illustrations are omitted.

FIG. 3 shows the head of the sun sensor 10. Reference numeral 11 denotes a transparent or semi-transparent cover (light incident body) on which sunlight is incident, and is formed of, for example, a plastic having a refractive index of about 1.5 and arranged substantially horizontally.

Although the upper surface of the cover 11 is formed to be a flat surface, the lower surface of the cover 11 is provided with a conical concave portion 12 having an apex angle (for example, 120 °) that does not totally reflect incident light from above. Has been formed. Under the cover 11, two photoelectric elements 13L and 13R having the same characteristics are arranged with the light receiving surface facing upward.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the positional relationship between the two optoelectronic devices 13L and 13R and the recess 12. The optoelectronic devices 13L and 13R are divided into left and right parts with the central axis 12a of the recess 12 interposed therebetween. Are arranged.

With such a configuration, the two photoelectric elements 13L and 13R output a signal having a voltage according to the intensity of incident light incident on each of them. As the photoelectric element 13, various types such as a photodiode can be used, but it is preferable that the photoelectric element 13 has as little directivity as possible.

When sunlight enters the sun sensor 10 configured as above from above, as shown in FIG. 3, the incident light amounts to the left and right photoelectric elements 13L and 13R are the same, and the left and right photoelectric elements 13L and 13R are the same. A signal of the same magnitude is output from the control unit 2 and it is detected that the incident direction of sunlight is not tilted to the left or right.

FIG. 1 shows a case where the incident direction of sunlight is inclined 20 ° to the right. In this case, the light ray incident on the slope on the right side of the recess 12 is vertically refracted and enters the light receiving surface of the photoelectric element 13R on the right side perpendicularly, and the light beam passing through the slope on the left side of the recess 12 is directed outward. The light is largely refracted and does not enter the left photoelectric device 13L so much.

Further, FIG. 5 shows a case where the incident direction of sunlight is tilted to the right by 40 °. In this case, total reflection occurs on the slope on the left side of the recess 12, and all light rays incident on the slope on the left side are reflected. If the cover 11 has a high refractive index or the recess 12 has a small apex angle, total reflection occurs on the left slope even when the inclination in the incident direction is 20 °.

In this way, when the sunlight is incident from the right direction, the output signal from the photoelectric element 13 R on the right side is larger than the output signal from the photoelectric element 13 L on the left side. Is determined to be in the right direction by the control unit 2, and accordingly, the state of the ventilation door 5 is controlled so that the right side of the vehicle interior is cooled more than the right side.

When sunlight enters from the left direction, the output signal from the left photoelectric element 13L becomes larger than the output signal from the right photoelectric element 13R, as in the case from the right direction.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and the photoelectric element may be divided and arranged in the front-rear direction, or, as shown in FIG. It may be divided in any way, such as divided into four. Further, the recess 12 may have a polygonal pyramid shape or the like.

[0025]

[Effect of device]

 According to the sun sensor of the automobile auto air conditioner of the present invention, the output signals of different magnitudes corresponding to the incident direction of the sun rays can be obtained from the plurality of photoelectric elements, so that the incident direction of the sunlight can be detected. Therefore, it has an excellent effect that it is possible to perform precise and appropriate air conditioning control corresponding to the incident direction of sunlight.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an automatic air conditioner according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan perspective view of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective plan view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Sun sensor 11 Cover (light incident body) 12 Recesses 13L, 13R Photoelectric element

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A light incident body formed of a transparent body or a semitransparent body and arranged substantially horizontally and having a conical or polygonal pyramid-shaped concave portion formed on a lower surface thereof; A sun sensor for an automobile air conditioner, comprising: a plurality of photoelectric elements, which are arranged in a divided manner with the vicinity of the central axis position as a boundary.