KR200342143Y1 - Automatic vehicle ventilation device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a device that can reduce the overheating state of the riding space in a parked vehicle. The apparatus includes control means capable of controlling the startup and operation of an existing air conditioner fan of a vehicle such as a temperature sensor, a temperature comparator and a microprocessor. The control means starts the motor when the temperature of the riding space exceeds a predetermined level, draws energy from the battery unit of the vehicle, supplies it in the form of a pulse, and stops drawing energy when the temperature drops below the predetermined level. According to the present invention, the use of the pulse width modulation technique allows the battery to operate for a much longer time until the battery discharges below the threshold level required for starting the vehicle.

Description

Automotive Ventilation Device {AUTOMATIC VEHICLE VENTILATION DEVICE}

The present invention relates to a vehicle ventilation apparatus, and more particularly, to an automotive ventilation apparatus for controlling the internal temperature of the parking vehicle so that the vehicle is not overheated due to hot weather.

The driver and passengers of the vehicle experience significant inconvenience when parking in the hot sun or in the garage in hot weather. Although air-conditioning technology can cool the passenger space, it takes considerable time for the air conditioner to sufficiently lower the internal temperature to reach a comfortable state and to be able to hold the steering wheel and hand brake by hand. In some situations, the temperature inside the vehicle can reach 70 degrees Celsius, and this high temperature can not only be offensive to humans, but can also damage interior materials, interior components, and other loads inside the vehicle.

Various devices have been devised to solve this problem, but there are currently no devices that are popular or efficient.

One example of such a device is a cooling unit comprising a cooling chamber having a heat insulating wall on its opposite surface, and a cooling block incorporating a heat sink and a thermoelectric chip. The apparatus consists of an air inlet pipe, a cold pipe, a discharge pipe and a means for supplying power to the cooling unit from the car battery.

Another example of a device is a device used by attaching to a side window of a vehicle using a connecting structure attached between the door frame and the side window of the vehicle. The device comprises an air exhaust port, a DC motor, a centrifugal fan, a voltage polarity switch and a temperature control module. Here, the temperature control module is composed of first and second heat exchangers and thermoelectric Peltier elements. Power is supplied from the vehicle battery to the device at a preset time via the control unit.

Another approach is a device comprising at least one thermal conductor with a phase changeable working fluid for cooling an overheated riding space. The thermal conductor has three zones: an evaporator located in the passenger compartment, a condenser located outside the vehicle, and a thermal insulation located therebetween. The fluid is evaporated by the heat of the passenger space, and the evaporated fluid takes heat from the passenger space. The vapor pressure difference between the evaporator and the condenser leads the vaporized working fluid from the evaporator to the condenser via the adiabatic part, thereby releasing latent heat of condensation into the atmosphere. The evaporator is usually attached to the inner surface of the roof panel and the condenser is mounted on top of the roof panel.

Such conventional devices are relatively complex and expensive. In particular, the third device requires a structural change of the vehicle. In addition, there is a problem in that conventional devices that use power are not efficient in power use, which may cause battery discharge, especially when these devices are directly connected to the battery of the vehicle.

Accordingly, there is a need for another alternative to solve the inconvenience of riding due to overheating of the passenger space in parked vehicles.

The present invention utilizes a vehicle's existing accessories such as air conditioner fans, motors and associated piping to minimize the number of parts required, while employing a power management system that reduces or eliminates battery discharge problems. It is an object to provide an overheat prevention device.

1 is a general procedure showing the operation sequence of the vehicle automatic ventilation device according to the present invention.

2 is a block diagram showing one form of the system of the present invention.

3 is an associative block diagram for the system of FIG.

4 is a circuit diagram of a first embodiment of an apparatus of the present invention.

5 is a circuit diagram of a second embodiment of a device of the present invention.

<Brief description of the symbols in the drawings>

11 control means, 12 pulse width modulator

16: comparator, 13: battery

20: display board, 21: control module

22: terminal block, 33, 34: amplifier

35: microcontroller, 57: LED

In order to achieve the above technical problem, the present invention provides an apparatus capable of reducing an overheating state of a parked vehicle riding space. The apparatus includes control means capable of controlling the startup and operation of an existing air conditioner fan of a vehicle such as a temperature sensor, a temperature comparator and a microprocessor. The control means starts the motor when the temperature of the riding space exceeds a predetermined level, draws energy from the battery unit of the vehicle, supplies it in the form of a pulse, and stops drawing energy when the temperature drops below the predetermined level.

Preferably, the device may further comprise a switch to operate only in a state in which the starting of the vehicle is stopped. The switch is preferably designed to operate automatically when the vehicle is stopped.

Since the device can only operate effectively when the air conditioning vent is opened, the control means is preferably designed to open the suction vent upon switching on when the vehicle is operating the air conditioning suction vent. When the vehicle does not operate the air conditioner intake vents, the device may be associated with an attachment to switch the intake duct into electrical operation.

The device is provided with a connection, preferably a jack connection, which connects directly or indirectly to the vehicle battery and the ventilator fan, bypassing the air conditioner fan speed controller. The device preferably has a connection to the intake vent of the vehicle.

The control means preferably employs a pulse width modulation technique to control the energy usage from the battery. The pulse frequency of the pulse width modulator is preferably set above the normal audible range or below the RF frequency so as not to cause human discomfort and cause frequency interference with the vehicle electronic components or related devices. The frequency is preferably set to 24 kHz.

The vehicle draws energy from the battery for a first predetermined time and stops drawing energy for a second predetermined time equal to or different from the predetermined time until the vehicle temperature again exceeds the predetermined level or exceeds the predetermined level. The use of a pulse width modulation technique allows the device to operate for a much longer time until the battery is discharged below the threshold level required for starting the vehicle.

The device preferably further comprises a battery status monitor for stopping or preventing the system from operating when the voltage of the battery unit drops below the threshold level. The battery status monitor is preferably associated with a warning light or other indicator that can alert the fact that there may be a battery problem.

Monitoring the battery condition ensures that the operation of the device cannot discharge the battery below the level required for starting the vehicle. Preferably, the battery status monitor prevents the device from operating when the battery voltage drops below a certain level above the minimum voltage required for starting the vehicle.

The device performs a predetermined number of draw and stop cycles until the device is shut off, regardless of the temperature inside the passenger compartment when the device is shut off, and is programmed to be reset when the vehicle is restarted using the ignition switch. It is preferable.

The control means may employ analog or more preferably digital processing technology to perform the temperature comparator and battery monitoring functions of the device.

In addition, the device of the present invention includes a display board or display module incorporating an indicator light such as an LED for indicating a temperature sensor, an on / off switch and a battery status.

The display board or module is preferably designed to be mounted out of reach of the instrument panel of the vehicle together with the control means contained within the module mounted below the instrument panel.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail by explaining a preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the system of the present invention comprises a temperature sensor or thermistor 10 electrically connected to the comparator circuit 16 in the control means 11 in a conventional manner. The sensor 10 is disposed in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The control means also comprises a linear voltage regulator 17, a microcontroller 35, a power switch circuit 18 and a pulse width modulator 12 which receive power from the vehicle's 12V battery 13 and convert it to 5V. In the control means, the voltage regulator 17 is connected to the comparator 16 and the microcontroller 35. The microcontroller 35 is connected to the pulse width modulator via a switch circuit 18 and to the battery 13 by battery status and / or voltage drop monitoring means (not shown). The pulse width modulator 12 is electrically connected to an existing air conditioner fan motor assembly 14 of the vehicle. The installation of the device and the use of the system do not affect the electrical arrangement of the existing system of the vehicle. Because the system complements the existing electrical system and is piggybacked, it only works when the other system is not working. During the system operation, the normal air conditioner system operation is not affected by the automatic disconnection from the fan speed controller 59 by the relay and the reconnection to the fan speed controller 59 when the system is not operated.

As shown in Fig. 1, in operation of the system the ignition switch of the vehicle is switched off and the intake vents to the air conditioner are opened manually or automatically. The device is automatically switched on and the level of the battery is sensed. The temperature inside the vehicle is sensed and compared with the reference temperature. If the battery level satisfies the required level when the temperature inside the vehicle is above the reference level, the comparator 16 generates a signal that triggers the microcontroller 35 to switch the output relay and operate the pulse width modulator 12. . This causes the air conditioner fan 14 to operate to draw air from the outside air through the inlet vents. Hot air in the riding space is vented out through windows or door seals and other unsealed locations. After the first set period of time determined by the pulse width modulator 12 has elapsed, the output relay is deactivated so that power is no longer drawn from the battery 13 and the fan 14 stops operating. After the elapse of the second set period determined by the pulse width modulator 12, if the temperature in the vehicle is less than the reference temperature, no operation occurs, and the temperature sensor 10 until the vehicle temperature exceeds the reference temperature. It will continue to sense the temperature. If the temperature is above or above the reference temperature, the device will again engage and operate the fan for an additional period.

The microcontroller 35 is set to operate the fan 14 for a period of time. Typically this period is about 60 to 120 seconds. This sequence of temperature measurement, comparison and fan operation is repeated to the extent necessary. However, this number is preferably limited to a maximum of 240 times until the system is reset again to avoid battery discharge. The system is reset again when the ignition switch of the vehicle is switched to the on position, for example during starting or operation of the vehicle, and the battery 13 is recharged. It is also desirable for the device to operate for up to eight hours in one operation cycle. This is in case the vehicle is inactive for longer than usual, such as when the owner is away from home.

The efficiency of the system can be improved even when the ventilation duct mechanism of the existing vehicle is in use.

3 shows a connection block diagram of the present invention. The system can be tailored to be assembled to three different modules. For example, the display board 20, the control module 21 and the terminal block 22 are the same. The terminal block 22 can be configured with 16 amp-2 pole terminals such that the system is connected to existing fan and air conditioning control wiring systems. As mentioned above, the proposed system is grafted to the existing system in a "piggyback" manner, and the terminal block is designed to facilitate this grafting. The control module 21 comprises a linear regulator 17, a comparison circuit 16, a microcontroller 35, a power switching circuit 18 and a power supply management means 12. Thus, the control module 21 comprises the respective components of the control means 11. The display means houses an indicator light or LED 57 having a temperature sensor 10, an on / off switch 56 and a bias resistor 58. The display means is adapted to be mounted on the instrument panel of the vehicle using suitable means. The control module 21 may be mounted invisibly and is typically mounted under the instrument cluster. The vehicle's connection to the battery and ignition system is made in a control module with ground.

Figure 4 shows the device circuit diagram of the present invention in analog form. The fast shorting fuse 30 is connected to a 12V power source input from the vehicle battery 13. When the ignition switch 32 of the vehicle is switched to the off position, the relay 31 intervenes to turn on the system. A step down 5V linear adjustment method is used to construct a circuit for powering the amplifiers 33, 34 and the microcontroller 35. The thermistor 10 is arranged in series with the resistor 37 at the non-inverting input end of the amplifier, and a reference voltage of 4.1 volts is obtained using the resistors 38 and 39 and the amplifier 33. When the non-inverting input voltage is lower than the reference voltage, a trigger output in a low state is generated at the output terminal of the amplifier 33. Once the low trigger output of amplifier 34 is compared to a reference voltage at the non-inverting input of amplifier 34, the output of amplifier 34 is in a high trigger state. Resistor 40 is connected between the differential inputs of amplifier 34 to avoid virtual grounding effects in the comparison state.

As a control unit for the job monitoring and the control means 11, a microcontroller 35 is introduced. Pins 6 and 7 of the microcontroller are connected to the crystal oscillator 41. The comparison trigger output of the amplifier 34 is fed to pin 2 of the microcontroller. Upon receiving this comparison trigger output, the microcontroller 35 circulates through embedded software and transmits an output signal through pin 15 of the microcontroller 35. Pin 15 is a drive transistor 43. Connected to the optocoupler 42. The collector current is then activated to turn on the output relay 44 connected to the fan motor 14. The relay 45 disconnects the fan speed controller 59. Pulse width modulation is performed using 555 timer 46 and associated components, diodes 47 and 48, resistors 49, 50 and 51 and capacitors 52, 53 and 54 to operate fan motor 14 This results in a continuous pulse with a duty cycle of 48.8% switching directly to the MOSFET transistor 55 through the gate resistor 51. This switch network is used to control the current discharge of the battery 13, and the energy use from the battery can be minimized because the energy is drawn in the form of pulses. This is especially possible because the battery terminals do not connect directly to the fan motor 14. Pin 9 is used to detect a low battery condition. If for some reason the voltage at the battery terminal drops below 11.9V, the system will not work. LED 57 lights to indicate this condition. Preferably, the LED is a blinking LED.

5 shows a comparison circuit 16 in digital form. This embodiment can eliminate the amplifiers 33 and 34 that were used in the external comparator shown in FIG. 4, which can be a much simpler solution. In this embodiment, the device employs a microcontroller 35 with a built-in comparator. The microcontroller 35 having such built-in comparators is various and can be easily obtained commercially. A microcontroller 35 and a timer coupled to a pulse width modulation ramp are used to implement a single slope AC / DC conversion for detection of unknown input voltage from the thermistor. It is read out as a digital representation by the software of the controller. The output is fed to an RC integrator 60, producing a linear ramp. The analog voltage generated from the thermistor 10 is input to pin 9 of the microcontroller. Typically, these inputs have a voltage of 0 to 5 volts. When the input analog voltage exceeds a predetermined set level voltage, an interrupt signal of the microcontroller is generated and the blower fan motor will operate as in the apparatus of FIG. This digital technique may be preferred in that the number of components may be reduced. Moreover, management tasks and adjustments are relatively easy because they are performed by software.

As in the analog circuit shown in Fig. 4, a low voltage detection method of a battery may be employed. However, in this arrangement the pin 8 of the microcontroller is used for this purpose.

By using the pulse width modulation technique of the present invention, the battery can be operated for a much longer time until the battery is discharged below the threshold level required for starting the vehicle.

The present invention provides an electronic solution to the problem of overheating in a passenger space using a piggyback method using existing vehicle parts. Furthermore, by allowing the outside air to circulate through the air conditioner duct, the circulated outside air keeps the evaporator coil of the air conditioner system in a cooled state so that the amount of heat remaining in the duct when the air conditioner system is operated later is not much. In addition, the humidity of the passenger compartment will be parallel to the humidity outside the vehicle, thereby reducing damage to parts or other items of the vehicle that may be damaged by moisture.

In addition, by using the device of the present invention, it is possible to achieve a deodorizing effect on the odor of the vehicle even when parking. Odor-generating substances, such as passenger's shoes, which are accidentally brought into the vehicle and do not smell bad when dried, do not generate odor even when moisture is formed in the vehicle and gets wet again.

Claims (13)

In a vehicle automatic ventilation device for reducing the temperature in the passenger compartment of a vehicle equipped with a conventional ventilation duct, an ignition switch, an air conditioner fan, a fan motor for driving the air conditioner fan, and a battery, A temperature sensor disposed in the riding space; Temperature comparator; And Control means in electrical communication with the comparator for controlling the starting and operation of the air conditioner fan, The control means draws out energy for starting the fan motor in pulse form from the battery when the temperature of the riding space read from the temperature sensor exceeds the predetermined level set in the temperature comparator while the ignition switch is turned off. And power supply management means for stopping the drawing of the energy when the temperature of the passenger space drops below the predetermined level, When the energy is drawn, the fan motor operates the connected air conditioner fan to suck air from the outside of the vehicle riding space into the riding space to reduce the temperature inside the riding space. Automatic ventilation The vehicle ventilation system according to claim 1, wherein the control means is a microprocessor. 2. The vehicular automatic ventilation device according to claim 1, wherein the control means operates only when the ignition switch is in the off position. The method of claim 1, And a switch for automatically operating said control means when said ignition switch is turned off. The method of claim 1, And said control means employs a pulse width modulation technique to control energy extraction from said battery. The method of claim 1, And said energy pulse drives said fan motor for a first predetermined period of time. The method of claim 6, The first predetermined period is about 60 seconds, When the first predetermined period has elapsed, the fan motor is inactive for a second predetermined period, and thereafter, the fan motor is activated only when the temperature of the riding space exceeds the predetermined level. . The method of claim 6, And said control means limits the maximum number of maneuvers of said fan motor within one operating cycle until said ignition switch is turned on again. The method of claim 8, And the maximum number of motor starts is 240, and the operation cycle is within a maximum of 8 hours. The method of claim 1, And the control means is reset to start a new operation cycle when the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on. The method of claim 1, And a hole for sucking air outside the passenger space using the ventilation duct. The method of claim 1, And the control means further comprises a battery monitor for causing the power supply management means to stop drawing energy when the battery voltage drops below a predetermined level. The method of claim 12, And an optical indicator which emits light when the battery voltage falls below the predetermined level.