KR20050111250A - An apparatus for notifying exchange-time of air filter - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for notifying replacement time of an air filter for a vehicle air conditioner, and without detecting two pressure sensors on both the front and rear sides of the air filter, so that the detection unit can determine the air filter replacement time more accurately. An opening formed at a predetermined position between the rear surface of the air filter of the duct and the front surface of the wheel of the blower; A cylinder guide whose one end is connected to the opening to communicate with the air duct; A cylinder installed in the cylinder guide and guiding and moving in the cylinder guide according to a difference between the negative pressure and atmospheric pressure; Pressurizing means for pressurizing the cylinder such that the cylinder maintains a predetermined position at a predetermined negative pressure; An object of the present invention is to provide an air filter replacement time notification device including a variable resistor whose resistance value changes depending on the position of the cylinder.

Description

Air filter replacement time notification device {AN APPARATUS FOR NOTIFYING EXCHANGE-TIME OF AIR FILTER}

The present invention relates to a replacement time notification device for an air conditioner for an automobile air conditioner, and more particularly, to an air filter replacement time notification device for automatically informing the replacement time according to the degree of contamination of the air filter.

In general, a vehicle is equipped with an air conditioner and a heater for controlling the temperature in the car, and in order to circulate the cold and warm air provided by the air conditioner or heater in the room, an air duct is separately provided and a cold and warm air is used by using a blower. It is structured to blow air into each part of car.

The air filter installed in the air duct to filter impurities in the air supplied into the vehicle should be replaced when impurities accumulate to a certain level by continuous use. Conventionally, such an air filter is periodically replaced at a fixed time (for example, one year) or at a fixed traveling distance (for example, 15000 km).

However, as described above, replacing the air filter at a certain time or mileage distance is not accurate. Therefore, when the replacement is performed in a time shorter than the actual life of the air filter, the cost of the air filter and the replacement work cost are unnecessary. In addition, if the air filter is replaced after a longer time than the actual life of the air filter, the amount of air is reduced, thereby reducing the temperature control function of the interior of the car, and there is a problem that an odor may occur.

In order to solve the above problems, a method of informing the time of replacing the filter using a pressure sensor or a flow sensor is known.

Figure 1 shows a schematic structure of a notification device for replacing the time of the conventional air filter.

As shown, the first pressure sensor 11 and the second pressure sensor 12 are respectively installed on both front and rear sides of the air filter 15 installed in the air duct 100. As impurities accumulate in the air filter 15, the pressure P2 on the side where the second pressure sensor 12 is installed is applied to the pressure P1 on the side where the first pressure sensor 11 is installed. It becomes smaller than that.

The control unit 30 is an air filter when the pressure P2 on the side where the second pressure sensor 12 is installed becomes smaller than a predetermined value or less than the pressure P1 on the side where the first pressure sensor 11 is installed. Judging by the replacement time of 15, the display unit 40 informs the user of the replacement time of the air filter.

However, in the above case, since two pressure sensors must be provided on both front and rear sides of the air filter, the cost increases.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems and solved the problem. The air filter is more accurately exchanged through a sensing unit that measures a negative pressure at a predetermined position between the rear of the air filter in the air duct and the front of the wheel of the blower. An object of the present invention is to provide an air filter replacement time notification device capable of determining a time point.

In order to achieve the above object, the air duct and the air filter installed in the air duct according to the present invention, the air filter replacement time notification device including a blower, the motor driving unit for driving the motor of the blower; A detector for detecting a negative pressure between a rear surface of the air filter and a front surface of the wheel of the blower when the blower is operated; A display unit for displaying replacement time of the air filter; An input unit for receiving a user's selection; And a control unit for controlling the motor driving unit and the display unit. When an air filter replacement timing measurement signal is input to the input unit 25, the motor rotates at a predetermined speed and is detected by the sensing unit 10. When the difference between the negative pressure and the initial negative pressure is more than a predetermined amount, it is characterized in that the replacement time is displayed on the display unit 30.

The sensing unit may include an opening formed at a predetermined position between the rear surface of the air filter of the air duct and the front surface of the wheel of the blower; A cylinder guide whose one end is connected to the opening to communicate with the air duct; A cylinder installed in the cylinder guide and guiding and moving in the cylinder guide according to a difference between the negative pressure and atmospheric pressure; Pressurizing means for pressurizing the cylinder such that the cylinder maintains a predetermined position at a predetermined negative pressure; It characterized in that it comprises a variable resistor in which the resistance value changes according to the position of the cylinder.

In addition, the pressing means is preferably a compression spring interposed between the cylinder and the opening.

In addition, the other end of the cylinder guide is characterized in that the open.

In addition, when the air filter is replaced, or the user selects initialization or confirmation of the air filter replacement time through the input unit, the control unit controls the motor driving unit to operate the motor of the blower at a constant speed (or maximum speed). It is desirable to.

The apparatus may further include a storage unit which stores the detected resistance value of the variable resistor, the calculated position of the cylinder, and the calculated negative pressure.

The controller compares the resistance value detected when the air filter is replaced or when the initialization is selected with the resistance value detected when the air filter replacement time is checked and the difference is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. It is preferable to indicate that.

An apparatus for notifying exchange time of an air filter according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 is a view showing a schematic configuration of an air filter replacement time notification device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the air filter 15 is installed on top of a blower 90. When the blower 90 is operated, the air filter 15 acts as a resistor against the air flowing into the air duct 100, whereby the pressure (less than the pressure P ₁ on the front side of the air filter 15) P ₂ ) occurs between the rear of the air filter 15 and the front of the wheel of the blower 90. The blower 90 is formed of a wheel (not shown) and a motor (not shown), and the same structure as that of a conventional blower is omitted, and thus a detailed structure thereof is omitted. The blower 90 is operated by the motor driver 95 controlled by the controller 20.

Thus, it is defined as the air pressure of the front-side filter (P ₁₎ and the back-side air filter pressure (P ₂₎ a negative pressure (負壓) (P _S) of a difference between, for measuring the magnitude of the negative pressure (P _S) The sensing unit 10 is configured as follows.

An opening 40 is formed at a predetermined position between the rear surface of the air filter 15 and the front wheel of the blower 90, and one end of the cylinder guide 70 is connected to the opening 40 to connect the air duct 100 with the air duct 100. Are communicated, and the other end is configured to be open. The pressurizing means 50 which installs the cylinder 60 in the cylinder guide 70 and pressurizes the cylinder 60 so that the cylinder 60 may be located in the predetermined position in the cylinder guide 70 at a predetermined negative pressure P _S. It is provided.

In this embodiment, the compression spring 50 is used as the compression means 50, one side of the compression spring 50 is attached to one side of the air duct 100, the opening 40 is formed, the other side is attached to the cylinder 60 . However, the pressurizing means 50 is not limited to the compression spring, and has an elastic force, so long as the cylinder 60 maintains a predetermined position in the cylinder guide 70 according to the magnitude of the negative pressure P ₂ . It is okay.

Looking at the operation of the cylinder 60 in the cylinder guide 70 as follows.

When the motor of the blower 90 is driven by the motor driving unit 95, a pressure P ₂ smaller than the pressure P _{3 on} the outside of the cylinder 60 is lower than the rear of the air filter 20 and the blower 90. Happens between the front of the wheel. Due to the difference between the pressure P ₃ and the pressure P _2, the cylinder is positioned where the force for moving the cylinder 60 in the direction of the air duct 100 and the elastic force of the compression spring 50 are balanced. Here, since the pressure P ₃ and the pressure P ₁ are both atmospheric pressures, they represent the same pressure.

When the motor of the blower 90 is operated at a constant speed, the pressure loss increases as impurities accumulate in the air filter 20, whereby the negative pressure P _S gradually increases. Accordingly, the cylinder 60 gradually moves in the direction closer to the air duct 100 compared with when the air filter 15 is first installed.

The variable resistor 80 is installed so that the resistance value changes according to the position of the cylinder 60.

The control unit 20 detects a resistance value of the variable resistor 80, naemyeo to calculate the position of the cylinder and its negative-pressure (P ₂₎ in accordance with, and stores the calculated position of the cylinder and the negative pressure (P _2). The calculated position of the cylinder, the negative pressure P _S and the resistance value may be stored in a separate memory device 105.

The display unit 30 may display the negative pressure P _S calculated by the control unit 20, the position of the cylinder, and the like, and display the replacement time of the air filter.

The user selects confirmation of the replacement time of the air filter through the input unit 25, or selects initialization after replacing the air filter, and stores the position, the negative pressure P _S and the resistance value of the cylinder immediately after the air filter is replaced. 105).

The input unit 25 and the display unit 30 may use input means and display means used in a conventional vehicle.

3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation process of the notification message of the replacement time of the air filter according to the present invention.

When the driver replaces the air filter or selects initialization through the input unit 25 (step S1), the control unit 20 controls the motor driving unit 25 to drive the motor of the blower 90 at a constant speed ( Step S2). When the motor of the blower 90 is operated at high speed in step S2, the difference between the pressure P ₂ and the atmospheric pressure P ₃ becomes larger than when the motor of the blower 90 is operated at a low speed, so that the position change of the cylinder 60 is larger. This makes it possible to calculate the replacement time of the air filter more accurately. Therefore, it is preferable to operate the motor of the blower 90 at high speed.

The control unit 20 detects the resistance value of the variable resistor 80 when the motor of the blower 90 operates at a high speed (or maximum speed), calculates and stores the negative pressure P _S and the position of the cylinder ( Step S3). In step S3, only the resistance value may be detected and stored. At this time, the replacement time of the air filter may be determined based on the detected resistance value.

When the driver selects the air filter replacement time confirmation through the input unit 25 (S4), the control unit 20 controls the motor driving unit 25 to drive the motor of the blower 90 at the same speed as in step S2. (Step S5). As a result, the controller 20 may calculate the resistance value of the variable resistor, the position of the cylinder, and the negative pressure P _S according to the same condition.

Next, if the difference between the resistance value calculated in step S3 and the resistance value calculated in step S5 is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the control unit 20 indicates that the air filter replacement time is displayed on the display unit 30 (step S7). If less than the predetermined value, the display unit 30 indicates that the air filter is normal (step S8).

As described above, when the air filter replacement time notification device according to the present invention is used, the following effects can be obtained.

First, since the air filter can be replaced by the difference in negative pressure depending on the degree of accumulation of impurities in the air filter, the air filter can be replaced by a cumulative calculation of a fixed time or driving distance or a motor operation time. Therefore, there is an effect that it is possible to determine the time of replacement of the air filter more accurately.

Second, since the air filter can be changed more accurately, the unnecessary cost is spent by replacing the air filter in a shorter time than the actual life of the air filter, and the temperature control in the vehicle cabin caused by replacing the air filter after a longer time than the actual life of the air filter. There is an effect that can overcome problems such as deterioration of function and odor generation.

Third, it is not necessary to have two pressure sensors on both the front and rear sides of the air filter, thereby reducing the cost.

1 is a view showing a schematic structure of a replacement time notification device of a conventional air filter,

2 is a view showing a schematic configuration of an apparatus for notifying exchange time of an air filter according to the present invention;

3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation process of the notification message of the replacement time of the air filter according to the present invention.

<Short description of drawing symbols>

10 ... sensing unit 11 ... first pressure sensor

12 ... second pressure sensor 15 ... air filter

20 ... control unit 25 ... input unit

30 ... indicator 40 ... opening

50 ... pressing means 60 ... cylinder

70 ... Cylinder Guide 80 ... Variable Resistor

90 ... Blowers 100 ... Air Duct

105 ... storage

Claims (5)

In the air duct (Air Duct, 100), the air filter (Air Filter, 15) installed in the air duct, and the air filter replacement time notification device including a blower, A motor driver 95 for driving the motor of the blower; A sensing unit 10 for detecting a negative pressure between a rear surface of the air filter and a front surface of the wheel of the blower when the blower is operated; A display unit 30 for displaying an air filter replacement time; An input unit 25 for receiving a user's selection; And a control unit 20 for controlling the motor driving unit and the display unit. When an air filter replacement timing measurement signal is input to the input unit 25, the motor rotates at a predetermined speed and is provided to the sensing unit 10. And when the difference between the negative pressure sensed by the negative pressure and the initial negative pressure becomes greater than or equal to the predetermined amount, displaying the replacement time on the display unit 30. The method of claim 1, The sensing unit includes an opening 40 formed at a predetermined position between the rear surface of the air filter of the air duct and the front surface of the wheel of the blower; A cylinder guide (70) having one end thereof connected to the opening and communicating with the air duct; A cylinder (60) installed in the cylinder guide to guide and move the cylinder guide according to a difference between the negative pressure and the atmospheric pressure; Pressurizing means (50) for pressurizing the cylinder such that the cylinder maintains a predetermined position at a predetermined negative pressure; And a variable resistor (80) for measuring the negative pressure by changing the resistance value according to the position of the cylinder. The method of claim 2, The pressurizing means (50) is an air filter replacement time notification device, characterized in that the compression spring interposed between the cylinder and the opening (40). The method of claim 1, When the air filter is replaced or the user selects the initialization through the input unit, the control unit further includes a storage unit for controlling the motor driving unit to store the initial negative pressure measured by the motor of the blower operating at a predetermined speed. Air filter replacement time notification device characterized in that. The method according to claim 1 or 4, And a predetermined speed of the motor of the blower is a maximum speed.