Refrigeration – Automatic control – Responsive to vehicle body motion or traction
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-08
2001-07-24
Tanner, Harry B. (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Automatic control
Responsive to vehicle body motion or traction
C062S244000, C062S296000, C236SDIG001, C454S075000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06263685
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for reliably determining the temperature of the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, in particular for controlling an air-conditioning system in the motor vehicle, in which a sensor which detects the temperature of the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle is ventilated by a fan motor, the fan motor being previously operated with another motor vehicle device which generates a noise.
2. Description of the Related Art
In control units for controlling air-conditioning systems in motor vehicles, NTC or PTC elements are used to measure the temperature of the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle. It is customary to suck in the internal air by means of a small, quietly running motor on which a blade wheel is mounted, and to ventilate the temperature sensor of the passenger compartment in this way. This fan motor runs as soon as, for example, the driver opens the vehicle door (U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,746) or an open signal of the central locking system activates the internal light or the stationary heating system and this is detected by the air-conditioning control unit. This means that the fan motor is already running before the ignition is switched on and continues to run for a certain time after the ignition has been switched off, in order to cool the temperature sensor of the passenger compartment. However, as soon as the drive motor of the motor vehicle is switched off, the noise nuisance from the fan motor is thought to be troublesome by the user of the vehicle. According to U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,746, the fan motor can also be switched on when the ignition is activated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is thus based on the object of specifying a method for determining the temperature of the passenger compartment, in which the noise nuisance from the motor is eliminated.
Since the fan motor does not start up until another motor vehicle device which generates a noise starts up, that is to say not until the ignition is actuated, the heating of the passenger compartment temperature sensor which is brought about by the later switching on of the fan motor is compensated at the time when the motor vehicle is started. The climatization control functions reliably because the system starts with the correct initial value. The device which generates a noise can either be the internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle or the ventilator of the air-conditioning system of the motor vehicle.
In one development, the heating of the sensor of the passenger compartment is determined by virtue of the fact that the time after the ignition of the motor vehicle is switched off and is switched on again is determined and this time is compared with a time threshold value. When the time threshold value is exceeded, the temperature of the internal combustion engine is measured, and, when a temperature threshold value of the internal combustion engine is exceeded, the passenger compartment temperature sensor is immediately ventilated by means of the fan motor. In a starting phase, the device which generates a noise is controlled in a delayed fashion with a first damping time in relation to the fan motor. The temperature of the internal combustion engine is determined by means of the temperature of the cooling water. correct flap position and the correct automatic blower operation.
In one refinement, the ambient temperature of the motor vehicle is measured when the time threshold value is undershot. The temperature of the passenger compartment is compared with the ambient temperature and, when the ambient temperature is exceeded, the temperature of the passenger compartment which is measured at the time when the internal combustion engine is switched off is used to control the air-conditioning system for all rising temperatures of the passenger compartment.
In this way, the air-conditioning system is thus reliably prevented from starting in the cooling mode although the heating mode would actually be necessary.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4623090 (1986-11-01), Heger
patent: 5311746 (1994-05-01), Dombrowski et al.
patent: 5392845 (1995-02-01), Honda et al.
patent: 5564625 (1996-10-01), Straub
patent: 5731953 (1998-03-01), Sakurai
patent: 0659599A (1995-06-01), None
Depke Robert J.
Mannesmann VDO AG
Mayer Brown & Platt
Tanner Harry B.
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