Ventilation – Vehicle – Having automatic control means
Reexamination Certificate
1998-02-26
2001-09-18
Joyce, Harold (Department: 3749)
Ventilation
Vehicle
Having automatic control means
C136S293000, C454S900000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06290593
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a circuit for supplying power to a ventilation fan for cooling the interior of a motor vehicle and/or to a motor vehicle battery by means of solar cells, With a manually actuated switch for switching the solar cell power supply to the ventilation fan or battery.
2. Description of Related Art
A circuit of this type is known from German Patent 36 10 767 C2. The solar cell units are series connected in the position of the manually activated switch for supplying of solar cell current to the battery, while in the switch position for supplying solar cell current to the ventilation fan, the solar cells are connected in parallel in order to deliver, in the former case, a voltage above the battery voltage (conventionally 12 V), and in the latter case, to deliver a voltage below the battery voltage (conventionally roughly 6 V). Preferably, the manually activated switch is replaced by the ignition lock to vent and cool the motor vehicle interior with the vehicle stopped and with solar irradiation of the solar cells, while when driving the battery is charged.
German Patent DE 29 52 080 C2 discloses a circuit for solar cell power supply for a ventilation fan for cooling the interior of a motor vehicle which can be set selectively to summer or winter operation. During summer operation, the ventilation fan is started only beginning at a predetermined interior temperature.
German Patent DE 41 39 435 C2 discloses charging of the battery depending on its charging voltage and the no-load voltage of the solar cell in solar cell power supply of a motor vehicle battery.
Furthermore, different designs switches are known, including switches with rockers and switches with symbols which are assigned to their actuating element and which can be located directly on the actuating element, if necessary. Furthermore, light emitting diodes located in the actuating element of the switches are known for optical indication of the switch state. In this connection, for example, published German Patent Application DE 42 29 756 A1 discloses marking of the blocking position of a manual actuation element by means of an imprinted color or imprinted character symbol. A switch with the actuating element in the form of a rocker with button function in the neutral position and illuminated marking of all three switch positions is known from published German Patent Application DE 42 42 100 A1.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of the present invention is to devise a circuit of the initially mentioned type by which solar cell power supplied to a ventilation fan or to a battery can be optimally controlled and indicated.
This object is achieved by an automatic control having a fully automatic mode for automatic switching of the solar cell power supply depending on the temperature in the motor vehicle interior and/or the battery charging state, the automatic control being overridden by activating an actuating element of the manually actuated switch (producing a semiautomatic mode), and by optical display means for indicating which of the automatic and semiautomatic modes is active.
Accordingly, the circuit of the invention provides for a fully automatic operating mode in which fully automatic switching of the solar cell power supply to the ventilation fan or battery takes place depending on the parameters relevant to control. In addition, the circuit of the invention provides for a semiautomatic operating mode which can be activated by overriding the fully automatic operating mode by actuating the manually activated switch. In this way, independently of the fully automatic mode, the driver of a motor vehicle can select the ventilation mode or battery charging mode. The selected mode, i.e. the automatic or semiautomatic operating mode, is displayed by an optical display means.
The optical display means is advantageously integrated into the actuating element of the switch, preferably in the form of at least one light emitting diode. To display the current operating mode and/or the solar cell power supply to the battery or to the ventilation fan, it is advantageously provided either that the light emitting diode changes between light and dark and/or that the light emitting diode changes its blinking frequency.
According to one especially advantageous development of the invention, the actuating element of the manually activated switch is made as a rocker with a button function in the neutral position of the rocker for activating the automatic mode which can be overridden when the rocker is actuated in favor of a battery charging mode, the first rocker end position, or a ventilation mode, the second rocker end position.
Preferably, at the two rocker end segments there are symbols which designate the respective operating mode and light emitting diodes are assigned to these symbols for better recognition of the operating mode which are activated by actuating the respective rocker end.
Advantageously, a symbol which designates the automatic mode is likewise assigned to the rocker neutral position. Preferably, a light emitting diode is likewise assigned to this symbol and is activated by pressing the button.
To save current, the light emitting diodes can be operated in a blinking mode. Alternatively, in the rocker/light emitting diode design, the light emitting diode actuated at the time can change its display mode from the continuously lit mode into the blinking mode or vice versa, or can change color, if the solar cell power supply is insufficient for the respective operating mode. In this way, not only information about the respective operating mode is present, but also the capacity of the solar cells to deliver power.
These further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which, for purposes of illustration only, show a single embodiment in accordance with the present invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4209346 (1980-06-01), King
patent: 4741256 (1988-05-01), Huang
patent: 5779817 (1998-07-01), Wecker
patent: 29 52 080 (1981-06-01), None
patent: 36 10 767 (1987-10-01), None
patent: 41 39 435 (1992-06-01), None
patent: 42 01 164 (1992-07-01), None
patent: 42 29 756 (1994-03-01), None
patent: 42 42 100 (1994-06-01), None
patent: 61-31835 (1986-02-01), None
patent: 61-285331 (1986-12-01), None
Ganz Thomas
Weissbrich Alfons
Joyce Harold
Nixon & Peabody LLP
Safran David S.
Webasto Karosseriesysteme GmbH
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