Ventilation – Vehicle – Having automatic control means
Patent
1991-06-14
1992-06-02
Wayner, William E.
Ventilation
Vehicle
Having automatic control means
236 91C, 2502034, 454156, 454900, G01J 120
Patent
active
051177447
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a sensor for an air-conditioning system in a vehicle, for controlling the air-conditioning system as a function of solar radiation, and provided with a measuring head arranged under a dome transparent to solar radiation, and with elements for connection to a control unit included in the air-conditioning system.
It is becoming more and more common for modern cars to be provided with an air-conditioning system which automatically maintains a desired cabin temperature independently of external climatic conditions. As a function of, on the one hand, adjustments made on a control panel and, on the other hand, signals from sensors, for example for outside air temperature, solar radiation, air mixture temperature after heat exchangers and cabin air temperature, it is thus possible for an air-conditioning control unit to control the fan speed and the setting of different valves which regulate the air flow in the cabin. The solar radiation has hitherto been recorded by means of a photodiode which has been able to control the speed of the cabin fan. However, it has been found that this regulation is not satisfactory.
The aim of the invention is to permit improved sensing of the solar radiation in order to thereby achieve better and more reliable regulation of the temperature in the vehicle cabin.
This is achieved according to the invention by virtue of the fact that the measuring head has a number of solar cells arranged in a defined pattern for determining the intensity of the solar radiation and the position of the sun both in terms of the altitude angle and the azimuth angle, that at least a first solar cell is arranged on an upper, plane surface which is oriented in such a way that it is essentially horizontal when the sensor is mounted in the vehicle, and by virtue of the fact that the sensor has attachment elements which permit assembly of the sensor only in one way in the vehicle, as a result of which the air-conditioning system can be controlled as a function of the intensity of the solar radiation and the position of the sun relative to the vehicle.
Since the shape of the vehicle affects the degree of incident solar radiation in the vehicle at different positions of the sun relative to the vehicle, it is thus possible also to adapt the air-conditioning control to the design of the vehicle. This is of great importance in today's types of vehicles, in which the vehicle windows are often large and greatly inclined.
The measuring head of the sensor can be designed in a number of different ways, but according to a particularly advantageous embodiment the measuring head has four side surfaces at right angles to the upper plane surface, which side surfaces are parallel in pairs and form right angles to the two other side surfaces, in which respect there is a solar cell on each one of these side surfaces, and the side surfaces in one pair are arranged so that, in the assembled position of the sensor, they are parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. This permits a compact and simple design of the measuring head.
According to another variant, on the upper, plane surface of the measuring head there can be four solar cells, which have corners meeting each other, and a shadow element, which produces a shadow image across the solar cells, which image varies with the position of the sun relative to the sensor.
The invention is illustrated in greater detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments shown on the attached drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a sensor according to the invention mounted in a vehicle,
FIG. 2 shows a section II--II in FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 shows the sensor in FIGS. 1 and 2 seen from above,
FIG. 4 shows a side view of a holder for the sensor according to the invention,
FIG. 5 shows the holder in FIG. 4 seen from below,
FIG. 6 shows the orientation of the sun relative to a measuring head in a sensor according to the invention,
FIG. 7 shows a variant of a measuring head in a sensor according to the invention,
FIG. 8 shows yet another variant of a measuring he
REFERENCES:
patent: 4890460 (1990-01-01), Takasi et al.
Johnsson Lars
Knutson Anders
Zimmer Claes
Saab Automobile Aktiebolag
Wayner William E.
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