25734results about "Air-treating devices" patented technology

An operation unit for a vehicle air conditioner includes a display device, a setting input portion of a control parameter of the air conditioner other than a set temperature, an obtaining portion configured to obtain a present set value of the control parameter, and an operating state identification portion configured to identify whether an air-conditioning operating state is in a plurality of predetermined operating states of the air conditioner. In the operation unit, a moving pattern of a pointer of the display device is changed according to the operating state of the air conditioner. For example, a pointer operation control portion can be configured to control an operation of a pointer driving motor such that the pointer moves on a dial of the display device at different moving speeds according to the air-conditioning operating state.

A system and method for measuring thermal distributions of an electronic device during operation is disclosed. The system includes an electronic device, a heat sink adjacent to the electronic device and an electrical-insulating layer disposed on the electronic device so as to separate the electronic device and the heat sink. The system further includes a plurality of thermal sensors located on the electrical-insulating layer, each of the plurality of thermal sensors in a different location. The plurality of thermal sensors is located within one or more thin film circuit layers disposed adjacent to the electrical insulating layer. The system further includes a module for receiving thermal information from the plurality of thermal sensors during operation of the electronic device. The system further includes a processor coupled to the module for generating a thermal distribution of the electronic device based on the thermal information received from the plurality of thermal sensors.

A system PDA-based on line diagnostics for automatically discovering a thermostat configuration, turning off normal controller delays, temporary overriding sensor inputs and set points, and verifying proper output action including the monitoring the discharge air temperature for the resulting temperature behavior based on the equipment stages activated. The diagnosis may include the testing of sensors, set points, the fan, cooling equipment, heating equipment and the wiring connecting the controls with the fan, and the cooling and heating equipment. Problems discovered may be reported, automatically recorded and the original operating parameters may be restored.

A temperature climate control system comprises a variable temperature seat, at least one heat pump, at least one heat pump temperature sensor, and a controller. Each heat pump comprises a number of Peltier thermoelectric modules for temperature conditioning the air in a main heat exchanger and a main exchanger fan for passing the conditioned air from the main exchanger to the variable temperature seat. The Peltier modules and each main fan may be manually adjusted via a temperature switch and a fan switch, respectively. Additionally, the temperature climate control system may comprise a number of additional temperature sensors to monitor the temperature of the ambient air surrounding the occupant as well as the temperature of the conditioned air directed to the occupant. The controller is configured to automatically regulate the operation of the Peltier modules and / or each main fan according to a temperature climate control algorithm designed both to maximize occupant comfort during normal operation, and minimize possible equipment damage, occupant discomfort, or occupant injury in the event of a heat pump malfunction.

A programmable thermostat, with a touch screen liquid crystal display having the capability to add to or remove virtual buttons to the display depending on the items of space conditioning equipment connected with and controlled by the thermostat.

A device is mounted in a vehicle which allows one or more of personified agent or imaginary living body to appear before a driver or passengers in the vehicle for communication therewith. A current status sensor (40) detects predetermined vehicle current status data, and a memory (292, 293) stores study data in response to entry of the latest current status data. One of a plurality of communication programs stored in a program table (291) may be selected in accordance with the current status data and / or the study data. An agent control unit (11) controls activity of the agent in accordance with the selected communication program. The determined agent activity is outputted through a display (27) and a speaker (25) for communication with the driver.

A thermal management system for a vehicle includes a heat exchanger having a thermal energy storage material provided therein, a first coolant loop thermally coupled to an electrochemical storage device located within the first coolant loop and to the heat exchanger, and a second coolant loop thermally coupled to the heat exchanger. The first and second coolant loops are configured to carry distinct thermal energy transfer media. The thermal management system also includes an interface configured to facilitate transfer of heat generated by an internal combustion engine to the heat exchanger via the second coolant loop in order to selectively deliver the heat to the electrochemical storage device. Thermal management methods are also provided.

Safety systems for vehicles, primarily passenger vehicles, comprising automated systems and methods for preventing entrapment of children, disabled, aged or infirm persons, or pets from being trapped in closed vehicles left in the sun, so that they will not suffocate from the heat. The invention is characterized by use of one or more systems to sense the occupancy state and temperature inside the vehicle passenger or load space, and provide one or more outputs which can selectively be employed to provide interior and exterior warning of a trapped passenger in a dangerously hot car to permit rescue, and / or to activate vehicle electro-mechanical systems to relieve the heat, such as rolling down windows, unlatching seat belts, unlocking doors, starting the car and / or fans or air conditioning systems and the like. The exterior warnings may be any suitable warning, such as sounding the car horn or alarm siren, flashing head, tail or special lights, placing an emergency call via a vehicle dedicated cell phone, CB radio, GPS system, or the like.

An electric vehicle includes plurality of batteries accommodated in a rear portion of a battery box, and an electric part is accommodated in an electric part accommodating chamber provided in a front portion of the battery box. Cooling air supplied from a cooling fan to the rear portion of the battery box cools the batteries having a large thermal resistance, while being passed through a first cooling air passage around outer peripheries of the batteries at a low flow rate. A second cooling air passage having a smaller sectional area than that of the first cooling air passage is provided below the electric part accommodating chamber, and cooling fins protruding downwards from the electric part are exposed within the second cooling air passage. The second cooling air passage extends continuously the first cooling air passage in a downstream direction of airflow, so that cooling air which has first cooled the batteries then cools the electric part having a smaller thermal resistance, while being passed through the second cooling air passage at a higher flow rate than that in the first cooling air passage.

The present invention is directed to a mathematical approach to detect faults by reconciling known data driven techniques with a physical understanding of the HVAC system and providing a direct linkage between model parameters and physical system quantities to arrive at classification rules that are easy to interpret, calibrate and implement. The fault modes of interest are low system refrigerant charge and air filter plugging. System data from standard sensors is analyzed under no-fault and full-fault conditions. The data is screened to uncover patterns though which the faults of interest manifest in sensor data and the patterns are analyzed and combined with available physical system information to develop an underlying principle that links failures to measured sensor responses. These principles are then translated into online algorithms for failure detection.

A thermostat is programmable by entering input through a large-format touch-screen display. The touch-screen display displays different sets of icons depending on the mode the thermostat is in. A set of icons is displayed in one mode that allows the user to put the thermostat in a temporary operating mode. Another set of icons is displayed when programming the thermostat. Displaying several sets of icons at once allows a user to quickly and intuitively operate the thermostat, which in turn facilitates using energy-saving functions of the thermostat.

A programmable thermostat having a touch screen dot matrix LCD in which the pictorial presenting information and virtual buttons on the touch screen is user configurable to be correctly oriented whether the thermostat is mounted horizontally or vertically.

A thermostat includes a display and an illumination device that is configurable to illuminate the display in a partial illumination mode and a full illumination mode. In the partial illumination mode the illumination device generates a light intensity sufficient to review the settings of the thermostat without generating heat of a sufficient amount to disrupt thermostat measurements. The full illuminated condition is actuated upon interaction with the thermostat. Once interaction with the thermostat is completed the illumination device thermostat returns to the partially illuminated condition.

Safety systems for vehicles, primarily passenger vehicles, comprising automated systems and methods for preventing entrapment of children, disabled, aged or infirm persons, or pets from being trapped in closed vehicles left in the sun, so that they will not suffocate from the heat. The invention is characterized by use of one or more systems to sense the occupancy state and temperature inside the vehicle passenger or load space, and provide one or more outputs which can selectively be employed to provide interior and exterior warning of a trapped passenger in a dangerously hot car to permit rescue, and / or to activate vehicle electro-mechanical systems to relieve the heat, such as rolling down windows, unlatching seat belts, unlocking doors, starting the car and / or fans or air conditioning systems and the like. The exterior warnings may be any suitable warning, such as sounding the car horn or alarm siren, flashing head, tail or special lights, placing an emergency call via a vehicle dedicated cell phone, CB radio, GPS system, or the like.

An air conditioning system thermostat includes a visual display and plural switch actuators, respectively backlit by an electroluminescent lamp and LED light sources mounted on a circuit board disposed in a thermostat housing. A control circuit causes at least one switch actuator to be illuminated continuously and the light sources for the display and the remaining switch actuators are illuminated in response to actuation of any one of the switch actuators. Switch contact elements mounted on the switch actuators and the circuit board provide advantageous positioning of the LED light sources for the switch actuators. An energy savings switch actuator allows the control circuit to directly assume setback temperature settings in response to a first actuation and a second actuation resets the thermostat to the initial user set temperature settings.

An efficient thermal management system (100) that utilizes a single heat exchanger (133) is provided. A refrigeration subsystem (103) cools the heat exchanger (133). A first coolant loop (139) in thermal communication with the heat exchanger (133) is used to cool the energy storage system (137). A second coolant loop (151) corresponding to the HVAC subsystem (107) is also in thermal communication with the heat exchanger (133). Preferably a third coolant loop (109) corresponding to the drive motor cooling subsystem (101) is coupleable to the HVAC coolant loop (151), thus providing an efficient means of providing heat to the HVAC subsystem (107).

A thermal management system for a vehicle includes a heat exchanger having a thermal energy storage material provided therein, a first coolant loop thermally coupled to an electrochemical storage device located within the first coolant loop and to the heat exchanger, and a second coolant loop thermally coupled to the heat exchanger. The first and second coolant loops are configured to carry distinct thermal energy transfer media. The thermal management system also includes an interface configured to facilitate transfer of heat generated by an internal combustion engine to the heat exchanger via the second coolant loop in order to selectively deliver the heat to the electrochemical storage device. Thermal management methods are also provided.

Mobile monitoring systems and methods are disclosed. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the system includes a plurality of vehicles and a base communication station that are in communication with each other. Each of the vehicles includes a camera that generates image data, a location device that generates geographic coordinates of the vehicle, a computing device that receives the image data from the camera and the geographic coordinates of the vehicle and forms a processed image signal that includes the image data, the geographic coordinates and a time stamp, and a communication device that receives the processed image signal from the computing device and wireless transmits the processed image signal to the base communication station. The base communication station receives the processed image signal. The base communication station can include an image processor to further process the processed image signal from each of the plurality of vehicles to form an output signal and a transmitter that transmits the output signal. The output signal can be used to control traffic control devices, vehicles and to provide other useful information.

An air conditioning system for use in an over-the-road or off road vehicle is provided that allows operation during both engine on and engine off conditions. The system utilizes a variable speed, motor driven compressor controlled by an intelligent power generation management controller. This controller selects from one of the available sources of power on the vehicle to drive the compressor, and modulates the compressor speed and capacity based on operational parameters and source availability and depletion. The controller may also operate a coolant or air heater to provide heating to the interior compartments.

In an air conditioning apparatus for a vehicle, a water / refrigerant heat exchanger is disposed at a refrigerant discharge side of a compressor of a refrigerant cycle, and a cooling unit for cooling a heat-generating unit with refrigerant having an intermediate pressure of the refrigerant cycle is disposed at a downstream refrigerant side of the water / refrigerant heat exchanger. The air conditioning apparatus includes an evaporator and a hot-water type heater core disposed in an air conditioning duct. In a cooling water circuit, an engine, a radiator and an electrical pump are disposed in addition to the water / refrigerant heat exchanger and the hot-water type heater core. Thus, refrigerant absorbs heat generated in the heat-generating unit, and is heat-exchanged with cooling water in the water / refrigerant heat exchanger after passing through the compressor. As a result, the heat-generating unit can be cooled sufficiently even when outside air temperature is high in the summer, and heating capacity can be effectively improved using heat generated from the heat-generating unit in the winter.

A vehicle control system includes a control and a communication link. The communication link receives a signal from a mobile device of a driver of a vehicle equipped with the vehicle control system. Responsive to receipt of a signal from the mobile device via the communication link, the control is operable to at least one of (i) determine a user input at the mobile device and control at least one accessory of the vehicle responsive to the determined user input and (ii) display at a display device of the vehicle visual content displayed at a display screen of the mobile device.

An interactive system for controlling the operation of an HVAC system is provide that comprises a thermostat for initiating the operation of the HVAC system in either a full capacity mode of operation or at least one reduced capacity mode of operation, and a controller for an outside condenser unit having a condenser fan motor and a compressor motor, the controller being capable of operating the compressor in a full capacity mode and at least one reduced capacity mode. The system also comprises a controller for an indoor blower unit having a blower fan motor, the controller being capable of operating the blower fan motor in a full capacity mode an at least one reduced capacity mode. The system further includes a communication means for transmitting information between the outside condenser unit controller and at least the indoor blower controller, where the information relates to the operation of the indoor blower and the outdoor condenser unit. The indoor blower controller responsively controls the operation of the blower fan motor in a full capacity mode or a reduced capacity mode based on the information received from the outdoor unit controller, and the outdoor unit controller responsively controls the operation of the compressor in a full capacity mode or a reduced capacity mode based on the information received from the indoor blower controller.

A method of thermal management for a thermal management system in a vehicle includes the steps of selecting a thermal management function. The method also includes the steps of adjusting a temperature within the thermal management system using the thermal management function and using the adjusted temperature within the thermal management system to control a temperature within an occupant compartment of the vehicle.

A method and apparatus for selecting an operating level of an HVAC system uses historic and predicted drive durations to ensure that drive periods fall within the recommended minimum and maximum drive times, thereby increasing efficiency and reducing strain on the system. The method comprises the steps of: receiving a minimum and a maximum drive time of the HVAC system; determining a current temperature of a room; estimating, based on a prior drive operation of the HVAC system, a time to drive the current temperature to a predefined desired temperature; and selecting an operating level of the HVAC system based on a relationship of the calculated drive time to the minimum drive time and the maximum drive time. Selecting the operating level comprises at least one of: selecting a fan speed; activating a compressor; activating an auxiliary or emergency heating element; or activating an auxiliary or emergency cooling element.

According to some embodiments disclosed in the present application, a climate control device configured for use with a seating assembly includes a fluid module having a fluid transfer device. The climate control device further comprises a fluid duct in fluid communication with the fluid module, wherein the fluid duct includes a distal end. The additional includes at least one outlet opening positioned at the distal end of the fluid duct. In some arrangements, the fluid duct is configured to be positioned at, near or through a seat bite area of the seating assembly. In other arrangements, the fluid module is configured to selectively transfer air to or from the at least one outlet opening through the fluid duct.

Disclosed is a system for thermally conditioning and pumping a fluid. The system includes a thermoelectric heat exchanger having a thermoelectric device configured to pump heat. Heat exchangers are provided for transferring heat to and from the thermoelectric device and for generating a fluid flow across the thermoelectric device. The conditioned fluid may be placed in thermal communication with a variety of objects, such as a vehicle seat, or anywhere localized heating and cooling are desired. Thermal isolation may also be provided in the direction of flow to enhance efficiency.

The invention relates to the field of heat management of electric vehicles, and in particular to an integrated thermal cycling system of an electric vehicle. The integrated thermal cycling system of the electric vehicle comprises a motor system heat dissipation device, a motor, a motor controller, an air-conditioning system, a first water pump, an air heater, a water cooling jacket, a battery pack, a heater, a battery pack heat dissipation device, a second water pump, a heat exchanger and an evaporator; and a refrigerant pipeline and a water pipeline are connected onto the heat exchanger, the water cooling jacket is installed on the battery pack, and the motor system heat dissipation device, the first water pump, the motor controller and a motor are sequentially and circularly connected with each other according to the circulating water flowing direction, so that a motor cooling cycling circuit is formed. When the environment temperature is low, the battery pack is preheated and heated and an air conditioner in the vehicle is warmed up before the electric vehicle is started, when the environment temperature is high, the battery pack is cooled, a cab is refrigerated and the motor and the motor controller are cooled, accordingly, high requirements on the self operating temperatures of the motor system and a battery are satisfied, so that the service lives and efficiency of the motor system and the battery are increased.