Vehicle air conditioning device

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle air-conditioning device capable of keeping air in a vehicle interior clean and suppressing an increase in carbon dioxide concentration in the vehicle interior. A vehicle air-conditioning device (1) is provided with: an inside / outside air ratio adjustment unit (7) for adjusting the inside / outside air ratio, which is the ratio between inside air and outside air introduced into an air-conditioning duct (3); a blower (5) that generates a flow of air inside the air conditioning duct (3) toward the interior of the vehicle; a filter (4) for removing harmful substances contained in the air flowing through the air-conditioning duct (3); a hazardous substance concentration detection unit (105) that detects the concentrations of hazardous substances inside and outside the vehicle room; and a control unit (20) that controls the inside / outside gas ratio adjustment unit (7) on the basis of information detected by the hazardous substance concentration detection unit (105).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner for conditioning the interior of a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] As an example of a conventional vehicle air conditioning device, a vehicle air conditioning device described in Patent Document 1 is known. The vehicle air conditioning device described in Patent Document 1 includes: a blower for sending air toward the vehicle interior; and a filter for purifying or removing harmful substances contained in the air sent toward the vehicle interior. In the vehicle air conditioning device described in Patent Document 1, when the concentration of harmful substances in the air inside the vehicle interior, i.e., the internal air, is lower than the concentration of harmful substances in the air outside the vehicle interior, i.e., the external air, that is, when the internal air is cleaner than the external air, the internal and external air mode is determined to be an internal air mode for sending the internal air into the vehicle interior.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-132013 Summary of the invention

[0004] In the vehicle air conditioning device described in Patent Document 1, when the inside air is cleaner than the outside air, the inside-outside air mode is determined to be the inside air mode, which can maintain or clean the vehicle interior. However, in the inside air mode, the outside air is not introduced into the vehicle interior. Therefore, the ventilation in the vehicle interior is insufficient, and the carbon dioxide concentration in the vehicle interior increases, which may reduce the driver's attention or make the driver feel sleepy.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle interior air conditioner capable of maintaining clean air in a vehicle interior and suppressing an increase in the carbon dioxide concentration in the vehicle interior.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle air conditioning device is provided. The vehicle air conditioning device provided includes: an air conditioning duct that introduces air introduced from at least one of an internal air inlet that introduces air into a vehicle interior, i.e., internal air, and an external air inlet that introduces air outside a vehicle interior, i.e., external air, into a vehicle interior; an internal-external air ratio adjustment unit that adjusts the ratio of the internal air introduced into the air conditioning duct to the external air, i.e., the internal-external air ratio; a blower that generates a flow of air toward the vehicle interior in the air conditioning duct; a cooling / heating unit that cools or heats the air flowing in the air conditioning duct; a filter that removes harmful substances contained in the air flowing in the air conditioning duct; a harmful substance concentration detection unit that detects the concentration of harmful substances in each of the vehicle interior and the vehicle exterior; and a control unit that controls the internal-external air ratio adjustment unit based on the detection information of the harmful substance concentration detection unit.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle interior air conditioner capable of maintaining clean air in a vehicle interior and suppressing an increase in the carbon dioxide concentration in the vehicle interior. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 It is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle air conditioning device according to an embodiment. Figure 2 This is a flowchart showing an example of the vehicle interior atmosphere position control executed by the control unit of the vehicle air conditioning system according to the embodiment. Figure 3 This is a flowchart showing an example of the vehicle interior atmosphere position control executed by the control unit of the vehicle air conditioning system according to the embodiment. Figure 4 This is a flowchart showing an example of the vehicle interior atmosphere position control executed by the control unit of the vehicle air conditioning system according to the embodiment. Figure 5 It is a diagram showing an example of the air volume of the blower and the state of the inside-outside air ratio adjustment unit (internal air circulation volume, external air introduction volume). Figure 6 An example of changes in the air volume of the blower and the state of the inside-outside air ratio adjustment unit is shown. (a) is a diagram showing the state before the change, and (b) is a diagram showing the state after the change. Figure 7 This is a flowchart showing an example of a filter degradation determination process executed by the control unit of the vehicle air conditioning system according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. in this specification are used only to distinguish similar elements, and do not limit the elements marked with them.

[0010] Figure 1 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle air conditioning device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle air conditioning device 1 of the embodiment is configured to be mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile, and to perform air conditioning in the vehicle interior by blowing conditioned air into the vehicle interior. Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle air conditioning device 1 of the embodiment includes an air conditioning duct 3 , a blower 5 , an inside / outside air ratio adjustment unit 7 , a cooling / heating unit 9 , an operation setting unit 11 , a notification unit 13 , and a control unit 20 .

[0011] The air conditioning duct 3 has an air passage inside for air to flow in the direction of arrow X. An internal air inlet 31 and an external air inlet 32 ​​are formed at a portion on the upstream side (hereinafter referred to as "upstream side") of the air flow direction X in the air conditioning duct 3. The internal air inlet 31 is an opening for introducing air inside the vehicle compartment, i.e., internal air, into the air conditioning duct 3, and the external air inlet 32 ​​is an opening for introducing air outside the vehicle compartment, i.e., external air, into the air conditioning duct 3.

[0012] A defrost blow outlet 33, a face blow outlet 34, and a foot blow outlet 35 are formed on the downstream side of the air flow direction X in the air conditioning duct 3 (hereinafter referred to as the "downstream side"). These blow outlets are open to the vehicle interior and are openings for blowing the air flowing in the air conditioning duct 3 into the vehicle interior. That is, the air conditioning duct 3 is configured to introduce air (internal air) introduced from the internal air inlet 31 and / or air (external air) introduced from the external air inlet 32 ​​into the vehicle interior. In addition, the defrost blow outlet 33 is an opening for blowing the air flowing in the air conditioning duct 3 toward the windshield of the vehicle, the face blow outlet 34 is an opening for blowing the air flowing in the air conditioning duct 3 toward the vicinity of the face of the occupant of the driver or the front passenger seat, and the foot blow outlet 35 is an opening for blowing the air flowing in the air conditioning duct 3 toward the feet of the driver or the front passenger seat.

[0013] The defroster air outlet 33 is opened and closed by the defroster switching door 41, the face air outlet 34 is opened and closed by the face switching door 42, and the foot air outlet 35 is opened and closed by the foot switching door 43. The defroster switching door 41, the face switching door 42, and the foot switching door 43 are controlled by the control unit 20.

[0014] A filter 4 is arranged in the air conditioning duct 3. The filter 4 removes harmful substances (air pollutants such as PM2.5) contained in the air flowing in the air conditioning duct 3. The removal rate of the filter 4 for harmful substances, that is, the filter filtration rate, is 80% or more, preferably 90% or more. In the present embodiment, the filter 4 is arranged immediately downstream of the internal gas inlet 31 and the external gas inlet 32 ​​in the air conditioning duct 3, and removes harmful substances contained in the internal gas introduced from the internal gas inlet 31 and / or harmful substances contained in the external gas introduced from the external gas inlet 32. The filter 4 can be replaced.

[0015] The blower 5 is arranged on the downstream side of the filter 4 in the air conditioning duct 3. The blower 5 is configured to generate a flow of air from the internal gas inlet 31 and the external gas inlet 32 ​​side toward the vehicle interior side in the air conditioning duct 3. In addition, by the operation of the blower 5, the internal gas is introduced into the air conditioning duct 3 from the internal gas inlet 31 and / or the external gas is introduced into the air conditioning duct 3 from the external gas inlet 32. The blower 5 is an electric blower, and the start of the blower 5, the stop of the blower 5, and the air volume (rotation speed) of the blower 5 are controlled by the control unit 20.

[0016] The inside-outside gas ratio adjusting unit 7 is configured to be able to adjust the ratio of the internal gas and the external gas introduced into the air conditioning duct 3, that is, the inside-outside gas ratio. The inside-outside gas ratio adjusting unit 7 includes an inside-outside gas switching door 71. The inside-outside gas switching door 71 is configured to be able to rotate around a first rotation axis 72 between a first rotation position of the closed internal gas inlet 31 shown by a solid line in the figure and a second rotation position of the closed external gas inlet 32 ​​shown by a dotted line in the figure. In the present embodiment, the inside-outside gas ratio adjusting unit 7 is configured to adjust the passage cross-sectional area of ​​the internal gas in the internal gas inlet 31 and the passage cross-sectional area of ​​the external gas in the external gas inlet 32 ​​according to the rotation position of the inside-outside gas switching door 71, thereby adjusting the inside-outside gas ratio.

[0017] When the inside / outside air switching door 71 is located at the first rotation position (solid line), the inside air inlet 31 is closed, and only outside air is introduced into the air conditioning duct 3. That is, the ratio of inside air to outside air (inside / outside air ratio) introduced into the air conditioning duct 3 is 0:100. In this case, the vehicle air conditioning device 1 operates in the outside air introduction mode for introducing outside air.

[0018] When the inside and outside air switching door 71 is located at the second rotation position (dashed line), the outside air inlet 32 ​​is closed, and only the inside air is introduced into the air conditioning duct 3. That is, the ratio of the inside air to the outside air (the inside and outside air ratio) introduced into the air conditioning duct 3 is 100:0. In this case, the vehicle air conditioning device 1 operates in the inside air circulation mode in which the inside air circulates.

[0019] When the inside-outside gas switching door 71 is located at an intermediate rotation position between the first rotation position and the second rotation position, the ratio of the inside gas to the outside gas (the inside-outside gas ratio) introduced into the air-conditioning duct 3 is determined according to the rotation position of the inside-outside gas switching door 71.

[0020] The inside-outside air ratio adjustment unit 7, specifically the rotation position of the inside-outside air switching door 71 of the inside-outside air ratio adjustment unit 7, can be controlled by the control unit 20. The inside-outside air ratio may also be referred to as the ratio of the inside air circulation amount to the outside air introduction amount of the vehicle air conditioner 1.

[0021] The cooling / heating unit 9 is configured to cool or heat the air flowing in the air conditioning duct 3. The cooling / heating unit 9 includes an evaporator 91 and a heater core 93.

[0022] The evaporator 91 is arranged on the downstream side of the blower 5 in the air conditioning duct 3. The evaporator 91 is arranged in a refrigerant circulation path for circulating the refrigerant together with a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, etc. (not shown), to constitute a refrigerant circuit (refrigeration cycle). The evaporator 91 is configured to cool the air flowing in the air conditioning duct 3 by exchanging heat between the refrigerant flowing inside and the air flowing in the air conditioning duct 3. That is, the evaporator 91 has a function as a cooler for the air flowing in the air conditioning duct 3.

[0023] The heater core 93 is arranged on the downstream side of the evaporator 91 in the air conditioning duct 3. Although not particularly limited, in the present embodiment, the heater core 93 is arranged together with a heat medium heating device (not shown) in a heat medium circulation path where a heat medium such as water supply circulates. The heater core 93 is configured to heat the air flowing in the air conditioning duct 3 by exchanging heat between the heat medium flowing inside (i.e., the heat medium heated by the heat medium heating device) and the air flowing in the air conditioning duct 3. That is, the heater core 93 has a function as a heater that heats the air flowing in the air conditioning duct 3.

[0024] Here, an air mix door 95 is disposed between the evaporator 91 and the heater core 93. The air mix door 95 is configured to adjust the ratio of the flow rate (air volume) of the air passing through the heater core 93 and the flow rate (air volume) of the air bypassing the heater core 93. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the air mix door 95 is configured to be rotatable around the second rotation axis 96 between a third rotation position indicated by a solid line in the figure and a fourth rotation position indicated by a dotted line in the figure.

[0025] When the air mix door 95 is in the third rotation position (solid line), the air passing through the evaporator 91 passes through the heater core 93. Therefore, the air heated by the heater core 93 flows toward the defrost outlet 33, the face outlet 34, and the foot outlet 35. Therefore, the temperature of the air-conditioned air blown into the vehicle interior becomes the highest. When the air mix door 95 is in the fourth rotation position (dashed line), the air passing through the evaporator 91 does not pass through the heater core 93 but flows toward the defrost outlet 33, the face outlet 34, and the foot outlet 35. Therefore, the temperature of the air-conditioned air blown into the vehicle interior is the lowest. By appropriately adjusting the rotation position of the air mix door 95 between the third rotation position and the fourth rotation position, the temperature of the air-conditioned air blown into the vehicle interior is adjusted. The air mix door 95 (the rotation position) is controlled by the control unit 20.

[0026] The operation setting unit 11 is provided in the vehicle interior. The operation setting unit 11 is operated by the occupants in the vehicle interior (mainly the driver) to start / stop the vehicle air conditioning device 1 and to perform various settings. When the vehicle air conditioning device 1 is started, the vehicle interior temperature (target temperature), the air volume of the air-conditioned air (the air volume of the blower 5), the outlet of the air-conditioned air, etc. are set by the operation setting unit 11, and these setting information are output from the operation setting unit 11 to the control unit 20.

[0027] The notification unit 13 is provided in the vehicle cabin similarly to the operation setting unit 11. Based on the command from the control unit 20, the notification unit 13 makes a predetermined notification to the occupant in the vehicle cabin by display and / or sound.

[0028] The setting information is inputted from the operation setting unit 11 to the control unit 20. In addition, the vehicle air conditioning device 1 includes various detection units, and detection information of the various detection units is inputted to the control unit 20. The various detection units include: an interior air temperature detection unit 101, which detects the temperature inside the vehicle; an exterior air temperature detection unit 102, which detects the temperature outside the vehicle; an occupant number detection unit 103, which detects the number of occupants inside the vehicle; and a carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentration detection unit 104 detects carbon dioxide (CO 2 and a harmful substance concentration detection unit 105, detecting the concentration of harmful substances inside and outside the vehicle interior and exterior of the vehicle.

[0029] Each of the above-mentioned detection units may be constituted by an appropriate sensor. That is, the interior air temperature detection unit 101 may be a first ambient temperature sensor installed in the vehicle interior. The exterior air temperature detection unit 102 may be a second ambient temperature sensor installed outside the vehicle exterior. The passenger number detection unit 103 may be constituted by a plurality of seat occupancy sensors installed in each seat in the vehicle interior. 2 The concentration detection unit 104 may be a CO concentration detector installed in the vehicle interior (particularly near the driver's seat). 2Concentration Sensor: The harmful substance concentration detection unit 105 may be composed of a first harmful substance concentration sensor installed inside the vehicle interior and a second harmful substance concentration sensor installed outside the vehicle exterior.

[0030] Here, the passenger number detection unit 103 may also be composed of a photographing unit and a processing unit, wherein the photographing unit photographs the interior of the vehicle, and the processing unit counts the number of passengers by image processing based on the photographed image. In addition, in this embodiment, the harmful substance concentration detection unit 105 is composed of a harmful substance concentration sensor, and the harmful substance concentration sensor has the functions of the first harmful substance concentration sensor and the second harmful substance concentration sensor, such as Figure 1 As shown, the harmful substance concentration sensor includes: a first intake and exhaust pipe 105a, which inhales external air and discharges it after passing through the sensor part; and a second intake and exhaust pipe 105b, which inhales internal air and discharges it after passing through the sensor part.

[0031] The control unit 20 performs air conditioning control mainly based on the setting information input from the operation setting unit 11, the detection information of the inside air temperature detection unit 101, and the detection information of the outside air temperature detection unit 102. Thus, conditioned air according to the setting of the operation setting unit 11 is blown into the vehicle interior.

[0032] In addition, in the present embodiment, the control unit 20 is configured to keep the air in the vehicle interior clean and suppress the CO 2 Specifically, the control unit 20 controls the blower 5 and the inside-outside air ratio adjustment unit 7 so that the concentration of the harmful substance in the vehicle interior is below the first threshold value and the CO in the vehicle interior is reduced to 0. 2 The concentration is below the second threshold. The first threshold can be set according to the type of harmful substance. Although not particularly limited, when the harmful substance is a fine particulate matter such as PM2.5, the first threshold can be set to 15.4 [μg / m 3 ]. In addition, the second threshold value can be set to 1100 ppm, for example.

[0033] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the control unit 20 is configured to execute a deterioration determination of the filter 4 , and when it is determined that the filter 4 is deteriorated, notify the occupants in the vehicle cabin via the notification unit 13 to urge the cleaning or replacement of the filter 4 .

[0034] Hereinafter, the “vehicle interior environment maintenance control” and the “deterioration determination process of the filter 4 ” executed by the control unit 20 will be described.

[0035] [Indoor environment maintenance and control] Figure 2 to Figure 4This is a flowchart showing an example of vehicle interior environment maintenance control.

[0036] In step S1 , the control unit 20 understands the number of passengers in the vehicle cabin based on the detection information of the passenger number detection unit 103 .

[0037] In step S2 , the control unit 20 calculates the required ventilation volume (=outside air introduction volume) of the vehicle interior by the following equation based on the number of occupants in the vehicle interior determined in step S1 . Necessary ventilation volume [m 3 / h] = ventilation volume per person [m 3 / h]×number of passengers Here, the ventilation volume per person is based on an adult's CO 2 Production volume setting.

[0038] In step S3, the control unit 20 checks the current air volume of the fan 5. The control unit 20 can check the current air volume of the fan 5 by calculating the air volume of the fan 5 based on the current rotation speed of the fan 5.

[0039] In step S4, the control unit 20 sets the internal and external gas ratio (i.e., the ratio of the internal gas to the external gas introduced into the air conditioning duct 3) based on the necessary ventilation volume calculated in step S2 and the current air volume of the blower 5 confirmed in step S3. Specifically, the control unit 20 sets the internal and external gas ratio so that the external gas introduction amount equivalent to the necessary ventilation volume of the vehicle compartment corresponding to the number of passengers can be obtained under the current air volume of the blower 5. Thus, the internal and external gas ratio adjustment unit 7 (the rotation position of the internal and external gas switching door 71) is controlled so that the internal and external gas ratio becomes the set internal and external gas ratio, and the external gas equivalent to the necessary ventilation volume calculated in step S2 is introduced into the air conditioning duct 3.

[0040] For example, the required ventilation volume calculated in step S2 is 100 [m 3 / h], the air volume of the blower confirmed in step S3 is 200 [m 3 / h], in order to introduce an amount of external air equivalent to the necessary ventilation volume into the air conditioning duct 3, the control unit 20 sets the internal and external air ratio to 50:50 to control the internal and external air ratio adjustment unit 7 (the rotation position of the internal and external air switching door 71). Figure 5 As shown, 100[m 3 / h] of internal gas and 100[m 3 / h] of external air is introduced into the air-conditioning duct 3.

[0041] Return to Figure 2In step S5, the control unit 20 determines whether the concentration of harmful substances in the vehicle interior, that is, the concentration of harmful substances in the internal air (hereinafter referred to as "the concentration of harmful substances in the vehicle interior") is above the first threshold value based on the detection information of the harmful substance concentration detection unit 105. As described above, when the harmful substance is a fine particulate matter such as PM2.5, the first threshold value is set to 15.4 [μg / m 3 ]. When the concentration of harmful substances in the vehicle interior is less than the first threshold value (step S5: No), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S6. On the other hand, when the concentration of harmful substances in the vehicle interior is greater than the first threshold value (step S5: Yes), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S7.

[0042] In step S6, the control unit 20 executes the normal mode (see Figure 4 ). Then, after executing the normal mode, the control unit 20 proceeds to the process of step S10.

[0043] In step S7, the control unit 20 determines whether the concentration of harmful substances outside the vehicle room, that is, the concentration of harmful substances in the external air (hereinafter referred to as "concentration of harmful substances outside the vehicle room") is greater than or equal to the first threshold value based on the detection information of the concentration of harmful substances detection unit 105. When the concentration of harmful substances outside the vehicle room is less than the first threshold value (step S7: "No"), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S8. On the other hand, when the concentration of harmful substances outside the vehicle room is greater than or equal to the first threshold value (step S7: "Yes"), the control unit 20 proceeds to the processing of step S9.

[0044] In step S8, the control unit 20 increases the ratio of the external gas. Here, the ratio of the external gas is maximized. Specifically, the control unit 20 sets the ratio of the internal and external gas to 0:100, and places the internal and external gas switching door 71 of the internal and external gas ratio adjustment unit 7 at the first rotation position. As a result, the maximum amount of external gas introduced can be obtained at the current air supply volume of the blower 5. Then, after increasing the ratio of the external gas (after maximizing the ratio of the external gas), the control unit 20 returns to the processing of step S5.

[0045] When the concentration of harmful substances in the vehicle interior is greater than the first threshold value and the concentration of harmful substances outside the vehicle interior is less than the first threshold value, for example, there is a possibility that the occupant in the vehicle interior is smoking. Therefore, in order to quickly eliminate the state where the concentration of harmful substances in the vehicle interior is greater than the first threshold value, the control unit 20 maximizes the ratio of external air (external air introduction amount).

[0046] In step S9, the control unit 20 executes the air volume increasing mode (see Figure 3 ). Then, after executing the air volume increase mode, the control unit 20 proceeds to the process of step S10.

[0047] In step S10, the control unit 20 performs the following operations based on the CO 2 The detection information of the concentration detection unit 104 is used to determine the CO 2 The concentration of CO in the internal gas 2 Concentration (hereinafter referred to as "indoor CO 2 The second threshold value is set to 1100 ppm, for example. 2 If the concentration is equal to or higher than the second threshold value (step S10: Yes), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S11. 2 When the concentration is lower than the second threshold value (step S10 : No), the control unit 20 proceeds to the process of step S12 .

[0048] In step S11, the control unit 20 increases the ratio of the outside air. In other words, the control unit 20 changes the inside-outside air ratio so that the ratio of the outside air increases (and the ratio of the inside air decreases). Then, after increasing the ratio of the outside air, the control unit 20 returns to the process of step S5.

[0049] For example, when the currently set internal and external air ratio is 50:50, the control unit 20 increases the external air ratio by α, and changes the internal and external air ratio to 50-α:50+α. In addition, the control unit 20 controls the internal and external air ratio adjustment unit 7 (the rotation position of the internal and external air switching door 71) so that the internal and external air ratio becomes the changed internal and external air ratio. In this way, the amount of external air introduced can be increased to reduce the CO in the vehicle interior. 2 Here, the increase in the ratio of the outside air (the change in the ratio of the inside and outside air) α may be a fixed value or may be a constant value. 2 The greater the difference between the concentration and the second threshold value, the greater the value is set.

[0050] In step S12, the control unit 20 reduces the ratio of the external gas. In other words, the control unit 20 changes the ratio of the internal and external gas so as to reduce the ratio of the external gas (increase the ratio of the internal gas). For example, when the currently set internal and external gas ratio is 50:50, the control unit 20 reduces the ratio of the external gas by β, changes the internal and external gas ratio to 50+β:50-β, and controls the internal and external gas ratio adjustment unit 7 (the rotation position of the internal and external gas switching door 71) so that the internal and external gas ratio becomes the changed internal and external gas ratio. Then, after reducing the ratio of the external gas, the control unit 20 returns to the processing of step S5.

[0051] Figure 3 It means in Figure 2Flowchart of an example of the process of the air volume increase mode executed in step S9 in FIG.

[0052] In step S91, the control unit 20 determines whether the air volume increase mode is being executed, that is, whether the air volume of the blower 5 is increasing. If the air volume increase mode is being executed, the control unit 20 proceeds to step S92 to continue executing the air volume increase mode. On the other hand, if the air volume increase mode is not being executed, the control unit 20 proceeds to step S93.

[0053] In step S93 , the control unit 20 notifies the occupant in the vehicle cabin via the notification unit 13 not to open the window in the vehicle cabin.

[0054] In step S94 , the control unit 20 stores the air volume (rotation speed) of the air blower 5 .

[0055] In step S95, the control unit 20 increases the rotation speed of the blower 5 to increase the air volume of the blower 5. Here, the increase in the air volume (rotation speed) of the blower 5 may be a fixed value, or may be set to a larger value as the difference between the concentration of harmful substances outside the vehicle room and the first threshold value increases. As an example, when the concentration of harmful substances outside the vehicle room is more than 10 times the first threshold value, the control unit 20 may set the air volume of the blower 5 to more than twice the current air volume.

[0056] In step S96, the control unit 20 controls the air flow of the blower 5 based on the air flow rate increased in step S95 and the Figure 2 Specifically, the control unit 20 resets the ratio of the internal and external air to the required ventilation volume calculated in step S2 of the above process. Figure 2 The internal-external gas ratio of the external gas introduction amount equivalent to the necessary ventilation amount calculated in step S2 is thus controlled to make the internal-external gas ratio the reset internal-external gas ratio, increase the internal gas circulation amount, and introduce the external gas equivalent to the necessary ventilation amount calculated in step S2 into the air conditioning duct 3.

[0057] For example, in Figure 2 The required ventilation volume calculated in step S2 is 100 [m 3 / h], Figure 2 The current air volume of the blower 5 is 200 [m 3 / h], the current inside-outside air ratio is 50:50, and the concentration of harmful substances outside the vehicle is 200 [μg / m 3 ], the control unit 20 first sets the air volume of the blower 5 to 400 [m 3Then, the control unit 20 resets the inside-outside air ratio so that the required ventilation volume (100 [m 3 / h]) is set to an internal-external gas ratio of 75:25, and the internal-external gas ratio adjusting unit 7 (the rotation position of the internal-external gas switching door 71) is controlled based on the reset internal-external gas ratio. That is, the control unit 20 controls the blower 5 to increase the air volume, and controls the internal-external gas ratio adjusting unit 7 to reduce the external gas ratio (conversely, increase the internal gas ratio) according to the increased air volume of the blower 5. Further, in the present embodiment, the control unit 20 controls the internal-external gas ratio adjusting unit 7 to maintain the external gas introduction amount before and after the increase in the air volume of the blower 5.

[0058] Here, for the sake of convenience, the filter filtration rate is set to 80% or more, and the concentration of harmful substances in the vehicle interior is set to 0 [μg / m 3 ].like Figure 6 As shown in (a) and (b), by increasing the air volume of the blower 5 and resetting the ratio of the internal and external air, an external air introduction amount (100 [m 3 / h]), the concentration of harmful substances in the air after passing through the filter, that is, the air blown into the vehicle interior, increased from 20 [μg / m 3 ] down to 10[μg / m 3 ]. In addition, the internal air circulation amount, that is, the amount of air in the vehicle interior, that is, the amount of internal air passing through the filter 4 per a certain period of time, increases. Here, the internal air circulation amount increases by 3 times (100 [m 3 / h]→300[m 3 / h]). Therefore, harmful substances are effectively removed from the air in the vehicle interior by the filter 4. Furthermore, since the ratio of the outside air is reduced (the ratio of the inside air is increased), the increase in the load for heating and / or cooling the air flowing in the air conditioning duct 3 can also be suppressed.

[0059] That is, the control unit 20 introduces a control method that can suppress the CO in the vehicle interior by increasing the air volume of the blower 5 and resetting the ratio of the inside and outside air. 2 By increasing the ratio of the internal air and the internal air circulation amount, the concentration of harmful substances in the vehicle interior can be prevented from exceeding the first threshold value and the CO in the vehicle interior can be prevented from exceeding the first threshold value without significantly changing the cooling and heating capabilities of the vehicle air conditioner 1. 2 The concentration becomes equal to or greater than the second threshold value.

[0060] Figure 4 It means in Figure 2 Flowchart of an example of normal mode processing performed in step S6 in .

[0061] In step S61, the control unit 20 determines whether the normal mode is being executed. If the normal mode is being executed, the control unit 20 proceeds to step S62 to continue executing the normal mode. On the other hand, if the normal mode is not being executed (in other words, if the air volume increase mode is being executed), the control unit 20 proceeds to the processing of step S63.

[0062] In step S63, the control unit 20 cancels the notification urging the user not to open the window in the vehicle compartment (see Figure 3 .

[0063] In step S64, the control unit 20 returns the air volume (rotation speed) of the blower 5 to the value set at the time of the operation. Figure 3 The air volume (rotation speed) stored in step S94 in .

[0064] In step S65, the control unit 20 performs the control based on the air volume of the blower 5 returned in step S64 and the Figure 2 The required ventilation volume calculated in step S2 in the above method is used to reset the internal and external gas ratio.

[0065] [Degradation determination process of filter 4] Figure 7 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a degradation determination process of the filter 4. During the operation of the vehicle air conditioner 1, this flowchart is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle.

[0066] In step S31 , the control unit 20 determines the concentration of harmful substances inside the vehicle interior and the concentration of harmful substances outside the vehicle interior based on the detection information of the harmful substance concentration detection unit 105 .

[0067] In step S32, the control unit 20 determines whether the difference between the concentration of harmful substances outside the vehicle and the concentration of harmful substances inside the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "the difference between the two concentrations") is greater than a predetermined value. Although not particularly limited, the predetermined value may be 10 [μg / m 3 ]. Then, when the difference between the two concentrations is greater than the specified value, the control unit 20 enters the process of step S33. On the other hand, when the difference between the two concentrations is less than the specified value, the control unit 20 ends this process. When the difference between the two concentrations is less than the specified value, it is possible that the window of the vehicle cabin is open, the door is open, or the door has just been opened, and the deterioration judgment of the filter 4 of this embodiment is not applicable. Therefore, when the difference between the two concentrations is less than the specified value, the control unit 20 ends this process.

[0068] In step S33 , the control unit 20 checks the current air volume of the blower 5 and the current inside-outside air ratio.

[0069] In step S34, the control unit 20 calculates the amount of internal air (internal air circulation amount) and the amount of external air (external air introduction amount) introduced into the air conditioning duct 3 based on the current air volume of the blower 5 and the current internal and external air ratio.

[0070] In step S35, the control unit 20 calculates the amount of harmful substances contained in the interior air (hereinafter referred to as "the amount of harmful substances in the interior air") based on the interior air circulation amount and the concentration of harmful substances in the vehicle interior, and calculates the amount of harmful substances contained in the exterior air (hereinafter referred to as "the amount of harmful substances in the exterior air") based on the exterior air introduction amount and the concentration of harmful substances outside the vehicle interior.

[0071] In step S36, the control unit 20 calculates the concentration of harmful substances in the air introduced into the air conditioning duct 3 before passing through the filter using the following equation. Concentration of harmful substances before passing through the filter = (amount of harmful substances in internal gas + amount of harmful substances in external gas) / (amount of internal gas circulation + amount of external gas introduced)

[0072] In step S37 , the control unit 20 uses the concentration of harmful substances in the vehicle interior as the concentration of harmful substances after passing through the filter, and calculates the filtering efficiency for harmful substances based on the concentration of harmful substances before passing through the filter and the concentration of harmful substances after passing through the filter calculated in step S36 .

[0073] In step S38, the control unit 20 determines whether the filtration efficiency calculated in step S37 is less than a determination threshold. Although not particularly limited, the determination threshold may be, for example, 60%, preferably 70%. When the calculated filtration efficiency is greater than the determination threshold, the control unit 20 ends the process. On the other hand, when the calculated filtration efficiency is less than the determination threshold, the control unit 20 proceeds to step S39.

[0074] In step S39 , the control unit 20 determines that the filter 4 is deteriorated.

[0075] In step S40 , the control unit 20 notifies the occupants (particularly the driver) in the vehicle cabin via the notification unit 13 to urge replacement or cleaning of the filter 4 .

[0076] As described above, in the vehicle air conditioner 1 of the embodiment, the control unit 20 is configured to control the inside-outside air ratio adjustment unit 7 based on the detection information of the harmful substance concentration detection unit 105. Therefore, the inside air circulation amount and the outside air introduction amount can be appropriately adjusted in accordance with the concentration of harmful substances outside the vehicle and the concentration of harmful substances inside the vehicle, while maintaining the air volume of the blower 5. Therefore, according to the vehicle air conditioner 1 of the embodiment, the air inside the vehicle can be kept clean without significantly changing the cooling and heating capabilities of the vehicle air conditioner 1, and the increase in the carbon dioxide concentration inside the vehicle can be suppressed.

[0077] Specifically, in the present embodiment, when the concentration of harmful substances in the vehicle interior is greater than the first threshold value and the concentration of harmful substances outside the vehicle exterior is less than the first threshold value, the control unit 20 controls the inside-outside gas ratio adjustment unit 7 to increase the ratio of the outside gas. Further, the control unit 20 controls the inside-outside gas ratio adjustment unit 7 to maximize the ratio of the outside gas. Therefore, the concentration of harmful substances in the vehicle interior can be rapidly reduced by using the outside gas with a low concentration of harmful substances, and the increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the vehicle interior can also be suppressed.

[0078] In addition, the control unit 20 detects the concentration of harmful substances based on the detection information of the detection unit 105 and the CO 2 The detection information of the concentration detection unit 104 controls the blower 5 and the inside-outside air ratio adjustment unit 7. Therefore, the concentration of harmful substances outside the vehicle, the concentration of harmful substances inside the vehicle, and the CO 2 Concentration, appropriately adjust the internal gas circulation volume and external gas introduction volume.

[0079] Specifically, in the present embodiment, when the concentration of harmful substances in the vehicle interior is greater than the first threshold value and the concentration of harmful substances outside the vehicle exterior is greater than the first threshold value, the control unit 20 controls the blower 5 to increase the air volume, and controls the inside-outside air ratio adjustment unit 7 to reduce the ratio of the outside air according to the increased air volume of the blower 5. Further, the control unit 20 controls the blower 5 to increase the air volume, and controls the inside-outside air ratio adjustment unit 7 to maintain the outside air introduction amount before and after the increase in the air volume of the blower 5. And, thereafter, when the concentration of carbon dioxide in the vehicle interior is less than the second threshold value, the control unit 20 controls the inside-outside air ratio adjustment unit to further reduce the ratio of the outside air. In addition, thereafter, when the concentration of carbon dioxide in the vehicle interior is greater than the second threshold value, the control unit 20 controls the inside-outside air ratio adjustment unit to increase the ratio of the outside air. Thus, the amount of external air with a high concentration of harmful substances introduced can be suppressed to the necessary minimum, the harmful substances contained in the internal air can be effectively removed by the filter 4 by increasing the internal air circulation amount, and the increase in the load for heating and / or cooling can be suppressed by increasing the ratio of the internal air. Therefore, according to the vehicle air conditioner 1 of the embodiment, the air in the vehicle interior can be kept clean without significantly changing the cooling and heating capabilities of the vehicle air conditioner 1, and the increase in the carbon dioxide concentration in the vehicle interior can be suppressed.

[0080] In addition, in this embodiment, the harmful substance concentration detection unit 105 for detecting the concentration of harmful substances inside and outside the vehicle is composed of one harmful substance concentration sensor. Therefore, the harmful substance concentration detection unit 105 can be arranged at a desired position without increasing the size of the vehicle air conditioner 1.

[0081] The control unit 20 determines whether the filter 4 is deteriorated based on the concentration of harmful substances in the vehicle interior, the concentration of harmful substances outside the vehicle interior, the air volume of the blower 5, and the ratio of the inside and outside air. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the control unit 20 calculates the concentration of harmful substances in the air before passing through the filter 4 based on the concentration of harmful substances in the vehicle interior, the concentration of harmful substances outside the vehicle interior, the air volume of the blower 5, and the ratio of the inside and outside air, calculates the filtration efficiency for harmful substances based on the calculated concentration of harmful substances in the air before passing through the filter 4 and the concentration of harmful substances in the vehicle interior, and determines that the filter 4 is deteriorated when the calculated filtration efficiency is less than the determination threshold. Therefore, according to the vehicle air conditioning device 1 of the embodiment, the deterioration of the filter 4 can be determined not only when the internal air is circulated, but also when the external air is introduced.

[0082] Furthermore, the vehicle air conditioner 1 of the embodiment includes the notification unit 13, and when the control unit 20 determines that the filter 4 is deteriorated, the notification unit 13 prompts the occupant in the vehicle to clean or replace the filter 4. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the deteriorated filter 4 from being used continuously.

[0083] As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention is described, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, It is a matter of course that further deformation|transformation can be performed based on the technical idea of ​​this invention.

[0084] For example, the control unit 20 may also be configured to, when the concentration of harmful substances outside the vehicle compartment is less than a first threshold value, control the inside-outside gas ratio adjustment unit 7 to introduce into the air-conditioning duct 3 external gas corresponding to the necessary ventilation volume of the vehicle compartment corresponding to the number of occupants, and, when the concentration of harmful substances outside the vehicle compartment is greater than a first threshold value, control the blower 5 to increase the air volume compared to a case where the harmful substances outside the vehicle compartment is less than the first threshold value, and control the inside-outside gas ratio adjustment unit 7 to introduce into the air-conditioning duct 3 external gas corresponding to the necessary ventilation volume at the increased air volume of the blower 5.

[0085] In addition, the control unit 20 can also calculate the concentration of harmful substances in the air before passing through the filter 4 as described above, and judge that the filter 4 is degraded when the time cumulative value of the value obtained by multiplying the calculated concentration of harmful substances in the air before passing through the filter 4 by the air volume of the blower 5 exceeds the judgment threshold for the cumulative value. Description of reference numerals:

[0086] 1: Air conditioning device for vehicle; 3: Air conditioning duct; 4: Filter; 5: Blower; 7: Internal and external air ratio adjustment unit; 9: Cooling / heating unit; 11: Operation setting unit; 13: Notification unit; 20: Control unit; 31: Internal air inlet; 32: External air inlet; 71: Internal and external air switching door; 91: Evaporator (cooler); 93: Heater core (heater); 95: Air mixing door; 101: Internal air temperature detection unit; 102: External air temperature detection unit; 103: Occupant number detection unit; 104: Carbon dioxide concentration detection unit; 105: Harmful substance concentration detection unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle air conditioning device, characterized in that: include: The air conditioning duct introduces air introduced from at least one of an inside air introduction port for introducing air into the vehicle interior, i.e., inside air, and an outside air introduction port for introducing air outside the vehicle interior, i.e., outside air, into the vehicle interior; an inside-outside gas ratio adjustment unit for adjusting the ratio of the inside gas to the outside gas introduced into the air conditioning duct, that is, the inside-outside gas ratio; a blower for generating a flow of air in the air conditioning duct toward the vehicle interior; a cooling / heating unit for cooling or heating the air flowing in the air conditioning duct; A filter for removing harmful substances contained in the air flowing in the air conditioning duct; a harmful substance concentration detection unit for detecting the concentration of harmful substances inside the vehicle interior and outside the vehicle interior; and The control unit controls the inside-outside air ratio adjustment unit based on the detection information of the harmful substance concentration detection unit.

2. The vehicle air conditioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control unit controls the inside / outside air ratio adjustment unit to increase the ratio of the outside air when the concentration of the harmful substance in the vehicle interior is equal to or higher than a first threshold and the concentration of the harmful substance outside the vehicle interior is lower than the first threshold.

3. The vehicle air conditioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vehicle air conditioner further includes a carbon dioxide concentration detection unit configured to detect a concentration of carbon dioxide in the vehicle interior. The control unit controls the air blower and the inside-outside air ratio adjustment unit based on detection information from the harmful substance concentration detection unit and detection information from the carbon dioxide concentration detection unit.

4. The vehicle air conditioning device according to claim 3, characterized in that: When the concentration of harmful substances in the vehicle interior is greater than the first threshold value and the concentration of harmful substances outside the vehicle interior is greater than the first threshold value, the control unit controls the blower to increase the air volume, and controls the inside-outside gas ratio adjustment unit to reduce the ratio of the outside air according to the increased air volume of the blower, and then, when the concentration of carbon dioxide in the vehicle interior is less than a second threshold value, controls the inside-outside gas ratio adjustment unit to further reduce the ratio of the outside air.

5. The vehicle air conditioning device according to claim 3, characterized in that: When the concentration of harmful substances in the vehicle interior is greater than the first threshold value and the concentration of harmful substances outside the vehicle interior is greater than the first threshold value, the control unit controls the blower to increase the air volume, and controls the inside-outside gas ratio adjustment unit to reduce the ratio of the outside air according to the increased air volume of the blower, and then, when the concentration of carbon dioxide in the vehicle interior is greater than the second threshold value, controls the inside-outside gas ratio control unit to increase the ratio of the outside air.

6. The vehicle air conditioning device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The control unit determines whether the filter is deteriorated based on the concentration of harmful substances in the vehicle interior, the concentration of harmful substances outside the vehicle exterior, the air volume of the blower, and the inside / outside air ratio.

7. The vehicle air conditioning device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The control unit calculates the concentration of harmful substances in the air before passing through the filter based on the concentration of harmful substances in the vehicle interior, the concentration of harmful substances outside the vehicle interior, the air volume of the blower, and the inside-outside gas ratio, calculates the filtration efficiency for the harmful substances based on the calculated concentration of harmful substances in the air before passing through the filter and the concentration of harmful substances in the vehicle interior, and determines that the filter is degraded when the calculated filtration efficiency is less than a determination threshold.

8. The vehicle air conditioning device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The vehicle air conditioner further includes a notification unit configured to issue a notification urging cleaning or replacement of the filter when the control unit determines that the filter is deteriorated.

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