Service cover for closing a service hatch of a filter shaft in a vehicle air conditioning system

Abstract

The service cover (2) is used to close a service opening (4) of a filter shaft (3) of a vehicle air conditioning system. In order to ensure reliable maintenance, reliable energy supply and simple disposal of the service cover and the vehicle air conditioning system with as little structural outlay as possible, a service cover (2) is proposed which has an electrical device by means of which electrical energy required for operating an air handling unit (5) arranged in the vehicle air conditioning system (1) can be supplied to the air handling unit (5) from outside the vehicle air conditioning system (1).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a service cover for closing the access port of a filter shaft in a vehicle air conditioning system. Background Technology

[0002] Vehicle air conditioning systems installed in motor vehicles typically have this type of access cover, which allows the filter shaft of the air conditioning system to be easily closed, and also to be opened for maintenance, replacement, and repair work. For example, after opening the access cover, the used filter device installed in the filter shaft can be replaced with a new filter device. After replacing the filter device, the access cover can then be easily closed again.

[0003] Air handling units are used in such vehicle air conditioning systems, and these units can be installed in the vehicle air conditioning system, for example, after the filter equipment has been removed through the access port on the filter shaft. Such air handling units can be designed as, for example, ionizers, ozone generators, and / or electric heating devices.

[0004] Once the air handling unit has been assembled or installed, the vehicle's air conditioning system will be closed again by the access cover.

[0005] The air handling unit, such as the ionization device mentioned above, must be supplied with electrical energy. This energy must be fed to the air handling unit from outside the vehicle's air conditioning system. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Based on the above-mentioned prior art, the problem solved by the present invention is to provide a maintenance cover for closing the access port of the filter shaft of a vehicle air conditioning system, by means of which the air handling unit installed in the vehicle air conditioning system can be easily replaced, and by means of which it is possible to provide electrical power to such air handling unit installed in the vehicle air conditioning system in a structurally simplified manner.

[0007] The present invention solves this problem by providing an electrical device to the access cover, enabling the supply of electrical energy required to operate the air handling unit from outside the vehicle air conditioning system to the air handling unit located within the vehicle air conditioning system.

[0008] If the access cover has contact devices on its side, which allow access to the contacts or coding devices of the air handling unit, then the type, model, or variant of the air handling unit installed in the vehicle's air conditioning system can be detected from the access cover.

[0009] To allow for easy adjustment or control of the air handling unit, it is advantageous to configure or arrange an electrical control unit within the access cover. This control unit generates the operating voltage provided for the operation of the air handling unit and, if necessary, allows access to the contacts or coding devices of the air handling system. Therefore, the air handling unit can be operated according to corresponding operating parameters provided by a control unit on the side of the access cover, which retrieves the electrical contacts or coding devices from the air handling unit.

[0010] The design variations of the air handling unit are clearly defined by means of the electrical contacts or coding devices of the air handling unit. Various variations of the air handling unit can be operated by means of a control unit configured as a general-purpose control device, based on the operating parameters provided for the air handling unit according to the vehicle air conditioning system in which the air handling unit is installed.

[0011] To ensure reliable operation of a vehicle air conditioning system equipped with a service cover according to the invention, it is advantageous that, by means of the electrical control unit of the service cover, when the service port of the filter shaft of the vehicle air conditioning system is opened and / or the electrical connection between one electrical control unit and the coding device of the other air handling unit is interrupted, the operating voltage generated by the control unit can be reduced to a value that does not endanger life and / or shut off.

[0012] In order to provide vehicle air conditioning systems installed in motor vehicles with additional functions, it is advantageous to design the air handling equipment installed in such vehicle air conditioning systems as a retrofit set, and to have the air handling unit and access cover as described above.

[0013] Electrical contacts or coding devices advantageously characterize variations of the air handling unit, can be electrically connected to the control unit during the assembly of the air handling unit and access cover, and can retrieve data from it after the electrical connection to the control unit is completed.

[0014] By means of electrical contacts or coding devices of the air handling unit, variations of the air handling unit should advantageously be identifiable and capable of being transmitted to the control unit, so that the air handling unit can be controlled according to operating parameters specified for the air handling unit. The control unit can, of course, be designed as a general-purpose control device.

[0015] The electrical contacts or coding devices of the air handling unit can be designed as passive electrical components, such as resistors, capacitors or coils, or as electronic circuits, such as ID chips or EEPROMs.

[0016] Fixed resistors with discrete resistance values ​​have proven to be a particularly simple embodiment of encoding or contact devices for air handling units, wherein the discrete resistance values ​​characterize the operating voltage of the air handling unit and can be evaluated by analog or digital devices (e.g., with the aid of a microcomputer).

[0017] Air handling equipment can be designed as an ionizer, ozone generator, and / or electric heating device. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0019] In the attached diagram:

[0020] Figure 1 A perspective view of the main components of the vehicle air conditioning system of the present invention is shown, the vehicle air conditioning system including an access cover configured according to the present invention and an air handling device configured according to the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 It shows the relationship with Figure 1 Corresponding perspective views in the rear and opposite directions;

[0022] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an air handling unit of an air handling apparatus according to the present invention is shown; and

[0023] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of the access cover according to the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The components necessary for this invention are shown by means of two perspective views. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The vehicle air conditioning system 1 shown is typically used for ventilation and air conditioning inside motor vehicles.

[0025] Such vehicle air conditioning system 1 typically includes a cover 2, which allows the filter shaft 3 with access port 4 of vehicle air conditioning system 1 to be closed. Figure 1 , 2 The air handling unit 5 shown in Figure 3 can be inserted into the filter shaft 3 of the vehicle air conditioning system 1 through the access hole 4. Furthermore, this air handling unit 5 (in the embodiment of the vehicle air conditioning system 1 shown in the figures, it is an electric filter) is replaceable. Accordingly, the used electric filter 5 can thus be easily replaced with a new electric filter 5.

[0026] For this purpose, the access cover 2, which is fastened to the vehicle air conditioning system 1 with screws 6, can be removed from the vehicle air conditioning system 1. Then, the air handling unit or electric filter can be removed from the filter shaft 3 of the vehicle air conditioning system, and a new electric filter 5 can be replaced.

[0027] The electric filter 5 can be powered by the corresponding electrical device 8 provided on the access cover 2, which in turn is powered by the electrical device 7 provided thereon. For this purpose, the electrical device 8 of the access cover 2 is connected to an electrical power source via an electrical connection line 9.

[0028] The electric filter 5 includes, for example, an ionizer device, which can be powered by an electrical device 7 on the filter side and by an electrical device 8 on the access cover side via an electrical connection line 9. The electrical power source, not shown in the figures, is typically located outside the actual vehicle air conditioning system 1. In the case of the vehicle air conditioning system 1 described above, the power supply to the air handling unit or the electric filter 5 is achieved via the access cover 2 through the electrical devices 7 and 8.

[0029] In the exemplary embodiment shown, contact device 10 is included in air handling unit 5 and electrical filter 5. Contact device 10 of air handling unit 5 includes, for example, passive electrical components such as resistors, coils, and capacitors, or electronic circuits such as EEPROMs and ID chips. These passive electrical components or electronic circuits serve as encoding devices for the model or type of the associated air handling unit 5.

[0030] In the exemplary embodiment shown, the access cover 2 (which is specifically from...) Figure 1 and Figure 2 The air handling unit 5, as shown in the diagram, has a control unit 11 (which is a general-purpose control device) that closes the filter shaft 3 located therein via a cover 2. The control unit 11, configured for general use, has a contact device 12 that connects to a contact device 10 on the air handling unit side when the cover 2 is closed. The contact device 10 on the air handling unit side is read or detected by means of the contact device 12 of the control unit 11 assigned to the cover 12, and the model or type of the air handling unit 5 is specified by means of the contact device 10. The control unit 11 on the cover side can correspondingly operate the air handling unit 5, conforming to the control program specified for the model or type of the air handling unit 5.

[0031] Since each variant or model of the air handling unit 5 is adapted to the requirements profile set by the vehicle air conditioning system 1, the control unit 11 on the access cover side can control or adjust the air handling unit 5 accordingly.

[0032] The control unit 11 integrated in the access cover 2 can be adapted to a large number of air handling units 5 and their variants in a corresponding manner. Accordingly, the development cost of such control unit 11, which must take into account a variety of requirements such as reliability, EMC, and functional testing, can be significantly reduced because it is not necessary to develop a correspondingly adapted control unit 11 for every variant of the air handling unit 5 or the vehicle air conditioning system 1.

[0033] The interaction between the control unit 11 and the contact device 10 of the air handling unit 5 makes it possible to operate different variations of the air handling unit 5 using the control unit 11, which is designed as a general-purpose control device.

[0034] The wiring connection between the contact device 10 of one air handling unit 5 and the control unit 11 on the access cover side of the other can be achieved by means of spring contacts, hardwires, friction contacts, connectors, etc. In a particularly simple embodiment, if the contact device 10 on the air handling unit side is designed as a resistor, the resistance value of the resistor can vary depending on the variants of the air handling unit 5 on which the electrical contact device 10 is installed.

[0035] When the air handling unit 5 is embodied as an ionization device, its basic operating parameter is the electrical operating voltage. This electrical operating voltage can be easily and universally encoded using resistors. For example, discrete resistance values ​​can represent different operating voltages, such as 1 kΩ for 1000 V, 2 kΩ for 2000 V, and 12 kΩ for 12000 V.

[0036] The corresponding resistance value of the electrical contact device 10 of the air handling unit 5 is retrieved and detected by the control unit 11 on the access cover side. Then, the control unit 11 on the access cover side controls or adjusts the air handling unit 5 according to the resistance value detected by the electrical contact device 10.

[0037] Robust personal protection can be achieved at a relatively low cost using the electrical contact device 10 of the air handling unit 5, as data retrieval from the electrical contact device 10 of the air handling unit 5 by the control unit 11 on the access cover side can also be used for fault detection. A fault or malfunction exists if the value detected by the electrical contact device 10 of the air handling unit in the control unit 11 on the access cover side is outside the permissible range, or if no valid value is detected at all. One cause of such malfunction might be, for example, that the air handling unit 5 is not installed or is not installed correctly. This could be attributed to a temporary maintenance event, such as during which the air handling unit 5 is replaced, cleaned, or maintained. During such maintenance events, the ignition of the vehicle equipped with the air conditioning system 1 and the air handling unit 5 should be turned off. However, this is not guaranteed in all cases.

[0038] In this situation, the control unit 11 on the access cover side (by which it retrieves data from the electrical contact device 10 of the air handling unit 5) does not recognize a valid coded value for the electrical contact device 10. For safety reasons, or to provide protection against electric shock, the operating voltage of the air handling unit 5 is subsequently limited to a value that does not represent a life-threatening danger, or the operating voltage of the air handling unit 5 is shut off as a whole.

[0039] In the case of the control equipment or control unit 11 on the inspection cover side, if no data is retrieved from the effective electrical contact device, the control unit 11 may switch the operating voltage of the air preparation unit 5 to 12000V, for example, when the vehicle ignition system is turned on without proper inspection. Therefore, it is not impossible for personnel performing maintenance work to come into contact with such a high voltage.

[0040] In this vehicle air conditioning system 1, the operating voltage supplied from the vehicle is changed to a voltage suitable for the air handling unit 5 by means of a control unit 11 on the inspection cover side. Therefore, for example, for an air handling unit configured as an ionizing device, a high voltage in the range of 1kV to 16kV must be generated based on the approximately 14V voltage supplied by the vehicle.

Claims

1. A maintenance cover (2) for the access port (4) of the filter shaft (3) of a vehicle air conditioning system (1), characterized in that, The access cover (2) has an electrical device (8) that enables the supply of electrical energy required to operate the air handling unit (5) located within the vehicle air conditioning system (1) from outside the vehicle air conditioning system (1). The inspection cover (2) has a contact device (12) which allows contact with the electrical contacts or coding device (10) of the air handling unit (5). The access cover (2) has an electrical control unit (11), and the interaction between the electrical control unit (11) and the electrical contacts or coding device (10) of the air handling unit (5) makes it possible to operate the air handling unit (5) using different variations of the electrical control unit (11) which is designed as a general control device. The variant of the air handling unit (5) is adapted to the demand profile set by the vehicle air conditioning system (1), and the electrical control unit (11) can control or adjust the air handling unit (5) accordingly.

2. The inspection cover (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that, With the aid of the electrical control unit (11), an operating voltage can be generated to provide operation for the air handling unit (5), and the electrical contacts or coding device (10) of the air handling unit (5) can be contacted when necessary.

3. The inspection cover (2) according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the access port (4) of the filter shaft (3) of the vehicle air conditioning system (1) is opened and / or when the electrical connection between the electrical control unit (11) of one party and the electrical contact or coding device (10) of the air handling unit (5) of the other party is interrupted, the operating voltage generated by the electrical control unit (11) can be reduced to a value that does not represent a life-threatening danger and / or shut off by means of its electrical control unit (11).

4. An air handling device for installation in a vehicle air conditioning system (1), characterized in that, It is designed as a retrofit kit and includes an air handling unit (5) and an access cover (2) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The air handling equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, The electrical contact or encoding device (10) therein represents a variant of the air handling unit (5) that can be electrically connected to the electrical control unit (11) during the assembly of the air handling unit (5) and the access cover (2), and can retrieve data from the electrical control unit (11) after the electrical connection to the electrical control unit (11) is completed.

6. The air handling equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, With the aid of its electrical contacts or coding device (10), the variant of the air handling unit (5) can be identified and forwarded to the electrical control unit (11), so that the air handling unit (5) can be controlled by the electrical control unit (11) according to the operating parameters specified for the air handling unit (5).

7. The air handling apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that, Its electrical contacts or coding device (10) can be designed as passive electrical components or as electronic circuits.

8. The air handling equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that, Its electrical contacts or encoding device (10) are designed as fixed resistors with discrete resistance values ​​that characterize the operating voltage of the air handling unit (5) and can be evaluated by analog or digital devices.

9. The air handling equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, It is designed as an ionizer, ozone generator, and electric heating device.

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