PACKAGING FACILITY WITH SANITATION AND SANITATION PROCESS

Abstract

Air conditioning installation (1) for a vehicle passenger compartment comprising an evaporator (3) intended to be crossed by a flow of air (100) to be cooled and extract the humidity therefrom by forming a condensate (9), a reservoir (10) arranged so as to collect the condensate (9) resulting from the condensation on the evaporator (3), a heating means (12) for heating in a controlled manner the condensate (9) contained in the reservoir (10) and forming water vapor, a guiding means (15a 15b) of the water vapor, characterized in that the guiding means (15a, 15b) injects the water vapor into the flow of air passing through the evaporator (3) upstream of said evaporator (3), the upstream being considered relative to the direction in which the air (100) passes through the evaporator (3). Figure for the abstract: Fig. 2

Description

Title of the invention: CONDITIONING INSTALLATION WITH SANITATION AND SANITATION METHOD

[0001] The invention relates to an air conditioning installation for a vehicle passenger compartment comprising a sanitation means, as well as a sanitation method, making it possible to eliminate micro-organisms located in the installation.

[0002] Motor vehicles include air conditioning systems for heating or cooling the air in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, by changing the temperature of the air coming from outside the vehicle or, during a recycling operating mode, the air coming from inside the vehicle. To cool the air, an air conditioning system is conventionally used with a refrigerant which, when it passes from the liquid state to the gaseous state in an evaporator, produces cold by absorbing calories. The air passing through the evaporator is thus cooled by being in contact with the surface of said evaporator. However, as it cools, the moisture contained in the air condenses on the surface of the evaporator, producing a condensate in which microorganisms develop, which can produce unpleasant odors.

[0003] To eliminate these odors, it is known to use chemical agents sprayed onto the surface of the evaporator to eliminate the microorganisms. For example, document FR2720340 describes an air conditioning installation comprising disinfection means diluting a disinfecting chemical agent in the condensate, to sanitize the condensate collected in the tank, as well as projection means for applying in a controlled manner at least a portion of said condensate mixed with the chemical agent, onto the evaporator, to sanitize the surface of said evaporator.

[0004] The disadvantage of such a solution is that it requires regular filling with chemical agents, and therefore regular maintenance. In addition, it requires the use of chemical agents that may be dangerous or harmful to the environment. Finally, it requires providing a space to contain the agent, a device to inject it into the condensate, and access to renew the chemical agent.

[0005] The objective of the invention is to overcome these drawbacks. In particular, one of the objectives is to propose a vehicle air conditioning installation comprising a sanitation means requiring little or no maintenance. In particular, one of the objectives is to propose an air conditioning installation with a sanitation means capable of operating without the addition of a chemical agent.

[0006] The objective of the invention is to remedy these drawbacks. In particular, one of the aims of the invention is to propose.

[0007] This object is achieved according to the invention, thanks to an air conditioning installation for a vehicle passenger compartment comprising an evaporator intended to be crossed by a flow of air to be cooled and to extract the humidity therefrom by forming a condensate, a reservoir arranged so as to collect the condensate resulting from the condensation on the evaporator, a heating means for heating in a controlled manner the condensate contained in the reservoir and forming water vapor, a means for guiding the water vapor, remarkable in that the guiding means injects the water vapor into the flow of air passing through the evaporator upstream of said evaporator, the upstream being considered relative to the direction in which the air passes through the evaporator.

[0008] Thus advantageously, the steam heats the air before it comes into contact with the evaporator, more precisely its surface, thus heating said surface of the evaporator, and eliminates the micro-organisms present on the surface thereof, without the need for the addition of a chemical agent such as a fungicide or bactericide. Since the condensate is formed automatically during the cooling of the air for the passenger compartment of the vehicle, in particular when it is humid, there is no need for the user to fill or check a level of chemical agent, nor to provide for a maintenance operation to fill the water tank. The assembly can thus operate automatically and autonomously. The injection of steam also makes it possible to sanitize the surfaces of the conditioning installation located in the space in which this injection is carried out.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the installation comprises an air filtering means arranged upstream of the evaporator, at a distance from the latter, and the guide means injects the steam into the space located between the filtering means and the evaporator.

[0010] Thus advantageously, the steam injection is confined in a reduced space, reducing the amount of steam required to heat the air in this space, and therefore reducing the energy required to heat the air in this space to the desired temperature in order to sanitize the evaporator. Another advantage is that the filter means can also be heated and is sanitized at the same time as the evaporator.

[0011] In another embodiment of the invention, the heating means is arranged in the condensate tank.

[0012] Thus advantageously, heating the condensate makes it possible to clean the surface of the tank and the water stored in the tank, and possibly the pipes connected to the tank. Another advantage is that it is not necessary to provide a pump to bring the condensate to a remote heating means, the resistance being directly in the tank storing the condensate.

[0013] In another embodiment of the invention, the heating means comprises at least one electrical resistor.

[0014] Thus advantageously, the heating means is produced by a simple element, and its operation and its heating temperature can be easily controlled by a control box.

[0015] In another embodiment of the invention, the reservoir is a recovery tank for the condensate flowing onto the evaporator, arranged under said evaporator, and comprising at least one opening upstream of said evaporator through which the steam generated by the heating of the condensate is guided and injected upstream of the evaporator.

[0016] Thus advantageously, the storage of the condensate is carried out in a simple manner, with few parts, by the condensate recovery tank placed under the evaporator.

[0017] In another embodiment of the invention, the installation comprises a recovery tank for the condensate flowing onto the evaporator, arranged under said evaporator and connected to the reservoir by a pipe so that the condensate recovered by the recovery tank flows into the reservoir, the guide means guiding the steam produced from the reservoir upstream of the evaporator.

[0018] Thus advantageously, the volume necessary for storing the condensate can be offset relative to the recovery tank without being just below it, and can be inserted into the vehicle more easily. In addition, this allows greater freedom in its shape, for example for its integration into the vehicle or to obtain better heating efficiency of the condensate.

[0019] In another embodiment of the invention, the installation comprises a means for controlling the level of condensate stored in the tank.

[0020] Thus advantageously, it is possible to secure the heating device by only allowing its operation when a sufficient quantity of condensate in the tank is present, avoiding operation of the heating means when empty, using the control means detecting the level of liquid stored in the tank.

[0021] The invention also relates to a vehicle comprising a passenger compartment air conditioning installation as described above.

[0022] The invention also relates to a method for treating an evaporator of an air conditioning installation as described previously, comprising a step of detecting the water level in the tank, a step of heating the condensate located in the tank when the water level in the tank is higher than a given limit, for a given duration, so as to produce steam, a step of injecting the steam upstream of the evaporator.

[0023] In a particular embodiment of the invention relating to the method, the heating step is activated when at least one of the following criteria is validated: an outside temperature, corresponding to the temperature outside a vehicle in which the conditioning installation is installed, is higher than a lower limit temperature, the method comprising a step of measuring the outside temperature before the heating step; the humidity level in the air outside the vehicle is higher than a lower limit humidity level, the method comprising a step of measuring the humidity level of the air before the heating step; the time since the last activation of the heating step is higher than a lower limit time, the method comprising a step of measuring the time elapsed since the previous activation of the heating step, before the heating step.

[0024] Thus advantageously, the start-up of the treatment process is activated only when the situation is favorable to effective sanitation by steam heating, and / or when the quantity of microorganism is estimated to be sufficiently large based on knowledge of the climatic conditions and / or knowledge of the previous implementation of the process.

[0025] The invention will be better understood on reading the following description, given solely by way of example and with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

[0026] [Fig-1] represents a first variant of the invention.

[0027] [Fig.2] represents a second variant of the invention.

[0028] [Fig.3] represents a table indicating the temperature and time conditions for destroy certain microorganisms.

[0029] [Fig.4] represents a treatment method according to the invention.

[0030] The drawings are schematic representations to facilitate understanding of the invention. The components are not necessarily shown to scale. The same references correspond to the same components from one figure to another.

[0031] [Fig.l] represents an installation 1 for air conditioning a vehicle passenger compartment which comprises a housing 2 crossed by an air flow 100. The installation 1 is an element of a device for air conditioning the air in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The air flow 100 comes for example from outside the vehicle and is directed by the housing 2 towards the interior of the vehicle. In the case where the air conditioning device is in recycling operation, the air flow 100 can come from the passenger compartment of the vehicle and be reinjected there.

[0032] The installation 1 comprises an evaporator 3 crossed by the air flow 100. The evaporator 3 is a device in which a refrigerant is evaporated in order to produce cold, so as to cool the evaporator 3. The evaporator 3 is a component conventionally used on an air conditioning system producing cold of the heat pump type. When the air passes through the evaporator 3 while the latter is cold, that is to say at a temperature lower than the temperature of the air which passes through it, the humidity contained in this air condenses on the cold walls of the evaporator 3, forming a condensate which flows downwards under the effect of gravity as represented by the arrow 8. A recovery tank 7 is arranged under the evaporator 3 so as to recover this condensate.

[0033] In [Fig.l], the recovery tank 7 forms a recovery reservoir 10. In the variant of the installation 1 shown in [Fig.2], the reservoir 10 is separate from the tank 7, a pipe 16 connecting the tank 7 to the reservoir 10 so as to conduct the condensate 9 into said reservoir 10.

[0034] The installation 1 further comprises a heating means 12 for heating in a controlled manner the condensate 9 contained in the tank 10 and forming water vapor, and a guiding means 15a, 15b of the water vapor produced during the heating of the condensate 9 by the heating means 12. The guiding means 15a, 15b is arranged so as to inject the water vapor produced during the heating of the condensate 9 into the air flow passing through the evaporator 3 upstream of said evaporator 3. Upstream is considered relative to the direction in which the air flow 100 passes through the evaporator 3. That is to say that the vapor is injected into the air flow 100 before the latter passes through the evaporator 3.

[0035] In the variant of [Fig.l], the guide means 15a is produced by walls of the tank 7. If the tank 7 is open on the inside of the housing 2, the steam produced by the heating means 12 rises into the inside of the housing, in front of the evaporator 3 as illustrated by the arrow 11. In the variant as illustrated in [Fig.l], the tank has an inlet on an upper face through which the condensate enters said tank, and openings 15a on its upper face through which the steam is injected into the housing 2, upstream of the evaporator 3. The tank 7 has an overflow 14, for example in the form of an overflow pipe 14, through which the condensate 9 is evacuated when the production of said condensate is too high, in order to avoid an overflow of the condensate into the housing 2.In fact, in certain climatic situations, the conditioning installation can produce several liters of condensate per hour when cold is produced at the evaporator 3.

[0036] In the variant of [Fig.2], the guide means 15b is in the form of an injection pipe bringing the steam produced from the reservoir 10 upstream of the evaporator 3. The reservoir 10 has an overflow 14 through which the condensate 9 is evacuated when the production of said condensate is too high. In [Fig.2], the guide means 15b brings the steam so as to inject it from the top, that is to say at the level of a wall of the housing 2 located opposite the tank 7. In other words, the steam is injected and descends according to the arrow 11 illustrated in this [Fig.2]. Those skilled in the art will be able to choose other positions for injecting the steam into the housing 2, upstream of the evaporator 3, depending for example on the layout constraints.

[0037] In a variant of these two embodiments, valves not shown can be installed on the overflows so as to control the time of evacuation of the overflow.

[0038] The heating means 12 is arranged in the tank 10 so as to be immersed in the condensate 9 stored in said tank. For example, the heating means 12 comprises one or more electrical resistors. A control box 17 is connected by a harness 18a to the heating means 12 in order to activate it when certain conditions are met, and in particular depending on the quantity of condensate 9 stored in the tank 10.

[0039] In order to control the level of condensate 9 in said tank 10 before starting the heating of said condensate 9, a means (13) for controlling the level of condensate, such as a gauge, is arranged in the tank 10, connected to the control box 17. Alternatively, the level of condensate 9 in the tank 10 can be calculated from information such as the humidity level in the air, the temperature of the air and the temperature of the evaporator 3, as well as the operating time of the air conditioning device, for example by the control box 17.

[0040] In the embodiments shown in Figures 1 and 2, the installation 1 comprises an air filtering means 4 arranged upstream of the evaporator 3, at a distance from the latter. There is therefore a space 5 between the evaporator 3 and the filtering means 4. For example, the filter 4 and the evaporator 3 are spaced apart from each other by a distance of between 3 mm and 5 mm. The filtering means 4 is for example a so-called “pollen filter”, a carbon filter or a high-efficiency HEPA type filter [acronym for “high-efficiency particulate air” used to designate a high-efficiency air particle filter]. The filtering means 4 filters the air admitted by the installation 1 before it passes through the evaporator 3 and then enters the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

[0041] The guide means 15a, 15b injects the steam into the space 5 between the filtering means 4 and the evaporator 3. The advantage of injecting into this space 5 is that the volume of air to be heated being reduced to that between the filtering means 4 and the evaporator 3, the quantity of energy necessary to reach a target temperature conducive to the destruction of the microorganisms is reduced. In addition, this makes it possible to heat the filtering means 4 at the same time and to sanitize it. In order to control the operation of the heating means 12, a temperature sensor not shown can be provided in this space 5, and connected to the control box 17.

[0042] The injection of steam upstream of the evaporator 3 makes it possible to heat the air located upstream of said evaporator and which is in contact with it, and consequently to heat the surface of the evaporator 3 on which the microorganisms develop. Since the microorganisms are sensitive to temperature, increasing this temperature over a given time makes it possible to eliminate these microorganisms, and to eliminate unpleasant odors that they generate. [Fig.3] gives examples of the time required to destroy certain strains of microorganisms depending on certain temperatures for a neutral pH environment.

[0043] Since the steam can circulate in the different pipes and heat the different surfaces, the production of steam from the condensate 9 also makes it possible to clean the walls of the housing 2 and the tank 7 near the evaporator 3, the reservoir and the different pipes 14, 16 and pipe 15b.

[0044] In a variant not shown, to improve the effectiveness of the sanitation, an additive dispenser can be provided in order to inject said additive into the condensate 9 stored in the tank 10. This additive is for example made from an essential oil base, or it can also be a chemical additive.

[0045] In a variant not shown, in order to ensure the absence of particles or dust in the condensate 9 stored in the reservoir 10, a filter can be placed between the tank 7 and the reservoir 10 to filter the condensate 9 as it flows towards the reservoir 10.

[0046] In another variant not shown, a system for emptying the tank 10, by solenoid valve or by a manual system, for example of the manual plug or tap type, is provided for emptying said tank 10.

[0047] A vehicle equipped with such an air conditioning system provides greater comfort to the passenger by reducing the risk of odors linked to the development of microorganisms in the evaporator, without increasing the need for maintenance.

[0048] [Fig.4] illustrates a method 100 for treating an evaporator of the air conditioning installation 1, comprising:

[0049] - a step 101 of detecting the water level in the tank,

[0050] - a step 102 of heating the condensate located in the tank activated only if the water level in the tank is above a given limit, for a given duration, so as to produce steam,

[0051] - a step 103 of injecting steam upstream of the evaporator 3.

[0052] Such a method is implemented for example by an air conditioning installation as described in Figures 1 and 2.

[0053] The step 103 of injecting steam upstream of the evaporator is carried out automatically by generating steam at the time of heating the condensate 9 in the tank 10 in the case of an implementation by an installation 1 according to the embodiment of [Fig.l], the steam diffusing by natural convection upstream of the filter from the tank 10. In the case of an implementation by an installation according to the embodiment of [Fig.2], the steam is diffused upstream of the evaporator by being guided by a pipe 15b from the condensate tank 10. As a variant, a system of valves can be provided on the pipe injection pipe 15b or / and other pipes, such as the overflow pipe 14 and / or the pipe 16 coming from the tank 7, to control for example the steam pressure in the tank 10, and / or to control the time of injection of the steam upstream of the evaporator 3.

[0054] In an alternative embodiment of the method, the activation of the heating step 103 is carried out according to specific criteria. For example, if at least one of the following criteria is validated, or several of these criteria or all of these criteria are validated:

[0055] - a so-called outside temperature, corresponding to the temperature outside a vehicle in which the conditioning installation 1 is installed, is higher than a lower limit temperature, the method comprising a step 104 of measuring the outside temperature before the heating step 102;

[0056] - a humidity level in the air outside the vehicle is greater than a level lower humidity limit, the method comprising a step 105 of measuring the humidity level of the air before the heating step 102;

[0057] - a duration since the last activation of the heating step 102 is greater at a lower limit duration, the method comprising a step 106 of measuring the time elapsed since the previous activation of the heating step, before the heating step 102.

[0058] For example, the heating step 102 is activated if the outside temperature is greater than 20°C, or even greater than 28°C, and when the humidity level is greater than 40%, and when the time since the last heating step 102 is greater than or equal to 15 days. The humidity level corresponds to the ratio between the partial pressure of the water in the air and the saturation pressure value, expressed as a percentage. Since the development of microorganisms is exponential, in particular when the humidity and temperature conditions are conducive to their development, the time between two treatments will not exceed, for example, 15 days, during regular use of the vehicle. Alternatively, this time is shortened depending, for example, on the climatic conditions encountered.In the event of a prolonged stoppage of the vehicle beyond 15 days, for example beyond one month, the duration of implementation of the heating step 102 is extended in order to ensure the sanitation of the conditioning installation 1, for example with a duration greater than 5 minutes. Alternatively, the modification of the duration of the heating step 102 may be defined according to the climatic conditions encountered by the vehicle during its stoppage period.

[0059] In another variant, the conditioning installation 1 comprises a step 107 of estimation by calculation of the energy necessary to carry out the heating step 102 and of comparison with a quantity of available energy, carried out before said heating step 102, so as to only start the heating step on the condition that the available energy is greater than the energy required to carry out the heating over a given time period. This makes it possible, for example, in the case of an electric vehicle comprising the conditioning installation and which is not connected to a charging socket, to only start the heating step 102 if the vehicle has sufficient energy in its batteries, and thus ensure a minimum level of energy in the electric vehicle batteries once the heating step 102 is finished.

[0060] As variants, other conditions for starting the heating step 102 may be taken into account in addition to those previously mentioned, such as the age of the filter 4, i.e. how long said filter has been installed on the vehicle, the presence of pollen alerts via internet-type communications networks, the presence of pollutants in the air such as volatile organic compounds via a sensor placed on the vehicle or via the communication of information via an internet-type communications network.

[0061] The sanitation process is launched automatically via the control box 17. Alternatively, the process can also be initiated by the user of the vehicle, such as by a control button in the vehicle or using a device connected to the vehicle by wireless communication, such as a multimedia mobile phone connected by a wifi connection [name used for the wireless communication protocols governed by the standards of the IEEE 802.11 group] or any other type of wireless communication.

[0062] In order to have effective sanitation over a short period, the start-up of the heating means 12 is controlled so as to produce steam until a given temperature is reached on the surface of the evaporator 3 for a given period, for example at least 63° Celsius for 2 minutes, to ensure the destruction of the microorganisms. For this, the heating step 102 will be implemented in order to obtain a given temperature in the space 5, upstream of the evaporator, for example in the space 5 between the filter 4 and the evaporator 3, for example a temperature between 70° and 80° degrees Celsius for a period of at least 1 minute, or for a period of 3 minutes. Indeed, as illustrated in [Fig.3], the microorganisms indicated do not survive beyond one minute when the temperature is above 60° Celsius: the higher the temperature, the more the survival time of the microorganisms generally decreases.In order to control the temperature upstream of the evaporator 3 during the time of exposure to heat of the microorganisms, a temperature probe can be provided in the space 5 between the evaporator 3 and the filter 4.

[0063] The heating step 102 is activated while the air conditioning system to which the evaporator 3 is connected is in operation and produces cold at the level of said evaporator. 3, in order to recover the condensate resulting from the condensation on the evaporator 3 of the steam produced by the heating step 102. Alternatively, the air conditioning system is put into an operating mode which does not produce cold at the level of the evaporator 3, in order to allow rapid heating at the surface of the evaporator 3 and rapid destruction of the microorganisms located on this surface of the evaporator 3.

[0064] The sanitation method 100 is activated for example during a preconditioning phase of the passenger compartment, that is to say during a phase in which the air conditioning system of the vehicle is started to bring the air in the passenger compartment to a target temperature before the vehicle is used. In the case of an electric vehicle, this preconditioning phase is carried out for example while the vehicle is recharging the batteries. Alternatively, the method 100 is activated when the vehicle is plugged in to be recharged. In another alternative, the sanitation method 100 is activated during a postconditioning phase of the passenger compartment of the vehicle, that is to say just after the vehicle has stopped.

Claims

Claims

1. Air conditioning installation (1) for a vehicle passenger compartment comprising an evaporator (3) intended to be crossed by an air flow (100) to be cooled and extract the humidity therefrom by forming a condensate (9), a reservoir (10) arranged to collect the condensate (9) resulting from the condensation on the evaporator (3), a heating means (12) for heating in a controlled manner the condensate (9) contained in the reservoir (10) and forming water vapor, a guide means (15a 15b) for the water vapor injecting the water vapor into the air flow passing through the evaporator (3) upstream of said evaporator (3), the upstream being considered relative to the direction in which the air flow (100) passes through the evaporator (3), characterized in that the reservoir (10) is a condensate recovery tank (9) flowing onto the evaporator (3), arranged under said evaporator (3),and comprising at least one opening (15a) upstream of said evaporator (3) through which the steam generated by the heating of the condensate is guided and injected upstream of the evaporator (3).,

2. Installation (1) according to the preceding claim, comprising an air filtering means (4) arranged upstream of the evaporator (3), at a distance from the latter, and the guide means (15a, 15b) injects the steam into the space (5) between the filtering means (4) and the evaporator (3).

3. Installation (1) according to one of the preceding claims, the heating means (12) of which is arranged in the condensate (9) tank (10),

4. Installation (1) according to one of the preceding claims, the heating means (12) of which comprises at least one electrical resistor.

5. Installation (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a means (13) for controlling the level of condensate stored in the tank (10).

6. Vehicle comprising a passenger compartment air conditioning installation (1) according to one of the preceding claims.

7. Method (100) for treating an evaporator of an air conditioning installation (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, comprising: - a step (101) of detecting the water level in the tank, - a step (102) of heating the condensate located in the tank when the water level in the tank is higher than a given limit, for a given duration, so as to produce steam, - a step (103) of injecting the steam upstream of the evaporator (3);

8. Method according to the preceding claim, in which the heating step (102) is activated when at least one of the following criteria is validated: - a so-called outside temperature, corresponding to the temperature outside a vehicle in which the conditioning installation (1) is installed, is greater than a lower limit temperature, the method comprising a step (104) of measuring the outside temperature before the heating step (102); - the humidity level in the air outside the vehicle is greater than a lower limit humidity level, the method comprising a step (105) of measuring the humidity level of the air before the heating step (102); - the duration since the last activation of the heating step (102) is greater than a lower limit duration, the method comprising a step (106) of measuring the time elapsed since the previous activation of the heating step, before the heating step (102).

Images