Air conditioning system and method of air conditioning of a motor vehicle.

Abstract

The invention relates to an air conditioning system (1) for a motor vehicle comprising at least one fog sensor (2), each designed to be fixed to a glazed surface (3) of the vehicle. The air conditioning system (1) includes an air conditioning module (4) designed to blow conditioned air onto at least one glazed surface (3) to enable the defogging of the glazed surface (3). The system (1) includes additional ventilation means (6), separate from the module (4), designed to supply the fog sensor (2) with an airflow (7) when the air conditioning module (4) is off. The invention also relates to an air conditioning method comprising using the additional ventilation means (6) to detect a risk of fogging on the glazed surface (3) and, in the event of a risk, to activate the air conditioning module (4) when it is off. (Figure 1)

Description

Title of the invention: Air conditioning system and method of air conditioning a motor vehicle.

[0001] The technical field relates to ventilation systems for a motor vehicle, motor vehicles having such an air conditioning system and finally to demisting methods using such a vehicle.

[0002] Automobile manufacturers pay close attention to the comfort of their vehicle passengers. Among the essential comfort criteria are, of course, the management of air inside the passenger compartment, including the control of temperature, humidity level and air quality.

[0003] Electric vehicles are experiencing growing customer interest, while their driving ranges are constantly being improved by automakers. To achieve this, the industrial players involved have invested heavily in the development of new technologies to offer increasingly efficient batteries, that is, batteries offering faster charging speeds, ever-increasing capacities, and high energy densities. Alongside technological improvements, automakers are also focusing on optimizing the electrical consumption of their vehicles. However, the air conditioner, which regulates the temperature and humidity of the vehicle's interior, is a significant consumer of energy drawn from the vehicle's electric batteries.This energy consumption is significant because, when the air conditioning is running, the range of electric vehicles is considerably reduced, by up to 25% in hot or cold climates. To assist the air conditioning and thus reduce its power consumption, vehicles are now equipped with nearby comfort features that heat or cool a specific area of ​​a passenger through contact or radiation. Such a nearby comfort feature is generally located in contact with, or within a few centimeters of, the passenger. These nearby comfort features in the passenger compartment are so effective that they can manage passenger thermal comfort even with the air conditioning off, particularly in an outside temperature range of 0°C to 15°C.However, if the air conditioning is not running, especially in the temperature range mentioned above, there is a significant risk of fogging on the windows. Vehicles are often equipped with a fog sensor to detect the risk of fogging and to activate the air conditioning in defrosting mode. However, fog sensors... require the air conditioner to be in operation in order to detect a risk of fogging.

[0004] Thus, there is no solution to limit or avoid the operation of the air conditioner, which is particularly energy-intensive, without risking the formation of fog, especially when the outside temperature is in a range between 0°C and 15°C.

[0005] The present invention aims to overcome the problems described above. In this technical context, one objective of the present invention is to provide an air conditioning system that allows the air conditioner to stop when the temperature is within a temperature range in which nearby comfort elements, for example, are sufficient to manage the thermal comfort of the passengers.

[0006] To this end, the present invention relates to an air conditioning system for a motor vehicle comprising at least one fog sensor, each designed to be fixed to a glazed surface of the vehicle, the air conditioning system comprising an air conditioning module designed to blow conditioned air onto at least one glazed surface to enable defogging of the glazed surface, the system comprising additional ventilation means, separate from the air conditioning module, designed to supply at least one fog sensor with an airflow when the air conditioning module is stopped.

[0007] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle having an air conditioning system according to the invention.

[0008] The invention also relates to an air conditioning method implementing a vehicle according to the invention, the method comprising a first step consisting of implementing the additional ventilation means to supply at least one fog sensor in order to detect a risk of fogging on the glazed surface, the detection, during the first step, of a risk of fogging triggering a second step consisting of sending a first alert to the driver and / or ordering the start-up of the air conditioning module when the latter is stopped.

[0009] Thus, the air conditioning system according to the invention makes it possible to obtain a vehicle in which the air conditioning method according to the invention can be implemented to manage the thermal comfort of the passengers, while the air conditioning module is switched off. The air conditioning system according to the invention makes it possible to monitor the risk of fogging by supplying the fog sensor with an airflow generated by the additional ventilation means. It should be noted that the additional means consume less energy than the air conditioning module. In the event of a risk of fogging, the air conditioning method alerts the passengers to the risk of fogging and / or activates the air conditioning module. demisting mode. Thus, the air conditioning system according to the invention makes it possible to regulate the thermal comfort of the passengers by preventing the formation of fog and keeping the air conditioning module off as much as possible.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the air conditioning system, the additional means comprise at least one additional blower designed to circulate the airflow supplying a fog sensor.

[0011] According to one possibility of the air conditioning system, the additional ventilation means comprise at least one additional air duct shaped to allow the circulation of an airflow supplying a fog sensor.

[0012] Advantageously, an additional conduit is designed to extend along a bay pillar of the vehicle.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the additional duct is designed to extend along the glazed surface on which the fog sensor is fixed, supplied by the airflow from the additional duct.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the system includes control means designed to control the start-up of the air conditioning module when the latter is stopped.

[0015] According to one possibility, the air conditioning system further comprises at least one close-range comfort element designed to heat and / or cool a localized area of ​​a passenger.

[0016] According to one possibility of the method, the first step is carried out when the temperature of the passenger compartment is within a temperature range in which the air conditioning module can be stopped without risk of fogging.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the method, the second step is followed by a third step, carried out when the risk of fogging disappears, consisting of sending a second alert to the driver and / or ordering the air conditioning module to stop.

[0018] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following detailed description, given solely by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

[0019] [Fig-1] [Fig.1] represents a schematic view of a vehicle according to the invention presenting an air conditioning system according to the invention.

[0020] A ventilation system 1 according to the invention, schematically shown in [Fig. 1], is designed for a motor vehicle according to the invention. The ventilation system 1 thus enables the implementation of the air conditioning method according to the invention. The system 1 and the method are particularly well-suited for an electrically powered vehicle.

[0021] The system 1 comprises at least one dew sensor 2, each designed to be fixed to a glazed surface 3 of the vehicle. In the example illustrated in [Fig. 1], the The glazed surface 3 is a windshield of the vehicle. According to the invention, a fog sensor 2 measures the surface temperature of the glazed surface 3, the ambient temperature of the vehicle's passenger compartment near the glazed surface 3, and the relative humidity of the ambient air in the passenger compartment near the glazed surface 3. These three measurements make it possible to determine the dew point temperature on the glazed surface 3 and thus deduce the risk of fogging.

[0022] The ventilation system 1 includes an air conditioning and ventilation module 4 designed to blow air conditioning onto the glazed surface 3 to enable defogging of the glazed surface 3. The module 4 thus makes it possible to control the temperature, humidity and flow rate of the air blown onto the glazed surface 3, for example, by nozzles located in the dashboard 5 of the vehicle.

[0023] The system 1 further comprises additional ventilation means 6, separate from the air conditioning and ventilation module 4, designed to supply the fog sensor 2 with an airflow 7 at least when the air conditioning and ventilation module 4 is switched off. For this purpose, the additional ventilation means 6 include, for example, an additional blower 8 designed to circulate the airflow 7 supplying the fog sensor 2. The air of the airflow 7 is drawn from the passenger compartment, preferably near the glazed surface 3.

[0024] As illustrated in [Fig. 1], the additional ventilation means 6 further comprise an additional air duct 9 shaped to allow the circulation of the airflow 7 supplying the fog sensor 2. In the example described, the additional duct 9 extends along a window frame 10 framing the glazed surface 3. The additional duct 9 has an air inlet 11 located, for example, near the dashboard 5. Advantageously, the additional duct 9 also extends along the glazed surface 3. Thus, the additional duct 9 has an air outlet 12 for blowing the airflow 7 onto the fog sensor 2. In the example illustrated in [Fig. 1], the fog sensor 2 is fixed under the rearview mirror 13.

[0025] Advantageously, the system 1 includes control means, not shown, designed to control the activation of the air conditioning and ventilation module 4 when it is switched off. Thus, the activation of module 4 can be controlled when the condensation sensor 2 detects a risk of condensation formation. The control means advantageously allow the shutdown of the air conditioning and ventilation module 4.

[0026] Advantageously, the air conditioning system according to the invention further comprises at least one close-range comfort element designed to heat and / or cool a localized area of ​​a passenger. Such a close-range comfort element is, for example, a radiant panel, a ventilated and / or heated seat, or a heated steering wheel. This type of close-up comfort element increases the feeling of thermal comfort for a passenger in contact with and / or seated near this close-up comfort element.

[0027] The ventilation system 1 enables the implementation of the air conditioning method according to the invention. The air conditioning method according to the invention comprises a first step consisting of implementing the additional ventilation means 6 to power the condensation sensor 2 in order to detect a risk of condensation forming on the glazed surface 3. The detection, during the first step, of a risk of condensation forming on the glazed surface 3 triggers a second step consisting of sending a first alert to the driver and / or activating the air conditioning and ventilation module 4 when the latter is off. The first alert is, for example, a message prompting the passengers to activate the air conditioning module 4.

[0028] The method proves particularly advantageous when implemented when the passenger compartment temperature falls within a temperature range in which the air conditioning and ventilation module 4 is switched off without risk of fogging. For example, a passenger compartment temperature range in which module 4 can be switched off is between 0°C and 15°C. Within such a temperature range, the thermal comfort of the passenger compartment occupants can then be managed using the nearby comfort element(s). Thus, an advantageous implementation of the method according to the invention consists of performing the first step when the air conditioning and ventilation module 4 is switched off.

[0029] Finally, advantageously, the air conditioning method according to the invention has a second step followed by a third step, carried out when the risk of fogging disappears, consisting of sending a second alert to the driver and / or commanding the shutdown of air conditioning module 4. For example, the second alert is a prompt to shut down air conditioning module 4.

[0030] Thus, the air conditioning system 1 allows the implementation of the air conditioning method to manage passenger thermal comfort while the air conditioning module 4 is switched off. The air conditioning system 1 monitors the risk of fogging by supplying the fog sensor 2 with an airflow 7 generated by the additional ventilation means 6. It should be noted that the additional ventilation means 6 consume less energy than the air conditioning module 4. In the event of a risk of fogging, the air conditioning method alerts passengers to the risk of fogging and / or activates the air conditioning module 4 in defogging mode. Thus, the air conditioning system 1 according to the invention regulates passenger thermal comfort by preventing fogging and keeping the air conditioning module 4 switched off as much as possible.

[0031] The invention is not limited to the embodiment of the air conditioning system described above, only by way of example, but other embodiments can be designed by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope and extent of the present invention.

Claims

Demands

1. Air conditioning system (1) for a motor vehicle comprising at least one fog sensor (2), each designed to be fixed to a glazed surface (3) of the vehicle, the air conditioning system (1) comprising an air conditioning module (4) designed to blow conditioned air onto at least one glazed surface (3) to enable defogging of the glazed surface (3), the system (1) comprising additional ventilation means (6), separate from the air conditioning module (4), designed to supply at least one fog sensor (2) with an airflow (7) when the air conditioning module (4) is stopped.

2. Air conditioning system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the additional means (6) comprise at least one additional blower (8) designed to circulate the airflow (7) supplying a fog sensor (2).

3. Air conditioning system (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the additional ventilation means (6) comprise at least one additional air duct (9) shaped to permit the circulation of an airflow (7) supplying a fog sensor (2).

4. Air conditioning system (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that an additional duct (9) is designed to extend along a bay pillar (10) of the vehicle.

5. Air conditioning system (1) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the additional duct (9) is designed to extend along the glazed surface (3) on which is fixed the fog sensor (2) supplied by the airflow (7) of the additional duct (9).

6. Air conditioning system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises control means designed to control the starting of the air conditioning module (4) when the latter is stopped.

7. Air conditioning system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it further comprises at least one close-range comfort element designed to heat and / or cool a localized area of ​​a passenger.

8. Motor vehicle having an air conditioning system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. Air conditioning method implementing a vehicle according to claim 8, the method comprising a first step of implementing additional ventilation means (6) to supply at least one fog sensor (2) to detect a risk of fogging on the glazed surface (3), the detection, during the first step, of a risk of fogging triggering a second step of sending a first alert to the driver and / or commanding the start-up of the air conditioning module (4) when the latter is stopped.

10. Air conditioning method according to claim 9, characterized in that the second step is followed by a third step, carried out when the risk of fogging disappears, consisting of sending a second alert to the driver and / or ordering the shutdown of the air conditioning module (4).

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