Method for managing an air conditioning system in a motor vehicle.

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for managing an air conditioning system, comprising at least one air-conditioned seat, cooling a passenger in the seat, each seat having an activated state (EA) and a deactivated state (ED), the system comprising at least one controlled air vent designed to blow air at a controlled temperature (T), each vent being designed to assume several switchable configurations, at least one direct configuration (CF-D), in which the blown air is directed towards the seat, and at least one indirect configuration (CF-I), in which the blown air avoids the seat, the method comprising a first step (1) of switching at least one vent from an indirect configuration (CF-I) to a direct configuration (CF-D) and of controlling the increase in the temperature (T) of the air blown by each vent having been switched by the first step (1) when the associated seat is in an activated state (EA). (Figure 1)

Description

Title of the invention: Method for managing an air conditioning system in a motor vehicle.

[0001] The technical field relates to the processes for managing an air conditioning system in a motor vehicle as well as motor vehicles implementing such processes.

[0002] Automobile manufacturers pay close attention to the comfort of their vehicle passengers. Among the essential comfort criteria is obviously the management of passenger thermal comfort.

[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 energy consumption, vehicles are now equipped with nearby comfort features that cool a specific area for a passenger. Such a nearby comfort feature is generally located in contact with, or within a few centimeters of, the passenger. Among these nearby comfort features, ventilated seats are particularly effective, as they allow passengers to maintain a regulated cabin air temperature of 25°C, whereas without such a seat, the regulated temperature would not exceed 22°C.However, when the cabin temperature is high, a passenger sitting in a ventilated seat may experience discomfort due to the temperature difference between the areas of their body in contact with the seat and the rest of their body. This discomfort is particularly pronounced when the airflow from the dashboard vents is not directed towards the passengers in the ventilated seats. To reduce this discomfort, the airflow should be increased to provide adequate ventilation for the passengers. A satisfactory level of thermal comfort can be achieved by reducing the temperature of the injected air, while increasing the cooling capacity to reduce the time required to lower the cabin temperature. However, such an increase in flow rate or cooling capacity is very energy-intensive.

[0004] Thus, a ventilated seat can improve the thermal comfort of its occupant provided that the air conditioner provides energy-intensive support.

[0005] Thus, there is a need for a solution that improves the thermal comfort of a passenger in a ventilated seat while reducing the energy required to achieve this thermal comfort.

[0006] The present invention aims to overcome the problems described above. In this technical context, one objective of the present invention is to provide a method for managing an air conditioning system in a motor vehicle that reduces the energy consumption required to achieve thermal comfort for an occupant of a ventilated seat.

[0007] To this end, the present invention relates to a method for managing an air conditioning system in a motor vehicle, the system comprising at least one air-conditioned seat, which includes an integrated system designed to cool a passenger seated in the seat, each seat having an activated state, in which the integrated system is activated, and a deactivated state, in which the integrated system is deactivated, the system comprising at least one pilot-operated air vent associated with a seat and designed to blow air at a temperature controlled by the system, each vent being designed to take at least two configurations activatable by the system, at least one direct configuration, in which the air blown by the system through the vent is directed to a part of an air-conditioned seat associated with the vent, and at least one indirect configuration,in which the air blown by the installation through the nozzle avoids the air-conditioned seat associated with the nozzle, the method comprising a first step of switching at least one nozzle from an indirect configuration to a direct configuration and of controlling the increase in the temperature of the air blown by each nozzle having been switched by the first step into a direct configuration when the seat associated with the direct configuration is in an activated state.

[0008] The invention also relates to an air conditioning installation implementing a process according to the invention.

[0009] The invention further relates to a motor vehicle having an air conditioning installation according to the invention.

[0010] Thus, the method according to the invention uses a ventilated seat to provide thermal comfort to a seat passenger. The usual drawback of a ventilated seat is related to the temperature difference between the areas of the body in contact with it. The energy consumption of the ventilated seat and other areas of the passenger's body is compensated for by the method according to the invention. Indeed, switching at least one associated nozzle in a direct configuration allows for the ventilation of other areas of the passenger's body. Since the air blown by a nozzle in a direct configuration is used to cool a localized area of ​​the passenger, the temperature of the blown air can be increased, unlike the situation where the air blown by the same nozzle in an indirect configuration is used to cool the entire passenger compartment. The first step of the method ensures that the ventilated seat is in its activated state before increasing the temperature of the blown air. This temperature increase reduces the energy consumption of the system. Thus, the method according to the invention improves the thermal comfort of a passenger seated in a ventilated seat while simultaneously reducing the system's energy consumption.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the method, the first step is initiated when a ventilated seat, associated with at least one nozzle, is switched into its activated state.

[0012] According to one possibility, the first step is initiated when a ventilated seat, associated with at least one nozzle, is switched into its activated state and when a dedicated control of the installation is selected.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the management method includes a second step consisting of switching at least one nozzle from a direct configuration to an indirect configuration and commanding a decrease in the temperature of the air blown by each nozzle that has been switched by the second step into an indirect configuration.

[0014] Advantageously, the second step is initiated when a ventilated seat, associated with at least one nozzle, is switched to its deactivated state.

[0015] Advantageously still, each nozzle associated with the seat is switched into an indirect configuration during the second step.

[0016] According to one possibility of the method, a ventilated seat is associated with at least two nozzles, and in that the first step consists of controlling the tilting of one associated nozzle towards a first zone of the associated seat and the tilting of another nozzle towards a second zone of the associated seat distinct from the first zone.

[0017] 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:

[0018] [Fig.1] [Fig.1] represents a schematic view of the steps implemented by a process according to the invention.

[0019] A management method according to the invention, schematically shown in [Fig.1], is designed to be implemented by an air conditioning installation of a motor vehicle according to the invention.

[0020] The installation includes at least one air-conditioned seat, which includes an integrated system designed to cool a passenger seated in the seat. Each seat in the installation has an activated state EA, in which the integrated system is activated, and a deactivated state ED, in which the integrated system is deactivated.

[0021] The installation comprises at least one ventilation nozzle, controlled by the installation, associated with a seat and designed to blow air at a temperature T controlled by the installation. By controlling a nozzle, the installation is able to change its direction. Each nozzle is designed to assume at least two configurations activatable by the installation, shown schematically in [Fig. 1]: at least one direct configuration CF-D, in which the air blown by the installation through the nozzle is directed towards a portion of an air-conditioned seat associated with the nozzle, and at least one indirect configuration CF-I, in which the air blown by the installation through the nozzle avoids the air-conditioned seat associated with the nozzle. Thus, in the indirect configuration, the air blown by the nozzle is not directed towards the associated seat.

[0022] The method includes a first step 1 consisting of switching at least one nozzle from an indirect CF-I configuration to a direct CF-D configuration via the installation. The first step also controls the increase in the temperature T of the air blown by each nozzle that has been switched by the first step 1 to a direct CF-D configuration, when the seat associated with the direct CF-D configuration is in an activated EA state.

[0023] Advantageously, a ventilated seat is associated with at least two nozzles. The first step 1 then consists of directing one nozzle to a first zone of the ventilated seat and another nozzle to a second zone of the associated seat, distinct from the first zone. For example, the first zone relates to the seat back and the second zone relates to the seat cushion. As a further example, the first zone allows air to be blown towards the face of a passenger seated in the seat, while the second zone corresponds, for example, to the thighs of the passenger seated in the ventilated seat.

[0024] The first step 1 is initiated when a ventilated seat associated with at least one nozzle is switched to its activated state EA. In particular, the first step 1 is initiated when a ventilated seat associated with at least one nozzle is switched to its activated state EA and when a dedicated control of the system is selected. For example, the system includes a control, such as a button, allowing the passenger to choose between an automatic operating mode, in which the first step 1 is initiated automatically by the activation of the integrated ventilated seat system, and a manual mode in which the first step 1 requires action from the passenger to be initiated.

[0025] Advantageously, the management method according to the invention includes a second step 2 consisting of switching at least one nozzle from a direct CF-D configuration to an indirect CF-I configuration and of commanding a decrease in the temperature T of the air blown by each nozzle having been switched by the second step 2 into an indirect CF-I configuration.

[0026] Advantageously, the second step 2 is initiated when a vented seat associated with at least one nozzle is switched to its deactivated ED state. Advantageously then, during the implementation of the second step 2, each nozzle associated with a vented seat is switched to an indirect CF-I configuration.

[0027] Thus, the method utilizes a ventilated seat to provide thermal comfort to a passenger. The usual drawbacks of a ventilated seat, related to the temperature difference between the areas of the passenger's body in contact with the ventilated seat and other areas of the body, are overcome by the method according to the invention. Indeed, tilting at least one associated nozzle in a direct CF-D configuration allows for ventilation of other areas of the passenger's body. Since the air blown by a nozzle in the direct CF-D configuration is used to cool a localized area of ​​the passenger, the temperature T of the blown air can be increased, unlike the situation where the air blown by the same nozzle in an indirect CF-I configuration is used to cool the entire passenger compartment. This increase in temperature T reduces the energy consumption of the system.Thus, the process according to the invention makes it possible to improve the thermal comfort of a passenger seated in a ventilated seat while reducing the energy consumption of the installation.

[0028] The invention is not limited to the method of implementing the management process described above, only by way of example, but other embodiments can be devised by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope and extent of the present invention.

Claims

Demands

1. A method for managing an air conditioning system in a motor vehicle, the system comprising at least one air-conditioned seat, which includes an integrated system designed to cool a passenger seated in the seat, each seat having an activated state (EA), in which the integrated system is activated, and a deactivated state (ED), in which the integrated system is deactivated, the system comprising at least one pilot-operated air vent associated with a seat and designed to blow air at a temperature (T) controlled by the system, each vent being designed to take at least two configurations activatable by the system, at least one direct configuration (CF-D), in which the air blown by the system through the vent is directed to a portion of an air-conditioned seat associated with the vent, and at least one indirect configuration (CF-I), in which the air blown by the system through the vent avoids the air-conditioned seat associated with the vent,the method comprising a first step (1) of switching at least one nozzle from an indirect configuration (CF-I) to a direct configuration (CF-D) and of controlling the increase in temperature (T) of the air blown by each nozzle that has been switched by the first step (1) into a direct configuration (CF-D) when the seat associated with the direct configuration (CF-D) is in an activated state (EA).

2. Management method according to claim 1, characterized in that the first step (1) is initiated when a ventilated seat, associated with at least one nozzle, is switched into its activated state (EA).

3. Management method according to claim 2, characterized in that the first step (1) is initiated when a ventilated seat, associated with at least one nozzle, is switched to its activated state (EA) and when a dedicated control of the installation is selected.

4. Management method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises a second step (2) consisting of switching at least one nozzle from a direct configuration (CF-D) to an indirect configuration (CF-I) and of controlling a decrease in the temperature (T) of the air blown by each nozzle having been switched by the second step (2) into an indirect configuration (CF-I).

5.

6.

7.

8.

9. Management method according to claim 4, characterized in that the second step (2) is initiated when a ventilated seat, associated with at least one nozzle, is switched to its deactivated state (ED). Management method according to claim 5, characterized in that each nozzle associated with the seat is tipped into an indirect configuration (CF-I) during the second step (2). A method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a ventilated seat is associated with at least two nozzles, and in that the first step (1) consists of controlling the tilting of one associated nozzle towards a first zone of the associated seat and the tilting of another nozzle towards a second zone of the associated seat distinct from the first zone. Air conditioning installation implementing a method according to any one of claims 1 to 7. Motor vehicle having an air conditioning installation according to claim 8.

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