Safety device for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10343490-B2
Application number	US-201715425658-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2017
Priority date	Apr 6, 2016
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

A safety device for a vehicle can include an impulse sensor configured to sense an impact to the vehicle and generate an impulse signal based on the impact, a compressor configured to compress refrigerant for a refrigeration cycle of the vehicle, and a safety valve connected to the compressor and configured to receive the impulse signal from the impulse sensor, and in response to the impulse signal exceeding a predetermined value, open the safety valve to place an inner space of the compressor in communication with an outside of the compressor for discharging the refrigerant outside the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A safety device for a vehicle, the safety device comprising:
an impulse sensor configured to sense an impact to the vehicle and generate an impulse signal based on the impact;
a compressor configured to compress refrigerant for a refrigeration cycle of the vehicle, having a compressor casing; and
a safety valve coupled to the compressor casing and configured to:
receive the impulse signal from the impulse sensor, and
in response to the impulse signal exceeding a predetermined value, open the safety valve to place an inner space of the compressor casing in communication with an outside of the compressor for discharging the refrigerant outside the vehicle,
wherein the safety valve comprises:
a valve housing having an inlet and an outlet, the valve housing being in communication with the inner space of the compressor casing;
a piston valve within the valve housing to selectively place the inlet and the outlet in communication with each other;
a valve spring provided at a backpressure side of the piston valve and configured to limit the piston valve from being opened;
a spacer inserted through the valve housing and configured to adjust an elastic force of the valve spring; and
a spacer controller provided at one side of the valve housing and configured to control movement of the spacer,
wherein the valve housing further comprises a spacer hole which passes through one side of the valve housing, and
wherein the spacer is partially inserted into the spacer hole and partially protruded from the spacer hole and the spacer is configured to move through the spacer hole.

2. The safety device of claim 1 , wherein the safety valve is electrically connected to an airbag controller or an electronic controller, and
wherein the safety value includes a motor for opening the safety valve based on a signal received from the airbag controller or the electronic controller.

3. The safety device of claim 2 , wherein the electronic controller is configured to determine a collision state of the vehicle before, during or after a collision occurs based on one or more signals received from one or more sensors within the vehicle, and
wherein the electronic controller is further configured to control a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning controller in the vehicle based on the collision state.

4. The safety device of claim 1 , wherein the safety valve is configured to discharge the refrigerant inside the compressor to the outside of the compressor via the outlet, and
wherein the outlet is connected to a discharge guide pipe configured to guide the refrigerant from the compressor to an outside of the vehicle.

5. The safety device of claim 1 , wherein the safety valve is configured to open in response to an internal pressure of the compressor exceeding a predetermined pressure.

6. The safety device of claim 1 , wherein the spacer controller comprises:
a motor configured to receive power to operate; and
a connection portion coupled between the motor and the spacer and configured to transfer a driving force of the motor to the spacer to move the spacer.

7. The safety device of claim 6 , wherein a valve guide configured to guide the movement of the piston valve is further provided within the valve housing, and
a guide portion into which a sliding portion of the piston valve is slidably inserted is formed on the valve guide in a switching direction of the piston valve.

8. The safety device of claim 1 , wherein the spacer controller comprises:
a motor configured to receive power to operate;
a stopper provided in the motor and configured to restrict or release the movement of the spacer while being moved by the motor; and
a return spring configured to support the stopper and move the stopper when the stopper is released from the spacer.

9. The safety device of claim 8 , wherein a valve guide configured to guide the movement of the piston valve is further provided within the valve housing,
wherein the valve guide is slidably coupled to the spacer, and
wherein a surface on which the valve guide and the spacer are brought into contact is formed in an inclined manner to move the spacer and the valve guide in an orthogonal direction.

10. A safety device for a vehicle, the safety device comprising:
a refrigeration cycle controller configured to control a refrigeration cycle for heating or cooling a passenger compartment of the vehicle;
an electronic controller provided configured to control functions of the vehicle; and
a refrigerant discharge unit electrically connected to the electronic controller to selectively discharge refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle to an outside of the vehicle,
wherein the refrigerant discharge unit comprises:
a valve housing having an inlet and an outlet;
a piston valve within the valve housing to selectively place the inlet and the outlet in communication with each other;
a valve spring provided at a backpressure side of the piston valve and configured to limit the piston valve from being opened;
a spacer inserted through the valve housing and configured to adjust an elastic force of the valve spring; and
a spacer controller provided at one side of the valve housing configured to control movement of the spacer,

wherein the valve housing further comprises a spacer hole which passes through one side of the valve housing, and
wherein the spacer is partially inserted into the spacer hole and partially protruded from the spacer hole and the spacer is configured to move through the spacer hole.

11. The safety device of claim 10 , wherein the electronic controller is configured to determine an impact the vehicle will receive, and transmit a signal to the refrigerant discharge unit to discharge the refrigerant outside the vehicle or close an air path of the refrigeration cycle unit for preventing the refrigerant from entering an interior of the vehicle when the value is greater than or equal to a predetermined range.

12. The safety device of claim 10 , wherein the electronic controller is configured to determine an estimated time-to-collision and a braking time of the vehicle, and transmit a signal to the refrigerant discharge unit to discharge the refrigerant outside the vehicle or close an air path of the refrigeration cycle unit for preventing the refrigerant from entering an interior of the vehicle based on the estimated time-to-collision and the braking time of the vehicle.

13. The safety device of claim 12 , wherein the electronic controller is configured to compare the estimated time-to-collision and the braking time of the vehicle, and transmit a signal to the refrigerant discharge unit to discharge the refrigerant outside the vehicle or close an air path of the refrigeration cycle unit for preventing the refrigerant from entering an interior of the vehicle when the estimated time-to-collision of the vehicle is less than or equal to the braking time of the vehicle.

14. The safety device of claim 10 , wherein the electronic controller is configured to determine a collision of the vehicle, and transmit a signal to the refrigerant discharge unit to prevent discharging the refrigerant outside the vehicle when the collision is less than or equal to a stored value.

15. The safety device of claim 10 , wherein the electronic controller is configured to detect a tilt of the vehicle defined by an extent of the vehicle being tilted with respect to a horizontal surface, and transmit a signal to the refrigerant discharge unit to discharge the refrigerant outside the vehicle or close an air path of the refrigeration cycle unit for preventing the refrigerant from ent

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Bumsuk
• Kim Kyunghwan
• Yim Namsik
• Kim Joohyung
• Lee Junggu
• Lim Junyoung

Classifications

• F25B49/005

  of safety devices (F25B49/02 and F25B49/04 take precedence) · CPC title

• F04D27/0292

  Stop safety or alarm devices, e.g. stop-and-go control; Disposition of check-valves · CPC title

• F04B49/03

  by means of valves · CPC title

• B60H1/3225

  characterised by safety arrangements, e.g. compressor anti-seizure means or by signalling devices · CPC title

• B60H1/3223

  characterised by the arrangement or type of the compressor (B60H1/3222 takes precedence) · CPC title