Air conditioner, vehicle including the same, and method for controlling the air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10464396-B2
Application number	US-201715677893-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2017
Priority date	Apr 5, 2017
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

An air-conditioner may include an evaporator, a compressor configured to compress refrigerant supplied to the evaporator and a clutch configured to transmit power needed to operate the compressor to the compressor or to prevent power from being supplied to the compressor, wherein the clutch prevents power from being supplied to the compressor when an actual measurement temperature of the evaporator reaches a lower limit threshold temperature selected among the lower limit threshold temperature and an upper limit threshold temperature and the lower limit threshold temperature is changeable, and the upper limit threshold temperature is relatively higher than the lower limit threshold temperature and is changeable.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air-conditioner comprising:
an evaporator;
a compressor configured to compress refrigerant supplied to the evaporator; and
a clutch configured to transmit power needed to operate the compressor to the compressor or to prevent power from being supplied to the compressor,
wherein the clutch prevents power from being supplied to the compressor when a measurement temperature of the evaporator reaches a lower limit threshold temperature from above the lower limit threshold temperature selected among the lower limit threshold temperature and an upper limit threshold temperature;
the lower limit threshold temperature is changeable, and the upper limit threshold temperature is higher than the lower limit threshold temperature and is changeable; and
at least one of the lower limit threshold temperature and the upper limit threshold temperature is determined on a basis of a user-selected predetermined temperature and a user-selected set wind speed.

2. The air-conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein
after preventing the power from being supplied to the compressor, when the measurement temperature of the evaporator reaches the upper limit threshold temperature, the clutch is configured to provide the compressor with power needed to operate the compressor.

3. The air-conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the clutch is configured to operate until a temperature of the evaporator reaches a target temperature.

4. The air-conditioner according to claim 3 , wherein
after the temperature of the evaporator reaches the target temperature, when the measurement temperature of the evaporator reaches the lower limit threshold temperature, the clutch is configured to prevent power from being supplied to the compressor.

5. The air-conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein
the lower limit threshold temperature is set to be lower and the upper limit threshold temperature is set to be higher as the predetermined temperature is lower or as the set wind speed is higher.

6. The air-conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein
the lower limit threshold temperature is set to be higher and the upper limit threshold temperature is set to be lower as the predetermined temperature is higher or as the set wind speed is lower.

7. The air-conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein
when the measurement temperature of the evaporator is lower than the lower limit threshold temperature, the clutch prevents power from being supplied to the compressor.

8. The air-conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the compressor includes a swash plate in which a tilt angle is fixed.

9. The air-conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein
the compressor includes a swash plate in which a tilt angle is changeable, and
when the tilt angle of the swash plate is a minimum tilt angle, a controller controls the clutch to be operated according to the lower limit threshold temperature and the upper limit threshold temperature.

10. The air-conditioner according to claim 9 , wherein
the controller determines a target temperature using at least one of an indoor temperature, an outdoor temperature, a refrigerant pressure, an indoor humidity, a temperature of the evaporator, the predetermined temperature, and the set wind speed; and
the controller determines the clutch to transmit power to the compressor until the temperature of the evaporator reaches the target temperature.

11. A vehicle comprising:
an evaporator;
a compressor configured to compress refrigerant supplied to the evaporator;
a clutch configured to transmit power needed to operate the compressor to the compressor or to prevent power from being supplied to the compressor;
a user interface (UI) configured to receive information regarding a user-selected predetermined temperature and a user-selected set wind speed; and
a controller configured to determine a target temperature, a lower limit threshold temperature, and an upper limit threshold temperature, and control the clutch to prevent power from being supplied to the compressor when a measurement temperature of the evaporator reaches the lower limit threshold temperature from above the lower limit threshold temperature,
wherein the lower limit threshold temperature is changeable, and the upper limit threshold temperature is higher than the lower limit threshold temperature and is changeable.

12. The vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein
the clutch is configured to operate according to the lower limit threshold temperature and the upper limit threshold temperature only when the vehicle is running.

13. The vehicle according to claim 12 , further including:
a detector configured to detect at least one of an indoor temperature, an outdoor temperature, a refrigerant pressure, an indoor humidity, and a temperature of the evaporator.

14. The vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein
after preventing the power from being supplied to the compressor, when the measurement temperature of the evaporator reaches the upper limit threshold temperature, the controller is configured to control the clutch to provide the compressor with power needed to operate the compressor.

15. A method for controlling an air-conditioner comprising:
determining a lower limit threshold temperature and an upper limit threshold temperature;
acquiring a measurement temperature of an evaporator; and
when the measurement temperature of the evaporator reaches the lower limit threshold temperature from above the lower limit threshold temperature selected among the upper limit threshold temperature and the lower limit threshold temperature, allowing a clutch connected to a compressor to prevent power from being supplied to the compressor,
wherein the lower limit threshold temperature is changeable, and the upper limit threshold temperature is higher than the lower limit threshold temperature and is changeable, and
wherein the determining the lower limit threshold temperature and the upper limit threshold temperature includes:
receiving information regarding a predetermined temperature and a set wind speed; and
determining the lower limit threshold temperature and the upper limit threshold temperature on a basis of the predetermined temperature and the set wind speed.

16. The method according to claim 15 , further including:
after preventing the power from being supplied to the compressor, when the measurement temperature of the evaporator reaches the upper limit threshold temperature, transmitting, by the clutch, power needed to operate the compressor to the compressor.

17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the determining at least one of the lower limit threshold temperature and the upper limit threshold temperature on the basis of the predetermined temperature and the set wind speed includes:
determining the lower limit threshold temperature to be lower, and determining the upper limit threshold temperature to be higher as the predetermined temperature is lower or as the set wind speed is higher.

18. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the determining at least one of the lower limit threshold temperature and the upper limit threshold temperature on the basis of the predetermined temperature and the set wind speed includes:
determining the lower limit threshold temperature to be higher and determining the upper limit threshold temperature to be lower as the predetermined temperature is lower or as the set wind speed is higher.

19. The method according to claim 15 , further including:
when the measurement temperature of the evaporator is

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Son Ji Wan

Classifications

• B60H2001/3241

  of air · CPC title

• B60H2001/3272

  to control the revolving speed of a compressor · CPC title

• B60H2001/3248

  related to pressure · CPC title

• B60H1/3222 Primary

  characterised by the compressor driving arrangements, e.g. clutches, transmissions or multiple drives (B60H1/3208, B60H1/3226 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60H2001/3261

  of the air at an evaporating unit · CPC title