Air-conditioning system for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10761006-B2
Application number	US-201816120299-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2018
Priority date	Sep 4, 2017
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

An air-conditioning system of a vehicle for air-conditioning a vehicle interior compartment may include a channel system which is flowed through by air and a sensor device for detecting at least one property of air. The sensor device may include at least one analysis channel through which air is flowable during operation, and a generating device configured to generate and emit electromagnetic waves. The sensor device may also include a diverting device configured to divert the electromagnetic waves emitted by the generating device at least partially into an interaction section of the at least one analysis channel, through which interaction section the diverted electromagnetic waves may pass and interact with air flowing through the at least one analysis channel. The sensor device may also include a detector which detects the diverted electromagnetic waves after the interaction with the air.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air-conditioning system of a vehicle for air-conditioning a vehicle interior compartment, comprising a channel system through which air is flowable and a sensor device for detecting at least one property of the air, the sensor device including:
at least two analysis channels through each of which the air is flowable, the at least two analysis channels disposed spaced apart from one another;
an electromagnetic wave generating device;
an electromagnetic wave diverting device disposed between the at least two analysis channels, and structured and arranged such that during operation electromagnetic waves emitted by the electromagnetic wave generating device are at least partially diverted via the electromagnetic wave diverting device into at least one interaction section of the at least two analysis channels and interact with an air flow of the air passing through the at least one interaction section; and
an electromagnetic wave detector structured and arranged to detect the electromagnetic waves diverted via the electromagnetic wave diverting device that have interacted with the air flow.

2. The air-conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the electromagnetic wave generating device is arranged between the at least two analysis channels;
the at least one interaction section of the at least two analysis channels includes a first interaction section and a second interaction section;
the at least two analysis channels includes a first analysis channel and a second analysis channel, the first analysis channel including the first interaction section, the second analysis channel including the second interaction section; and
the electromagnetic wave diverting device is disposed between the first analysis channel and the second analysis channel, and is structured and arranged such that during operation the electromagnetic waves emitted by the electromagnetic wave generating device are at least partially diverted via the electromagnetic wave diverting device into the first interaction section of the first analysis channel and into the second interaction section of the second analysis channel.

3. The air-conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the electromagnetic wave diverting device includes a beam splitter; and
the electromagnetic wave diverting device is disposed between the at least two analysis channels, and is structured and arranged such that during operation the electromagnetic waves emitted by the electromagnetic wave generating device are split via the beam splitter into at least two partial beams and at least one of the at least two partial beams is directed into and passes through the at least one interaction section.

4. The air-conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the at least two analysis channels extend parallel to one another along an extent direction; and
the electromagnetic wave generating device is structured and arranged such that during operation the electromagnetic waves are emitted along the extent direction via the electromagnetic wave generating device.

5. The air-conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor device further includes a sensor housing in which the at least two analysis channels, the electromagnetic wave generating device, the electromagnetic wave diverting device, and the electromagnetic wave detector are jointly arranged.

6. The air-conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the electromagnetic wave diverting device includes a conductor; and
the conductor is structured and arranged such that during operation the electromagnetic waves emitted by the electromagnetic wave generating device are carried and diverted via the conductor into the at least one interaction section.

7. The air-conditioning system according to claim 6 , wherein the conductor is structured as at least one of a glass fibre and a bundle of glass fibres.

8. The air-conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic wave diverting device includes a mirror structured and arranged to reflect the electromagnetic waves emitted by the electromagnetic wave generating device during operation.

9. The air-conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the at least two analysis channels each include a channel casing delimiting a flow path of the air; and
the at least one interaction section is structured as an interruption of the channel casing of one of the at least two analysis channels.

10. The air-conditioning system according to claim 9 , wherein the at least two analysis channels include a channel nozzle arranged upstream of the interruption and oriented to narrow towards the interruption.

11. The air-conditioning system according to claim 9 , wherein:
the sensor device further includes at least two enveloping-air channels that each surround and extend along a respective analysis channel of the at least two analysis channels such that an enveloping-air flow path through which the air is flowable is delimited radially therebetween; and
the interruption is surrounded by the enveloping-air flow path such that, in the at least one interaction section, the flow path is surrounded and delimited by the enveloping-air flow path.

12. The air-conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic wave detector is arranged adjacent to the at least one interaction section.

13. The air-conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic wave generating device is arranged outside of the at least two analysis channels.

14. A vehicle comprising a vehicle interior compartment and an air-conditioning system for air-conditioning the vehicle interior compartment, the air-conditioning system including a channel system through which air is flowable and a sensor device for detecting at least one property of the air, the sensor device including:
two analysis channels through each of which the air is flowable, the two analysis channels including a first analysis channel and a second analysis channel, the first analysis channel including a first interaction section, the second analysis channel including a second interaction section;
an electromagnetic wave generating device arranged between the first analysis channel and the second analysis channel;
an electromagnetic wave diverting device structured and arranged such that during operation electromagnetic waves emitted by the electromagnetic wave generating device are at least partially diverted via the electromagnetic wave diverting device into (i) the first interaction section of the first analysis channel and interact with a first air flow of the air passing therethrough, and (ii) the second interaction section of the second analysis channel and interact with a second air flow of the air passing therethrough; and
an electromagnetic wave detector structured and arranged to detect the electromagnetic waves diverted via the electromagnetic wave diverting device that have interacted with at least one of the first air flow and the second air flow.

15. An air-conditioning system of a vehicle for air-conditioning a vehicle interior compartment, comprising a channel system through which air is flowable and a sensor device for detecting at least one property of the air, the sensor device including:
a sensor housing defining a housing interior space;
an analysis channel having an interaction section, the analysis channel including a channel casing defining an air flow path and an interruption of the channel casing disposed in the interaction section;
an electromagnetic wave generating device;
an electromagnetic wave diverting devic

Assignees

• Mahle Int Gmbh

Inventors

• Knoeller Rainer
• Michael Markus
• Reiter Anja
• Wolf Walter

Classifications

• Y02B30/70

  Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating · CPC title

• B60H1/00792 Primary

  Arrangement of detectors (B60H1/00742, B60H1/0075, B60H1/00785 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01N2015/0046

  in gas, e.g. smoke · CPC title

• B60H1/008

  the input being air quality · CPC title

• F24F2110/65

  Concentration of specific substances or contaminants · CPC title