Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning device for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12344074-B2
Application number	US-202217860739-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 8, 2022
Priority date	Aug 17, 2021
Publication date	Jul 1, 2025
Grant date	Jul 1, 2025

Abstract

A heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning device includes: a heating part disposed in a windshield glass of a vehicle and configured to heat the windshield glass; a collection part configured to collect state information on a state of the windshield glass and environment information on internal and external environments of the vehicle; and a control part. The control part is configured to determine a defrosting or dehumidifying mode for the windshield glass based on the state information or the environment information collected by the collection part and to control an operation of the heating part depending on the determined defrosting or dehumidifying mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning device for a vehicle, the device comprising:
a heating part disposed in a windshield glass of a vehicle and configured to heat the windshield glass;
a collection part configured to collect state information on a state of the windshield glass or environment information on internal and external environments of the vehicle; and
a control part configured to determine a defrosting or dehumidifying mode for the windshield glass based on the state information or the environment information collected by the collection part and control an operation of the heating part depending on the determined defrosting or dehumidifying mode,
wherein the control part operates the heating part at a maximum temperature for a predetermined time when the defrosting mode for removing frost from the windshield glass is determined,
wherein the control part operates the heating part, when the dehumidifying mode for removing moisture from the windshield glass is determined, until a temperature of the windshield glass reaches a predetermined temperature,
wherein the control part determines that frost forms on the windshield glass when the outside temperature of the vehicle is lower than a predetermined temperature and when the vehicle speed is 0 km/h after the vehicle is started, and wherein the control part determines the defrosting mode for removing frost,
wherein the control part determines that moisture forms on the windshield glass when the outside temperature of the vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature or when the vehicle speed has exceeded 0 km/h after the vehicle is started, and wherein the control part determines the dehumidifying mode for removing moisture, and
wherein, when an automatic heating operation is performed on the windshield glass while the vehicle travels, the control part determines whether frost or moisture forms on the windshield glass by comparing a relative humidity in the vehicle with a reference humidity or by comparing a temperature of the windshield glass with a dew point temperature, and wherein the control part determines the defrosting or dehumidifying mode based on the result of determining whether the frost or moisture forms on the windshield glass.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cooling/heating unit configured to cool and heat an interior of the vehicle or the windshield glass,
wherein the control part controls the operation of the heating part and the operation of the cooling/heating unit depending on the determined defrosting or dehumidifying mode.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the state information comprises a temperature or transparency of the windshield glass, wherein the environment information comprises temperatures or relative humidity inside and outside the vehicle, a vehicle speed, or the amount of solar radiation, and wherein the collection part collects the state information or the environment information using a sensor unit, which comprises a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a laser sensor, or a camera sensor.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein, when the control part receives a manual heating operation for the windshield glass from a user, the control part determines whether frost or moisture forms on the windshield glass depending on the outside temperature of the vehicle or the vehicle speed and determines the defrosting or dehumidifying mode based on the result of determining whether frost or moisture forms on the windshield glass.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the reference humidity is a humidity at which moisture forms on the windshield glass of the vehicle, and wherein the reference humidity is determined based on the outside temperature of the vehicle, the vehicle speed, the amount of solar radiation, or an inside/outside air mode of the vehicle.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein, when the automatic heating operation is performed on the windshield glass, the control part operates the heating part until the relative humidity in the vehicle becomes equal to or lower than the reference humidity when the dehumidifying mode for removing moisture from the windshield glass is determined.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein, when the automatic heating operation is performed on the windshield glass, the control part operates the heating part until the temperature of the windshield glass becomes higher, by a predetermined numerical value or more, than the dew point temperature when the dehumidifying mode for removing moisture from the windshield glass is determined.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Kim Ki Mok

Classifications

• B60H1/0075

  the input being solar radiation · CPC title

• B60H1/00764

  the input being a vehicle driving condition, e.g. speed (B60H1/00828, B60H1/00864 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60S1/023

  including defroster or demisting means · CPC title

• B60H1/3207

  for minimizing the humidity of the air · CPC title

• B60H1/00785 Primary

  by the detection of humidity or frost · CPC title