Air flow control system and method of climate control for an autonomous vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019143794-A1
Application number	US-201715810472-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 13, 2017
Priority date	Nov 13, 2017
Publication date	May 16, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

An air flow control system includes a plenum having an air inlet, a first air outlet, a second air outlet and a third air outlet, a vent door, an air guide, carried on the vent door, and an actuator. The actuator displaces the vent door between a first position closing the first air outlet and a second position opening the first air outlet. A climate control method for an autonomous vehicle is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . An air flow control system, comprising:
a plenum having an air inlet and a first air outlet; a vent door; an air guide carried on said vent door; and an actuator displacing said vent door between a first position closing said first air outlet and a second position opening said first air outlet.

2 . The air flow control system of claim 1 wherein said air inlet is opposed to said first air outlet.

3 . The air flow control system of claim 1 wherein said plenum includes a second air outlet and a third air outlet.

4 . The air flow control system of claim 3 , wherein said second air outlet is opposed to said third air outlet.

5 . The air flow control system of claim 4 , wherein said air guide has a chevron shape.

6 . The air flow control system of claim 5 , wherein said air inlet and said first air outlet are aligned on a first axis and said second air outlet and said third air outlet are aligned on a second axis wherein said first axis is perpendicular to said second axis.

7 . The air flow control system of claim 5 , wherein said vent door is in said first position said air guide directs air passing into said plenum through said air inlet toward said second air outlet and said third air outlet.

8 . The air flow control system of claim 7 , further including an air passageway between said air guide and said first side of said vent door.

9 . The air flow control system of claim 8 , wherein when said vent door is in said second position, a first portion of air passing from said plenum through said first air outlet is directed by said air guide through said air passageway, a second portion of said air passing from said plenum through said first air outlet is directed to a first side of said air passageway and a third portion of said air passing from said plenum through said first air outlet is directed to a second side of said air passageway.

10 . The air flow control system of claim 9 , further including a controller adapted to control operation of said actuator and displace said vent door between said first position and said second position.

11 . The air flow control system of claim 10 , further including a passenger cabin occupancy monitoring device.

12 . The air flow control system of claim 11 , further including (a) a passenger cabin air temperature monitoring device, (b) an ambient air temperature monitoring device or (c) said passenger cabin air temperature monitoring device and said ambient air temperature monitoring device.

13 . The air flow control system of claim 12 , wherein said controller is adapted to displace said vent door to said second position in response to (a) a first signal from said passenger cabin occupancy monitoring device indicating an unoccupied passenger cabin, (b) a hail for a ride and (c) a second signal from said passenger cabin air temperature monitoring device indicating a need for maximum heating or cooling to bring an air temperature within said passenger cabin within a predetermined comfort temperature range before picking up a passenger in response to said hail.

14 . The air flow control system of claim 13 , wherein said controller is adapted to displace said vent door to said first position to maintain said air temperature in said predetermined comfort temperature range in response to said air temperature reaching said predetermined comfort temperature range.

15 . The air flow control system of claim 14 , wherein said first air outlet has a first cross sectional area CA 1 and said air inlet has a second cross sectional area CA 2 where CA 1 ≥CA 2 .

16 . A climate control method for an autonomous vehicle, comprising:
opening, by a controller, a first air outlet having a first back pressure P 1 to provide a first heating or cooling rate R 1 until an air temperature in a passenger cabin of said autonomous vehicle reaches a predetermined comfort temperature range; and closing, by said controller, said first air outlet and directing air through at least a second air outlet having a second back pressure P 2 to provide a second heating or cooling rate R 2 in response to said air temperature in said passenger cabin reaching said predetermined comfort temperature range where P 1 <P 2 and R 1 >R 2 .

17 . The climate control method of claim 16 including configuring said controller to open said first air outlet in response to an unoccupied passenger cabin.

18 . The climate control method of claim 16 , including configuring said controller to open said first air outlet in response to a hail for a ride.

19 . The climate control method of claim 16 , including configuring said controller to open said first air outlet in response to a need for maximum heating or cooling to bring said air temperature in the passenger cabin to within said predetermined comfort temperature range before picking up a passenger in response to a hail.

20 . The climate control method of claim 16 , including configuring said controller to open said first air outlet in response to (a) an unoccupied passenger cabin; (b) a hail for a ride and (c) a need for maximum heating or cooling to bring an air temperature within said passenger cabin within said predetermined comfort temperature range before picking up a passenger in response to said hail.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Ligi Jr Anthony
• Mullen Gary D
• Gillis Francis Raymond
• Fidh Steven Nicholas

Classifications

• B60H2001/3485

  Air temperature regulation · CPC title

• B60H1/00742

  by detection of the vehicle occupants' presence; by detection of conditions relating to the body of occupants, e.g. using radiant heat detectors · CPC title

• B60H1/345 Primary

  with means for adjusting divergence, convergence or oscillation of air stream · CPC title

• B60H1/00871

  Air directing means, e.g. blades in an air outlet (construction of nozzles or air diffusers B60H1/34) · CPC title

• B60H1/00357

  Air-conditioning arrangements specially adapted for particular vehicles · CPC title