Vehicle and method for controlling vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023130590-A1
Application number	US-202217901291-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 1, 2022
Priority date	Oct 25, 2021
Publication date	Apr 27, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle includes a battery for traveling; an air conditioner that includes a defroster mode and that is configured to air-condition a vehicle cabin using a refrigeration cycle; a battery cooler configured to cool the battery with a coolant that is cooled by heat exchange with a refrigerant flowing through the air conditioner; and a control unit configured to control the air conditioner and the battery cooler. In a case where a temperature of the battery is higher than a reference temperature, the control unit operates the battery cooler and controls the air conditioner such that the air conditioner operates in the defroster mode when the vehicle is moving, and the control unit operates the battery cooler and stops the air conditioner when the vehicle is stopped.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle comprising:
a battery for traveling; an air conditioner that includes a defroster mode in which air-conditioned air is blown toward a window glass, the air conditioner being configured to air-condition a vehicle cabin using a refrigeration cycle; a battery cooler configured to cool the battery with a coolant that is cooled by heat exchange with a refrigerant flowing through the air conditioner; and a control unit configured to control the air conditioner and the battery cooler, wherein in a case where a temperature of the battery is higher than a reference temperature, the control unit operates the battery cooler and controls the air conditioner such that the air conditioner operates in the defroster mode when the vehicle is moving, and the control unit operates the battery cooler and stops the air conditioner when the vehicle is stopped.

2 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
in the case where the temperature of the battery is higher than the reference temperature, the control unit sets a cooling amount of the battery cooled by the battery cooler to a first cooling amount when the vehicle is moving, and sets the cooling amount of the battery cooled by the battery cooler to a second cooling amount when the vehicle is stopped; and the second cooling amount is larger than the first cooling amount.

3 . The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein:
when the temperature of the battery is lower than the reference temperature, the control unit sets the cooling amount of the battery cooled by the battery cooler to a third cooling amount; and the first cooling amount is larger than the third cooling amount.

4 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising an operation panel that accepts a user operation of selecting an operation mode of the air conditioner, wherein when the temperature of the battery is higher than the reference temperature, the control unit controls the air conditioner regardless of the user operation accepted by the operation panel.

5 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
the air conditioner further includes at least one operation mode other than the defroster mode; and in the case where the temperature of the battery is higher than the reference temperature, when the vehicle is moving, the control unit operates the air conditioner in the defroster mode and prohibits operation of the air conditioner in the at least one operation mode.

6 . The vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein:
the at least one operation mode includes a face mode in which the air-conditioned air is blown toward a position of a face or a chest of a user sitting in a seat, and a foot mode in which the air-conditioned air is blown toward feet of the user; and when the temperature of the battery is lower than the reference temperature, the control unit allows operation of the air conditioner in the face mode or the foot mode in addition to the defroster mode.

7 . A method for controlling a vehicle, the vehicle including
a battery for traveling, an air conditioner that includes a defroster mode in which air-conditioned air is blown toward a window glass, the air conditioner being configured to air-condition a vehicle cabin using a refrigeration cycle, and a battery cooler configured to cool the battery with a coolant that is cooled by heat exchange with a refrigerant flowing through the air conditioner, the method comprising: operating the battery cooler and operating the air conditioner in the defroster mode when the vehicle is moving in a case where a temperature of the battery is higher than a reference temperature; and operating the battery cooler and stopping the air conditioner when the vehicle is stopped in the case where the temperature of the battery is higher than the reference temperature.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd
• Subaru Corp

Inventors

• Hiyoshi Masatoshi
• Hasegawa Yoshio
• Tsuruta Haruka
• Ikegami Makoto
• Fuke Kazuya

Classifications

• B60H1/00278 Primary

  for the battery · CPC title

• B60H1/00878

  the components being temperature regulating devices · CPC title

• B60H2001/00961

  comprising means for defrosting outside heat exchangers · CPC title

• B60H1/00335

  of the gas-air type (B60H1/18 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60H1/00885

  Controlling the flow of heating or cooling liquid, e.g. valves or pumps (B60H1/00899 takes precedence; constructions of valves B60H1/00485) · CPC title