METHOD FOR OPERATING AN AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM IN THE VEHICLE INTERIOR OF A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

A method for operating an air conditioning system, which may include a heating device, to condition air in a vehicle interior of a motor vehicle. At least one first air path and at least one second air path may each fluidically communicate with the air conditioning system and each open out into the vehicle interior. The method may include guiding the air from the vehicle interior via one of (i) the at least one first air path and (ii) the at least one second air path to the air conditioning system as a function of an operating state set in the air conditioning system. The method may also include guiding the air from the air conditioning system via the other of the one of (i) the at least one first air path and (ii) the at least one second air path into the vehicle interior.

Claims

1. A method for operating an air conditioning system, which includes a heating device, to condition air in a vehicle interior of a motor vehicle, wherein at least one first air path and at least one second air path each fluidically communicate with the air conditioning system and each open out into the vehicle interior, the method comprising: guiding the air from the vehicle interior via one of (i) the at least one first air path and (ii) the at least one second air path to the air conditioning system as a function of an operating state set in the air conditioning system; and guiding the air from the air conditioning system via the other of the one of (i) the at least one first air path and (ii) the at least one second air path into the vehicle interior.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, when in an operating state of the air conditioning system: guiding the air from the vehicle interior via the at least one first air path to the air conditioning system; cooling the guided air via the air conditioning system; and guiding the cooled air back into the vehicle interior via the at least one second air path.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, when in an operating state of the air conditioning system: guiding the air from the vehicle interior via the at least one second air path to the air conditioning system; heating up the guided air via the air conditioning system; and guiding the heated air back into the vehicle interior via the at least one first air path.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein heating up the guided air includes heating up the guided air with an electrical heating device of the air conditioning system.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising at least one of deactivating the electrical heating device and keeping the electrical heating device deactivated when in a second operating state such that the electrical heating device does not heat the air flowing through the air conditioning system.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: configuring the at least one first air path to open out into the vehicle interior in at least one first opening point, the at least one first opening point arranged in the vehicle interior above at least one second opening point; and configuring the at least one second air path to open out into the vehicle interior in the at least one second opening point.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising at least one of: arranging the at least one second opening point in an area of at least one of (i) a foot space of the vehicle interior and (ii) a floor space of the vehicle interior; and arranging the at least one first opening point in an area above the at least one second opening point in the vehicle interior.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein the air conditioning system further includes a recirculating air connection and a fresh air connection, the fresh air connection in fluidical communication with an external environment of the motor vehicle to introduce fresh air into the vehicle interior, the method further comprising: when in the first operating state, establishing fluidical communication (i) between the at least one first air path and the recirculating air connection and (ii) between the at least one second air path and the fresh air connection; and when in a second operating state, establishing fluidical communication (i) between the at least one first air path and the fresh air connection and (ii) between the at least one second air path and the recirculating air connection.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising at least one of: refraining from supplying the fresh air from the external environment to the vehicle interior via the air conditioning system when in the first operating state; and refraining from supplying the fresh air from the external environment to the vehicle interior via the air conditioning system when in the second operating state.

10. A motor vehicle, comprising: a vehicle interior; an air conditioning system for air-conditioning the vehicle interior; at least one first and at least one second air path each of which fluidically connect the air conditioning system to the vehicle interior, the at least one first air path opening out into the vehicle interior in at least one first opening point, and the at least one second air path opening out into the vehicle interior in at least one second opening point; a recirculating air connection disposed at the air conditioning system; a fresh air connection disposed at the air conditioning system, the fresh air connection in fluidical communication with an external environment of the motor vehicle to introduce fresh air from the external environment into the vehicle interior; and wherein the at least one first air path fluidically communicates with one of (i) the recirculating air connection and (ii) the fresh air connection, and the at least one second air path fluidically communicates with the other of the one of (i) the recirculating air connection and (ii) the fresh air connection.

11. The motor vehicle according to claim 10, further comprising a valve device that is adjustable between a first setting, in which the at least one first air path fluidically communicates with the recirculating air connection and the at least one second air path fluidically communicates with the fresh air connection, and a second setting, in which the at least one first air path fluidically communicates with the fresh air connection and the at least one second air path fluidically communicates with the recirculating air connection.

12. The motor vehicle according to claim 11, further comprising: a control/regulating device configured to control the air conditioning system and the valve device; and wherein the control/regulating device is configured to adjust the valve device to (i) the first setting when the air conditioning system is in a first operating state and (ii) the second setting when the air conditioning system is in a second operating state.

13. The motor vehicle according to claim 12, wherein: the air conditioning system includes an electrical heating device controllable via the control/regulating device; and the heating device and the control/regulating device are set up and adapted to one another such that the control/regulating device (i) activates the heating device when the air conditioning system is in the second operating state such that the air flowing through the air conditioning system is heated, and (ii) deactivates the heating device when the air conditioning system is in the first operating state such that the air flowing through the air conditioning system is not heated.

14. The motor vehicle according to claim 10, wherein at least one of: the at least one second opening point is arranged in an area of at least one of (i) a foot space of the vehicle interior and (ii) a floor space of the vehicle interior; and the at least one first opening point is arranged in an area above the at least one second opening point in the vehicle interior.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: when in a first operating state of the air conditioning system, (i) guiding the air from the vehicle interior via the at least one first air path to the air conditioning system, (ii) cooling the guided air via the air conditioning system, and (iii) guiding the cooled air back into the vehicle interior via the at least one second air path; and when in a second operating state of the air conditioning system, (i) guiding the air from the vehicle interior via the at least one second air path to the air conditioning system, (ii) heating up the guided air via the air conditioning system, and (iii) guiding the heated air back into the vehicle interior via the at least one first air path.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: adjusting a valve device of the motor vehicle to a first setting such that (i) the at least one first air path fluidically communicates with a recirculating air connection and (ii) the at least one second air path fluidically communicates with a fresh air connection; and adjusting the valve device to a second setting such that (i) the at least one first air path fluidically communicates with the fresh air connection and (ii) the at least one second air path fluidically communicates with the recirculating air connection; wherein the fresh air connection is in fluidical communication with an external environment of the motor vehicle.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein: adjusting the valve device to the first setting includes adjusting the valve device to the first setting via a control/regulating device of the motor vehicle when the air conditioning system is in the first operating state; and adjusting the valve device to the second setting includes adjusting the valve device to the second setting via the control/regulating device when the air conditioning system is in the second operating state.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising: activating a heating device of the air conditioning system via the control/regulating device when the air condition system is in the second operating state such that the air flowing through the air conditioning system is heated; and deactivating the heating device via the control/regulating device when the air condition system is in the first operating state such that the air flowing through the air conditioning system is not heated.

19. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: arranging the at least one second opening point in an area of at least one of (i) a foot space of the vehicle interior and (ii) a floor space of the vehicle interior; and arranging the at least one first opening point in an area above the at least one second opening point in the vehicle interior.

20. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: refraining from supplying the fresh air from the external environment to the vehicle interior via the air conditioning system when in the first operating state; and refraining from supplying the fresh air from the external environment to the vehicle interior via the air conditioning system when in the second operating state.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] In each case schematically:

[0036] FIG. 1 shows an example of a motor vehicle according to the invention,

[0037] FIG. 2 shows the motor vehicle of FIG. 1 having a valve device being set to a second setting,

[0038] FIGS. 3 and 4 show the motor vehicle of FIG. 1 having a valve device being set to a first setting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] In simplified illustration, FIG. 1 shows an example of a motor vehicle 1 according to the invention. The motor vehicle 1 comprises a vehicle interior 2. The motor vehicle 1 moreover has an air conditioning system 3 for air-conditioning the vehicle interior 2.

[0040] It can be gathered from the schematic illustration of FIG. 2 that a first air path 4a and a second air path 4b are provided in the motor vehicle 1. Both air paths 4a, 4b fluidically connect the air conditioning system 3 to the vehicle interior 2. The first air path 4a thereby opens out into the vehicle interior 2 in three first opening points 5a. The second air path 4b opens out into the vehicle interior 2 in three different second opening points 5b. In variations of the example, the number of the first opening points 5a as well as the number of the second opening points 5b can vary.

[0041] The second opening points 5b are arranged in the area 12 of a foot or floor space of the vehicle interior 2. The first opening points 5a are arranged in an area 13 of the vehicle interior 2, which is arranged above the area 12.

[0042] A recirculating air connection 6 and a fresh air connection 7 are provided at the air conditioning system 3. The fresh air connection 7, but not the recirculating air connection 6, fluidically communicates with an external environment 9 of the motor vehicle 1 via a fresh air path 8. A suitable fresh air duct, which fluidically connects the external environment 9 of the motor vehicle 1 to the air conditioning system 3, can be provided for this purpose. Fresh air F from the external environment 9 can thus be supplied to the air conditioning system 3.

[0043] To guide air L through the first or second air path 4a, 4b, respectively, the air conditioning system 3 can be equipped with a fan device (not shown). Said fan device is formed in such a way that air L is drawn through the at least one first air path 4a from the vehicle interior 2 into the air conditioning system 3 or is pushed in the reverse direction from the air conditioning system 3 into the vehicle interior 2 by means of negative or positive pressure generation. Said fan device is advantageously also formed in such a way that air L is pushed through the at least one second air path 4b from the air conditioning system 3 into the vehicle interior 2 or is drawn in the reverse direction from the vehicle interior 2 into the air conditioning system 3 by means of negative or positive pressure generation. To control the temperature of the vehicle interior 2, the air conditioning system 3 can be equipped with an electrical heating device 15, which heats the air L, which flows through the air conditioning system 3.

[0044] As illustrated in FIG. 2, an adjustable valve device 10 is present in the motor vehicle 1. Said valve device can be adjusted between a first setting and a second setting, wherein in FIGS. 1 and 2, the valve device 10 (shown only in FIG. 2 for the sake of clarity) is in the second setting. In the second setting, the valve device 10 fluidically connects the first air path 4a to the fresh air connection 7 of the air conditioning system 3. The valve device 10 furthermore fluidically connects the second air path 4b to the recirculating air connection 6 of the air conditioning system 3. The valve device 10 is preferably formed as multi-way valve 14, particularly preferably as four-way valve.

[0045] In contrast, FIGS. 3 and 4 show the valve device 10 in the first setting. In this setting, the valve device 10 fluidically connects the second air path 4b to the fresh air connection 7. Moreover, the valve device 10 fluidically connects the first air path 4a to the recirculating air connection 6. The air conditioning system 3 and the two air paths 4a, 4b of the motor vehicle 1 are thus formed in such a way with the help of the valve device 10 that the first air path 4a optionally fluidically communicates with the recirculating air connection 6 and the second air path 4b simultaneously fluidically communicates with the fresh air connection 7, or, in the alternative, the first air path 4a fluidically communicates with the fresh air connection 7, and the second air path 4b simultaneously fluidically communicates with the recirculating air connection 6.

[0046] At least two different operating states can be set in the air conditioning system 3 or in the motor vehicle 1, respectively, with the help of the valve device 10. In a first operating state of the air conditioning system 3, the control/regulating device 11 sets the first setting in the valve device 10. In a second operating state of the air conditioning system 3, the control/regulating device 11 sets the second setting in the valve device 10.

[0047] The method according to the invention, which will be described below, can be carried out in the motor vehicle 1 or in the air conditioning system 3, respectively. When carrying out the method, air L is guided from the vehicle interior 2 via the first air path 4a to the air conditioning system 3 as a function of an operating state set in the air conditioning system 3, and is guided via the second air path 4b from the air conditioning system 3 into the vehicle interior 2, or vice versa. The two variations thus differ with regard to the direction of circulation of the air in the two air paths 4a, 4b. In a first operating state, air L is guided from the vehicle interior 2 via the first air path 4a via the recirculating air connection 6 into the air conditioning system 3, is cooled in the latter, and is then guided back into the vehicle interior 2 again via the fresh air connection 7, the second air path 4b, and via the second opening point 5b. In the first operating state, a cooling unit of the air conditioning system 3 can be activated, which cools down the air L, which is guided through the air conditioning system 3.

[0048] In a second operating state, which differs from the first operating state, air L is guided from the vehicle interior 2 via the second air path 4b and via the recirculating air connection 6 into the air conditioning system 3, is heated up in the latter, and is then guided back into the vehicle interior 2 again via the fresh air connection 7, via the first air path 4a, and via the first opening point 5a. In the second operating state, the air L, which is guided through the air conditioning system 3, is heated by means of an electrical heating device 15 provided in the air conditioning system 3, so that heated air L is introduced into the vehicle interior 2 via the at least one first air path 4a. In contrast, the electrical heating device 15 is deactivated in the first operating state, so that it does not heat any air L, which is through the air conditioning system 3.

[0049] The first and also the second operating state advantageously realize a recirculating air mode in the motor vehicle. This means that in the first as well as second operating state, no fresh air F from the external environment 9 of the motor vehicle 1 is introduced into the vehicle interior 2 via the air conditioning system 3.