MULTI-ZONE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES

Abstract

The invention relates to a multi-zone air conditioning system for vehicles (1) with several air conditioning zones (2), in particular for buses, characterized thereby that an air temperature control unit (3) is implemented to generate simultaneously warm air and cold air, wherein the cold air across a cold air duct (5) and the warm air across a warm air duct (6) extend separated from one another as a double conduit over the length of the vehicle (1) and that decentralized air mixing units (4) with at least one air outlet (20) are disposed along the double conduit and that the air outlets (20) are assigned to the air conditioning zones (2) of the vehicle (1).

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A multi-zone air conditioning system for vehicles with several air conditioning zones, in particular for buses, wherein an air temperature control unit is developed to generate simultaneously warm air and cold air, wherein the cold air across a cold air duct and the warm air across a warm air duct extend over the length of the vehicle separated from one another forming a double conduit, and that decentralized air mixing units with at least one air outlet are disposed along the double conduit and that the air outlets are assigned to the air conditioning zones of the vehicle.

17. A multi-zone air conditioning system as in claim 16, wherein the air temperature control unit comprises a refrigerant circulation with compressor, condenser, expansion element and evaporator, wherein the condenser is disposed in the warm air duct and the evaporator is disposed in the cold air duct and air can be conveyed by a blower into the cold air duct and into the warm air duct through the evaporator and the condenser.

18. A multi-zone air conditioning system as in claim 16, wherein for the generation of a warm air flow and a cold air flow a blower each is disposed in the air temperature unit such that each blower is controllable and regulatable separately one from the other.

19. A multi-zone air conditioning system as in claim 16, wherein the blower comprises connections for the supply of at least one member selected from the group consisting of outside air and inside air, with the regulation of the ratio one to the other of the air supply.

20. A multi-zone air conditioning system as in claim 16, wherein the cold air duct and the warm air duct are disposed laterally or at the roof lining of the vehicle.

21. A multi-zone air conditioning system as in claim 16, wherein the air temperature control unit is disposed on or at the roof of the vehicle.

22. A multi-zone air conditioning system as in claim 16, wherein a battery cooling unit is developed parallel to the evaporator of the air temperature control unit.

23. A multi-zone air conditioning system as in claim 16, wherein several air temperature control units are provided.

24. A multi-zone air conditioning system as in claim 16, wherein the air conditioning zones are assigned to seats and that the seats comprise sensors for detecting the occupancy of the seats.

25. A multi-zone air conditioning system as in claim 16, wherein additionally an infrared heater is disposed in the footwell of an air conditioning zone.

26. A multi-zone air conditioning system as in claim 16, wherein the air mixing unit comprises connections for the cold air duct and the warm air duct and is located between them and that on the air mixing unit a temperature louver is provided for setting the ratio of warm air to cold air and downstream thereof a volume louver is provided for setting the air volume flow at the air outlet of the air mixing unit.

27. A multi-zone air conditioning system as in claim 16, wherein the air mixing unit is implemented such that it is controlled automatically or remotely via an air conditioning control device of the vehicle with the temperature louver and the volume louver, wherein the temperature louver and the volume louvre are electrically driven.

28. A multi-zone air conditioning system as in claim 27, wherein the air mixing unit is developed such that it is manually operable, wherein a control element in the form of a knob is provided which via its rotation controls the temperature of the air volume flow and via its axial displacement controls the air quantity of the air volume flow.

29. A multi-zone air conditioning system as in claim 16, wherein an air mixing unit comprises several air outlets.

30. A multi-zone air conditioning system as in claim 16, wherein the refrigerant circulation of the air temperature control unit includes R744 as the refrigerant and that the condenser is implemented as a combined refrigerant store and drier.

31. A multi-zone air conditioning system as in claim 17, wherein for the generation of a warm air flow and a cold air flow a blower each is disposed in the air temperature unit such that each blower is controllable and regulatable separately one from the other.

32. A multi-zone air conditioning system as in claim 18, wherein the air mixing unit is implemented such that it is controlled automatically or remotely via an air conditioning control device of the vehicle with the temperature louver and the volume louver, wherein the temperature louver and the volume louvre are electrically driven.

33. A multi-zone air conditioning system as in claim 19, wherein the air mixing unit is implemented such that it is controlled automatically or remotely via an air conditioning control device of the vehicle with the temperature louver and the volume louver, wherein the temperature louver and the volume louvre are electrically driven.

34. A multi-zone air conditioning system as in claim 20, wherein the air mixing unit is implemented such that it is controlled automatically or remotely via an air conditioning control device of the vehicle with the temperature louver and the volume louver, wherein the temperature louver and the volume louvre are electrically driven.

35. A multi-zone air conditioning system as in claim 21, wherein the air mixing unit is implemented such that it is controlled automatically or remotely via an air conditioning control device of the vehicle with the temperature louver and the volume louver, wherein the temperature louver and the volume louvre are electrically driven.

Description

[0039] Further details, characteristics and advantages of implementations of the invention are evident in the following description of embodiment examples with reference to the associated drawing. Therein depict:

[0040] FIG. 1: bus with multi-zone air conditioning system,

[0041] FIG. 2: schematic diagram air temperature control unit as a basic principle,

[0042] FIG. 3: schematic diagram air temperature control unit in heating operation,

[0043] FIG. 4 schematic diagram air temperature control unit in cooling operation,

[0044] FIG. 5 air mixing unit with an air outlet, and

[0045] FIG. 6 air mixing unit with several air outlets.

[0046] FIG. 1 depicts in principle a vehicle 1 as a bus with a number of air conditioning zones 2 that are assigned to seats. The air conditioning zones 2 are provided with conditioned air through air outlets 20 of the air mixing units 4. In the depicted embodiment example the conditioned air is supplied by two air temperature control units 3 into a double conduit of a cold air duct 5 and a warm air duct 6. The cold air duct 5 comprises at its end an outgoing air louver 8 and the warm air duct 6 is closed at its end by an outgoing air louver 7.

[0047] Corresponding to the number of seats, air conditioning zones 2 are formed in the vehicle 1, which are supplied with the conditioned air through the air outlets 20 located in the roof lining of the vehicle 1. The air conditioning zones 2 include in the lower region, thus in the footwell of the vehicle 1, additional footwell heaters 9, for example in the form of infrared radiation heaters, which heat specifically the footwell.

[0048] In FIG. 2 is depicted an air temperature control unit 3. The air temperature control unit 3 comprises a refrigerant circulation comprised of the basic components compressor 10 as well as condenser 11, expansion element 13 and evaporator 12. The components of the refrigerant circulation are, as is conventional, tubed in the circulation, and during operation of the circulation, heat is generated in the condenser 11 with which an air volume flow from a blower 15 is heated and fed into the warm air duct 6. Simultaneously, and in parallel thereto, the air to be cooled is transported via a blower 15 through the evaporator 12 into the cold air duct 5. The evaporation of the refrigerant in the evaporator 12 of the refrigerant circulation leads to the cooling of this air flow. The air temperature control unit 3 itself represents a space-saving and compactly structured cold and heat pump module which can continuously generate a cold air as well as also a warm air flow. A battery cooling unit 14 in the depicted embodiment expands the refrigerant circulation in order to integrate for example the drive battery or also additional electronic components and waste heat generators into the circulation. The elements to be cooled are herein cooled and simultaneously heat is output for the regions to be heated.

[0049] The condenser 11 is implemented as a combination component with a store and a drier.

[0050] FIG. 3 depicts an air temperature control unit 3 similar to FIG. 2 which, in view of the cold air duct 5, is expanded by a cold air outlet 17 with associated louver. Via the depicted cold air outlet 17 the air temperature control unit 3 in heating mode can discharge the cold air into the environment. The evaporator 12 of the refrigerant circulation consequently provides essentially the heat for the heat pump function of the condenser 11. In this operating mode preferably outside air is cooled in the evaporator 12 and consequently heat is extracted from this outside air, whereby the cooled outside air immediately after the evaporator 12 is discharged into the environment via the cold air outlet 17.

[0051] FIG. 4 depicts an air temperature control unit 3 analogous to FIGS. 2 and 3, wherein here the cooling mode is shown. In cooling mode the warm air flow leaves the system across the warm air outlet 16 with appropriate louvers immediately after the heat uptake in condenser 11. This mode, as stated, is realized largely in cooling mode and the heat of condensation is discharged to the environment in chiller operation.

[0052] FIG. 5 depicts the double conduit of the cold air duct 5 and of the warm air duct 6. The two ducts 5, 6 are connected through an air mixing unit 4. The air mixing unit 4 connects the warm air duct 6 and the cold air duct 5 and, as indicated schematically by an arrow, taps the appropriately conditioned air flows from the ducts.

[0053] By means of the temperature louver 18 the ratio of cold air to warm air, and therewith the corresponding temperature of the resulting air flow, is established. With the volume louver 19, which is downstream of the temperature louver 18 in the direction of air flow, lastly the volume flow of the exiting air at the air outlet 20 is set either manually by the occupant directly or under remote control.

[0054] Alternatively, the control of the air temperature, the air humidity as well as the air volume flow is realized by way of the air conditioning control system of vehicle 1.

[0055] FIG. 6 depicts an air mixing unit 4 which, in distinction to the air mixing unit 4 according to FIG. 5, after the control of the temperature through the temperature louver 18, comprises several air outlets 20, which are each equipped with a volume louver 19. In this embodiment the air for the air conditioning zone 2 is controlled identically for several zones.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0056] 1 Vehicle [0057] 2 Seat, air conditioning zone [0058] 3 Air temperature control unit [0059] 4 Air mixing unit [0060] 5 Cold air duct [0061] 6 Warm air duct [0062] 7 Outgoing air louver [0063] 8 Outgoing air louver [0064] 9 Footwell heater [0065] 10 Compressor [0066] 11 Condenser with store and drier [0067] 12 Evaporator [0068] 13 Expansion element [0069] 14 Battery cooling unit [0070] 15 Blower [0071] 16 Warm air outlet with associated louvers [0072] 17 Cold air outlet with associated louvers [0073] 18 Temperature louver [0074] 19 Volume louver [0075] 20 Air outlet