Heating device for a drive unit in a motor vehicle and method for controlling such a heating device

Abstract

A heating device for a drive unit in a motor vehicle includes at least one heating element and at least one sensor by means of which a predetermined behavior of the vehicle user preceding the start of the drive unit can be detected. The sensor interacts with the heating element in such a manner that it is switched on when the sensor detects the predetermined behavior. The predetermined behavior may be one or more of the following: inserting an ignition key in an ignition lock of the motor vehicle; actuating a shifting, clutch or braking device of the motor vehicle; or a behavior through which an anti-theft device of the motor vehicle can be triggered.

Claims

1. A heating device for a drive unit in a motor vehicle comprising at least one heating element configured to provide heat to the drive unit; and at least one sensor operably coupled to the heating element in such a manner that the heating element is switched on when the sensor detects predetermined behavior; wherein the predetermined behavior is selected from the group consisting of: insertion of an ignition key in an ignition lock of the motor vehicle; actuation of a shifting, clutch or braking device on the motor vehicle; or a behavior through which an anti-theft device of the motor vehicle can be triggered, wherein the at least one sensor includes a first sensor assigned to the ignition lock, and wherein the ignition key can be inserted in the ignition lock as far as to a maximum insertion length, the first sensor being assigned to the ignition lock in such a manner that inserting the ignition key in the ignition lock can be detected before reaching a percentage of the maximum insertion length.

2. The heating device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor includes a second sensor assigned at least one of the following: a shifting lever of the shifting device, a clutch pedal of the clutch device, a brake pedal of the braking device, or a sensor of the anti-theft device.

3. The heating device according to claim 2, wherein the percentage of the maximum insertion length is 20%.

4. The heating device according to claim 2, wherein the percentage of the maximum insertion length is 10%.

5. The heating device according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the shifting lever, the clutch pedal, and the brake pedal are actuatable over a maximum actuation travel, the second sensor being assigned to at least one of the shifting lever, the clutch pedal or the brake pedal in such a manner that the actuation can be detected before reaching a percentage of the maximum actuation travel.

6. The heating device according to claim 5, wherein the percentage of the maximum actuation travel is 20%.

7. The heating device according to claim 5, wherein the percentage of the maximum actuation travel is 10%.

8. The heating device according to claim 5, in which the maximum actuation travel of the shifting lever is an actuation travel between two adjacent shifting positions of the shifting lever, which are adjacent to one another.

9. The heating device according to claim 8, wherein a first position of the two shifting positions is one of a park position or a neutral position of the shifting lever.

10. The heating device according to claim 9, in which the second sensor is assigned to the shifting lever in such a manner that the actuation can be detected even on leaving the first position.

11. The heating device according to claim 2, wherein the anti-theft device comprises an alarm trigger which interacts with the sensor of the anti-theft device in such a manner that the alarm trigger outputs an alarm signal when the sensor detects a behavior triggering the anti-theft device, wherein the alarm trigger is deactivated independently of the sensor of the anti-theft device.

12. The heating device according to claim 1, wherein the heating element comprises an electric heating element arranged in the combustion chamber of the drive unit, wherein the heating element is operable with power from a battery of the motor vehicle.

13. The heating device according to claim 1, wherein the heating element comprises a glow plug.

14. A method for controlling a heating device for a drive unit in a motor vehicle comprising: monitoring the behavior of a vehicle user; detecting a predetermined behavior of the vehicle user preceding the start of the drive unit; and switching on a heating element to provide heat to the drive unit when the predetermined behavior is detected; wherein the predetermined behavior is selected from the group consisting of: insertion of an ignition key in an ignition lock of the motor vehicle; actuation of a shifting, clutch or braking device on the motor vehicle; or a behavior through which an anti-theft device of the motor vehicle can be triggered, wherein the predetermined behavior comprises insertion of an ignition key in an ignition lock of the motor vehicle, and the predetermined behavior is detected before the end of the inserting of the ignition key.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present disclosure will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements.

(2) FIG. 1 a schematic representation of a motor vehicle with an embodiment of the heating device according to the present disclosure;

(3) FIG. 2 a schematic representation of the ignition lock and of the ignition key from FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 a schematic representation of the clutch or brake pedal from FIG. 1 in a lateral view;

(5) FIG. 4 a schematic representation of the shifting lever from FIG. 1 in a top view; and

(6) FIG. 5 a flow diagram for illustrating the method for controlling the heating device forming the base of the heating device from FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure or the application and uses of the present disclosure. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background of the present disclosure or the following detailed description.

(8) FIG. 1 shows at least schematically a motor vehicle 2 with an embodiment of the heating device according to the present disclosure. The motor vehicle 2 includes a drive unit 4, preferentially an internal combustion engine or diesel engine. The output side of the drive unit 4 is in rotational drive connection with the input side of a clutch 6, for example a friction disc clutch, of a clutch device 8, as is indicated with the help of the line of action 10.

(9) In addition to the clutch 6, the clutch device 8 includes a clutch pedal 16 which interacts with the clutch 6 in such a manner that the clutch 6 by actuating the clutch pedal 16 can be open and by releasing the clutch pedal 16, closed. The transmission 12 in the shown embodiment is a manual-shift transmission, wherein the transmission 12 for this purpose is assigned a shifting device 18, by means of which the transmission 12 can be shifted, wherein the shifting device 18 includes a corresponding shifting lever 20 which can be actuated by the vehicle user or driver.

(10) In addition to this, the motor vehicle 2 includes a braking device 22 for braking the motor vehicle 2, wherein the braking device 22 includes at least one brake 24, for example a disc brake, and a brake pedal 26, which can be actuated by the vehicle user or driver in order to transfer the brake 24 into a closing position, in which the brake 24 of the braking device 22 brakes the motor vehicle. The motor vehicle 2 furthermore includes an ignition lock 28, in which an ignition key 30 schematically indicated in FIG. 2 can be inserted, wherein the driver unit 4 can be started by turning the ignition key 30 inserted in the ignition lock 28, as is indicated with the help of the line of action 32 in FIG. 1.

(11) In addition to this, the motor vehicle 2 includes an anti-theft device 34. The anti-theft device 34 substantially consists of a sensor 36 of the anti-theft device 34 and an alarm trigger 38, wherein the sensor 36 of the anti-theft device 34 interacts with the alarm trigger 38 of the anti-theft device 34 in such a manner that the alarm trigger 38 outputs an alarm signal when the sensor 36 senses a behavior triggering the anti-theft device 34. This behavior triggering the anti-theft device 34 can for example be seen in that a human or object enters the motor vehicle interior. Consequently, the sensor 36 can be embodied for example as an ultrasound sensor. The operative connection between sensor 36 and alarm trigger 38 is indicated in FIG. 1 with the help of the line of action 40, wherein the alarm trigger 38 can be deactivated independently of the sensor 36 of the anti-theft device 34, which for example can be achieved by severing the line of action 40. Accordingly, a corresponding switch can for example be provided on the remote control of the anti-theft device 34 in order to deactivate the alarm trigger 38 independently of the sensor 36.

(12) The heating device furthermore includes at least one heating element 42. The heating element 42 is designed as an electric heating element, preferentially as a glow plug and assigned to the drive unit 4, so that the drive unit 4 or components to be assigned to the drive unit 4 can be preheated by the switched-on heating element 42. The electric heating element 42 in this case can be operated with current of a battery 44 of the motor vehicle 2, wherein the corresponding supply lines 46 are indicated in FIG. 1. In one of the supply lines 46 a switch 48 is provided, by means of which the heating element 42 can be switched on and off for the purpose of preheating the drive unit 4. The heating element 42 is arranged in the combustion chamber of the drive unit 4 but can also be provided elsewhere on or in the drive unit 4 or on or in the drive train. In order to actuate the switch 48 and thus switch the heating element 42 on or off, a control device 50 is provided which is operationally connected to the switch 48 via the control line 46 in a suitable manner. The control device 50 thus forms a component of the heating device, wherein the control device 50 of the heating device can also be integrated in an already existing control device of the motor vehicle 2.

(13) The heating device furthermore includes at least one sensor by means of which a predetermined behavior of a vehicle user preceding the start of the drive unit 4 can be detected, wherein the corresponding sensor interacts with the heating element 42 in such a manner that the heating element 42 is switched on when the corresponding sensor detects the predetermined behavior. In FIG. 1, multiple sensor 52 to 58 of the mentioned type are shown, each of which are connected to the control device 50 via a signal line 60, while the sensor 36 of the anti-theft device 34 can also be connected to the control device 50 via a signal line 60. In principle, merely one of the sensors 52, 54, 56, 58, 36 is required, but two or more of the shown sensors 52, 54, 56, 58, 36 can also be provided combined with one another. Thus, FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the heating device including multiple embodiment versions, wherein in the following the individual embodiment versions which can be combined as required or used by themselves will also be discussed in the following.

(14) In the first embodiment version with the sensor 52, the sensor 52 is assigned to the ignition lock 28 in such a manner that the predetermined behavior of the vehicle user consists of the inserting of the ignition key 30 according to FIG. 2 in the ignition lock 28 detected by the sensor 52 and preceding the start of the drive unit 4. Here, the sensor 52 is assigned to the ignition lock 28. The ignition key 30 can be inserted into the receptacle 62 of the ignition lock 28 up to a maximum insertion length L. The sensor 52 in this case is assigned to the ignition lock 28 or its receptacle 62 in such a manner that inserting the ignition key 30 is detected even before reaching the maximum insertion length L.

(15) Here it has proved to be advantageous when the sensor 52 is assigned to the ignition lock 28 or its receptacle 62 in such a manner that inserting the ignition key 30 in the ignition lock 28 is detected by the sensor 52 even before reaching a maximum of 20%, preferentially a maximum of 10% of the maximum insertion length L, wherein 20% insertion length L is indicated with the help of the insertion length L20 and 10% of the maximum insertion length L with the help of the insertion length L10 in FIG. 2. Consequently, inserting the ignition key 30 in the ignition lock 28 is detected early on by the sensor 52 which emits a corresponding signal to the control device 50 via the signal line 60, wherein the control device 50 consequently closes the switch 48 via the control line 51 in order to switch on the heating element 42.

(16) In a second embodiment version, the sensor 54 or/and the sensor 56 is/are employed. In the second embodiment version, the sensor 56 is designed in such a manner that it can detect the actuation of the clutch device 8 as the predetermined behavior of the vehicle user preceding the start of the drive unit 4. Alternatively or additionally, the sensor 54 is provided by means of which actuation of the braking device 22 of the motor vehicle 2 can be detected as the predetermined behavior of the vehicle user preceding the start of the drive unit 4. Thus, the sensor 58 is assigned to the clutch pedal 16 while the sensor 54 is assigned to the brake pedal 26 of the braking device 22. As is evident from FIG. 3, which shows the clutch or brake pedal 16, 26, the clutch or brake pedal 16, 26 can be actuated over a maximum actuation travel B.

(17) Here, the sensor 56, 54 is assigned to the clutch or brake pedal 16, 26 in such a manner that the actuation of the clutch or brake pedal 16, 26 can be detected by the sensor 56, 54 even before reaching the maximum actuation travel B, in order to be able to switch on the heating element 42 at an early stage via the signal line 60, the control device 50, the control line 51 and the switch 48. Here it has proved to be advantageous when the sensor 56, 54 is assigned to the clutch or brake pedal 16, 26 in such a manner that the actuation can be detected by the corresponding sensor 56, 54 even upon reaching a maximum of 20% or a maximum of 10% of the maximum actuation travel B, wherein 10% of the maximum actuation travel B is indicated with the help of the actuation travel B10 and 20% of the maximum actuation travel B is indicated with the help of the actuation travel B20 in FIG. 3.

(18) In a third embodiment version, the sensor 58 is employed which detects the actuation of the shifting device 18 as the predetermined behavior of the vehicle user preceding the start of the drive unit 4. Here, the sensor 58 is assigned to the shifting lever 20 of the shifting device 18, wherein the shifting lever 20as indicated in FIG. 4can also be actuated over a maximum actuation travel B. The maximum actuation travel B of the shifting lever 20 in this case is preferably the actuation travel between two shifting positions S1 and S2 of the shifting lever 20 which are adjacent to one another, which are adjacent to one another subject to forming the shortest actuation travel. One of the two shifting positions S1 and S2 in the shown embodiment corresponds to the neutral position of the shifting lever 20, into which the shifting lever 20 automatically returns when the vehicle user has not engaged any of the gears indicated in FIG. 4, wherein in FIG. 4 four gears and a reverse gear are exemplarily indicated.

(19) Although a shifting device 18 for a manual-shift transmission 12 is indicated in FIG. 4, this embodiment version can be analogously used also for the shifting device of an automatic transmission, wherein the shifting position S1 could then corresponds for example to the park or neutral position of the shifting lever 20. In order to achieve as early as possible a switching-on of the heating element 42 as with the two previously described embodiment versions, the senor 58 is assigned to the shifting lever 20 also in the case of the third embodiment version in such a manner that the actuation of the shifting lever 20 can be detected by the sensor 58 even before reaching, preferentially upon reaching a maximum of 20%, particularly preferably a maximum of 10% of the maximum actuation travel B, wherein the associated actuation travels B10 and B20 are also indicated in FIG. 4.

(20) In a fourth embodiment version, the sensor 36 of the anti-theft device 34 equally forms a sensor of the heating device, by means of which predetermined behaviors of the vehicle user preceding the start of the drive unit 4 can be detected. Consequently, the predetermined behavior of the vehicle user preceding the start of the drive unit 4 corresponds to a behavior through which the anti-theft device 34 of the motor vehicle 2 can be triggered. If the authorized vehicle user wishes to open the motor vehicle 2, he initially deactivates the anti-theft device 34. The anti-theft device 34 however is not completely deactivated, but the authorized vehicle user rather merely deactivates the alarm trigger 38 of the anti-theft device 34 in that for example the operative connection between the sensor 36 and the alarm trigger 38 indicated with the help of the line of action 40 is interrupted. The sensor 36 of the anti-theft device 34, which equally represents a sensor of the heating device, by contrast remains activated or is operationally connected to the control device 50 during the course of the deactivation of the alarm trigger 38. If the sensor 36 which continues to be active now detects the authorized vehicle user entering the motor vehicle 2, a movement within the motor vehicle 2, a noise development within the motor vehicle 2 or similar, a corresponding signal is output via the signal line 60 to the control device 50, which in response closes the switch 48 via the control line 51, as a result of which the heating element 42 is switched on.

(21) The method sequence for controlling the heating device for the drive unit 4 in the motor vehicle 2 which is the base of the embodiment versions of the heating device described above is briefly described in the following making reference to FIG. 5.

(22) In the method step 64, the behavior of a vehicle user is monitored by means of at least one of the sensors 52, 54, 56, 58, 36. Within the scope of monitoring, it is checked in a method step 66 if one of the sensor 52, 54, 56, 58, 36 detects the predetermined behavior of the vehicle user preceding the start of the drive unit 4. If this is not the case, monitoring is continued as is indicated in FIG. 5 with the help of the arrow 68. If at least one of the sensors 52, 54, 56, 58, 36 by contrast detects the predetermined behavior of the vehicle user preceding the start of the drive unit 4, monitoring proceeds with method step 70, within the scope of which the corresponding sensor 52, 54, 56, 58, 36 via the associated signal line 60 sends a signal to the control device 50 upon which the control device 50 closes the switch 48 via the control line 51, switching on the heating element 42 in this way.

(23) As already explained before making reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, the predetermined behavior in this case corresponds to the inserting of the ignition key 30 in the ignition lock 28, the actuating of the shifting, clutch or braking device 18, 8, 22 or a behavior through which the anti-theft device 34 could be triggered in principle. It has also been already explained above that the predetermined behavior is detected even before the end of the inserting of the ignition key 30 or before the end of the actuating of the shifting, clutch or braking device 18, 8, 22 by the sensor 52, 58, 56 or 54 in order to ensure early switching-on of the heating element 42 before the imminent start of the drive unit 4 by the vehicle user.

(24) While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the present disclosure in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents.