JPH051446Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Effects of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a solar radiation sensor for an air conditioner for an automobile, and particularly relates to an improvement in the mounting position of the solar radiation sensor.

(Prior Art) Generally, automobiles are equipped with an automobile air conditioner to condition the air inside the vehicle. Recent air conditioners for automobiles automatically detect the temperature inside and outside the vehicle interior, and adjust the temperature of the air blown into the vehicle interior accordingly. However, even if the temperature inside and outside the vehicle does not change, the air conditioning feeling felt by the occupants changes depending on the degree of solar radiation.
For example, as in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 58-37694, a system has been proposed in which the amount of solar radiation is detected by a solar radiation sensor, and the air conditioning condition inside the vehicle is changed in accordance with the detected amount of solar radiation.

As shown in FIG. 4, the solar radiation sensor 3 used in such an automotive air conditioner is usually installed on the upper garnish 2 of the instrument panel 1 located at the front of the vehicle interior. .
This was based on the idea that since sunlight would always be shining on top of the upper garage 2, if a solar radiation sensor was installed there, it would be possible to accurately detect the amount of solar radiation that was shining into the passenger compartment. .

(Problem that the invention aims to solve) However, depending on the altitude of the sun and the direction of travel of the vehicle, there is a possibility that sunlight may not directly shine onto the upper engine 2. ,
Even if the same amount of solar radiation enters the vehicle interior, the amount of solar radiation detected by the solar radiation sensor 3 will be different,
There was a risk that the accurate amount of solar radiation entering the vehicle interior could not be detected. Moreover, in addition to this, when the solar radiation sensor 3 is mounted on the upper garnish 2, there is also the disadvantage that the mounting work is very complicated. In particular, automobile air conditioners were initially of the manual control type (in which the passenger sets the air volume and temperature blown into the passenger compartment), and later were replaced with automatic control systems (control in which the air volume and temperature of the air blown into the passenger compartment are set individually). When changing to a car air conditioning system (which automatically controls according to indoor and outdoor temperatures, amount of solar radiation, etc.), it is necessary to install the solar radiation sensor 3 on the upper garnish 2. It was necessary to remove the upper gasket 2, and it was also necessary to drill a hole in a part of the upper gasket 2 and screw the solar radiation sensor 3 there, resulting in poor workability.

The present invention has been developed in view of these circumstances, and is an automotive vehicle that can always accurately detect the amount of solar radiation regardless of the direction of travel or altitude of the vehicle, and is easy to install. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a solar radiation sensor for an air conditioner.

[Structure of the invention] (Means for solving the problem) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention controls and operates a photodetector element that detects the amount of light received on a light-receiving surface of an automobile air conditioner. The control panel is characterized in that it is mounted on the back surface of a display on which various control displays are provided, so that only the reflected light of sunlight entering the vehicle interior enters the light-receiving surface.

(Function) The solar radiation sensor according to the present invention does not detect the direct light entering the vehicle interior, but always detects the reflected light.
The detected amount of reflected light is not affected by the direction of travel of the vehicle or the altitude of the sun, and is approximately proportional to the total amount of solar radiation that enters the vehicle interior. Therefore, by using such a solar radiation sensor, it is possible to approximately accurately detect the total amount of solar radiation that enters the vehicle interior.

In addition, when converting a manual control type to an auto control type automobile air conditioner, it is necessary to replace the fins in the control panel with one with a display compatible with automatic control. Since the installation of the sensor is completed at the same time, there is no need for special work to install the solar radiation sensor, greatly improving work efficiency.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a front view of a control panel showing the mounting part of a solar radiation sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention;
The figure is a sectional view taken along the - line of the finisher shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a front view of the manual control type control panel.

The control panel 10 shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 4, it is installed in the instrument panel. The occupant can obtain a desired air conditioning condition by operating various levers 11 to 14 and switches 15 provided within the control panel 10. The lever 11 among the various levers 11 to 14 is called a mode lever, and by operating it, the air distribution state of the various air outlets provided in the vehicle interior can be switched. Further, the lever 12 is called a template lever, and is used to control the temperature of the air blown into the vehicle interior. Further, the lever 13 is called an intake lever, and is used to switch the source of air blown into the vehicle interior between the interior of the vehicle and the outside of the vehicle. Furthermore, the lever 14 is called a fan lever, and is used to adjust the amount of air blown into the vehicle interior. Also, switch 1
Reference numeral 5 denotes an air conditioner switch, which controls the operation and stop of an evaporator that cools and dehumidifies air blown into the vehicle interior.

The control panel 10 shown in FIG. 3 is of a manual control type, and its finisher 1
6a is provided with a manual control type control display. When replacing this manually controlled automobile air conditioner with an automatically controlled automobile air conditioner, an auto amplifier (not shown) is added, but the various levers 11 to 14 and switch 15 are not replaced. The finisher 16a is replaced by the finisher 16b with an automatic control display shown in FIG.
exchange to. In the manual control type template lever 12 shown in Fig. 3, operating force is transmitted using a control wire, etc., whereas in the automatic control type template lever 12 shown in Fig. 1, the operating force is transmitted using a variable resistor (PTC), etc. Connect electrically to the auto amplifier. In addition, the fan lever 14 shown in FIG. 3 was electrically connected directly to the fan control motor, but the fan lever 14 of the automatic control type shown in FIG.
In step 4, it is electrically connected to the ventilation control motor via the autoamplifier. Furthermore, what is an auto amplifier?
This is an amplifier for automatically controlling an automobile air conditioner, and various sensors including a solar radiation sensor are connected to it.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the automatic control type control panel 10, the fan lever 14 is
When set to the AUTO position, an auto amplifier (not shown) operates and detects the temperature inside and outside the vehicle and the amount of sunlight entering the vehicle, and also adjusts the template lever 12.
The system detects the set temperature inside the vehicle and automatically adjusts the temperature and volume of air blown into the vehicle based on these electrical signals.

Particularly in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a photodetector element 20 is mounted on the back surface of the finisher 16b as a solar radiation sensor connected to an autoamplifier that performs such autocontrol. The photodetecting element 20 is, for example, a photodiode or a CDS.
Element (photodetection element using cadmium sulfide material)
etc., and is connected to the autoamplifier via a lead wire 21. A cylindrical protrusion 22 is integrally formed on the back surface of the finisher 16b to which the photodetecting element 20 is attached, and a claw 23 formed at the tip thereof holds the photodetecting element 20. The finisher 1 that the light receiving surface 20a of the photodetecting element 20 comes into contact with
A transparent body 24 is attached to the portion 6b, through which light enters the light receiving surface 20a.

The finisher 16b equipped with the photodetector 20 in this manner is detachably attached to the control panel 10, but as shown in FIG. mounted in position. Therefore, direct sunlight entering the vehicle interior does not enter the light receiving surface 20a of the photodetecting element 20.
Only the reflected light will be incident. The amount of reflected light is approximately proportional to the brightness inside the vehicle interior. Therefore, the amount of this reflected light can be detected by the photodetecting element 2.
By detecting 0, the amount of solar radiation entering the vehicle interior can be detected relatively accurately.

Furthermore, when the photodetecting element 20 is attached to the finisher 16b with the display for automatic control, the finisher 16a with the display for manual control as shown in FIG. When replacing the finisher 16b with the displayed finisher 16b, the solar radiation sensor 20 can be installed at the same time, which can shorten the work.

[Effects of the invention] As explained above, according to the invention, a light detection element is attached to the finisher which is equipped with various control displays, so that it can be detected at all times regardless of the direction of travel of the vehicle or the altitude of the sun. This has the excellent effect of making it possible to accurately detect the amount of solar radiation, and also greatly improving the workability of installing the solar radiation sensor.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a front view of a control panel showing the mounting part of a solar radiation sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a front view of a manual control panel, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of essential parts showing the interior of a typical automobile. 10...Control panel, 16a, 16b
...Finisher, 20...Photodetection element, 20a
...Light receiving surface.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] The light detection element 20, which detects the amount of light received on the light receiving surface 20a, is connected to the back surface of the display 16b, which is equipped with various control displays, in the control panel 10, which controls and operates the automobile air conditioner. A solar radiation sensor for an air conditioner for an automobile, characterized in that the solar radiation sensor is mounted so that only the reflected light of the light enters the light receiving surface 20a.