Apparatus for controlling automotive air conditioner
AssigneeNippondenso Co., Ltd.
InventorsKenichi Nagase, Hiroshi Haraguchi, Toshiaki Mizuno, Takayuki Kamada
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Abstract
An automotive air conditioner controller for controlling the operation of an automotive air conditioner employing a variable displacement compressor capable of gradually or continuously varying its displacement. While the engine of the automobile is idling, the automotive air conditioner controller adjusts the displacement of the compressor to or near to the maximum, varies desired idling speed of the engine according to required cooling ability, and adjusts the actual idling speed of the engine to the desired idling speed. Thus, the engine operates at an improved fuel consumption rate without reducing the cooling ability of the automotive air conditioner.
Claims12
An apparatus for controlling an automotive air conditioner comprising:
- (a) an air conditioner having a variable displacement compressor driven by an automotive internal combustion engine for keeping an automotive passenger compartment at a proper temperature;
- (b) first detecting means for detecting an idling state of said automotive internal combustion engine;
- (c) second detecting means for detecting an air conditioning operation state of said air conditioner, when said automotive air conditioner is operating;
- (d) first displacement means for adjusting and maintaining a displacement of said variable displacement compressor to or near to a maximum displacement thereof responsive to first detecting means detecting the idling state and said second detecting means detecting that said automotive air conditioner is operating;
- (e) determining means for determining whether a cooling ability of said air conditioner must be increased;
- (f) idling speed setting means for setting a desired idling speed of said automotive internal combustion engine to a lower speed than a current idling speed when said determining means determines that cooling ability does not need to increase;
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- (g) engine speed control means for controlling an actual idling speed of said automotive internal combustion engine to substantially said desired idling speed.
A method of controlling an automotive air conditioner comprising the steps of:
- (a) detecting an idling state of said automotive internal combustion engine;
- (b) detecting whether an air conditioner is operating;
- (c) adjusting and maintaining a displacement of said variable displacement compressor to or near to a maximum displacement responsive to said idling state being detected;
- (d) detecting whether a cooling ability of said air conditioner is commanded to be increased;
- (e) raising and lowering a desired idling speed to form a new desired idling speed of said automotive internal combustion engine responsive to a result of said step (d) indicating that increased cooling ability is commanded and not commanded, respectively, and said idling state is detected;
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- (f) controlling an actual idling speed of said automotive internal combustion engine to substantially said new desired idling speed thereby keeping a temperature of an automobile compartment at a desired temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.