WO2022049419A1

WO2022049419A1 - Air influencing system and method for influencing air pressure in a vehicle cabin

Info

Publication number: WO2022049419A1
Application number: PCT/IB2021/000585
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rüdiger SPILLNER
Original assignee: Gentherm Gmbh
Priority date: 2020-09-02
Filing date: 2021-08-26
Publication date: 2022-03-10

Abstract

A method of influencing air pressure in a cabin of a vehicle, the method includes (202) predicting an upcoming change in air pressure inside the cabin of the vehicle; (204) determining an actual air pressure inside of the cabin of the vehicle; and (206) controlling an air influencing system to influence the air pressure inside of the vehicle.

Description

AIR INFLUENCING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INFLUENCING AIR PRESSURE

IN A VEHICLE CABIN

PRIORITY

[0001] This application claims priority to US 63/073,528 filed on September 02, 2020, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.

FIELD

[0002] These teachings relate to an air influencing device and method of influencing air in a vehicle cabin.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Certain filtering or air purifying methods may be applied to a vehicle to help reduce spread of disease and infection. It may be desirable to improve the current state of the art by having a device and/or method for influencing air pressure inside of a vehicle to help reduce spread of disease and infection and to increase occupant comfort.

SUMMARY

[0004] These teachings provide devices and methods for influencing air in a vehicle cabin. The devices and methods disclosed herein may advantageously help reduce spread of disease and infection by influencing air in a vehicle cabin. The devices and methods disclosed herein may provide and/or maintain a positive air pressure inside of a cabin of a vehicle (i.e., the air pressure inside of the vehicle cabin is higher than the air pressure outside of the vehicle or surrounding the vehicle). Accordingly, the positive air pressure inside of the vehicle may reduce or minimize an intake of air (i.e., low air pressure) from the outside or environment surrounding the vehicle, when a vehicle door or window is opened. Advantageously, this may minimize, reduce, or eliminate outside, unprocessed air from entering the vehicle when a door or window is opened.

[0005] These teachings provide a device and method operable or controlled to influence air pressure inside of the vehicle before a door or window of the vehicle is opened. That is, when it is determined that opening of one or more vehicle doors or windows is predicted or forthcoming by way of monitoring one or more parameters, the air pressure inside of the vehicle may be increased, to compensate for any loss of air pressure that may result when the door or window is actually opened. The air pressure may increase sufficiently to avoid reflux, which may occur in cases of turbulent flow (i.e., a vortex from door opening, passenger movement) and wind from the outside. The air pressure may increase slowly, in a manner sufficient to avoid reflux and achieve positive pressure, but without causing discomfort to occupants or passengers inside of the vehicle.

[0006] The air influencing device according to these teachings may include one or more air suppliers, one or more air storage devices, one or more air exhaust devices, one or more air filtering devices, or a combination thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Fig. 1 is side view of a vehicle.

[0008] Fig. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of influencing air inside of a vehicle.

[0009] Fig. 3 is a side view of a door of a vehicle.

[0010] Fig. 4 is a side view of a door of a vehicle.

[0011] Fig. 5 is a top view of a vehicle.

[0012] Fig. 6 is a top view of a vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] These teachings provide an air influencing system. The air influencing system may function to influence an air pressure or air flow inside a cabin of a vehicle. The air influencing system may function to increase air pressure inside of the cabin of the vehicle. The air pressure inside of the vehicle cabin may be increased to a level to be generally equal than an air pressure surrounding the vehicle or to a level that is higher than the air pressure surrounding the vehicle. By influencing or raising the air pressure inside of the vehicle, the vehicle may remain at a sufficient positive pressure to minimize an intake of unprocessed air from the environment striking the vehicle, even when one or more doors or windows are open.

[0014] The air influencing system may function to decrease air pressure in certain areas inside of the cabin of the vehicle. By decreasing pressure in certain areas of the vehicle, for exampe, with an air inlet to an air moving device or an air outlet into the environment surrounding the vehicle, exhaled or contaminated air from a passenger can be gathered, contained, isolated, and/or disposed over. Accordingly, an exchange of exhaled air between passengers in a vehicle can be reduced.

[0015] The air influencing system may comprise on or more air suppliers. An air supplier may be a device that creates positive pressure. An air supplier maybe a device that creates an air flow. An air supplier may be a fan or other type of air mover. An air supplier maybe a container that is configured to store air pressure. An air supplier or maybe a container that is configured to store air generated by one or more of the air suppliers. An air supplier or container may be located in any portion or element of the vehicle. For example, an air supplier or container may be located in a vehicle seat, a headrest, a backrest portion of the vehicle seat, a seating portion of a vehicle seat, a console, a dashboard, a headliner, a pillar, a footrest, a door, a door frame, a door panel, or a combination thereof. An air supplier may be a fan, such as a radial fan or an axial fan. The air supplier comprises one or more fans, compressors, a store, or storage for compressed air. The air supplier or storage device may generate or provide conditioned air (warm air and/or cool air). The air supplier or storage device may generate or provide filtered air (i.e., may include a filtering device or may pass air through a filtering device before filing the cabin of the vehicle). The air supplier or storage device may generate or provide air at ambient temperature that is generally the same as an air temperature inside or outside of the vehicle.

[0016] The air supplier has at least one of the following modes of operation: switched off, where the air supplier is not in operation; are-loading operation, where the air supplier is supplying air to storage device and/or working on reduced level; a full output operation, where the air supplier is supplying air on maximum output capacity; a feedback or feedforward controlled output, depending on a state or change of a certain parameter (e.g. pressure differences between openings, pressure change from atmosphere pressure, hvac operation, sitting position).

[0017] At least a part of the air influencing system and/or air supplier is positioned within or at a frame of a cabin opening. That part includes a vent, a fan, or a fluted structure, that when the door is closed again create a purging airflow directed along or to the outside of the gap between door and frame. The air influencing system and/or air supplier may include a structure for providing an increased movement of air just by closing an opening by its covering component. For exampe, the closing of the door starts e.g. at the top, and/or the door is e.g. mechanically connected to a bellow, open cell foam or piston system, which takes in air when opening and which pushes air outside when closing.

[0018] The air supplied by the air supplier may have one or more of at least the following effects: increasing a density of the air within the cabin to at least equal the pressure outside of the vehicle; to compensate wind; air movement induced by passengers (movement, exhaling); pressure differences between several openings; increasing a density of the air within the cabin to be higher than the pressure outside the vehicle; to keep dust and micro-organisms out; to establish a (steady) flow of air through the opening; increasing a density of the air within the cabin to the possible maximum; before a pre-crash or falling-of-the-bridge situation; to push broken glass or water outside; provide an air-curtain in the plain of the opening to prevent air from circulating through the opening especially in cold winter or with HVAC in summer.

[0019] The controller may be the vehicle computer, or the controller may be electrically connected to the vehicle controller. The controller may be configured to carry about the method according to these teachings. The controller may include one or more memory, processors, hard drives, RAM, micro controllers, printed circuit boards, look up tables, etc. The controller may be connected to the internet. The controller may be programmed and reprogrammed. The controller may run software for executing the method.

[0020] The vehicle may be virtually any vehicle. For exampe, the vehicle may be a passenger car, truck, or utility vehicle. The vehicle may be a plane, train, boat, taxi, tram, sub way, etc. It is understood that these teachings are not limited to only vehicles. For example, these teachings may also be applied to non-vehicular applications, such as restaurants, office buildings, hotels, movie theaters, etc., where it may be desirable to purify, clean, and/or disinfect, one or more surfaces. Accordingly, one or more office, home, industrial, commercial, or other building windows, couches, chairs, recliners, counter tops, floors, etc. may be purified, cleaned, and/or disinfected with one or more of the purification devices and/or purification substances disclosed herein.

[0021] Fig. 1 illustrates a vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 comprises an interior or cabin 12 comprising a front seat 14 and a back seat 16. The vehicle 10 or cabin 12 also comprises a headliner 18, a dashboard 20, and one or more vehicle doors 22 (Figs. 3,4).

[0022] An air influencing system 100 may be used with the vehicle 10 and/or one or more components of the vehicle 10. For exampe, the air influencing system 100 may be attached to or incorporated into the vehicle 10; one or both of the vehicle seats 14, 16; the headliner 18, the dashboard 20; one or more vehicle doors 22; or a combination thereof. The air influencing system 100 may be attached to or incorporated into other elements of the vehicle 10, such as but not limited to: one or more pillars, door panels, headrests, floors, etc. The air influencing system 100 may be configured to increase air pressure inside of the cabin 12 of the vehicle 10. The air influencing system 100 may be configured to increase air pressure inside of the cabin 12 of the vehicle 10 to a level that is the same as or higher than the pressure of the air surrounding the vehicle 10. Accordingly, by maintaining a higher pressure inside of the vehicle 10 than outside of the vehicle 10, unprocessed air from the surroundings may be restricted or prevented from entering the vehicle after a vehicle door or window is opened.

[0023] The air influencing system 100 may comprise a controller 102. The controller 102 may be the vehicle computer, or the controller may be electrically connected to the vehicle controller. The controller 102 may control the air influencing device 100 and carry out the method steps of influencing air pressure in the cabin 12 of the vehicle 10.

[0024] The air influencing system 100 may comprise one or more air suppliers 104 having one or more outlets 106. The air supplier 104 located in the front seat 14 may have an outlet 106, directing an air stream in a forward direction F and an outlet 106’ directing an air stream in a rearward direction R.

[0025] The air influencing system 100 and/or air supplier 104 may have a filter device 108. The filter device 108 may function to clean, purify, sanitize, and/or otherwise provide clean air into the cabin 12 of the vehicle 10. The filtering device 109 may clean, purify, sanitize the air provided by the one or more air suppliers 104 chemically, e.g., by ozone or steam or water; mechanically, e.g., by filter, centrifuge; radiologically, e.g., by IR-, X- or UV- rays; with plasma or arc; catalyst reactions; charcoal filter; thermally, e.g., heating; or a combination thereof.

[0026] The air influencing system 100 may comprise one or more air storage devices 110. The one or more air storage devices 110 may be provided or associated with each air supplier 104. The one or more air storage devices 110 may be a centralized device(s) that are in fluid communication with the one or more air storage devices 110. The one or more air storage devices 110 may be filled with air or air pressure provided by the one or more air suppliers 104. The one or more air storage devices 110 may store air pressure until the method according to these teachings determines that the pressure inside the cabin 12 of the vehicle 10 should be increased to a level that is at or above an air pressure of the environment surrounding the vehicle 10.

[0027] During use, the air influencing system 100 may be operated or controlled to maintain a positive air pressure inside of the vehicle cabin 12. The cabin 12 pressure may be maintained higher than the air pressure on the outside of the vehicle 10. Accordingly, when a vehicle door 22 or window are opened, air from outside of the vehicle 10 generally does not enter the inside or cabin 12. Before, during, or after the vehicle door or window is opened, the air influencing system 100 may be operated or controlled to increase or maintain the positive air pressure. The air including system 100 may do so according to the method 200 discussed at Fig. 2. The increase in the pressure may occur gradually, so that it is virtually unnoticed by an occupant, the increase in air pressure may come from an air flow generated by the one or more air suppliers and/or from the one or more air storage devices 110, depending on the amount of air pressure needed.

[0028] The vehicle 10 may include one or more air conditioning systems 112 that may be operated, controlled, or configured to condition air inside of the vehicle 10. For exampe, the air conditioning system 112 may be configured to provide warm air, cool air, ambient air into the cabin 12 to increase occupant comfort.

[0029] Fig. 2 illustrates the method 200 according to these teachings. The method 200 may be operated, controlled, or executed to influence air pressure inside of the vehicle 10. The method 200 may be operated, controlled, or executed to maintain a positive air pressure inside the cabin 12 - a pressure that is higher than the air pressure surrounding the vehicle 10. The method may be executed by the vehicle 10 and/or the air influencing system 100.

[0030] The method 200 may include a step 202 of predicting a pressure change inside of the vehicle 10. In step 202, the air influencing system 100 may predict or determine that a pressure chance may occur by monitoring one or more parameters. For exampe, the one or more parameters may include: a passenger has indicated his intention to open the cabin 12 by way of one or more of the following actions: an occupant or passenger pressing a window open switch or lever; an occupant or passenger operating or touching a door handle; an occupant or passenger placing a hand or finger near a window or door switch; an occupant or passenger moving near a door or window or switch (inside or outside); a stop or exit is scheduled (via a software, cell phone, voice command; GPS program; etc.); the vehicle 10 decelerating or slowing down; duration of the vehicle trip; the vehicle 10 is approaching a programed destination (via GPS). Other parameters may also include: occupant bio signals, for example: the pulse or heartrate of an occupant or passenger increasing; the passenger or user becoming drowsy, oxygen-levels of the blood, blinking frequency, etc.; an occupant or passenger smoking habits; the air quality inside of the cabin 12 being compromised, for exampe, as detected by an air quality sensor or camera or acoustic camera in the case of smoking, coughing, or sneezing passengers or operators; change in air interior temperature relative to the inside or outside of the vehicle 10; change in air pressure inside of the cabin 12 relative to the air pressure outside of the vehicle 10; vehicle HVAC not turned ON or not functional. In some instances, the prediction may occur when or after one or more signals are sent to open a window, door, trunk roof (moon roof, sunroof), etc. or after one or more of the aforementioned are actually opened. A combination of two or more of these parameters may indicate an increase in the prediction of a vehicle door or window opening.

[0031] The method 200 may include a step 204 of determining an actual air pressure inside of the cabin 12 of the vehicle 10. In step 204, the air influencing system 100 may determine a local air pressure inside of the cabin 12 of the vehicle 10 by monitoring one or more parameters. The one or more parameters may include: monitoring one or more seat occupancy sensors to detect presence of absence of an occupant in the vehicle seat; passenger pose - this is, determining the location of an occupants head, mouth, nose, via one or more cameras or proximity sensors; position of a window, door, or roof via a position sensor (i.e., is window, door, or roof, open, closed, tilted, etc.); pressure or airflow sensors inside of the vehicle cabin 12; or more temperature measurements.

[0032] The method 200 may include a step 206 of controlling the air influencing system 100. If it is determined from step 204 that the air pressure is below a threshold pressure, the air influencing system 100 may be controlled to generate positive pressure. This may mean providing air flow or pressure into the cabin 12 via the one or more air suppliers 104 or from the one or more air storage devices 110; providing air into the one or more air storage devices 110 (e.g., filling the one or more storage devices 110 with air or pressure to). In some configurations, the method 100 may proceed from step 202 to 206 (and/or 208). That is, the method 100 may omit step 204. For exampe, if more than one (or more than two, three, four) of the parameters are determined in step 202, then the confidence of requiring pressure is increased, which may thus allow for the method to proceed to step 206. The parameters may include: an occupant pressing a window open switch or lever; the occupant operating or touching a door handle; the occupant placing a hand or finger near the window open switch and/or the door handle; the vehicle approaching a programed GPS destination; and the vehicle begins to decelerate.

[0033] The method 200 may include a step 208 of controlling an air conditioning system 112. This may mean heating or cooling the air inside of the cabin 12 to increase occupant or passenger comfort. This may also mean supplying ambient air (filtered or unfiltered) into the cabin 12.

[0034] After the step 206 and/or step 208, the method 100 may return to step 204, where the local air pressure inside of the cabin 12 of the vehicle 10 is determined or checked. If the air pressure in the cabin 12 remains at or below a predetermined level, then the method 200 may proceed to steps 206 and/or 208. On the other hand, if the air pressure in the cabin 12 is at or above a predetermined level, then the method 200 may revert back to step 202, where the system may predict when a pressure change may occur inside of the vehicle 10 or when the pressure may fall below a predetermined threshold.

[0035] Fig. 3 illustrates a vehicle door 22 of the vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 or door 22 may include a door frame that includes one or more air suppliers 104 having an outlet 108 arranged to provide a downwash of air A, down or away from a breathing level of an occupant or passenger. During use, the one or more air suppliers 104 may be configured to supply or increase air into the cabin to increase cabin pressure and/or to move exhaled air away from the occupant while simultaneously supplying filtered air from the filter device and/or the storage device towards the occupant or passenger.

[0036] Fig. 4 illustrates a vehicle door 22 of the vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 or door 22 may include a door frame that includes air suppliers 104 having an inlet 114 and an outlet 108. Air from the inside of the vehicle 12 may be taken in at the rim of the door or window opening (e.g., by ducts or air suppliers 104) and exhausted to the outside via the air outlets 108. An air supplier 104 may direct the air flow A in the middle of the vortex towards the outside of the cabin 12. During use, the one or more air suppliers 104 may be configured to supply or increase air into the cabin to increase cabin pressure and/or to move exhaled air away from the occupant to an outside of the vehicle 10, while simultaneously supplying filtered air from the filter device and/or the storage device towards the occupant or passenger.

[0037] Fig. 5 illustrates a vehicle door 22 of the vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 or door 22 may include a door frame that includes one or more air suppliers 104 having an outlet 108 arranged to provide a downwash of air A, down or away from a breathing level of an occupant or passenger to a region outside of the vehicle 10 through one or more ports or vents or fluted structures. A fluted structures mean channels or surface structures where air is moved by closing the door alone.

[0038] Fig. 6 illustrates a vehicle door 22 of the vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 or door 22 may include a door frame that includes one or more air suppliers 104 having an inlet 114 and an outlet 108. Air from the outside of the vehicle 12 may be taken in at the rim of the door or window opening (e.g., by ducts or air suppliers 104), while positive pressure and/or air suppliers 104 direct the air flow A in the middle of the vortex towards the outside of the cabin 12.

[0039] It is understood that any of the method steps can be performed in virtually any order. Moreover, one or more of the following method steps can be combined with other steps; can be omitted or eliminated; can be repeated; and/or can separated into individual or additional steps.

[0040] The explanations and illustrations presented herein are intended to acquaint others skilled in the art with the invention, its principles, and its practical application. The above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art may adapt and apply the invention in its numerous forms, as may be best suited to the requirements of a particular use.

[0041] Accordingly, the specific embodiments of the present invention as set forth are not intended as being exhaustive or limiting of the teachings. The scope of the teachings should, therefore, be determined not with reference to this description, but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. The omission in the following claims of any aspect of subject matter that is disclosed herein is not a disclaimer of such subject matter, nor should it be regarded that the inventors did not consider such subject matter to be part of the disclosed inventive subject matter.

[0042] Plural elements or steps can be provided by a single integrated element or step. Alternatively, a single element or step might be divided into separate plural elements or steps. [0043] The disclosure of "a" or "one" to describe an element or step is not intended to foreclose additional elements or steps. For example, disclosure of “a motor” does not limit the teachings to a single motor. Instead, for example, disclosure of “a motor” may include “one or more motors.”

[0044] While the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer, or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer, or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer, or section without departing from the teachings.

[0045] Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below”, or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

[0046] The invention illustratively disclosed herein suitably may be practiced in the absence of any element which is not specifically disclosed herein.

[0047] Any of the elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections disclosed herein are not necessarily limited to a single embodiment. Instead, any of the elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections disclosed herein may be substituted, combined, and/or modified with any of the elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections disclosed herein to form one or more embodiments that may be specifically illustrated or described herein.

[0048] The disclosures of all articles and references, including patent applications and publications, testing specifications, are incorporated by reference for all purposes. Other combinations are also possible as will be gleaned from the following claims, which are also hereby incorporated by reference into this written description.

Claims

1) A method of influencing air pressure in a cabin of a vehicle, the method comprising: predicting an upcoming change in air pressure inside the cabin of the vehicle; determining an actual air pressure inside of the cabin of the vehicle; and controlling an air influencing system to influence the air pressure inside of the vehicle.

2) The method according to claim 1, wherein the predicting step comprises monitoring one or more parameters comprising: i. an occupant pressing a window open switch or lever; ii. the occupant operating or touching a door handle; iii. the occupant placing a hand or finger near the window open switch and/or the door handle; iv. the vehicle approaching a programed destination; and v. the vehicle begins to decelerate.

3) The method according to claim 2, wherein the method comprises monitoring two or more of the parameters.

4) The method according to any of the previous steps, wherein the determining step comprises monitoring one or more parameters comprising: i. monitoring one or more seat occupancy sensors to detect presence of absence of the occupant in a vehicle seat; ii. determining a location of a head, mouth, and/or nose of the occupant, via one or more cameras or proximity sensors; iii. determining a position of a window, door, or roof via a position sensor;

5) The method according to claim 4, wherein the method comprises monitoring two or more of the parameters. 6) The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein the air influencing system comprises one or more air suppliers, and during the controlling step, the one or more air suppliers increase a density of the air within the cabin of the vehicle to at least equal a pressure outside of the vehicle.

7) The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein the air influencing system comprises one or more air suppliers, and during the controlling step, the one or more air suppliers increase a density of the air within the cabin of the vehicle to greater than a pressure outside of the vehicle.

8) The method according to claim 7, wherein the one or more air suppliers are configured to provide an air-curtain in a plane of a window opening to prevent air from circulating into the cabin through the window opening.

9) The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein the air influencing system comprises one or more air storage devices for storing compressed air.

10) The method according to claim 9, wherein during the controlling step, the air from the one or more storage devices is released into the cabin.

11) The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein the air influencing system comprises one or more air storage devices for storing compressed air provided by one or more air suppliers.

12) The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein the air influencing system comprises one or more air storage devices and one or more air suppliers, and during the controlling step, the one or more air suppliers are configured to supply the air into the one or more air storage devices, and the air in the one or more air suppliers is not released into the cabin.