Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Arrang,.ement in control unit
The present invention relates to an arrangement in a control system for a
plurality of
sub-systems forming part of an air-conditioning system according to the pre-
characterising clause of claim 1.
There are, at present, various forms of air-conditioning system intended for
vehicles,
especially for buses, and made up of a plurality of sub-systems, which are
controlled
by way of a control unit. This is generally located by the driver's seat in
the vehicle.
The control unit is usually designed to control one or more sub-system
components
forming part of respective sub-systems. In a known design the control unit is
equipped with an actuating element for each sub-system; one of the sub-systems
is
therefore selected by pressing one of the said actuating elements. When each
individual component in a first group of controllable components of the
selected sub-
system is connected to an associated set of operating controls, the components
in the
first group can be controlled by the operating controls. By way of the
actuating
elements new groups of sub-system components can be selectively advanced for
connection to the set of operating controls. The number of operating controls
in the
set defines the size of each group.
An object of the present invention is to provide a control unit, which is easy
and
quick to operate even on the move, which will lead to increased traffic safety
and
greater convenience.
This has been achieved by an arrangement of the type initially described,
which is
characterised in that there is at least one special selection device, which
when acted
upon will connect at least some of the operating controls in the set to a
group of sub-
system components specially selected for rapid access, where at least some of
the
sub-system components in this group derive from different sub-systems.
Preferred embodiments have any or some of the characteristics specified in the
subordinate clauses 2-6.
The arrangement according to the invention has a number of advantages. The
risk of
a traffic accident occurring is naturally reduced if the driver of a vehicle
is able to
give his full attention to the road, instead of directing his attention
towards
instruments and control panels by the driver's seat. Because the sub-system
components that need to be adjusted most frequently whilst driving the vehicle
are
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located in the specially selected group, the driver needs to pay less
attention to the air
conditioning system control unit, thereby improving traffic safety. In one
embodiment this is further enhanced in that in the normal setting the
specially
selected group is displayed, so that the sub-system components in this group
can be
adjusted without the need to act on any selection device. Since the sub-system
components in the specially selected group are interchangeable, components can
be
exchanged according to the climate, the time of year and the weather
conditions or
legal requirements, so that the most frequently used sub-system components are
always included in the specially selected group.
The invention will be explained in more detail below with the aid of examples
of
embodiments of the arrangement according to the invention, with reference to
attached drawings, in which:
1 S figure 1 shows an example of a control unit according to the invention and
figure 2 shows an example of a display on the control unit in figure 1, when
the
display is lit.
In figure 1 the reference number 1 denotes a control unit designed to control
a
plurality of sub-systems forming part of an air conditioning system intended
for
vehicles, especially buses. The control unit 1 has a separate selection device
for each
sub-system, for example in the form of a pressure-sensitive button, which is
actuated
by touching. In the example in figure 1 there are buttons 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 for
selecting
sub-systems, where the button 2 relates to an air-conditioning sub-system by
the
driver's seat, the button 3 to an air conditioning sub-system for the
passenger
compartment, the button 4 to heating when the vehicle is parked, the button 5
to
blowers and the button 6 to a further air conditioning sub-system for the
passenger
compartment. Each sub-system comprises one or more sub-system components. By
selecting sub-systems by pressing any of the buttons 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 each
separate
component in a first group of controllable components in the sub-system
selected is
connected to an associated set of operating controls 7, 8, 9, 10, so that the
components in the first group can be controlled by way of the operating
controls 7, 8,
9, 10. The buttons 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 can furthermore be selectively advanced in
order, by
means of the set of operating controls 7, 8, 9, 10, to connect a further group
of
controllable components in the selected sub-system. For example, for button 2,
air-
conditioning sub-system for the driver, associated sub-system components may
include temperature, foot-level blowers, windscreen blowers etc. The number of
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operating controls in the set naturally defines the size of the respective
group. In the
example in the figure therefore, the maximum size of the group is four
components.
There is also a special selection device in the form of a button 11, which
when
pressed connects at least some of the operating controls 7, 8, 9, 10 in the
set to a
group of sub-system components specially selected for quick access. This
specially
selected group includes the sub-system components that need to be adjusted
most
often when on the move, regardless of the sub-system to which the components
belong. If the driver of the vehicle needs to alter the settings of these
commonly
occurnng sub-system components, he/she therefore only needs to press the
button 11
in order to adjust the settings of the components by way of the operating
controls 7,
8, 9, 10. The alternative, of course, would have been, for each sub-system, to
advance the right component group, to find the right component and then to
adjust
the setting via one of the operating controls. The sub-system components in
the
1 S specially selected group are also interchangeable. The user therefore has
the facility
for changing accessible sub-system components in the specially selected group
so
that the components in the selected group correspond to prevailing conditions.
Suitable sub-system components in the specially selected group may, of course,
be
dependent on the prevailing climate, time of year and the weather conditions
or Iegal
requirements. The changing of components in the specially selected group is
preferably undertaken when the vehicle is parked. There will be many possible
ways
known to the person skilled in the art of providing the facility for altering
sub-system
components in the specially selected group.
According to one preferred embodiment the set of operating controls 7, 8, 9,
10 is in
the normal position connected to the specially selected group of sub-system
components, so that the settings for these specially selected sub-system
components
can be adjusted without even needing to press the button 11. Furthermore the
control
unit 1 in this example is preferably designed to return to the normal position
once a
predetermined length of time has elapsed after any setting of any of the sub-
systems
has been adjusted by way of the buttons 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and the operating
controls 7, 8,
9, 10. It is therefore not necessary to use the button 11 at all, unless
access to the
specially selected group of sub-system components is desired during the above-
mentioned period of time. In all other cases the sub-system components in the
specially selected group are directly accessible so that the settings can be
adjusted by
way of the operating controls 7, 8, 9, 10.
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The control unit in figure 1 also has a number of further buttons in order to
control
the air conditioning system. There is an on/off button 12, a timer button 13,
a
recirculation button 14 and a button 15 for automatic setting of the air
conditioning
system. The control unit also has a display 16.
S
As will be seen from figure 2, the display 16 is divided up into four parts
16a, 16b,
16c, 16d, one for each operating control. In a second embodiment (not shown)
the
control unit 1 has four separate displays. The display 16 is designed, when
any of the
buttons 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11 is pressed, to indicate, in respect of each
operating control in
the set, which sub-system components are in the activated group. The display
is
furthermore designed, when any of the buttons 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1 I is pressed,
to indicate,
in respect of each operating control in the set, the setting of each sub-
system
component in the activated group. As will be seen from figure 2, the sub-
system
components may have either an On or Off setting or may have numerical values
corresponding, for example, to a power output of the blowers, the temperature
etc.
