Patent ID: 6581022
Filing Date: 2003-06-17
Classification: B60H

Abstract:
An air-conditioning apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:a blower, an evaporator, a heater, air-mix flaps and outlet flaps, which are provided in an air-conditioning duct of the vehicle; a vehicle compartment temperature setting means for setting a vehicle compartment temperature; sensors that detect input parameters required in computation of an outlet temperature; and a control unit that inputs signals generated by the sensors as well as controls an air-flow quantity of the blower and controls each of the air mix and outlet flaps, wherein the control unit monitors the sensors to determine whether the sensors are functioning normally, when the control unit determines that the sensors are functioning normally, the control unit: computes the outlet temperature using output values generated by the sensors, controls the air-flow quantity of the blower in response to the computed outlet temperature, changes over an outlet position by controlling the outlet flaps and controls an opening of the air-mix flaps in response to the computed outlet temperature, when one of the sensors is determined to have failed, the control unit: computes the outlet temperature using a replacement value registered in advance for each failing sensor and the output values generated by the sensors that are functioning normally, each replacement value serving as a substitute for a value supposed to be outputted by one of the failing sensors, switches positions of an outlet by controlling the air-flow quantity of the blower and the outlet flaps based on the computed value, and controls the opening of the air-mix flaps based on a set value set by the vehicle compartment temperature setting means independently of the outlet temperature computed by using the replacement values.