CONTROL APPARATUS FOR AIR CONDITIONER USED FOR VEHICLES

A control apparatus for an air conditioner used for a vehicle can properly control the temperature of air in the vehicle according to the quantity of solar radiation so as to maintain the temperature as not too cool for a person in the vehicle while suppressing the temperature as not too hot for the person. The control apparatus comprises a solar radiation sensor for detecting the quantity of solar radiation coming into the vehicle room; an operation unit for entering a set temperature; a target temperature determining unit for receiving an processing a solar radiation quantity signal from the solar radiation sensor and a set temperature signal from the operation unit, and successively finding target temperatures from a first temperature region which is relatively low and in which a temperature decreases slightly relative to an increase in the quantity of solar radiation and a second temperature region which is relatively high and in which a temperature decreases according to an increase in the quantity of solar radiation, and selecting and determining one of the target temperatures according to a predetermined program; and an adjusting unit for adjusting the temperature of air to be blown into the vehicle room according to the target temperature.