Abstract: An apparatus for measuring a fouling resistance and a cleanliness factor of heat-transfer surface and which is capable of continuously and accurately monitoring a build-up degree of deposits on a heat-transfer surface of a heat exchanger includes a fouling sensor having a given length of metal wire wound inside the heat-transfer surface for measuring an average temperature of the heat-transfer surface, a direct current voltage supply member for supplying a voltage to a heating wire of the fouling sensor, an accurate resistance measuring member connected with a temperature measuring metal wire of the fouling sensor for measuring an electrical resistance of the metal wire, an inlet/outlet portion water temperature measuring member for measuring the temperatures of the inlet/outlet portions of the apparatus, a water flow rate measuring member, and a data calculation apparatus for computing a fouling resistance and a cleanliness factor of a heat-transfer surface.

Abstract: A heater duct is disposed between an air blower unit and an air heater unit. A plate is disposed in the heater duct near an outlet joint of the heater duct. The plate has a closure member and a plurality of through holes defined therein on opposite sides of the closure member. Air delivered under pressure from the air blower unit is divided by the closure member into air flows that pass through the through holes and are combined and mixed with each other, supplying air to the air heater unit with a desired air speed distribution. The plate, which is of a relatively simple structure, is capable of easily and reliably achieving the same air speed distribution when an evaporator is not installed as the air speed distribution when the evaporator is installed, providing an effectively increased vehicle heating capability.

Abstract: In order to assure with simple controlling and rapid adaptation to different temperature conditions an energy-saving adjustment of the temperature of the interior of a motor vehicle, it is possible by means of a single temperature regulator ?(T)! and through adjustment of the latter to adjust such regulator in a first regulating range, in particular in the range of 0 to 30% of the total regulating range, from a high refrigeration output to a lower refrigeration output independently of the driving motor of the motor vehicle, and to adjust in a final regulating range a useful heat source ?(EH or DH)! from a lower output of heat to a high output of heat. According to a preferred exemplified embodiment, the first regulating range is separated from the final regulating range by an intermediate regulating range with air-side adjustment in a mixing space ?(MR)! and/or water-side adjustment in a heat exchanger ?(WT)!.

Abstract: According to the present invention, when an air-conditioning clutch of a compressor is set on, even if an improvement of a heating capacity by a viscous heater is required, a viscous clutch is turned off not to transmit a rotational driving force of an engine to a rotor of the viscous heater, and further the rotational driving force of the engine is transmitted to the compressor. In this way, a torque applied to the engine E and the V-belt can be reduced, so that a fuel consumption ratio of the engine lowers and a fuel economical performance improves. Further, because an operation of the compressor is intermitted, it is possible to remove a fog of a front windshield, so that a safety of the vehicle travelling can be prevented from being deteriorated.

Abstract: A flow control panel includes a pair of upper and lower sheets arranged one above the other. The upper sheet has a plurality of integral ridges and a plurality of recesses between adjacent ridges. Likewise, the lower sheet has a plurality of integral ridges and a plurality of recesses between adjacent ridges. The upper and lower sheets are superimposed so that each of the upper ridges is positioned in respective one of the lower recesses between adjacent lower ridges to form a plurality of passages through which a flowing fluid medium flows. When a pressure increase occurs within the passages, the upper and lower sheets are relatively moved away from one another to increase the cross sectional area of the passages to accommodate such a pressure increase within the passages.

Abstract: An air-conditioning unit for a motor vehicle comprises a housing having arranged therein, a blower, an evaporator of a cooling unit, and a heater heat exchanger. The evaporator and the heater heat exchanger are arranged downstream of the housing in terms of the airstream, and a plurality of discharge connection stubs which are arranged downstream of the heater heat exchanger are provided in the housing. In order to achieve the smallest possible space requirement and to subject the air channeling to the smallest possible changes in direction, the evaporator and the heater heat exchanger are arranged in the housing in the form of a V with respect to one another, such that respective ends thereof rest closely together in the vicinity of an initial section of the blower spiral.

Abstract: A control assembly for a HVAC system serving a plurality of zones within a structure, having ducting including a damper situated in an outlet of the ducting leading to each zone, a biasing element biasing the damper in a normally open position, and a motor coupled to each damper for closing each damper. A standard manual or automatic change-over thermostat is situated in each of the zones which includes at least a heating signal output and a cooling signal output.

Abstract: A heat exchange system for cooling a coolant is provided having a pump coupled to the motor to pump coolant, a radiator for cooling the coolant, and a resilient hollow reservoir for holding coolant in the form of a planar base portion and an annular portion integrally coupled to and extending upwards from the base portion.

Abstract: An electronic programmable thermostat having a program set made up of a plurality of program start times and program temperature values for a daily time period which can be automatically vacated upon initiation by the thermostat user. The user may initiate a temporary reset of the program time/temperature values whereby a microprocessor sets a new temperature value corresponding to a comfort temperature value obtained from one of the program temperature values. Preferably, the system automatically sets a temperature value equal to the highest temperature value of the program set temperatures, when in a heating mode, or the lowest temperature value when in a cooling mode. The system maintains such reset values until the beginning of one of the program start times depending upon when the reset feature was selected by the user.

Abstract: Constant volume multizone heating/air conditioning systems are converted to variable volume air conditioning systems. Energy conservation is achieved by converting the fan drive from one requiring constant volume air flow. Instead, the volume of air flow is governed by relative heating or cooling needs. Further, mixture of heated and cooled air to achieve the desired temperature is no longer required. Temperature sensors in a zone being heated/cooled detect actual temperature there. When the actual temperature indicates a need for cooling, the vent vanes of the system are opened and the heating vent vanes are closed. The fan speed and volume of air flow are then controlled to provide the required amounts of cooled air. Conversely, when heating is sensed to be needed, the heating and cooling air vent vanes positions are reversed and the fan speed regulated to supply the requisite amount of heated air.

Abstract: An evaporator for cooling air is disposed within resinous cases obliquely relative to a vehicle front-rear direction. The evaporator rotates to a vehicle front side when a shock is applied to the cases from a vehicle rear side at a time of a vehicle collision. Therefore, even if a passenger in a passenger compartment collides with the cases at the vehicle collision, the evaporator rotates toward the vehicle front side to decrease the shock to the passenger's body, thereby protecting the passenger.

Abstract: The individual air temperature sensors normally mounted within each outlet duct in an automatic automotive heating and air conditioning system are eliminated in favor of a dual temperature sensor incorporated directly into the swinging mode door. The door swings back and forth through the central air mix area within the housing, and one end or the other of a dual sensor mounted through the door is always exposed to the air flow before it enters an outlet duct. This presents a better location for air sensing, and reduces or eliminates the time lag involved in temperature sensing when a different duct is selected, in addition to reducing part count.

Abstract: The conditioned seat, has at least one seat contact surface (31), the outer side of which faces towards part of a passenger in the seat. An air-conditioning device (18) supplies conditioned air to the region of the inner side of the seat contact surface (31). An electrical heating element (24) is arranged in the region of the inner side of the seat contact surface (31) for warming the seat contact surface (31). A temperature sensor (28) detects the temperature in the region of the seat contact surface (31). For achieving a fast adjustment of the seat temperature to a preset desired temperature independent from the ambient temperature a controlling system (20) is provide which is in connection both with the air-conditioning device (18) and with the electrical heating element (24) and controls these corresponding to a pre-set desired temperature value in dependence on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor (28).

Abstract: A system (10) for increasing the temperature of air initially delivered by an existing heat pump system (100) is provided which may be easily added to the existing heat pump system. System (10) includes a heat pump comfort controller (12) having a plurality of control signal leads (14, 16, 18 and 20) which are coupled in parallel relationship with a respective plurality of control signal leads (114, 116, 118 and 120) of heat pump system (100) interconnecting the heat pump indoor unit (110) with the heat pump outdoor unit (112). Heat pump comfort controller (12) includes a thermostat (50) for sensing the outdoor ambient air temperature and includes a contact (52) that closes when the outdoor ambient temperature falls below a predetermined value, conducting a control signal from the lead (14) for signaling the energization of supplemental heating units (132) of heat pump system (100).

Abstract: A method of operating an HVAC system having an HVAC control and a humidity limiting control. The method comprises the steps of: determining a relative humidity limit for a space; monitoring relative humidity in the space; comparing the relative humidity to the relative humidity limit; operating the conventional HVAC control if the space humidity does not exceed the humidity limit; and integrating the HVAC control and dehumidification controls if the space conditions require humidity limiting action.

Abstract: In a vehicle having separate front and rear transmissions, a system for slaving one of the transmissions to the other so that the slave transmission will operate in the same drive range as that existing in the master transmission. Low-level binary coded signals are separately generated by each transmission to indicate the existing drive ranges of the two transmissions. The signals are sent to a control unit where they are examined and used to shift the slave transmission up or down as necessary, so that it keeps in step with the drive range in which the master transmission is operating. A unique binary code is used in the sending of drive-range signals to the control unit to prevent the control unit from shifting the slave transmission in response to errors in the signals which may occur in the event of faults in the cables through which the signals are sent.

Abstract: A warm-up control for a closed loop engine roughness control responsive to engine load and engine temperature is disclosed herein. The warm-up control provides a first correction signal to the closed loop engine roughness control operative to increase the effective value of the roughness signal in response to a signal indicative of a load being applied to the engine and the engine temperature being below a predetermined temperature and a second correction signal to the closed loop engine roughness control operative to decrease the effective value of the roughness signal in response to a signal indicative of a light engine load and the engine temperature being below a predetermined temperature. The control also generates a transient signal in response to a sudden increase of the engine's load operative to cause the closed loop engine roughness control to generate a fixed output signal for a predetermined length of time.

Abstract: A motion transmitting device including four basic elements, namely, eccentric means, meshing means formed from a number of meshing elements which are linked but movable independently with respect to each other, wheel means formed with portions adapted to engage said meshing elements, and movement limiting means, including a datum member, wherein said eccentric means is disposed to cause each of said meshing elements to become engaged with, and subsequently to become dissociated from, said portions, while said meshing elements are individually guided by said movement-limiting means within specific limits of movement relative to said datum member, such that always a plurality of adjacent ones of said meshing elements are simultaneously in driving engagement with, and stationary relative to, a corresponding number of said portions, and that the total movement relative to said datum member of each of said meshing elements, while it is drivingly engaged with one of said portions, follows a substantially ovoidal pa

Abstract: A multistage speed reducer for high speed rotation including a planetary roller friction reducer for the first stage reducer and a geared reducer for the second stage reducer, the planetary roller friction reducer having its output shaft also used as the input shaft of the geared reducer. Such an arrangement permits transmission of a very high speed and large horsepower rotation at a relatively high reduction ratio with low noise while at the same time consuming less space. The speed reducer may preferably be equipped with safety means for excessive torques.

Abstract: There is disclosed an electronic circuit arrangement for the regulation of the transmission stages of an automatic gear changer employed, for example, in a vehicle. The circuit includes a monostable circuit comprising an input transistor and an output transistor, the circuit being released by a pick-up device which is responsive to the speed of the vehicle. The circuit is substantially independent of variations of ambient temperatures and is of simple design.