Abstract: An idle stop control system and method for a vehicle includes at least one electronic control unit disposed within the vehicle that is configured to determine whether an idle stop condition for the vehicle is satisfied and whether the vehicle is in a stopped condition. The at least one electronic control unit is further configured to idle stop an engine of the vehicle when determined that both the idle stop condition is satisfied and that the vehicle is in the stopped condition. The at least one electronic control unit is also configured to determine whether an engine restart condition is satisfied after the engine is idle stopped and to restart the engine when determined that the engine restart condition is satisfied.

Abstract: A vehicle air conditioner includes a first passage and a second passage and is capable of operating in such a manner that outside air introduced in the first passage is conditioned by an evaporator and a heater core and subsequently blown, as a conditioned air, from a defrost outlet, side defrost outlet and side vent outlet toward windowpanes and, at the same time, inside air introduced in the second passage is conditioned by the evaporator and the heater core and subsequently blown, as a conditioned air, from a center vent outlet and front and rear heat outlets into a passenger compartment.

Abstract: An air conditioning system for a vehicle includes a compressor, a condenser, a first sub-cooler, a metering device, and an evaporator assembly. The evaporator assembly includes an evaporator and a second sub-cooler. The second sub-cooler is arranged below the evaporator such that water condensation from the evaporator drains onto the second sub-cooler to cool the second sub-cooler such that a temperature of the refrigerant exiting the second sub-cooler is less than a temperature of the refrigerant exiting the first sub-cooler.

Abstract: In a heater core that constitutes part of a vehicular air conditioning apparatus, a plurality of first and second tubes are provided through which heated water flows through the interior thereof, and fins having louvers therein are disposed between the first and second tubes. Further, the heater core is equipped with a first heating section, which faces toward a first front passage through which air from a first blower unit flows, and a second heating section, which faces toward a first rear passage through which air from a second blower unit flows. Between the first heating section and the second heating section, a partitioning fin is disposed for blocking communication of air mutually between the first and second heating sections. Additionally, the first and second tubes are arranged in parallel to the direction in which the partitioning fin extends.

Abstract: A vehicular air conditioning apparatus includes a casing constituted by respective air passages. The casing has a vent opening and a defroster opening at an upper portion thereof. The vent opening is disposed on a forward side of a vehicle with respect to the defroster opening. A pair of defroster ducts extend in lateral directions respectively from side portions of the defroster opening, and center vent ducts are disposed in a straight line fashion from the vent opening and oriented rearwardly of the vehicle between the pair of the defroster ducts. The center vent ducts open only in the vehicle compartment. In a bi-level mode, a third front passage on the downstream side of the evaporator extends upwardly in a straight line fashion.

Abstract: A casing comprises substantially symmetrical first and second divided casings. A second blower unit is provided at a joined region of the first divided casing and the second divided casing. Air is supplied from a first blower unit into the casing, and then, the air cooled by an evaporator and the air heated by a heater core are mixed and supplied to front seats in the vehicle. Air supplied from the second blower unit into the casing is directed toward the front seats and adjusted at a given temperature by a second cooling section of the evaporator and a second heating section of the heater core, and thereafter, supplied to rear seats in the vehicle from a third rear passage which extends so as to surround a first rear passage.

Abstract: Air is supplied to the interior of a casing from first and second blower units, such that cool air that has been cooled by an evaporator and warm air that has been heated by a heater core are mixed together and blown out toward a front seat side and a rear seat side of the vehicle, respectively. At this time, a temperature control damper, which adjusts the temperature of air that is blown into the vehicle compartment, causes a flow of warm air having undergone heat exchange in the heater core to be deflected toward a direction where the evaporator is installed. Mixing of the warm air and the cool air can thus be carried out suitably by causing the flow of cool air, which has undergone heat exchange in the evaporator, and the flow of warm air to be oriented in mutually opposite directions.

Abstract: A counter-flow heat exchanger for a vehicle air conditioning system includes a first lateral tank having an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber. The first lateral tank includes an inlet port fluidly connected to the inlet chamber and an outlet port fluidly connected to the outlet chamber. The outlet port is positioned adjacent an uppermost portion of the first lateral tank for reducing air pockets. A second lateral tank is laterally spaced apart from the first lateral tank. A first set of tubes fluidly connects the inlet chamber of the first lateral tank to the second lateral tank. A second of tubes fluidly connects the second lateral tank to the outlet chamber of the first lateral tank.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting low levels of humidity (i.e. less than 10%) inside an automotive vehicle is provided whereby the total absolute humidity inside the vehicle is determined by multiplying the number of occupants in the vehicle by an absolute humidity factor to obtain a total absolute humidity expelled by the vehicle occupants. The absolute humidity outside the vehicle is added to the total absolute humidity expelled by the vehicle occupants to arrive at a total vehicle cabin absolute humidity.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting low levels of humidity (i.e. less than 10%) inside an automotive vehicle is provided whereby the total absolute humidity inside the vehicle is determined by multiplying the number of occupants in the vehicle by an absolute humidity factor to obtain a total absolute humidity expelled by the vehicle occupants. The absolute humidity outside the vehicle is added to the total absolute humidity expelled by the vehicle occupants to arrive at a total vehicle cabin absolute humidity.

Abstract: In a vehicular air conditioning apparatus, a first blower unit is connected by a connection duct to a side portion of a casing constituted by respective air passages, and a second blower unit separate from the first blower unit is connected to a lower portion of the casing. The first blower unit adjusts an inflow rate of external air by means of an adjustment damper, which is disposed to face toward an opening of a duct, and the external air flows into the casing through an intake damper.

Abstract: In a vehicular air conditioning apparatus, a first blower unit is connected by a connection duct to a side portion of a casing having respective air passages defined therein, and a second blower unit separate from the first blower unit is connected to a lower portion of the casing. In addition, air that is supplied to the interior of the casing from the first blower unit and air that is supplied to the interior of the casing from the second blower unit are prevented from mixing together mutually inside the casing by first and second ribs, and by ribs, which are formed respectively to face toward an evaporator and a heater core.

Abstract: In a vehicular air conditioning apparatus, a connection duct connects a first blower unit having a first blower fan to a side of a casing forming air passages, whereas a second blower unit having a second blower fan, different from the first blower unit, is connected to a lower portion of the casing. By driving the first blower fan and second blower fan simultaneously, air is supplied to a vehicle compartment from the first blower unit and the second blower unit through inside the casing. A controller controls the driving of the first blower fan and the second blower fan.

Abstract: A blower unit for a vehicle HVAC system, which is operable in one of a fresh air mode, a recirculation air mode and a mixture mode, comprises a housing defining an exterior fresh air intake aperture and an interior recirculation air intake aperture. A suction passage is in communication with both the exterior and interior air intake apertures. A first door is operably associated with the exterior air intake aperture for selectively opening and closing the exterior air intake aperture. A second door operably associated with the interior air intake aperture for selectively opening and closing the interior air intake aperture. The first and second doors are movable independent of each other. A partition is located in the suction passage for at least partially dividing the suction passage. The partition is selectively engaged by at least one of the first and second doors depending on the mode of the HVAC system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for operating a vehicle HVAC system includes detecting an elevated risk of water splash expulsion from an evaporator through a vent outlet and controlling a voltage supplied to at least one blower of the vehicle HVAC system to reduce a risk of water splash expulsion if the elevated risk is detected. Water splash risk is determined in view of a voltage supplied to a subject blower, a vehicle tilt angle, and a condensation risk or value. The condensation risk or value is determined in view of a window open/close value, a temperature value, and a humidity value. Each of these factors are, either independently or in combination, compared with a corresponding threshold value to determine if the water splash risk warrants voltage control.

Abstract: A front and rear integrated vehicle HVAC system includes a front HVAC portion with a front blower and a front vent outlet, and a rear HVAC portion with a rear blower and a rear vent outlet. The system includes a controller that determines a minimum voltage to be supplied to the rear blower to prevent an inverse air flow from being expelled from the rear outlet and/or a rear blower air intake. A voltage supplied to the rear blower is then set as the greater of the minimum rear blower voltage and a current rear blower voltage. The inverse air flow is air flow in the front HVAC portion generated by the front blower and intended for the front vent outlet that seeps into the rear HVAC portion and is expelled from the rear vent outlet and/or the rear blower air intake.

Abstract: An HVAC system for a vehicle includes a housing, a front HVAC unit with a front blower, and rear HVAC unit with a rear blower. The front and rear HVAC units are housed in the housing. The front blower generates an airflow through a front airflow path and the rear blower generates an airflow through a rear airflow path. A separating wall separates the front airflow path from the rear airflow path. The HVAC system further includes an evaporator with a first portion and a second portion. When the rear blower is switched to an OFF position, the rear HVAC unit automatically operates the rear blower at a minimum voltage so as to continue to generate airflow through the second portion of the evaporator.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically operating an HVAC fan for an automotive vehicle is provided where the vehicle includes an occupant detection system and an HVAC system including an HVAC computer. The user sets the heating/cooling temperature of the HVAC system to maximum and then sets the HVAC system to an automatic mode. The occupant detection system determines if there is at least one occupant inside the vehicle. The HVAC computer then automatically operates the HVAC fan based on a response from the occupant detection system.

Abstract: In a heater core that constitutes part of a vehicular air conditioning apparatus, a plurality of first and second tubes are provided through which heated water flows through the interior thereof, and fins having louvers therein are disposed between the first and second tubes. Further, the heater core is equipped with a first heating section, which faces toward a first front passage through which air from a first blower unit flows, and a second heating section, which faces toward a first rear passage through which air from a second blower unit flows. Between the first heating section and the second heating section, a partitioning fin is disposed for blocking communication of air mutually between the first and second heating sections. Additionally, the first and second tubes are arranged in parallel to the direction in which the partitioning fin extends.

Abstract: A vehicle heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system includes front and rear HVAC systems. A controller receives data from front and rear control panels and controls the front and rear HVAC systems. Actuating a rear manual button on the front control panel allows control of the rear HVAC system via the rear control. Engine coolant temperature is used to judge if the vehicle has been inoperative for a long time. If the vehicle has not been inoperative for long, and the rear manual button was actuated prior to the vehicle shut down, rear manual control over the rear HVAC system is enabled. If the vehicle has been inoperative for a long time, or if the rear manual button was not actuated immediately prior to vehicle shut down, rear manual control is not enabled, thereby preventing operation of the rear HVAC system by the rear control panel.