Heating And Cooling Patents (Class 165/42)
  • Publication number: 20110094725
    Abstract: A thermal-protection apparatus disposed in a vehicle cabin or storage compartment includes a housing enveloping a chamber in which a thermally-sensitive consumer electronic device is received, a thermoelectric module mounted in a wall of the housing, and a remote electronic controller and power source coupled to the housing via an electrical cable for activating the thermoelectric module, and optionally the consumer electronic device, in a manner to prevent the temperature in the chamber from exceeding a prescribed maximum operating temperature of the consumer electronic device or falling below a prescribed minimum operating temperature of the consumer electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2009
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Applicant: DELPHI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: TODD P. OMAN, CRAIG A. TIEMAN, MICHEL F. SULTAN, DALE L. PARTIN, BRUCE A. MYERS
  • Patent number: 7931075
    Abstract: In an air conditioner for a vehicle, a blower of a blower unit includes a double-axial motor having a rotation axis positioned approximately in a vehicle top-bottom direction, a pair of centrifugal fans located at two sides of the double-axial motor in an axial direction, and a pair of scroll casings in which the centrifugal fans are accommodated, respectively. The two air outlet portions are arranged in the vehicle top-bottom direction, and are adjacent to be joined to an air inlet portion of the air conditioning unit, substantially as a single air outlet. Furthermore, the two air outlet portions are located approximately at the same height position as that of the air passing portion of the cooling heat exchanger, and have a height dimension (H2) at its downstream end side that is approximately equal to a height dimension (H1) of the air passing portion of the cooling heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Ito, Yoshihiro Goto, Yoshihiko Okumura
  • Patent number: 7931074
    Abstract: A heat exchanger includes tubes which are arranged in parallel and through which a fluid for heating air flows. Fins which are joined to the tubes. The tubes and the fins are arranged to form three or more heating parts and at least two bypass passages each of which is provided between adjacent heating parts, through which the air passes without exchanging heat with the thermal fluid. First and second tank parts are arranged at two longitudinal ends of the tubes and extend across the bypass passages and the heating parts. The bypass passages and the heating parts are arranged perpendicular to an air flow direction. The heating heat exchanger is disposed in an air conditioning case down stream from an evaporator. The air conditioning case is separated into two air outlets. Cold air from the bypass passages and hot air from the heating parts are mixed prior to being blown through the air outlets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Kouji Itou
  • Patent number: 7931209
    Abstract: Described herein is a system for controlling an air-conditioning system within an environment, in particular the passenger compartment of a vehicle, said system comprising a plurality of sensors designed to detect quantities representing the thermal comfort of the occupants and an electronic control unit (ECU), which calculates, on the basis of said quantities, a temperature indicating the thermal comfort of the occupants of the environment, on the basis of which the actuator devices of the air-conditioning system are driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Stefano Mola, Carloandrea Malvicino
  • Publication number: 20110088880
    Abstract: In a heater core that constitutes part of a vehicular air conditioning apparatus, first and second fins having louvers therein are arranged between a plurality of tubes. The first fins are disposed on a first heating section, which faces toward a first front passage through which air from a first blower unit flows, whereas the second fins are disposed on a second heating section, which faces toward a first rear passage through which air from a second blower unit flows. Further, as a boundary portion between the first heating section and the second heating section, partitioning fins, which do not contain any louvers therein, are disposed separately from the first and second fins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2009
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Applicant: KEIHIN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takahiro Seto
  • Patent number: 7926551
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a heater core and an air conditioner for an automobile equipped with the same, in which an amount of cooling water introduced into the heater core can be adjusted based on a temperature set by a user, thereby increasing a cooling and heating efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Halla Climate Control Corp.
    Inventor: Seong Seok Han
  • Publication number: 20110073273
    Abstract: In an evaporator that constitutes part of a vehicular air conditioning apparatus, first fins having louvers therein are arranged between first and second tubes. Together therewith, a second fin, which does not have any louvers therein, is provided at a boundary portion between a first cooling section, which faces toward a first front passage through which air from a first blower unit flows, and a second cooling section, which faces toward a first rear passage through which air from a second blower unit flows. In addition, air is supplied to the interior of a casing from the first blower unit and is cooled by the first cooling section, which is partitioned by the second fin, whereas air supplied from the second blower unit passes through the second cooling section, which is partitioned from the first cooling section by the second fin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicant: KEIHIN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takahiro Seto
  • Patent number: 7913746
    Abstract: An air conditioning arrangement for a work vehicle having a cabin includes: a hood disposed forwardly of the cabin; an air conditioning unit housed in the hood forwardly of the cabin; and a dashboard provided in a front portion in the cabin. The air conditioning unit includes a rear duct for delivering conditioned air rearward and a front duct having a portion for delivering conditioned air frontward. The front duct further has a portion extending rearward under the air conditioning unit. The dashboard includes an upper outlet, a defrost outlet and a lower outlet. Each of the upper outlet, the defrost outlet and the lower outlet is communicated with either one of the front duct and the rear duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshimi Hirooka, Shoichiro Kawamura, Masaki Hayashi
  • Patent number: 7905278
    Abstract: A vehicular air conditioner having an air conditioner case including an air mix area, where a defroster opening, a front seat vent opening, a foot opening, and a back seat vent opening are located on the air conditioner case and configured to open and close the air mix area. A defroster door is configured to open and close the defroster opening. A vent foot switching door is configured to open and close the foot opening and the front seat vent opening selectively. A foot door is configured to open and close the foot opening. A back seat vent door is configured to open and close the back set vent opening. The back seat vent opening is positioned in a vicinity of the foot opening and the back seat vent door and the foot door are downstream from the vent foot switching door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Sato, Ryuji Tsukuda
  • Patent number: 7903414
    Abstract: An air volume control module for use with a vehicular air conditioning apparatus includes a circuit board including a control circuit for controlling the rotational speed of the blower of the vehicular air conditioning apparatus, a heat sink connected to the circuit board and including a fin for radiating heat generated by the circuit board, and a base housing surrounding the circuit board, the heat sink being inserted in the base housing with the fin projecting from the base housing. The base housing is mounted on the heat sink only by a locking finger. Either one of the base housing and the fin of the heat sink has a protective projection having a heightwise dimension greater than that of the locking finger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignees: Keihin Corporation, Fujikura Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Nishiyashiki, Michinori Hatada
  • Publication number: 20110048671
    Abstract: In an air conditioner for a vehicle with an equipment controlled in accordance with a traveling state of the vehicle, a first heater is disposed to heat air to be blown into a vehicle compartment by using a coolant of the equipment as a heat source, and a second heater is adapted as an auxiliary heater to further heat the air heated by the first heater. A heating capacity of the first heater is controlled such that a temperature of the equipment is approached to a predetermined temperature when the thermal fluid after passing through the first heater returns the equipment, and a heating capacity of the second heater is controlled such that a temperature of air to be blown into the vehicle compartment becomes a desired temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michio Nishikawa, Nobuharu Kakehashi
  • Patent number: 7891409
    Abstract: Noise occurring in an upright air-conditioning unit is greatly reduced. An upright air-conditioning unit 1 is disposed under a steering member support part 23, a vent opening 15 and a vent outlet port 20 are made to communicate with each other via a vent duct 25, a defrost opening 16 and a defrost outlet port 21 are made to communicate with each other via a defrost duct 26. The vent opening 15 assumes a position further frontward than the steering member support part 23 along the frontward/rearward direction relative to the vehicle body whereas the defrost opening 16 assumes a position further rearward than the steering member support part 23 along the frontward/rearward direction relative to the vehicle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Valeo Thermal Systems Japan Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke Araki, Hiroshi Tsuzuki, Yoshihiro Sekiya, Keisuke Hara
  • Patent number: 7886814
    Abstract: In an air conditioner constructed to pass an air introduced into an air conditioning unit through an evaporator and a heater core both arranged in the unit, cooler pipes for the evaporator and heater pipes for the heater core are arranged to extend from the same side wall of the air conditioning unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Japan Climate Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Takehiro Yamamoto, Tadashi Okamoto, Hideaki Yasuda, Hiroshi Mayumi, Morihito Tsukuda, Kenichiro Higashi, Keiji Koga, Yoshinori Aono
  • Patent number: 7878235
    Abstract: A vehicle rear air conditioner includes an air conditioning case connected with a blower and having a face vent, a floor vent and a vent door for controlling opening and closing of the vents. An evaporator and a heater core are embedded in the air conditioning case and a temperature control door controls opening and closing of a cold and a hot air passageway. The rear air conditioner includes a passageway member in order to discharge part of air flowing through the cold air passageway or the hot air passageway toward one of the vents. The passageway member has an inlet for inducing the part of air and an outlet for discharging the part of air and the vent door includes at least one interference preventing part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Halla Climate Control Corp.
    Inventors: Min-Woo Park, Hyung-Joo Kim
  • Patent number: 7870892
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system for controlling the climate of a hybrid vehicle. The system includes a thermoelectric module, a heat exchanger, a pump, and a valve. The thermoelectric module includes thermoelectric elements powered by electric energy. The thermoelectric elements emit or absorb heat energy based on the polarity of the electrical energy provided. A tube containing coolant runs proximate the thermoelectric elements. To aid in the transfer of heat energy, a blower is provided to generate an air flow across the thermoelectric elements and the tube. The coolant is provided from the thermoelectric module to a heat exchanger that heats or cools the air flow provided to the cabin of the vehicle. The pump and valve are in fluid communication with the heat exchanger and thermoelectric module. The pump pressurizes the coolant flow through the tube and coolant lines. In a cooling mode, the valve is configured to selectively bypass the engine coolant system of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: BSST LLC
    Inventor: Peter R. Gawthrop
  • Patent number: 7856841
    Abstract: An air conditioning system for an automobile prevents leakage of condensed water by locating two drain parts respectively on an air conditioning case and a protective cover having a drain structure beneath the air conditioning case. A drain hose, connected to and communicating with the drain parts, discharges the condensed water to the outside of the automobile without dispersion of the condensed water by forming a condensed water discharge pipe positioned on the protective cover. The protective cover, mounted on the bottom surface of the air conditioning case, surrounds the inflow and outflow pipes and has an auxiliary drain part formed at a side thereof. The drain hose connects the drain part of the air conditioning case with the auxiliary drain part of the protective cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Halla Climate Control Corp.
    Inventors: Young-Cheol Kim, Yong-Sik Kim
  • Patent number: 7857041
    Abstract: A rotary door for a vehicle air conditioner includes a rotation shaft, a door surface that is spaced from an axial line of the rotation shaft radially outside and is rotated integrally with the rotation shaft, and a seal portion provided at a peripheral end portion of the door surface. The door surface has a first door face at a center portion, and a second door face positioned at left and right sides of the first door face. The second door face has a radial dimension from the axial line, that is smaller than that of the first door face so as to form a door outer peripheral space between the seal portion of the second door face and a seal rib of an air conditioning case. Furthermore, the second door face is provided with an air guide plate extending radial outside for guiding air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Fukagawa, Kazuya Niimi
  • Patent number: 7845391
    Abstract: Sharp bends in a defrost duct extending from a defrost outlet to a windshield, and in a face duct extending from a face outlet to both sides of a front passenger seat, are eliminated and the duct resistance of these ducts is reduced. Moreover collision safety of passengers is improved, and an interior space of a vehicle is expanded forward. In an air-conditioning unit to be positioned to the front of a front seat of a vehicle, an evaporator is positioned below and behind a blower, and a heater core is positioned below and in front of the blower. Preferably the air-conditioning unit is of a crushable structure wherein, in the event of a vehicle collision, a wall of the main cover behind the evaporator is broken, or component parts housed within the main cover are moved, to thereby absorb the impact energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuhide Kawahara, Soichiro Fujita
  • Publication number: 20100294455
    Abstract: A system for heating and cooling a vehicle includes a solar panel disposed on a surface of a vehicle and a thermoelectric unit i) disposed on or in an internal surface disposed in a cabin area of the vehicle, and ii) operatively connected to the solar panel. The thermoelectric unit is configured to heat and/or cool the internal surface in response to electric current applied thereto from the solar panel. The system further includes a control unit operatively associated with the thermoelectric unit. The control unit is configured to determine the amount and direction of the electric current to be applied to the thermoelectric unit based on i) a measured ambient temperature, ii) a measured temperature of the internal surface, and iii) a user-preferred reference temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2009
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Jihui Yang, Mark W. Verbrugge, Gregory A. Major
  • Patent number: 7832464
    Abstract: An independent mixing valve sub-assembly which includes a casing defining a cold bias inlet, a hot bias inlet and a second zone inlet and a mechanism for mechanically attaching the casing to the housing of a HVAC module with the cold bias inlet, the hot bias inlet and the second zone inlet of the mixing valve sub-assembly in sealing engagement with a cold bias outlet, a hot bias outlet, and a second zone outlet of a HVAC module, respectively. The mixing valve sub-assembly may provide one or more streams of temperature-controlled air. Accordingly, different mixing valve sub-assemblies may be attached to one universal HVAC module to provide varying numbers of temperature zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Charles Kinmartin, Garrett Wade Hoehn, Ardeean Scoccia, Debashis Ghosh
  • Publication number: 20100281901
    Abstract: In an air conditioner for a vehicle, in a heating operation for heating a vehicle compartment, when heating capacity is obtained by flowing a coolant through an inside of an indoor heat exchanger, the coolant flows directly in the inside of the indoor heat exchanger to heat air to be supplied to the vehicle compartment. In contrast, when the heating capacity is not obtained by flowing the coolant through the inside of the indoor heat exchanger, the coolant flows through a first water-refrigerant heat exchanger and a refrigerant in a heat pump cycle circulates so that heat of the coolant is absorbed by the refrigerant in the first water-refrigerant heat exchanger, and the air is heated in the indoor heat exchanger by using heat of the refrigerant that has absorbed the heat of the coolant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2010
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Applicant: Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kawase, Yukikatsu Ozaki, Mitsuo Inagaki
  • Patent number: 7828050
    Abstract: A vehicle seat air-conditioner includes a seat on which an occupant sits, a seat temperature adjustment device that adjusts the temperature of a conditioned gas, a blower that supplies the conditioned gas to the seat, a seat covering layer provided on a surface of the seat and facing the seated occupant, and a flow channel provided on an underside of the seat covering layer that pass the conditioned gas that is introduced by the blower. The vehicle seat air-conditioner is adapted to convey heat of the conditioned gas to an occupant side of the seat covering layer by directly blowing out a portion of the introduced conditioned gas to the occupant side of the seat covering layer, and to perform heat exchange with the occupant side of the seat covering layer by circulating a portion of a remainder of the conditioned gas through the flow channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hidenori Esaki
  • Patent number: 7823631
    Abstract: A constructional unit for a heat exchanging device that includes at least one housing in which a gaseous medium is at least partially guided on a predetermined path, an inlet device for the gaseous medium, at least one first heat exchanging device, at least one second heat exchanging device, at least one controller that influences the direction of flow of the gaseous medium in at least some sections and that can be adjusted to at least two different positions, and an outlet device for the gaseous medium. In at least one first position of the first controller, substantially no portions of the gaseous medium are guided through the first heat exchanging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Behr France Rouffach SAS
    Inventor: Pierre Tonnelier
  • Patent number: 7823669
    Abstract: An electric motor radiator (34), a feeding mechanism (30), and a cooling oil circulation path (32) constitute a cooling mechanism that cools the electric motor (6) via an electric motor cooling oil that is a cooling medium. The electric motor radiator (34) forms a circulation path between the electric motor (6), and cooling of the electric motor (6) is performed via the electric motor cooling oil. A PCU radiator (44), a feeding mechanism (40) and a cooling water circulation path (42) constitute a cooling mechanism that cools a PCU (8) via a PCU cooling water that is a cooling medium. The PCU radiator (44) forms a circulation path between the PCU (8), and cooling of the PCU (8) is performed via the PCU cooling water. Further, the feeding mechanism (30, 40) operate by power received from a power storage portion (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Bandai, Tomonari Taguchi, Hideto Minekawa
  • Patent number: 7819178
    Abstract: A vehicular air conditioner includes a housing having a rear seat discharge passage for supplying mixed air to rear seats in a vehicle and a plurality of dividing ribs disposed in a face outlet which is open upwardly in the housing. Each of the dividing ribs has a communication path defined therein in the longitudinal direction thereof, the communication path being concave in confronting relation to the interior of the housing. Mixed air produced in a mixing portion in the housing is supplied from the face outlet to front seats in the vehicle. Part of the mixed air is supplied through the communication paths to the rear seat discharge passage, from which the mixed air is supplied to the rear seats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Keihin Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoaki Sawamukai, Shintaro Ikeda
  • Patent number: 7819171
    Abstract: An air conditioning system for providing air conditioning to the interior of an automotive vehicle with a mixing chamber designed to create, by controlled mixing of a warm and of a cool partial air flow, at least one warmer and one cooler air-conditionable air flow. The flow paths of the warm partial air flow and of the cool partial air flow intersect in the mixing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Alberternst, Michael Fietz, Graham R. Johnstone, Andrew William Rowntree, Graham Kirby
  • Patent number: 7814964
    Abstract: A rotatable electrically actuated valve having a spindle with axially spaced grooves and lands constructed and arranged to selectively connect an auxiliary air conditioning system to a truck cab while isolating the truck air conditioning system, and for connecting the truck air conditioning system to the truck cab, while isolating the auxiliary air conditioning system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Inventor: J. Rex Greer
  • Patent number: 7806172
    Abstract: An air-outlet mode selecting device includes first and second rotary doors. Each of the first and second rotary doors has rotary shafts separated from each other in an axial direction of the rotary shafts, an outer peripheral door surface that is provided at a position separated radial outward from the center line of the rotary shafts and is turned with the rotary shafts, and left and right side plates for connecting both ends in the axial direction of the outer peripheral surface and the rotary shafts. One of the first and second rotary doors opens and closes a specified opening among three openings and other rotary door opens and closes the remaining two openings among the three openings. Accordingly, door operation force and air flow resistance can be effectively reduced, and the size of the air-outlet mode selecting device can be effectively reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Seki, Yoshiharu Okawa, Takayuki Shimauchi
  • Publication number: 20100236769
    Abstract: A climate control system is configured to provide at least one of heating and cooling of air in an occupied space of a vehicle. The system includes a thermal energy storage device configured to receive heat from a waste heat source in the vehicle and a heat exchanger coupled between the thermal energy storage device and the occupied space of the vehicle by a coolant loop. The second heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat from at least one of the thermal energy storage device to the occupied space of the vehicle and the occupied space in the vehicle to the thermal energy storage device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2010
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Inventors: Dave Lyons, Paul Knauer, Justin Dobbs, Ethan Petersen
  • Patent number: 7798207
    Abstract: Cooled air introduced from an evaporator through a first passage in a housing is divided into laminar flows by a guide structure disposed on an air mixing door. The direction of flow of the cooled air is changed upwardly by guide walls of the guide structure and is further changed upwardly by first walls of the guide structure, after which the cooled air is introduced into a mixer. Heated air introduced from a heater core through a third passage is mixed with the cooled air in the mixer. The mixed air is delivered from a face discharge outlet, a defroster discharge outlet, or a foot discharge outlet into a passenger compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Keihin Corporation
    Inventor: Yuichi Tarukawa
  • Publication number: 20100229577
    Abstract: A climate control system may include a condenser, an evaporator, a compressor, a coolant circuit, and a heat exchanger. The evaporator may be in fluid communication with the condenser. The compressor may be in fluid communication with the condenser and the evaporator and may circulate a first fluid therebetween. The coolant circuit may include an engine, a radiator, and a second fluid circulating between the engine and the radiator. The heat exchanger may include a first fluid conduit and a second fluid conduit. The first fluid conduit may fluidly couple the compressor and the condenser. The second fluid conduit may fluidly couple the radiator and the engine. The heat exchanger may be configured to allow the second fluid to absorb heat from the first fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2009
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicants: DENSO International America, Inc., DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Kwangtaek Hong, Bryan Styles
  • Patent number: 7794314
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to prevent vibration of a sliding door within a guide groove through a fundamental review of the structures adopted in sliding door devices in the related art having a sliding door made to move along a direction intersecting an air flow path to control the flow rate or direction of air within the air flow path. The present invention is characterized in that a tension-applying means is disposed at a sliding unit of a sliding door, which is inserted at a guide groove formed on the inside of an air-conditioner case to apply tension between the sliding unit and the guide groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Valeo Thermal Systems Japan Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Sekiya, Yutaka Teruya, Toshio Tsubakida, Daisuke Araki
  • Patent number: 7793711
    Abstract: A vehicle air conditioner includes an air-conditioning ECU. The air-conditioning ECU performs a cooling mode operation in which air is cooled by an interior heat exchanger in a cooling refrigeration cycle. The air-conditioning ECU performs a heating mode operation, in which air is heated by the interior heat exchanger in a hot gas heater cycle. The air-conditioning ECU performs an air blowing operation in which air is blown toward an inner surface of a windshield of the vehicle without operating the compressor before performing a refrigerant collecting operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaya Ichikawa, Kazuhiro Togaru, Yoshihisa Tsuchiya, Ryoji Ehara
  • Patent number: 7793707
    Abstract: A fluid cooling device embodied as a modular unit includes a drive motor (10) driving a ventilation wheel (12) and a fluid pump (14) that supplies a first type of fluid into a fluid system, and leads to a heat exchanger (22) from which the fluid is redirected into the fluid system in a tempered manner. A second fluid pump (32) is used to extract a second type of fluid from the reservoir (30) and to supply the second type of fluid to a second fluid system, from which the second type of liquid is redirected towards the reservoir (30) in a guiding manner via the first heat exchanger (22) and the second heat exchanger (24). The second fluid pump enables different tempering operations to be carried out for separate fluid systems, using only one fluid cooling device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Hydac System GmbH
    Inventors: Winfried Klein, Andreas Welsch
  • Patent number: 7793706
    Abstract: An HVAC assembly including an HVAC case disposed in a passenger compartment of a vehicle includes a first air mix door. The first air mix door is movable between open and closed positions and adapted to adjust a temperature of air blown into a front passenger compartment. A second air mix door is movable between open and closed positions and adapted to adjust a temperature of air blown into a rear passenger compartment. The HVAC assembly further includes a motor and a mechanical linkage operably coupling the motor with the first and second air mix door whereby movement of the motor corresponds to movement of both the first and second air mix doors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: DENSO International America, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Archibald, Jason Hendry
  • Patent number: 7779900
    Abstract: Both an air mixing door (9) for the cold air for adjusting a passage area of the cold air passage (6); and an air mixing door (10) for the hot air for adjusting a passage area of the hot air passage (7) are composed of a sliding door for adjusting the passage area when the air mixing door (9) for the cold air and the air mixing door (10) for the hot air are slid in a direction perpendicular to the flow of air in both the passages (6, 7), and while one of the air mixing door (9) for the cold air and the air mixing door (10) for the hot air is maintaining one of the passages (6, 7) in a fully opened state, an operating position of the other door is adjusted so that a passage area of the other passage is adjusted and a temperature of the air blowing out into a vehicle compartment is adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Ito, Takahiro Tokunaga, Yoshihiko Okumura
  • Patent number: 7779639
    Abstract: A heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system for a hybrid vehicle is disclosed, the HVAC system including at least one thermoelectric device for providing supplemental heating and cooling for air supplied to a passenger compartment of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the HVAC system has at least a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit can be configured to remove heat from an electric side of a hybrid vehicle. The second circuit can be configured to remove heat from a fuel-fed side of a hybrid vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: BSST LLC
    Inventor: Lakhi Nandlal Goenka
  • Patent number: 7775453
    Abstract: A vehicle air-conditioner control system according to the present invention activates an air conditioner in response to a command from an air-conditioner remote controller before a passenger is onboard, controls the air conditioner based on a heat load detected by a heat load detector, controls the air conditioner to be set in a silent mode so as not to make the passenger feel uncomfortable due to an air-conditioning wind when a passenger-proximity determiner determines that the passenger is proximate to the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
    Inventor: Junichiro Hara
  • Publication number: 20100200556
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for heating an air flow, in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising a frame which extends substantially in a plane, at least one heating section, which is held on the frame and which can be traversed by a first, heatable partial air flow, with an electrical heating element, in particular PTC element, and with at least one flow resistance element which is arranged in the plane adjacent to the heating section and which is held on the frame and which can be traversed by a second, non-heatable partial air flow, wherein a flow means is provided on the device, by means of which flow means the two partial air flows are mixed downstream of the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2009
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Inventors: Erwan Gogmos, Christophe Schmittheisler, Mathieu Mougey, Pascal Miss, Michel Brun, Stephane Weingaertner, Nicolas Robin, Geoffrey Denny, Gerard Eckerlen
  • Publication number: 20100193174
    Abstract: There is provided an air-cooling structure fop a vehicle-mounted object capable of taking in a sufficient amount of air. The top end of an air suction part 36 is opened extremely near an air deflector 20 behind the air deflector 20. With this, an air flow W4 prevented from flowing to a vehicle compartment space 12 by the air deflector 20 is introduced to the top end of the air suction part 36 and flows into the interior of the air suction part 36. In this manner, the air flow W4 flowing at a speed corresponding to the running speed of a vehicle 10 flows into the interior of the air suction part 36, so that even though the air flow W4 is the outside air, the air flow W4 can effectively air-cool a battery 34 installed in a battery housing part 32.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2007
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Inventor: Atsuki Nemoto
  • Patent number: 7766247
    Abstract: A diesel/electric appliance for heating coolant within an auxiliary heater circuit and for heating potable water within a potable water circuit. The appliance includes a diesel powered auxiliary heater and a coolant jacket surrounding the burner of the auxiliary heater. Electrical resistance elements are immersed within the coolant jacket to maintain the temperature of the potable water circuit by transferring heat through a heat exchanger to the potable water circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: International Thermal Investments Ltd.
    Inventors: Bruce Conrad Wilnechenko, Edgar C. Robinson
  • Patent number: 7766078
    Abstract: An automotive vehicle air conditioning system has air introduced into an air conditioning case. The introduced air is always discharged to both sides of a passenger compartment regardless of the air conditioner mode while the air conditioning system maintains the amount of air discharged through defrost openings in a defrost mode. Air leakage between both sides of a mode door and the air conditioning case is effectively prevented by a cover carried by the mode door without additional sealing to improve air conditioning performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Halla Climate Control Corp.
    Inventors: Jong-Su Kim, Dae-Woong Lee
  • Publication number: 20100186924
    Abstract: In an accumulator including a vacuum heat-insulating layer 2 at the outer periphery of a liquid reserving portion 1, the liquid reserving portion 1 and the vacuum heat-insulating layer 2 are formed by stacking a plurality of tank constituting elements 10 composed of plate members of an identical cross-sectional shape. The liquid reserving portion 1 is composed of liquid reserving portion spaces 10f made to communicate by stacking the tank constituting element 10. The vacuum heat-insulating layer 2 is composed of heat insulating layer space 10e which are made to communicate by stacking the tank constituting elements 10 and are evacuated. The openings of the stacked tank constituting elements 10 at the both ends are closed with inlet and outlet cover plates 8 and 9.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2007
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Inventor: Jinichi Hiyama
  • Patent number: 7748441
    Abstract: A heating or air conditioning system is used for a motor vehicle. The heating or air conditioning system may have a housing which is composed of several housing segments. At least one housing segment may be embodied as an insertion part which is inserted into the remaining housing after the remaining housing is mounted in the motor vehicle. The insertion part may have at least one functional module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: BEHR GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Erich Litwing, Gebhard Schweizer, Jürgen Heilemann, Wolfgang Dieksander
  • Publication number: 20100155015
    Abstract: A HVAC assembly includes a temperature mixing valve that comprises a shaft, an upper paddle, a lower paddle, and a yielding means. The upper paddle and the lower paddle attach to the shaft. The yielding means applies a force to keep the upper paddle sealed to prevent cold air in a cold air inlet from entering a mixing zone and the lower paddle moves away from a shared sealing boundary over a predetermined angle of rotation before the upper paddle initially moves to allow cold air to enter the mixing zone. Movement of the lower paddle away from the shared sealing boundary allows cold air to enter a hot air inlet and admix with hot air to mix in the mixing zone to produce non-stratified air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Garrett Wade Hoehn
  • Patent number: 7730734
    Abstract: A cooling apparatus of a fuel cell vehicle in which a cooling efficiency of a fuel cell cooling heat exchanger located downstream of an air conditioner external heat exchanger does not decrease. (1) In the cooling apparatus, the air conditioner external heat exchanger and the fuel cell cooling heat exchanger are partially offset from each other so that a high-temperature portion of the air conditioner external heat exchanger is not overlapped with the fuel cell cooling heat exchanger in a front view taken from a front side of the vehicle. (2) A portion of the fuel cell cooling heat exchanger extending beyond an end of the air conditioner exterior heat exchanger opposite the high-temperature portion is disposed outside a fan shroud so as to be cooled by a vehicle-running wind only.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Hoshi, Susumu Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 7726142
    Abstract: There is a need for a compact and high capacity HVAC system for a vehicle cab. This need is met by a roof enclosed HVAC system. The system includes a roof upper panel, a roof lower panel, a fresh air duct communicated with a fresh air inlet exposed to an exterior of the cab, a recirculation air duct communicated with a recirculation air inlet exposed to an interior of the cab, and a conditioned air duct communicated with an air outlet exposed to the interior of the cab. An HVAC unit is mounted between the roof upper and lower panels. The HVAC unit includes a fan unit, a heater unit and an evaporator unit. The heater and evaporator units are concentrically arranged around and surrounding the fan unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: Eric Albert Keen
  • Patent number: 7726391
    Abstract: A vehicle air conditioner casing has defrost, face, and front seat floor vents variably communicating with a mixing chamber. Air passageways in the casing include an evaporator and heater core. A rear seat console vent communicates with a warm air passageway including the heater core and a cool air passageway through a console side cool air bypass passageway on the casing bottom surface, under the heater core. A front seat temperature adjusting door adjusts variably opens cool air passageway outlets and the warm air passageway with respect to the mixing chamber. A rear seat main temperature adjusting door variably opens warm air passageway inlets and the console side cool air bypass passageway. A rear seat auxiliary temperature variably adjusts the openings of warm air passageway outlets and the console cool air bypass passageway with respect to the rear seat console vent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Halla Climate Control Corp.
    Inventors: Yong-Eun Seo, Sang-Chul Byun, Sung-Ho Kang, Seong-Seok Han, Yong-Sang Kim
  • Patent number: 7708055
    Abstract: An air-conditioner housing comprising an evaporation device, a heating device, and a mixing chamber, out of which air flows to the rear footwell while serving to ventilate the rear passenger compartment. The air-conditioner housing also comprises an air control device that uses mixing flaps to control the air flowing via the evaporation device and the heating device into the mixing chamber. The air-conditioner housing has a separate stratification duct through which cool air can be guided into the ventilation area of the rear passenger compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: BEHR GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Evripidis Koukouravas
  • Patent number: 7707845
    Abstract: A climate control system (10) for a cab/berth of a vehicle, comprises a climate control circuit (12) in which a first refrigerant circulates between at least an energy accumulator (20) in which an accumulator refrigerant is in heat exchange with the first refrigerant, a radiator (22) in the cab/berth to adjust a temperature of the cab/berth, and a heat-exchange unit (23). A refrigeration circuit (14) is provided for submitting a second refrigerant to a refrigeration cycle. An evaporation stage (43) is in heat-exchange relation with the heat-exchange unit (23) of the climate control circuit (12) such that the second refrigerant absorbs heat from the first refrigerant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Groupe Énerstat Inc.
    Inventor: Stéphane Bilodeau