SELECTOR/PROGRAMMER ASSEMBLY FOR AUTOMATIC TEMPERATURE CONTROL

• US 3,731,729 A
• Filed: 02/07/1972
• Issued: 05/08/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lewis E. Dresch, Paul K. Beatenbough, Walter W. Weiss, Ward H. Hutchins
• Original Assignee: Lewis E. Dresch, Paul K. Beatenbough, Walter W. Weiss, Ward H. Hutchins
• Inventors: Beatenbough, Paul K., Dresch, Lewis E., Hutchins, Ward H., Weiss, Walter W.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Dea, William F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferguson, Peter D.
• Application Number:
  US05/223,904
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: 237/2A,12.3A 137/625.21 165/42,16
• US Class Current: 165/204
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00864 Ventilators and damper doors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86638 Rotary valve

Abstract

An automatic temperature control system for heating and cooling an automobile passenger compartment including temperature responsive means for positioning a heat regulating member, damper means in passages for directing air into the passenger compartment through alternate outlets, vacuum motors for moving said dampers between operative positions and an integral vacuum selector assembly for routing vacuum pressure to the vacuum motors. The vacuum selector assembly includes valves mounted upon a multilayered member formed of parallel plates fastened to one another and having vacuum passages therebetween formed by channels in the plates which are alternately interconnected in response to rotation of the vacuum selector valve. A multi-speed blower is controlled by several switches mounted upon a base which is spaced from the adjacent plates. Small vacuum actuators formed on one of the plates operate the electric switches to effect changes in the blower speed in response to rotation of the selector valves.

Claims

1. An automatic temperature control system for heating and cooling an automobile passenger compartment comprising:

a plurality of vacuum operated motors operably connected to air doors for transmitting air from said passenger compartment, through heating and cooling means and selectively to different outlets opening into the passenger compartment;

means including a pivotal air mix door which proportions air flow between a heater and a bypass around the heater for regulating the temperature of air introduced into the passenger compartment;

air blower means driven by an electric motor which is adapted to be operated at different speeds for varying the quantity of air flowing into said passenger compartment;

an integral vacuum pressure and electrical switching assembly for alternately applying vacuum pressure to said vacuum motors to effect a predetermined air flow into said passenger compartment;

said switching assembly also adapted to selectively apply vacuum pressure to vacuum actuators which operate electrical switches for varying the rotational speed of said blower motor;

said assembly including a plurality of adjacent plates lying parallel to one another;

passages formed between said plates by channels in said plates for transmitting vacuum pressure;

a first vacuum switch including a rotor with a grooved face adapted to engage the surface of one of said plates for alternately interconnecting said channel passages as said rotor is rotated against said plate;

a second vacuum switch including a rotor with a grooved face adapted to engage the surface of one of said plates for alternately interconnecting said channel passages as said rotor is rotated against said plate;

said first and second vacuum switches being coactive with said channels to selectively direct vacuum pressure to said vacuum motors and vacuum actuators for effecting desired air flow into said passenger compartment and for producing a predetermined blower speed;

an arm operatively connecting said second rotor to said air mix door for pivoting said door into its operative positions as said second rotor is rotated;

means responsive to the temperature of air in the passenger compartment including a bimetal member and an air bleed valve coactive to generate a variable vacuum pressure in one of said vacuum motors which rotates said second rotor and said connected air mix door;

a vacuum pressure regulating valve remotely moved manually from the passenger compartment for generating a variable vacuum pressure in another of said vacuum motors to effect rotation of said first rotor in response to movement of a control member.

2. An automatic temperature control system for heating and cooling an automobile passenger compartment comprising:

a plurality of vacuum operated motors operably connected to air doors for transmitting air from said passenger compartment, through heating and cooling means and selectively to different outlets opening into the passenger compartment;

means including a pivotal air mix door which proportions air flow between a heater and a bypass around the heater for regulating the temperature of air introduced into the passenger compartment;

means responsive to the temperature of air in said passenger compartment for positioning said air mix door to effect a preselected air temperature;

air blower means driven by an electric motor which is adapted to be operated at different speeds for varying the quantity of air flowing into said passenger compartment;

an integral vacuum pressure and electrical switching assembly for alternately applying vacuum pressure to said vacuum motors to effect a predetermined air flow into said passenger compartment;

said switching assembly also adapted to selectively apply vacuum pressure to vacuum actuators which operate electrical switches in an adjacent circuit board for varying the rotational speed of said blower motor;

said assembly including a plurality of adjacent plates lying parallel to one another;

passages formed between said plates by channels in said plates for transmitting vacuum pressure ports through said plates for interconnecting said channels with the surface of one of said plates;

vacuum switches including rotors having grooved faces adapted to engage said surface of said one plate for interconnecting said ports and channels as said rotors are rotated against said one plate;

said vacuum switches coacting with said channels to selectively direct vacuum pressure to said vacuum motors and vacuum actuators for effecting desired air flow into said passenger compartment and for producing a predetermined blower speed;

an arm connecting one of said rotors and said air mix door for pivoting said door into its operative positions as said rotor is rotated.

3. In an automatic temperature control system for heating and cooling an automobile passenger compartment of the type having vacuum operated motors for positioning air doors and a variable speed electric motor driven blower for passing air through heating and cooling means, a vacuum and electrical switching assembly comprising:

a plurality of flat plates extending parallel to one another and fastened together to form a multilayer member;

channels in said plates and between adjacent plates which form vacuum pressure transmitting passages therebetween;

a source of vacuum pressure connected to said channels;

a rotary type vacuum switch including a disc shaped rotor with an end surface adapted to engage and be rotated against a surface of said multilayered member;

said disc shaped rotor formed from a cylindrical metal base with elastomeric material molded on its end surface in the form of semi-annular channels for transmitting vacuum pressure as said rotor is pivoted against the surface of said multilayered member;

ports in said multilayered member extending between said channels and said end surface of said multilayered member;

said rotor end surface having channels formed therein for interconnecting said ports as said rotor is pivoted against said multilayered member;

vacuum actuators formed on said multilayered member by annular walls extending normal to its surface and covered by flexible diaphragms which with the annular walls define an enclosure;

ports in said multilayered member extending between said actuator enclosures and said rotor end surface for conveying vacuum pressure thereto in response to rotation of said rotor;

an electrical circuit board supported parallel to said multilayered member and spaced therefrom including a plurality of electrical switches with portions adjacent said actuator diaphragms for causing operation of said switches in response to vacuum pressure applied to said actuator by said rotor;

conductors in said circuit board connected to the terminals of said electrical switches and electric resistors for energizing said blower motors and selectively varying the blower speed;

a control assembly remotely located from said switching assembly for manual operation by an occupant of the automobile and connected to said rotor by push-pull wire means for pivotally positioning said rotor and thus selectively interconnecting said ports, channels, vacuum source and actuators to control the temperature and quantity of air into the passenger compartment.

4. In an automatic temperature control system for heating and cooling an automobile passenger compartment of the type having vacuum operated motors for positioning air doors and a variable speed electric motor driven blower for passing air through heating and cooling means, a vacuum and electrical switching assembly comprising:

a plurality of flat plates extending parallel to one another and fastened together to form a multilayer member;

channels in said plates and between adjacent plates which form vacuum pressure transmitting passages therebetween;

a source of vacuum pressure connected to said channels;

a rotary type vacuum switch including a disc shaped rotor with an end surface adapted to engage and be rotated against a surface of said multilayered member;

said disc shaped rotor formed from a cylindrical metal base with elastomeric material molded on its end surface in the form of semi-annular channels for transmitting vacuum pressure as said rotor is pivoted against the surface of said multilayered member;

ports in said multilayered member extending between said channels and said end surface of said multilayered member;

vacuum actuators formed on said multilayered member by annular walls extending normal to its surface and covered by flexible diaphragms which with the annular walls define an enclosure;

ports in said multilayered member extending between said actuator enclosures and said rotor end surface for conveying vacuum pressure thereto in response to rotation of said rotor;

an electrical circuit board supported parallel to said multilayered member and spaced therefrom including a plurality of electrical switches with portions adjacent said actuator diaphragms for causing operation of said switches in response to vacuum pressure applied to said actuator by said rotor;

conductors in said circuit board connected to the terminals of said electrical switches and electric resistors for energizing said blower motor and selectively varying the blower speed;

a control assembly remotely located from said switching assembly for manual operation by an occupant of the automobile and connected to said rotor by push-pull wire means for pivotally positioning said rotor and thus selectively interconnecting said ports, channels, vacuum source and actuators to control the temperature and quantity of air into the passenger compartment.