Discharge air temperature control device having reference temperature control function for air conditioning system for automotive vehicles
First Claim
1. A discharge air control device for use in an air conditioning system for automotive engines, the air conditioning system including a compressor, an electrical circuit for driving said compressor, an evaporator core operatively connected to said compressor, a heater core arranged at a location downstream of said evaporator core, a passage by-passing said heater core, and a pivotable air-mix damper disposed to guide an air flow from said evaporator core, respectively, through said by-pass passage alone at a first angular position thereof, through said heater core along at a second angular position thereof, and through both said by-pass passage and said heater core at a position between said first angular position and said second angular position,said discharge air control device comprising:
- lever means coupled to said air-mix damper for controlling the angular position of said air-mix damper, said lever means being disposed to hold said air-mix damper at said first angular position when said lever means is angularly displaced within a first angular range, and to allow said air-mix damper to be pivoted in a continuous manner within a range between said first angular position and said second angular position when said lever means is angularly displaced within a second angular range;
a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of said air flow from said evaporator core;
switch means coupled to said temperature sensor and operable to close said electrical circuit to actuate said compressor when said temperature sensor produces an output signal exceeding a value corresponding to a predetermined reference value of said air flow temperature, and to open said electrical circuit to render said compressor inoperative when said temperature sensor produces an output which is below a value corresponding to said reference value of said air flow temperature; and
means responsive to a change in the angular position of said lever means to vary said reference value of said air flow temperature.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A discharge air temperature control device which is provided in an air conditioning system for automotive vehicles, the device comprising a lever assembly for adjusting the angular position of an air-mix damper, a driving circuit for driving the compressor of the air conditioning system, and a switching device for opening or closing the driving circuit in response to an air flow temperature signal supplied from a temperature sensor, characterized in that means is provided which is responsive to a change in the angular position of the lever assembly to vary a reference temperature value with reference to which the switching device opens or closes the driving circuit. The frequency of actuation of the compressor can thus be reduced to thereby save energy to be consumed by the air conditioning system. Further provided is means for selectively changing the above-mentioned reference temperature value into two levels which vary at different rates of variation relative to a change in the angular position of the lever assembly. Provision of this reference temperature changing means permits interruption of the operation of the compressor driving circuit when dehumidifying operation is not required, thus further saving energy to be consumed by the air conditioning system.
35 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A discharge air control device for use in an air conditioning system for automotive engines, the air conditioning system including a compressor, an electrical circuit for driving said compressor, an evaporator core operatively connected to said compressor, a heater core arranged at a location downstream of said evaporator core, a passage by-passing said heater core, and a pivotable air-mix damper disposed to guide an air flow from said evaporator core, respectively, through said by-pass passage alone at a first angular position thereof, through said heater core along at a second angular position thereof, and through both said by-pass passage and said heater core at a position between said first angular position and said second angular position,
said discharge air control device comprising: -
lever means coupled to said air-mix damper for controlling the angular position of said air-mix damper, said lever means being disposed to hold said air-mix damper at said first angular position when said lever means is angularly displaced within a first angular range, and to allow said air-mix damper to be pivoted in a continuous manner within a range between said first angular position and said second angular position when said lever means is angularly displaced within a second angular range; a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of said air flow from said evaporator core; switch means coupled to said temperature sensor and operable to close said electrical circuit to actuate said compressor when said temperature sensor produces an output signal exceeding a value corresponding to a predetermined reference value of said air flow temperature, and to open said electrical circuit to render said compressor inoperative when said temperature sensor produces an output which is below a value corresponding to said reference value of said air flow temperature; and means responsive to a change in the angular position of said lever means to vary said reference value of said air flow temperature. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification