Heater with adjustable mix regulating damper for bilevel operation

• US 4,356,965 A
• Filed: 10/01/1980
• Issued: 11/02/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Sakai, Masayuki, Matsushima, Katsuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Makay, Albert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bennett, Henry
• Application Number:
  US06/192,916
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 237/12.3 A, 237/12.3 B, 237/46, 236/13, 236/87, 236/91 F, 165/42, 165/43, 98/2.05
• US Class Current: 237/12.30B
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00064 for sending air streams of different temperatures into the passenger compartment

Abstract

An air treatment assembly through which flows an air flow. The air flow is introduced into a ducting system, at an intermediate part of which a heater element is mounted. A first damper upstream of the heater divides the air flow into a first air flow portion passing through the heater and a second air flow portion bypassing the heater. First and second air outlets downstream of the heater element pass air out of the ducting system. A second damper, downstream of the heater element and upstream of the outlets, is movable between a first position in which it hinders the first and second air flows from mixing, so that the air passed out from the first outlet is primarily air from the first air flow, and the air passed out from the second outlet is primarily air from the second air flow; and a second position, in which it does not substantially hinder mixing of the first and second air flows, which meet downstream of the heater and mix well before being passed out from the air outlets.

Claims

1. An air treatment assembly for treating and controlling an air flow, comprising:

a ducting system, into an upstream portion of which said air flow is introduced;

a heater element mounted at an intermediate portion of said ducting system;

a first damper mounted in said ducting system upstream of said heater element, which divides said air flow into a first air flow portion which passes through said heater element, and a second air flow portion which does not pass through said heater element;

a second damper, mounted in said ducting system upstream of said first and second air outlets and downstream of said heater element, which is movable between;

a first position, wherein;

it divides said first and second air flow portions and hinders them from mixing with one another, said first air flow portion passing past one side of said second damper, and said second air flow portion passing past the other side of said second damper;

and a second position, wherein;

said second damper does not substantially hinder mixing of said first air flow portion with said second air flow portion;

said first air flow portion and said second air flow portion meeting downstream of said heater element and mixing substantially completely;

a wall member with an aperture therein, which traverses said ducting system closely downstream of said second damper, said aperture having first and second aperture portions shifted relative to one another in the direction of movement of said second damper so that, when said second damper is in said first position, said first aperture portion is aligned with said one side of said second damper so as principally to receive said first air flow portion, while said second aperture portion is aligned with said other side of said second damper so as principally to receive said second air flow portion and,

first and second air outlets from said ducting system downstream of said wall member, said first outlet being arranged so as principally to pass an air flow from said first aperture portion, and said second outlet being arranged so as principally to pass an air flow from said second aperture portion;

whereby;

when said heater element is providing heat to said first air flow portion, by moving said second damper between its said first position and its said second position, primarily warmed air may be obtained from said first air outlet and primarily unwarmed air may be obtained from said second air outlet, or alternatively, when said second damper is in its said second position, air of approximately the same temperature may be obtained from both said first air outlet and said second air outlet.

2. An air treatment assembly according to claim 1, wherein said first damper is movable through a range of positions for varying the relative flow amounts of said first air flow portion and said second air flow portion;

whereby the overall temperature levels of the air flowing out through said first air outlet and of the air flowing out through said second air outlet may be altered by said movement of said first damper.

3. An air treatment assembly according to claim 2, wherein said first damper is movable to a first position wherein it substantially completely interrupts said first air flow portion, and is also movable to a second position, wherein it substantially completely interrupts said second air flow portion;

whereby, by moving said first damper to its said first position, it is possible to obtain a flow of substantially totally unheated air through said first air outlet and through said second air outlet, and, by moving said first damper to its said second position, it is possible to obtain a flow of substantially totally heated air from said first air outlet and from said second air outlet.

4. An air treatment assembly according to any previous claim, wherein said second damper is movable in a continuously adjustable fashion through a range of positions between its said first position and its said second position;

whereby a graduated range of air flow conditions may be provided by the air treatment assembly, from the differentiated air flow condition provided when said second damper is in its first position, through a range of conditions of progressively less air flow temperature differentiation between said first air outlet and said second air outlet, to the substantially non-differentiated condition available when said second damper is in its said second position.

5. An air treatment assembly according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein said aperature is formed as two polygonal holes with one corner of one overlapped over one corner of the other, said two polygonal holes being shifted relative to one another in the direction of movement of said second damper as well as in the direction perpendicular to said direction of movement of said second damper.

6. An air treatment assembly according to claim 5, wherein said aperture is formed as a trapezium and a rectangle, one of the corners of the trapezium being overlapped with one corner of the rectangle, and one of the trapezium and the rectangle being lower and displaced to one side of the other.