Auxiliary power system for vehicle air conditioner and heater

• US 4,531,379 A
• Filed: 10/14/1983
• Issued: 07/30/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert E. Diefenthaler Jr
• Original Assignee: Robert E. Diefenthaler Jr
• Inventors: Diefenthaler, Robert E. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): TANNER, HARRY B
• Application Number:
  US06/541,982
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 62/236, 62/243, 62/244, 62/323.1, 62/323.4, 60/313, 60/320, 60/714, 123/41.15, 123/341, 123/41.04, 123/41.05, 123/41.06, 123/DIG. 8, 165/43, 180/309, 180/69.6, 180/89.2, 180/68.1, 236/35.2, 236/35.3, 237/12.3 B, 237/12.3 C
• US Class Current: 62/236
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/3222 characterised by the compressor driving arrangements, e.g. clutches, transmissions or multiple drives B60H1/3208, B60H1/3226 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/3226 Self-contained devices, i.e. including own drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 9/00 Cooling having pertinent characteristics not provided for in, or of interest apart from, groups F01P1/00 - F01P7/00 profiting from waste heat of combustion-engine cooling F02G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 27/00 Machines, plants or systems, using particular sources of energy F25B30/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 123/08 Multiple engine units

Abstract

An auxiliary power system for an air conditioner and heater of a vehicle includes an auxiliary motor which is selectively connected by an electromagnetic clutch of a jack shaft assembly to drive the compressor of the vehicle'"'"'s air conditioner. The jack shaft assembly reduces the RPM of the auxiliary motor to an RPM suitable for operating the compressor. The auxiliary engine has a cooling system and an exhaust system which are respectively connected to the cooling and exhaust systems of the vehicle'"'"'s main engine. A baffle plate is provided at the point of connection to direct the flow of exhaust gases from the auxiliary engine into the exhaust system of the main engine. Solenoid actuated valves circulate coolant fluid from either the auxiliary or main engine to selectively heat water in a tank or to heat the interior of the passenger compartment of the vehicle. An auxiliary fan cools the condenser and radiator of the vehicle when the auxiliary engine is operating. Shroud doors are closed to direct the flow of air from the auxiliary fan when the main engine is not operating and are opened to bypass the auxiliary fan when the main engine is operating. The operational RPM of the auxiliary engine is maintained by a vacuum-actuated bellows which is spring-biased to control the movement of the throttle of the engine'"'"'s carburetor.

Claims

1. An integrated main and auxiliary power system for a vehicle, comprising:

an engine compartment;

a main internal combustion engine disposed in said compartment for moving said vehicle;

air conditioning means including a compressor means disposed in said compartment for cooling the interior of said vehicle;

means disposed in said compartment for selectively connecting said main engine to said compressor means for driving the air conditioning means;

an auxiliary internal combustion engine disposed in said compartment for selectively operating said compressor means when said main engine is turned off;

shaft assembly means disposed in said compartment for coupling said auxiliary engine to selectively operate said compressor means;

a fuel tank for supplying fuel to the main and auxiliary engines;

a radiator disposed in said compartment adjacent to said main engine in fluid communication with the main engine for circulating coolant fluid to cool the main engine when the engine is operating;

means disposed in said compartment for connecting said auxiliary engine in fluid communication with said radiator for circulating coolant fluid to cool the auxiliary engine when the auxiliary engine is operating;

an exhaust pipe connected to said main engine for expelling exhaust gases emitted when the engine is operating; and

connector means for connecting said auxiliary engine to said exhaust pipe for expelling exhaust gases emitted when the auxiliary engine is operating.

2. The integrated power system of claim 1, further including a gear belt having teeth for rotatively coupling said shaft assembly means to said compressor means to reduce belt slippage and noise when the auxiliary engine operates said compressor means.

3. The integrated power system of claim 1, wherein said connector means includes a baffle plate for directing the flow of exhaust gases generated when one of said engines is operating to substantially avoid movement of the gases into the nonoperating engine.

4. The integrated power system of claim 1, wherein said air conditioning means includes a condenser and an auxiliary fan means for supplying a flow of air to cool the condenser and radiator when the main engine is not operating, the auxiliary fan means including shroud doors for automatically closing to direct a flow of cooling air from the auxiliary fan means to said condenser and radiator when the main engine is not operating and for automatically opening to allow a flow of cooling air to bypass the auxiliary fan means and to cool the condenser and radiator when the main engine is operating.

5. The integrated power system of claim 4, wherein said auxiliary fan means includes at least one vacuum actuated bellows connected to said shroud doors and biased to close the doors when the main engine is not operating, said bellows being responsive to a vacuum produced by the operating main engine to hold open said shroud doors.

6. The integrated power system of claim 1, including a liquid storage tank and means for selectively circulating said coolant fluid from the auxiliary engine to heat liquid in said tank when the auxiliary engine is operating.

7. The integrated power system of claim 1, including at least one heater means and means for selectively circulating said coolant fluid from the auxiliary engine to cause the heater means to heat at least a portion of the interior of said vehicle when the auxiliary engine is operating.

8. The integrated power system of claim 1, wherein said auxiliary engine includes an exhaust port for emitting exhaust gases when the auxiliary engine is operating and said connector means includes a connector pipe for connecting said exhaust port to said exhaust pipe of said main engine, said connector pipe including a baffle plate disposed at the point of connection of the connector pipe with the exhaust pipe, the baffle plate positioned for directing and expelling exhaust gases of the main engine from the exhaust pipe and for preventing the main engine exhaust gases from moving into the auxiliary engine when the auxiliary engine is not operating.

9. The integrated power system of claim 1, further including:

main clutch means for selectively connecting said main engine to drive said compressor means;

said shaft assembly means rotatively connected at one end to be driven by said auxiliary engine and rotatively connected at an opposite end to drive said compressor means, the shaft assembly means having auxiliary clutch means for selectively applying rotary power from the auxiliary engine to drive the compressor means, the shaft assembly means having means for translating a predetermined operating RPM output of said auxiliary engine to a different predetermined operating RPM input for the compressor means.

10. The integrated power system of claim 9, wherein said shaft assembly means includes means for translating said predetermined operating RPM output of the auxiliary engine to a lower predetermined operating RPM input for the compressor means.

11. The integrated power control system of claim 9, further including a water pump and means for rotatively connecting the pump to an end of said shaft assembly means, said water pump driven by the shaft assembly means to circulate said coolant fluid through the auxiliary engine.

12. The integrated power system of claim 1, wherein said auxiliary engine includes a carburetor with a throttle for metering fuel to the engine and throttle control means connected to said throttle for automatically adjusting the RPM output of the auxiliary engine to a preselected value.

13. The integrated power system of claim 12, wherein said throttle control means includes a vacuum-actuated bellows connected to control said throttle, spring means for biasing the bellows in one direction and means for connecting the bellows to a vacuum provided by the operating auxiliary engine to bias the bellows in an opposite direction, the bellows operating to position the throttle at a preselected operational position for maintaining a relatively constant RPM output of the auxiliary engine when the force of the vacuum balances the opposite spring force of the spring means.

14. The integrated power system of claim 1, wherein said auxiliary engine is a marine outboard motor.

15. The integrated power system of claim 14, wherein said outboard motor includes a drive shaft and means for circulating a lubricant within the motor to allow operation of the motor with the drive shaft in a horizontal orientation.

16. The integrated power system of claim 1, including a temperature sensing means for sensing the temperature of said coolant fluid leaving said auxiliary engine and for turning off the engine if the sensed temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature.

17. An integrated main and auxiliary power system for the air conditioner of a vehicle, comprising:

an engine compartment of the vehicle;

an air conditioner for cooling the interior of the vehicle;

a main engine disposed in said compartment for moving the vehicle and for selectively powering the air conditioner;

a radiator means disposed in said compartment and having fluid connections with said main engine for circulating coolant fluid to cool the engine and thereby maintaining its temperature within a predetermined operating temperature range;

an exhaust means for directing and expelling exhaust gases emitted by the operating main engine;

an auxiliary internal combustion engine disposed in said compartment for selectively powering said air conditioner when said main engine is not operating;

a jack shaft assembly means disposed in said compartment for coupling said auxiliary engine to selectively operate said air conditioner;

a fuel tank for selectively supplying fuel to both the main engine and the auxiliary internal combustion engine;

a connector means between said auxiliary engine and said radiator for circulating said coolant fluid to cool the operating auxiliary engine; and

an auxiliary connector means between said auxiliary engine and said exhaust means for directing and expelling exhaust gases emitted by the operating auxiliary engine.

18. The integrated power system of claim 17, wherein said auxiliary connector means includes a baffle plate for preventing exhaust gases of said main engine from moving into said auxiliary engine when the auxiliary engine is not operating.

19. An integrated main and auxiliary power system for the air conditioner and heater of a vehicle, comprising:

an engine compartment within the vehicle;

an air conditioner for cooling the interior of the vehicle;

a heater for heating the interior of the vehicle;

a main engine disposed in said compartment for moving the vehicle and for selectively powering the air conditioner;

a radiator means disposed in said compartment and having fluid connections with said main engine for circulating coolant fluid to cool the engine and thereby maintain its temperature within a predetermined operating temperature range;

an exhaust means for directing and expelling exhaust gases emitted by the operating main engine;

an auxiliary internal combustion engine disposed in said compartment for selectively powering said air conditioner when said main engine is not operating;

a fuel tank for selectively supplying fuel to both the main engine and the auxiliary internal combustion engine;

a connector means between said auxiliary engine and said radiator means for circulating said coolant fluid to cool the operating auxiliary engine;

valve means for selectively circulating coolant fluid from either the main engine or the auxiliary engine to heat the heater; and

an auxiliary connector means between said auxiliary engine and said exhaust means for directing and expelling exhaust gases emitted by the operating auxiliary engine and for preventing exhaust gases of the operating main engine from moving into the auxiliary engine when the auxiliary engine is not operating.

20. The integrated power system of claim 19, including a tank for storing a liquid, said valve means having means for selectively circulating said coolant fluid from the main engine or the auxiliary engine to heat the liquid in said tank.