Automotive air-conditioning apparatus with demist control

• US 4,685,508 A
• Filed: 10/04/1985
• Issued: 08/11/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zezel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Diesel Japan Company Limited (Renzo Rosso)
• Inventors: Iida, Katumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Davis, Jr., Albert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Randolph A.
• Application Number:
  US06/784,248
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 165/17, 165/21, 165/28, 165/42, 165/43, 98/2.08, 98/2.09, 62/173, 62/227
• US Class Current: 165/204
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00864 Ventilators and damper doors
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/20 with sensing elements having variation of electric or magnetic properties with change of temperature G05D23/13 takes precedence

Abstract

An automotive air-conditioning apparatus has an air blower and an air mixing damper for adjusting the ratio of a mixture of cool air and hot air. The temperature of air in the automobile cabin is controlled dependent on the amount of air fed from the air blower and the opening of the air mixing damper. In a demisting mode, the amount of air from the air blower is greater than that in a normal temperature adjusting mode, and the opening of the air mixing damper is controlled dependent on ambient-air conditions.

Claims

1. An automobile air-conditioning apparatus in an automobile having a cabin, comprising:

an intake damper openable and closable for controlling a first passage for circulating air in the cabin and a second passage for introducing ambient air through a duct means into the cabin;

an air blower disposed in said duct means between said intake damper and said cabin for drawing air from said intake damper into said cabin, said air blower connected to a drive source for adjusting an amount of air fed by said air blower from said intake damper;

a cooling system including an evaporator interposed in said duct means between said air blower and said cabin;

a heater core interposed in said duct means between said evaporator and said cabin for heating air that has passed through said evaporator;

an air mixing damper interposed in said duct means between said evaporator and said heater core for controlling an amount of air that has passed through said evaporation and is to be fed to said heater core;

a mode selector damper means interposed in said duct means between said heater core and said cabin for selectively opening and closing a demisting-air outlet, a venting outlet, and a heated-air outlet, each of which connect said duct means to said cabin;

a control system for controlling an amount of air fed from said air blower and an amount of air fed through said evaporator through said air mixing damper to said heater core responsive to a difference between a temperature preset by a temperature setting unit and a temperature of air in said cabin to automatically adjust the temperature of air in said cabin when said control system is set in an automatic adjusting mode, said control system operable when set in a demisting mode with the dimisting-air outlet being open to control said device source to increase the amount of air fed from said air blower to an amount greater than the amount of air fed from said air blower when said control system is set in said automatic adjusting mode;

an evaporator-temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of air between said evaporator and said air mixing damper;

an ambient-air temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of ambient air outside of said cabin; and

said control system also limiting the opening of said air mixing damper to control the amount of air fed through said evaporator to said heater core dependent on a temperature detected by said evaporator-temperature sensor and a temperature detected by said ambient-air temperature sensor when said control system is set in said demisting mode with said demisting-air outlet being open.

2. An automobile air-conditioning apparatus in an automobile having a cabin, comprising:

duct means for recirculating air in said cabin and for introdicing ambient air into said cabin;

an intake damper disposed in said duct means, said intake damper movable to at least a first position at which air is recirculated through said duct means to said cabin and to a second position at which ambient air is introduced into said cabin;

an air blower for blowing air through said duct means into said cabin, said air blower interposed in said duct means between said intake damper and said cabin and a drive source connected to said air blower for actuating said blower to change a flow rate of air into said cabin;

cooling system including an evaporator interposed in said duct means between said air blower and said cabin;

a heater core interposed in said duct means between said evaporator and said cabin for heating air passes through said evaporator;

an air mixing damper interposed in said duct between said evaporator and said heater core, actuator means connected to said air mixing damper to selectively vary a proportion of air fed to said heater core from said evaporator;

a demisting-air outlet disposed in said duct means between said heater core and said cabin;

a venting outlet disposed in said duct means between said heater core and said cabin;

a heated-air outlet disposed in said duct means between said heater core and said cabin;

mode selector damper means for selectively opening and closing said demisting-air outlet, said venting outlet and said heated-air outlet;

evaporator-temperature sensor means for detecting a temperature of air between said evaporator and said air mixing damper;

ambient-air temperature sensor means for detecting a temperature of ambient air outside said cabin;

cabin air temperature sensor means for detecting a temperature of air in said cabin;

temperature setting unit means for presetting a desired cabin temperature; and

control system means for controlling at least said drive source of said blower and said air mixing damper, said control system electrically connected to at least said drive source, said actuator means, said mode selector damper means, said evaporator-temperature sensor means, said ambient-air temperature sensor means, said cabin-air temperature sensor means, and said temperature setting unit means, said control system being operable in an automatic adjusting mode to adjust the flow rate of air delivered by said air blower to said cabin by controlling said drive source and to vary the proportion of air fed to said heater core by said air mixing damper in response to a difference between the desired temperature preset by said temperature setting unit means and the temperature in said cabin detected by said cabin-air temperature sensor means, said control system being operable in a demisting mode to actuate said mode selector damper means to open said demisting-air outlet, to control said drive source to increase the flow rate of air delivered by said air blower to an amount greater than that supplied in said automatic mode and to vary the proportion of air fed to said heater core by said air mixing damper in response to the temperature detected by said evaporator-temperature sensor means and the temperature detected by said ambient-air temperature sensor means.