Air conditioner system for automotive vehicle

• US 5,016,704 A
• Filed: 06/03/1988
• Issued: 05/21/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ono, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): FORD, JOHN K
• Application Number:
  US07/201,896
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 165/22, 165/41, 165/42, 165/43, 165/137, 165/761, 237/12.3 A, 237/12.3 B, 98/2.05, 98/2.08, 236/13
• US Class Current: 165/203
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00064 for sending air streams of different temperatures into the passenger compartment
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00164 with more than one by-pass
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/002 to front and rear part of passenger compartment

Abstract

A heater unit of an automotive air conditioner includes a partition wall which separates a heater body into first and second air mix chambers, a communication path for communicating with the first and second air mix chambers, a separation door for closing or establishing the communication path and also for fully blocking or unblocking an air induction path of a conditioned air to be discharged into rear discharge outlets, and an arched shape communication duct for communicating with the second air mix chamber and a connecting member which is employed with the heater body and connected to a rear duct introduced into a rear seat side of a vehicular cabin. An independent temperature control type air conditioner in which the temperatures of conditioned air flowing through the first and second air mix chambers are independently controlled, may be modified to function as a standard type air conditioner in which the temperatures of conditioned air flowing through second air mix chamber are commonly controlled.

Claims

1. A method of assembling an air conditioner system for an automotive vehicle compartment comprising:

providing a partition means for dividing an internal space defined in a conditioning air duct into front and rear air mix chambers, said partition means defining front and rear conditioning air paths respectively communicated to outlets in front and rear portions of the vehicle compartment;

further providing a communication path means for communicating between said front and rear air mix chambers, said communication path means being formed in said partition means; and

further providing either one of two exchangeable replacement parts (A) or (B), wherein

(A) is a first exchangeable part comprising a portion of said partition means which includes a separation door associated with said communication path means operable between a first position in which said separation door fully closes said communication path means and said front and rear air mix chambers are independent and separate from one another, and a second position in which said separation door fully opens said communication path and blocks said rear conditioning air path defined within said rear air mix chamber and a communication duct means for communicating said rear air mix chamber with a connecting member which is provided on said conditioning air duct connected to a rear duct for introducing conditioning air into a rear discharge outlet; and

(B) is a second exchangeable part comprising a portion of said partition means which includes a small partition wall section inserted so as to prevent direct communication between said rear air mix chamber and said rear duct having said rear discharge outlet.

2. A method of assembling an air conditioner for automotive vehicles comprising:

providing duct means having at least one air inlet for introducing air therein to, said duct means having a first discharge outlet directed to a front portion of the vehicle compartment for discharging conditioned air of a first temperature therethrough, said first discharge outlet including a front vent opening, a defroster opening, and a front foot vent opening, said duct means also including a second discharge outlet directed to a rear portion of a vehicle compartment for discharging conditioned air of a second temperature therethrough;

further providing air cooling source means disposed within said duct means for cooling air introduced through said at least one air inlet;

further providing air heating source means disposed within said duct means and downstream of said air cooling source means, said air heating source including a first temperature adjusting means for controlling a first temperature and a second temperature adjusting means for controlling a second temperature, said first and second temperature adjusting means having a heat exchanger for heating air passing therethrough;

further providing first and second cooled air passage means, associated with said duct means and said air heating source means for respectively defining first and second bypasses, for passing cooled air which is generated by said air cooling source means and which bypasses said air heating source means;

further providing partition means for dividing an internal space defined in said duct means into a first air mix chamber, communicated with said first temperature adjusting means and said first cooled air passage means, for generating said conditioned air of said first temperature, and a second air mix chamber, which is communicated with said second temperature adjusting means and said second cooled air passage means for generating said conditioned air of said second temperature, said first and second air mix chambers respectively communicating with said first and second discharge outlets in said front and rear portions of said vehicle compartment;

further providing first means for communicating between said first and second air mix chambers, said first means being formed in said partition means downstream of said air heating source means; and

further providing either one of two exchangeable parts (A) or (B), wherein

(A) is a first exchangeable part comprising a portion of said partition means which includes second means associated with said first means, said second means being operable in a first mode wherein said first and second temperatures are controlled independently of each other and in a second mode wherein said first and second temperatures are commonly controlled, a communication duct disposed within said first air mix chamber and having an aperture, a first passage through which conditioned air is directly introduced from said second air mix chamber to said second discharge outlet, and a second passage connecting said front foot vent opening to said first air mix chamber and

(B) is a second exchangeable part comprising a portion of said partition means which includes a small partition wall section inserted so as to prevent direct introduction of conditioned air from second air mix chamber to said second discharge outlet.

3. The method of assembling an air conditioner as set forth in claim 2, wherein one end of said communication duct is connected to said partition means having a first communication opening, said communication duct communicating with said second air mix chamber via said aperture, located so as to connect therethrough, and the other end of said communication duct abuts a side wall of said duct means which defines said first air mix chamber in conjunction with said partition means, said side wall having a second communication opening which communicates said aperture with said second discharge outlet.