Air conditioning system for vehicle

• US 9,493,050 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2012
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
• Original Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
• Inventors: Fukutomi, Yoshitomo, Muraki, Ryousuke, Odai, Tsuneaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tompkins, Alissa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Decker, Phillip E
• Application Number:
  US13/464,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20120295529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• Field of Search: 454/152
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/0005 the air being firstly cooled and subsequently heated or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00842 the system comprising a plurality of damper doors; Air distribution between several outlets
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00099 comprising additional ventilating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/002 to front and rear part of passenger compartment

Abstract

An air conditioning system for a vehicle includes an air conditioning unit mounted in a front side of the vehicle to condition air in a front seat area, a rear air outlet, a rear duct to connect the air conditioning unit and the rear air outlet, a rear fan provided near the rear air outlet to draw air from the air conditioning unit via the rear duct so that the air is blown from the rear air outlet, an air inlet provided in the rear duct to draw air from a cabin of the vehicle into the rear duct, and a door structure provided at the air inlet to adjust an opening level of either or both of the air inlet and the rear duct so as to adjust an air intake amount from the air conditioning unit and an air intake amount from the air inlet.

Claims

1. An air conditioning system for a vehicle comprising:

an air conditioning unit mounted in a front side of the vehicle and configured to condition air in a front seat area;

a rear air outlet;

a rear duct connecting the air conditioning unit and the rear air outlet;

a rear fan provided in the rear duct and configured to draw air from the air conditioning unit and blow the air to the rear air outlet;

an air inlet provided in the rear duct and configured to draw air from a cabin of the vehicle into the rear duct;

a door structure provided at the air inlet and configured to adjust an opening level of either or both of the air inlet and the rear duct so as to adjust an air intake amount from the air conditioning unit and an air intake amount from the air inlet; and

an electronic controller configured to control operations of the door structure and the rear fan,

wherein, in an interior air circulation mode of the air conditioning unit, the electronic controller is configured to, in a state in which an instruction to allow an air blow amount from the rear air outlet to be larger than an air blow amount to the front seat area is given, selectively automatically perform at least one of control the door structure so as to open the air inlet to draw the air from the cabin of the vehicle and control the rear fan to limit the air blow amount from the rear air outlet.

2. An air conditioning system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the electronic controller is configured to control the door structure so as to open the air inlet to draw the air from the cabin of the vehicle to blow the air from the rear air outlet in a state in which an air supply amount of the air conditioning unit to a rear seat area is insufficient.

3. An air conditioning system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

in an air conditioning mode of the air conditioning unit, the electronic controller is configured to control the door structure so as to open the air inlet to draw the air from the cabin of the vehicle.

4. An air conditioning system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

in an anti-fog mode of the air conditioning unit, the electronic controller is configured to control the door structure so as to open the air inlet to draw the air from the cabin of the vehicle and/or control the rear fan so as to limit an air blow amount from the rear air outlet.

5. An air conditioning system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the door structure comprises a rotary shaft, a first blade, and a second blade.

6. An air conditioning system for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the first blade and the second blade are configured to rotate separately.

7. An air conditioning system for a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the first blade is configured to rotate inside the air inlet and inside the rear duct.

8. An air conditioning system for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the first blade is configured to rotate inside the air inlet, and the second blade is configured to rotate inside the rear duct.

9. An air conditioning system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the door structure comprises a first rotary shaft, a first blade configured to rotate around the first rotary shaft, a second rotary shaft, and a second blade configured to rotate around the second rotary shaft.