Vehicle HVAC temperature control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9610823-B2
Application number	US-56599909-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2009
Priority date	Sep 25, 2008
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle having an HVAC system with a particular ventilation housing design and method for making the same are described. The ventilation housing has a common mode door for defrost and floor panels and allows efficient use of components to provide effective operation in bi-level and other modes. In bi-level mode, the mode doors can be operated to form flow path such that floor outlet is virtually on the upstream side of the panel outlet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An HVAC system, comprising:
a heater;
an air conditioner; and
a ventilation housing configured to conduct air from the heater or air from the air conditioner or both,
wherein the ventilation housing comprises:
a floor outlet;
a defrost outlet;
a panel outlet;
a first mode door configured to regulate a flow of air at the defrost outlet and at the floor outlet;
a second mode door;
a third mode door configured to select a mixture of air from the air conditioner and air from the heater;
a first baffle located on the ventilation housing and protruding from a side of the ventilation housing between the air conditioner and the third mode door, the first baffle being disposed upstream of the third mode door in a cold air path, and projecting above the heater, and
a second baffle that deflects cold air toward an outboard side of the ventilation housing and provides space for warm air to flow toward a panel center,

wherein the ventilation housing has an indentation on a side portion of the ventilation housing and disposed adjacent to the third mode door, which indentation is structured to deflect, along with the first baffle, cold air towards a center part of the ventilation housing and to provide space for warm air to flow toward the floor outlet.

2. The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein the defrost outlet is located proximate to the floor outlet.

3. The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein the first mode door comprises a first wall rotationally mounted on a first hinge member, a second wall rotationally mounted on the first hinge member, and an arc member connecting the first wall and the second wall, and
wherein the first wall and the arc member are resistant to the flow of air.

4. The HVAC system of claim 3 , wherein the second mode door is configured to regulate the flow of air at the panel outlet.

5. The HVAC system of claim 4 , wherein the second mode door comprises a first wall rotationally mounted on a second hinge member, a second wall rotationally mounted on the second hinge member, and an arc member connecting the first and second walls of the second mode door,
wherein the arc member of the second mode door is resistant to the flow of air, and
wherein the first and second walls of the second mode door are resistant to the flow of air along parts of respective lengths of the first and second walls of the second mode door.

6. The HVAC system of claim 5 , wherein the first mode door and the second mode door are each configured to pivot within a portion of the housing that is at least in part semicircular, such that a gap between a wall member and the semicircular portion of the housing is minimal for at least a portion of traversable angle of the respective first or second mode door.

7. The HVAC system of claim 4 , wherein the ventilation housing is configured to be operable in a bi-level mode, and
wherein the first mode door and the second mode door are configured to regulate the flow of air in the bi-level mode such that an air flow path is longer to the panel outlet than to the floor outlet.

8. An HVAC system capable of operating in a bi-level mode, comprising:
a heater;
an air conditioner; and
a ventilation housing configured to conduct air from the heater or air from the air conditioner or both,
wherein the ventilation housing comprises:
a floor outlet;
a defrost outlet;
a panel outlet;
a first mode door configured to regulate a flow of air at the defrost outlet and at the floor outlet;
a second mode door;
a third mode door;
a first baffle disposed upstream of the third mode door in a cold air path, the first baffle located on the ventilation housing and protruding from a side of the ventilation housing between the air conditioner and the third mode door, projecting above the heater, and structured to deflect a cold air stream toward a center part of the ventilation housing, and
a second baffle that deflects cold air toward an outboard side of the ventilation housing and provides space for warm air to flow toward a panel center,

wherein each of the first, second, and third mode doors comprises a first wall rotationally mounted on a hinge member, a second wall rotationally mounted on the hinge member, and an arc member connecting the first and second walls, and
wherein the first baffle extends along a curve in a same direction as the arc member of the third mode door.

9. The HVAC system of claim 8 , wherein the defrost outlet is located proximate to the floor outlet.

10. The HVAC system of claim 8 , wherein the first wall of the first mode door and the arc member of the first mode door are resistant to the flow of air.

11. The HVAC system of claim 8 , wherein the second mode door is configured to regulate the flow of air at the panel outlet.

12. The HVAC system of claim 11 , wherein the arc member of the second mode door is resistant to the flow of air and the first and second walls of the second mode door are resistant to the flow of air along parts of respective lengths of the first and second walls of the second mode door.

13. The HVAC system of claim 12 , wherein the first mode door and the second mode door are each configured to pivot within a portion of the housing that is at least in part semicircular, such that a gap between a wall member and the semicircular portion of the housing is minimal for at least a portion of traversable angle of the respective first or second mode door.

14. The HVAC system of claim 8 , wherein the ventilation housing is configured to be operable in a bi-level mode, and
wherein the first mode door and second mode door are configured to regulate the flow of air in the bi-level mode such that an air flow path is longer to the panel outlet than to the floor outlet.

15. The HVAC system of claim 12 , wherein the third mode door is configured to select a mixture of air from the air conditioner and air from the heater.

16. A method of manufacturing an HVAC system, comprising:
providing a ventilation housing;
providing a first mode door configured to regulate a flow of air at a defrost outlet and at a floor outlet;
providing a second mode door configured to regulate the flow of air at a panel outlet; and
providing a third mode door,
wherein the ventilation housing is configured to be operable in a bi-level mode,
wherein the first mode door and second mode door are configured to regulate the flow of air in the bi-level mode such that an air flow path is longer to the panel outlet than to the floor outlet,
wherein a first baffle is located on the ventilation housing and protrudes from a side of the ventilation housing between an air conditioner and the third mode door, the first baffle being disposed upstream of the third mode door in a cold air path, and projecting above a heat source,
wherein a second baffle deflects cold air toward an outboard side of the ventilation housing and provides space for warm air to flow toward a panel center, and
wherein an indentation on a side portion of the ventilation housing and disposed adjacent to the third mode air door deflects, along with the first baffle, cold air towards a center part of the ventilation housing and provides space for warm air to flow toward the floor outlet.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first mode door comprises a first wall rotationally mounted on a first hinge member, a second wall rotationally mounted on the first hinge member, and an arc member connecting the first wall and the second wall, and
wherein the first wall and the arc member are resistant to the flow of air.

18. The

Assignees

• Jia Mingyang
• Chen Yang
• Guilbaud Frederic
• Levander Robert
• Schlinke Gunnar
• Mahle Int Gmbh

Inventors

• Jia Mingyang
• Chen Yang
• Guilbaud Frederic
• Levander Robert
• Velehorschi Cristian
• Schlinke Gunnar

Classifications

• Y10T29/49

  Method of mechanical manufacture · CPC title

• B60H2001/00092

  of air deflecting or air directing means inside the device · CPC title

• B60H2001/00192

  to left and right part of passenger compartment · CPC title

• B60H1/00064 Primary

  for sending air streams of different temperatures into the passenger compartment · CPC title