Method and apparatus for controlling the temperature of air delivered to the cabin of a motor vehicle
US5740681A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 19, 1996 |
| Grant date | Apr 21, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 19, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF25B2341/0014
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An air conditioning circuit of a motor vehicle is used for heating the cabin of the vehicle. The air conditioning circuit accordingly operates in a cooling mode and a heating mode, selectively. In the heating mode, the refrigerant fluid flowing in the air conditioning circuit flows in a branch of the circuit which bypasses the condenser. The evaporator therefore receives this fluid in the gaseous state and acts as a heat exchanger for dissipating the heat produced in the compressor. The heat dissipated by the evaporator can be used for heating the cabin when that produced by the engine of the vehicle is insufficient for this purpose. To this end, an ejector draws a complementary mass of fluid into the heating loop for the purpose of adjusting the heat energy produced.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.