Ventilation – Vehicle – Condensation preventer
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-28
2001-10-02
Joyce, Harold (Department: 3749)
Ventilation
Vehicle
Condensation preventer
C454S156000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06296563
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an assembly for the heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning of the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle.
It relates more particularly to a device for the distribution of ventilating air in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, having, downstream of a ventilating flap mounted in rotation about a transverse axis in a distribution compartment of a heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning assembly, a central ventilating duct and at least one lateral duct which are separated from the central duct by at least one partition perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the said ventilating flap and are intended to deliver air to at least one lateral ventilating outlet, the said ventilating flap being capable of assuming several angular positions as a function of the operating modes of the said assembly, in particular an open position in the operating modes of ventilating and ventilating/heating the feet, in which modes an airflow supplies the said ducts, and closed positions in the operating modes of heating the feet, deicing/heating the feet and deicing, in which modes the said ventilating flap closes off the inlets of the said ducts and the said ducts are supplied only with air leaks.
In the operating modes not involving ventilation, that is to say in the operating modes of heating the feet, deicing/heating the feet and deicing, the heated air delivered by the mixing or heating device is distributed between the foot ventilating outlets located in the bottom part of the vehicle and the deicing outlets arranged close to the windshield. In these operating modes, the lateral ventilating outlets supplied by the lateral ventilating ducts, and the central ventilating outlets supplied by the central ventilating duct, deliver only air leaks which pass through the gaps located between the edges of the ventilating flap and the walls of the inlets of the ducts.
For the comfort of the passengers, during these operating modes it would be expedient for the leaks flowing through the lateral ducts to vary as a function of the selected operating mode. The central outlets are located in the middle part of the dashboard of the vehicle, while the lateral ventilating outlets are arranged facing the front passengers.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to provide a distribution device as mentioned in the preamble which improves the comfort of the passengers.
The invention achieves its object by the fact that the proposed device further includes means for supplying the lateral ducts with an additional airflow which varies as a function of the selected operating mode.
According to a first embodiment of the invention, the said means consist of lateral vents permanently connecting the lateral ducts to the chamber located upstream of the said ventilating flap.
According to a second embodiment of the invention, the said ventilating flap has, in the same plane, a middle closing plate in the inlet of the central duct and lateral closing plates in the inlets of the lateral ducts, and the said lateral plates have a smaller area than the cross sections of the inlet of the lateral ducts in planes passing through the axis of rotation of the said ventilating flap.
According to a first variant of this second embodiment, the inlets of the lateral ducts are delimited transversely by cylindrical walls which are centered on the axis of rotation of the said ventilating flap and are at a distance from the transverse edges of the lateral closing plates.
According to a second embodiment variant, the distribution compartment has lateral bulges in front of the inlets of the lateral ducts.
According to another embodiment variant, the lateral closing plates have holes through them.
According to a third embodiment of the invention, each lateral duct is separated by a separating partition perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the ventilating flap into an inner lateral passage and an outer lateral passage, and the ventilating flap has, in the same plane, a middle closing plate in the inlet of the central duct and lateral closing plates in the inlets of the inner lateral passages, the said outer lateral passages being intended to deliver ventilating air to the lateral ventilating outlets.
Preferably, the ventilating flap further has means for closing off the inlets of outer lateral passages in the operating modes of ventilating and ventilating/heating the feet.
According to a first variant of the third embodiment, the ventilating flap has, in the inlets of the outer lateral passages, closing walls which are substantially perpendicular to the plane of the closing plates.
According to a second variant, the inlet of the outer lateral passages is formed by holes made in the separating partitions, and the ventilating flap has flanges which are capable of closing off the said holes.
According to a third variant, the ventilating flap has, in the inlets of the outer lateral passages, closing walls making an acute angle with the plane of the closing plates.
The ventilating flap may be a flap of the butterfly type whose axis of rotation is at the center of the inlet of the ducts. It may also be formed by one wing of a distribution flap of the butterfly type, the other wing of which controls the airflow for heating the feet.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5009392 (1991-04-01), Ostrand et al.
patent: 5080140 (1992-01-01), Ostrand et al.
patent: 5338249 (1994-08-01), Hildebrand et al.
patent: 36 08 524 (1987-09-01), None
patent: 0 461 421 (1991-12-01), None
patent: 0 551 754 (1993-07-01), None
patent: 0 865 945 (1998-09-01), None
patent: 2 562 845 (1985-10-01), None
French Search Report dated Oct. 20, 1999.
Boles Derek S.
Joyce Harold
Morgan & Finnegan LLP.
Valeo Climatisation
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