Climate conditioner for motor vehicles

Claim 2

A climate conditioning apparatus for motor vehicles, comprising a housing fastened to the ceiling of the passenger area of a motor vehicle, a first member mounted in said housing and having thereon a plurality of spaced, rigid vanes arranged in a circular path about a common axis, a second, tubular member having one end connected to a supply of compressed air and having a closed end surrounded by said vanes, nozzles secured to and projecting from said second member adjacent its closed end to direct jets of compressed air against said vanes, and means mounting one of said first and second members for rotation about said axis, when said jets impinge upon said vanes.

Claim 3

Climate conditioning apparatus as defined in claim 1, including a fan blade connected to said one member for rotation therewith and operative to distribute into said passenger area the air that is discharged from said nozzles.

Claim 4

Climate conditioning apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein a shaft is mounted to rotate in the lower end of said housing about a vertical axis, said fan is secured to the lower end of said shaft for rotation thereby beneath said lower end of said housing, and said first member is secured to the upper end of said shaft for rotation above said lower end of said housing.

Claim 5

Climate conditioning apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said lower end of said housing has a plurality of openings therein for allowing the air discharged from said nozzles to flow out of said housing toward said fan to be distributed thereby.

Claim 6

Climate conditioning apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said supply comprises a compressed air tank mounted in said vehicle and having in one end thereof a valve for releasably connecting said tank to a source of compressed air for replenishing said tank, and a normally closed valve is interposed between the opposite end of said tank and said second member and is manually operable selectively to connect said tank to said nozzles.

Claim 7

Climate conditioning apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein a retractable shade is mounted above the windshield of said vehicle for movement into and out of an operative position in which it covers the inside of said windshield, and the remaining windows in said vehicle are made of tinted, heat-reflective, transparent material.

Claim 8

An automotive vehicle having a plurality of side windows, a rear window, and a transparent front windshield, and air-conditioning apparatus for cooling the interior of the vehicle, and a sun-reflecting retractable shade mounted therein and movable into a position to cover the inside of said wind-shield to reflect sunlight from entering the vehicle, said side and rear windows being tinted and heat-reflective, said air-conditioning apparatus comprising a fan rotatably mounted in the interior of the vehicle, a turbine connected to said fan to drive the same, a housing within which said turbine is mounted and having apertures in one wall thereof, and nozzles for directing compressed air against said turbine to rotate the same and said fan, said fan being rotatably mounted adjacent said one wall to circulate the compressed air flowing from said nozzles through said apertures to the interior of said vehicle.

Claim 9

An automotive vehicle having a plurality of side windows, a rear window, and a transparent front windshield, and air-conditioning apparatus for cooling the interior of the vehicle, and a sun-reflecting retractable shade mounted therein and movable into a position to cover the inside of said wind-shield to reflect sunlight from entering the vehicle, said side and rear windows being tinted and heat-reflective, said air-conditioning apparatus comprising a fan rotatably mounted in the interior of the vehicle, a turbine connected to said fan to drive the same, a housing within which said turbine is mounted and having apertures in one wall thereof, and nozzles for directing compressed air against said turbine to rotate the same and said fan, said fan being rotatably mounted adjacent said one wall to circulate the compressed air flowing from said nozzles through said apertures to the interior of said vehicle.

Claim 10

A climate-conditioning system for an automotive vehicle comprising a housing mounted inside the vehicle, a compressed-air driven turbine mounted in said housing and comprising a disc having a plurality of vanes mounted thereon and a nozzle cooperating therewith and disposed to direct compressed air at said vanes, a compressed air supply carried by said vehicle and coupled by a conduit to said nozzle to deliver compressed air to the nozzle to drive said turbine and to cause chilling of the air by the sudden pressure drop as the compressed air flows out of the nozzle into said housing, said housing having apertures in one wall through which the compressed air from said nozzle may flow out of said housing, a fan mounted outside said housing adjacent said one wall, and means for driving said fan to draw air out of said apertures and circulate in the vehicle the chilled air flowing out of said apertures.

Claim 11

A climate-conditioning system for an automotive vehicle comprising a housing mounted inside the vehicle, a compressed-air driven turbine mounted in said housing and comprising a disc having a plurality of vanes mounted thereon and a nozzle cooperating therewith and disposed to direct compressed air at said vanes, a compressed air supply carried by said vehicle and coupled by a conduit to said nozzle to deliver compressed air to the nozzle to drive said turbine and to cause chilling of the air by the sudden pressure drop as the compressed air flows out of the nozzle into said housing, said housing having apertures in one wall through which the compressed air from said nozzle may flow out of said housing, a fan mounted outside said housing adjacent said one wall, and means for driving said fan to draw air out of said apertures and circulate in the vehicle the chilled air flowing out of said apertures.

Claim 12

A climate-conditioning system as claimed in claim 8, wherein a valve is provided in said conduit to control flow of the compressed air from said supply to the nozzle, and electrically operated means including a manually operable time delay switch controls the period during which said valve is open.