Thermostatic vacuum positioner

Claim 2

An automatic temperature control system for heating and cooling an automobile passenger compartment comprising: a temperature regulating member such as a damper for varying air temperature in said compartment; a vacuum and spring operated actuator operably connected to said damper for moving it between warm and cool operative positions; a vacuum line connecting said actuator and a source of vacuum pressure; a vacuum regulator connected to said vacuum line for changing the vacuum pressure in said actuator; an air duct and a blower for passing air from said compartment to a heater and back to said compartment; means forming an air passage from said blower into said compartment including a converging portion forming an aspirator; said vacuum regulator having a housing with an air inlet connected to said passenger compartment and an outlet connected to said aspirator for causing air to flow from said compartment through said regulator; an air bleed valve assembly in said housing including a passage connected with said vacuum line for admitting air into said vacuum line when a low level of vacuum pressure is needed in said actuator; a flexible diaphragm overlying said air bleed passage but spaced therefrom by a spring; a spirally wound bimetal in said housing supported at a central end by a rotatable shaft; said spiral bimetal having a peripheral end portion which moves in a circular path about said shaft in response to air temperature changes; said bimetal peripheral end adjacent and coactive with said diaphragm to open and close said air bleed passage in response to temperature changes; manually adjustable means in said passenger compartment for selecting a desired compartment temperature; means operably connecting said selector means and said vacuum regulator for producing relative movement between said peripheral end and said diaphragm in response to adjustments of said selector means; feedback means responsive to changes in the damper position for producing relative movement between said peripheral end and said diaphragm to re-establish a predetermined spacing therebetween subsequent to a change of their relative positions by movement of said adjustable selector means.

Claim 3

An automAtic temperature control system for heating and cooling an automobile passenger compartment comprising: a temperature regulating member such as a damper for varying air temperature in said compartment; a vacuum and spring operated actuator operably connected by an arm to said damper for moving it between warm and cool operative positions; a vacuum line connecting said actuator to a source of vacuum pressure; a vacuum regulator connected to said vacuum line for changing the vacuum pressure in said actuator; an air duct and a blower for passing air from said compartment to a heater and back to said compartment; means forming an air passage from said blower into said compartment including a converging portion forming an aspirator; said vacuum regulator having a housing with an air inlet connected to the passenger compartment and an outlet connected to said aspirator for causing air to flow from said compartment through said regulator; an ambient temperature compensating heat exchanger operatively connected to said inlet to warm or cool the air before it enters said regulator; an air bleed valve assembly in said housing including a passage connected with said vacuum line for admitting air into said vacuum line when a low level of vacuum pressure is needed in said actuator; a flexible diaphragm overlying said air bleed passage but spaced therefrom by a light spring; a spirally wound bimetal in said housing supported at a central end by a rotatable shaft; said spiral bimetal having a peripheral end portion which moves in a circular path about said shaft in response to air temperature changes; said bimetal peripheral end being adjacent and coactive with said diaphragm to open and close said air bleed passage in response to temperature changes; a manually adjustable member such as a lever in said passenger compartment for selecting a desired compartment temperature; cable means including an elongated outer sleeve member and an inner movable wire connected between said manual selection means and said vacuum regulator for producing relative movement between said peripheral end and said diaphragm in response to adjustments of said selector means; feedback means responsive to changes in the damper position including a slotted bracket attached to said actuator arm and a lever member attached to said rotatable shaft which coact to produce relative movement between said peripheral end and said diaphragm for re-establishing a predetermined spacing therebetween subsequent to a change of their relative positions by movement of said adjustable selector means.

Claim 4

An automAtic temperature control system for heating and cooling an automobile passenger compartment comprising: a temperature regulating member such as a damper for varying air temperature in said compartment; a vacuum and spring operated actuator operably connected by an arm to said damper for moving it between warm and cool operative positions; a vacuum line connecting said actuator to a source of vacuum pressure; a vacuum regulator connected to said vacuum line for changing the vacuum pressure in said actuator; an air duct and a blower for passing air from said compartment to a heater and back to said compartment; means forming an air passage from said blower into said compartment including a converging portion forming an aspirator; said vacuum regulator having a housing with an air inlet connected to the passenger compartment and an outlet connected to said aspirator for causing air to flow from said compartment through said regulator; an ambient temperature compensating heat exchanger operatively connected to said inlet to warm or cool the air before it enters said regulator; an air bleed valve assembly in said housing including a passage connected with said vacuum line for admitting air into said vacuum line when a low level of vacuum pressure is needed in said actuator; a flexible diaphragm overlying said air bleed passage but spaced therefrom by a light spring; a spirally wound bimetal in said housing supported at a central end by a rotatable shaft; said spiral bimetal having a peripheral end portion which moves in a circular path about said shaft in response to air temperature changes; said bimetal peripheral end being adjacent and coactive with said diaphragm to open and close said air bleed passage in response to temperature changes; a manually adjustable member such as a lever in said passenger compartment for selecting a desired compartment temperature; cable means including an elongated outer sleeve member and an inner movable wire connected between said manual selection means and said vacuum regulator for producing relative movement between said peripheral end and said diaphragm in response to adjustments of said selector means; feedback means responsive to changes in the damper position including a slotted bracket attached to said actuator arm and a lever member attached to said rotatable shaft which coact to produce relative movement between said peripheral end and said diaphragm for re-establishing a predetermined spacing therebetween subsequent to a change of their relative positions by movement of said adjustable selector means.

Claim 5

An automatic temperature control system for heating and cooling an automobile passenger compartment comprising: a temperature regulating member such as a damper for varying air temperature in said compartment; a vacuum and spring operated actuator operably connected by an arm to said damper for moving it between warm and cool operative positions; a vacuum line connecting said actuator to a source of vacuum pressure; a vacuum regulator connected to said vacuum line for changing the vacuum pressure in said actuator; an air duct and a blower for passing air from said compartment to a heater and back to said compartment; means forming an air passage from said blower into said compartment including a converging portion forming an aspirator; said vacuum regulator having a housing with an air inlet connected to the passenger compartment and an outlet connected to said aspirator for causing air to flow from said compartment through said regulator; an ambient temperature compensating heat exchanger operatively connected to said inlet to warm or cool the air before it enters said regulator; an air bleed valve assembly in said housing including a passage connected with said vacuum line for admitting air into said vacuum line when a low level of vacuum pressure is needed in said actuator; a flexible diaphragm overlying said air bleed passage but spaced therefrom by a light spring; a spirally wound bimetal in said housing supported at a central end by A rotatable shaft; said spiral bimetal having a peripheral end portion which moves in a circular path about said shaft in response to air temperature changes; said bimetal peripheral end alternately coactive with said flexible diaphragm to open and close said air bleed passage in response to temperature changes; a temperature selector member in the passenger compartment which is movable by an automobile occupant to a desired air temperature for the compartment; cable means including an elongated outer sleeve member and an inner movable wire connected at one end to said selector member and at its other end to said vacuum regulator for moving said air bleed valve assembly including said diaphragm relative to said peripheral end of said bimetal in response to adjustments of said selector member; feedback means responsive to changes in the damper position including a slotted bracket attached to said actuator arm and a lever member attached to said rotatable shaft which extends through said bracket slot to rotate said shaft and attached bimetal to move said peripheral end in a direction to re-establish a predetermined spacing between said peripheral end and said diaphragm subsequent to a change of their relative positions by movement of said adjustable selector member.

Claim 6

An automatic temperature control system for heating and cooling an automobile passenger compartment comprising: a temperature regulating member such as a damper for varying air temperature in said compartment; a vacuum and spring operated actuator operably connected by an arm to said damper for moving it between warm and cool operative positions; a vacuum line connecting said actuator to a source of vacuum pressure; a vacuum regulator connected to said vacuum line for changing the vacuum pressure in said actuator; an air duct and a blower for passing air from said compartment to a heater and back to said compartment; means forming an air passage from said blower into said compartment including a converging portion forming an aspirator; said vacuum regulator having a housing with an air inlet connected to the passenger compartment and an outlet connected to said aspirator for causing air to flow from said compartment through said regulator; an ambient temperature compensating heat exchanger operatively connected to said inlet to warm or cool the air before it enters said regulator; an air bleed valve assembly in said housing including a passage connected with said vacuum line for admitting air into said vacuum line when a low level of vacuum pressure is needed in said actuator; a flexible diaphragm overlying said air bleed passage but spaced therefrom by a light spring; a spirally wound bimetal in said housing supported at a central end by A rotatable shaft; said spiral bimetal having a peripheral end portion which moves in a circular path about said shaft in response to air temperature changes; said bimetal peripheral end alternately coactive with said flexible diaphragm to open and close said air bleed passage in response to temperature changes; a temperature selector member in the passenger compartment which is movable by an automobile occupant to a desired air temperature for the compartment; cable means including an elongated outer sleeve member and an inner movable wire connected at one end to said selector member and at its other end to said vacuum regulator for moving said air bleed valve assembly including said diaphragm relative to said peripheral end of said bimetal in response to adjustments of said selector member; feedback means responsive to changes in the damper position including a slotted bracket attached to said actuator arm and a lever member attached to said rotatable shaft which extends through said bracket slot to rotate said shaft and attached bimetal to move said peripheral end in a direction to re-establish a predetermined spacing between said peripheral end and said diaphragm subsequent to a change of their relative positions by movement of said adjustable selector member.