Automotive air conditioning apparatus

Claim 2

In an automotive refrigeration system including a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator connected to provide a refrigeration circuit, a drive train through which drive is transmitted from the automotive engine to the compressor, said drive train including a power shaft operatively connected to the engine and a driven shaft operatively connected to said compressor, first and second expansible and contractible pulleys on the power shaft and driven shaft respectively, a V-belt entrained on said pulleys, means for expanding one of said pulleys and contracting the other of said pulleys including actuating means operative in response to refrigerant pressure, means for controlling refrigerant pressure to said actuating means, and means operative in response to evaporator tempeature for operating said controlling means.

Claim 3

In an automotive refrigeration system as defined in claim 1 in which said actuating means is operative in response to refrigerant pressure as measured at said condenser.

Claim 4

In an automotive refrigeration system as defined in claim 1 in which said actuating means is operative in response to refrigerant pressure as measured at said condenser to contract said other pulley, and said means for expanding said one pulley includes means responsive to the speed of the power shaft.

Claim 5

In an automotive refrigeration system as defined in claim 1 in which said actuating means is a servomotor.

Claim 6

In an automotive refrigeration system as defined in claim 4 in which said refrigerant pressure-controlling means is a valve operable to provide refrigerant pressure to said servomotor and to exhaust refrigerant pressure from said servomotor.

Claim 7

In an automotive refrigeration system as defined in claim 5 in which said evaporator temperature-responsive means includes a thermostat adjacent said evaporator and an expansible and contractible bellows engaging said valve, said thermostat and bellows including a volatile fluid operative to expand said bellows to move said valve to provide refrigerant pressure to said servomotor and to contract said bellows to move said valve to exhaust refrigerant pressure from said servomotor.

Claim 8

In an automotive refrigeration system as defined in claim 4 in which said servomotor is operative to contract said other pulley, and said actuating means also includes spring means operative to expand said other pulley to engage said belt when said servomotor is inoperative.

Claim 9

In an automotive refrigeration system as defined in claim 4 in which said servomotor comprises a bellows operative to contract said other pulley, and said refrigerant-controlling means is a valve operable to provide refrigerant pressure to said bellows and to exhaust refrigerant pressure from said bellows.

Claim 10

In an automotive refrigeration system as defined in claim 4 in which said servomotor is operative to contract said other pulley to move said V-belt radially outward of said other pulley to disengage said V-belt from said other pulley.

Claim 11

In an automotive refrigeration system as defined in claim 1 in which said actuating means is a servomotor operative in response to evaporator temperature.

Claim 12

In an automotive refrigeration system as defined in claim 1 in which said means for expanding said one pulley include means responsive to the speed of the power shaft, and said actuating means is operative to contract said other pulley.

Claim 13

In an automotive refrigeration system as defined in claim 11 in which said actuating means includes a servomotor operative in response to high side refrigerant pressure.

Claim 14

In an automotive refrigeration system as defined in claim 11 in which said one pulley includes a conical section fixed to said power shaft and a conical section movable axially of said power shaft, and said speed responsive means includes a carrier fixed to said power shaft, a pressure plate connected to said movable conical section, and centrifugal weights disposed between the carrier and said plate and adapted to become operative to move said plate to actuate said movable conical section away from said fixed conical section automatically when the power shaft is rotating at above a predetermined speed.

Claim 15

In an automotive refrigeration system as defined in claim 13 in which spring means are positioned between and engage said plate and said movable conical section to urge said movable conical section towards said first conical section.

Claim 16

In an automotive refrigeration system as defined in claim 13 in which said carrier is provided with a cam surface, and said weights are balls engaging said cam surface.

Claim 17

In an automotive refrigeration system as defined in claim 1, in which said actuating means comprises a servomotor including a first contractible and expansible bellows operative to contract said other pulley, and said refrigerant pressure-controlling means is a valve operative to provide refrigerant pressure to said first bellows and to exhaust refrigerant pressure from said first bellows, and in which said evaporator temperature-responsive means includes a thermostat contiguous to said evaporator, and an expansible and contractible second bellows engaging said valve, said thermostat and second bellows including a volatile fluid operative to expand said second bellows to move said valve to provide a refrigerant pressure to said servomotor and to contract said second bellows to move said valve to exhaust refrigerant pressure from said servomotor, and in which said means for expanding said one pulley includes a means responsive to the speed of the power shaft.

Claim 18

In an automotive refrigeration system as defined in claim 16 in which said one pulley includes a first conical section fixed to said power shaft and a second conical section movable axially of said power shaft, and said speed-responsive means includes a carrier fixed to said power shaft, a pressure plate connected to said movable conical section, and centrifugal weights disposed between the carrier and said plate and adapted to become operative to move said plate to actuate said second conical section away from said first conical section automatically when the power shaft is rotating at about a predetermined speed.

Claim 19

In an automotive refrigeration system as defined in claim 17 including belt-retainer elements respectively supported at opposite sides of said other pulley for rotation relative to said other pulley and having portions extending radially outwardly of said other pulley and adapted to releasably engage said belt upon movement of said belt to and from a position outwardly of said other pulley.