Air conditioning system with multiple function heat exchanger

Claim 2

An automobile heating and air conditioning system comprising: a thin walled casing defining an interior adapted to conduct both heated and cooled air into the passenger compartment; wall means dividing the interior of said casing into an upper compartment and a lower compartment; an evaporator in said upper compartment for cooling air passing therethrough when the evaporator is activated for cooling during an air conditioning mode of operation; a condenser in said lower compartment for warming air passing therethrough and located below said evaporator; air inlet means in said casing for permitting a flow of air into said upper and lower compartments; outlet means in said casing for discharging air from said upper and lower compartments into said passenger compartment; an opening through said casing communicating said lower compartment with atmosphere for discharging heated air other than through said outlet means into said passenger compartment; air damper means for blocking said opening to atmosphere to direct heated air into said passenger compartment when the system is in a heating mode of operation and for blocking said outlet means to said passenger compartment to direct heated air to atmosphere when the system is in a cooling mode of operation; air blower means for forcing air through said upper and lower compartments and said evaporator and condenser; an opening through said wall means between said upper and lower compartments located adjacent said evaporator for discharging water which has been condensed by said evaporator onto said condenser to increase its cooling capacity.

Claim 3

An automobile heating and air conditioning system comprising: a thin walled casing defining an interior adapted to conduct both heated and cooled air into the automobile passenger compartment; wall means dividing the interior of said casing into an upper compartment and a lower compartment; an evaporator in said upper compartment for cooling air passing therethrough when the evaporator is activated for cooling during an air conditioning mode of operation; a condenser in said lower compartment for warming air passing therethrough and located directly below said evaporator; air inlet means in said casing for permitting a flow of air into said upper and lower compartments; outlet means in said casing for discharging air from said upper and lower compartments into said passenger compartment; an opening through said casing communicating said lower compartment with atmosphere to discharge heated air other than through said outlet means into said passenger compartment; an air damper movable between a heating operative position blocking said opening to atmosphere and a cooling operative position blocking said outlet means to said passenger compartment for alternately directing heated air into said passenger compartment and to atmosphere; air blower means for forcing air through said evaporator and condenser; a recess formed in said divider wall means beneath said evaporator for collecting condensate; an opening in said recess and through said wall means for discharging the water collected by said recess onto said condenser.

Claim 4

An automobile heating and air conditioning system comprising: a thin walled casing defining an interior adapted to conduct both heated and cooled air into the automobile passenger compartment; wall means dividing the interior of said casing into an upper compartment and a lower compartment; an evaporator in said upper compartment for cooling air passing therethrough when the evaporator is activated for cooling during an air conditioning mode of operation; a condenser in said lower compartment for warming air passing therethrough and located directly below said evaporator; air inlet means in said casing for permitting a flow of air into said upper and lower compartments; outlet means in said casing for discharging air from said upper and lower compartments into said passenger compartment; an opening through said casing communicating said lower compartment with atmosphere to discharge heated air other than through said outlet means into said passenger compartment; an air damper movable between a heating operative position blocking said opening to atmosphere and a cooling operative position blocking said outlet means to said passenger compartment for alternately directing heated air into said passenger compartment and to atmosphere; air blower means for forcing air through said evaporator and condenser; a recess formed in said divider wall means beneath said evaporator for collecting condensate; an opening in said recess and through said wall means for discharging the water collected by said recess onto said condenser.

Claim 5

An automobile heating and air conditioning system comprising: a thin walled casing defining an interior adapted to conduct both heated and cooled air into the automobile passenger compartment; wall means dividing the interior of said casing into an upper compartment and a lower compartment; an evaporator in said upper compartment for cooling air passing therethrough when the evaporator is activated for cooling during an air conditioning mode of operation; a combination condenser and engine coolant warmed heater in said lower compartment for warming air passing therethrough; air inlet means in said casing for permitting a flow of air into said upper and lower compartments; outlet means in said casing for discharging air from said upper and lower compartments into the automobile passenger compartment; an opening through said casing communicating said lower compartment with atmosphere to discharge heated air other than through said outlet means into said passenger compartment; air damper means for blocking said opening to atmosphere when the system is in a heating operative mode and alternately for blocking said outlet means to said passenger compartment when the system is in a cooling mode of operation; air blower means for forcing air through said upper and lower compartments and said evaporator and condenser; said combined condenser and coolant warmed heater including adjacent passes of tubes for conveying refrigerant and engine coolant which extend through a plurality of parallel finned surfaces whereby a portion of the tube passes are fluidly interconnected between an engine coolant inlet and an engine coolant outlet and the remaining tube passes are interconnected together between a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet; passage means connected at one end to said refrigerant outlet of said combination condenser and coolant warmed heater and connected at the the other end to an inlet of said evaporator for conveying refrigerant between said condenser aNd said evaporator.

Claim 6

An automobile heating and air conditioning system comprising: a thin walled casing defining an interior adapted to conduct both heated and cooled air into the automobile passenger compartment; wall means dividing the interior of said casing into an upper compartment and a lower compartment; an evaporator in said upper compartment for cooling air passing therethrough when the evaporator is activated for cooling during an air conditioning mode of operation; a combination condenser and engine coolant warmed heater in said lower compartment for warming air passing therethrough; air inlet means in said casing for permitting a flow of air into said upper and lower compartments; outlet means in said casing for discharging air from said upper and lower compartments into the automobile passenger compartment; an opening through said casing communicating said lower compartment with atmosphere to discharge heated air other than through said outlet means into said passenger compartment; air damper means for blocking said opening to atmosphere when the system is in a heating operative mode and alternately for blocking said outlet means to said passenger compartment when the system is in a cooling mode of operation; air blower means for forcing air through said upper and lower compartments and said evaporator and condenser; said combined condenser and coolant warmed heater including adjacent passes of tubes for conveying refrigerant and engine coolant which extend through a plurality of parallel finned surfaces whereby a portion of the tube passes are fluidly interconnected between an engine coolant inlet and an engine coolant outlet and the remaining tube passes are interconnected together between a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet; passage means connected at one end to said refrigerant outlet of said combination condenser and coolant warmed heater and connected at the the other end to an inlet of said evaporator for conveying refrigerant between said condenser aNd said evaporator.