Mobile equipment air-conditioner

Claim 2

In an air conditioner for a vehicle having an engine and an enclosed operator's compartment, said air conditioner having a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and an evaporator, all in a closed fluid refrigerant circulating system, the combination comprising rotary hydraulic pump means driven by the said vehicle engine; a hydraulic motor driven by said hydraulic pump; said hydraulic pump means including means sensing output flow of said pump means for adjusting said pump means to deliver a regulated constant flow of hydraulic fluid above a predetermined minimum speed to drive said motor at substantially constant speed, independent of load on said motor; power transmission means including clutch means selectively operable for coupling power to said compressor from said hydraulic motor; and first and second air circulating means driven by said hydraulic motor, one of said air circulating means forcing atmospheric air for cooling said condenser and the other air circulating means forcing air through said evaporator and into said compartment; whereby said first and second air circulating means are driven at substantially constant speed independent of the load on said motor.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said motor has a housing and a single rotatable shaft, said first and second air circulating means each comprising a fan mounted directly to said motor shaft.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said shaft is disposed in vertical position and has first and second ends extending respectively out of said housing, said apparatus further comprising means for mounting said fans to opposite ends of said shaft in vertically spaced relation; upper and lower bearings adjacent respectively the ends of said shaft in said motor housing; and a case drain in said motor housing at the upper end and adapted to cause hydraulic fluid to lubricate said upper bearing.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said fluid refrigerant circulating system has a selectively adjustable flow control valve therein, said sensing means being responsive to the pressure across said flow control valve to adjust the flow rate of said pump means.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a radiator in said closed hydraulic system disposed in the air flow through said condenser for cooling the hydraulic fluid therein.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said compressor has a refrigerant-oil sump reservoir below its compression chamber to collect liquid refrigerant-oil which may seep from the fluid refrigerant-oil circulating system.

Claim 8

In combination with a vehicle having an enclosed operator's compartment partially defined by a horizontal support surface and having an engine, an air-conditioning system comprising: variable-displacement, constant-flow hydraulic pump means driven by said engine for pumping hydraulic fluid at a generally constant rate independent of variations in the speed of said engine; hydraulic motor means carried by said support surface and having a rotating shaft with two exterior ends and its axis extending vertically and partially through said support surface; a condenser coil and an evaporator coil carried by said housing means separating said coils; compressor means driven by said hydraulic motor means for compressing refrigerant received from said condenser coil and transmitting the compressed refrigerant to said evaporator coil; a condenser fan mounted directly to one exterior end of said motor shaft for forcing atmospheric air through said condenser coil; an evaporator fan mounted directly to the other exterior end of said motor shaft for forcing air through said evaporator coil; and clutch means for selectively coupling said motor means to drive said compressor means.

Claim 9

In combination with a vehicle having an enclosed operator's compartment partially defined by a horizontal support surface and having an engine, an air-conditioning system comprising: variable-displacement, constant-flow hydraulic pump means driven by said engine for pumping hydraulic fluid at a generally constant rate independent of variations in the speed of said engine; hydraulic motor means carried by said support surface and having a rotating shaft with two exterior ends and its axis extending vertically and partially through said support surface; a condenser coil and an evaporator coil carried by said housing means separating said coils; compressor means driven by said hydraulic motor means for compressing refrigerant received from said condenser coil and transmitting the compressed refrigerant to said evaporator coil; a condenser fan mounted directly to one exterior end of said motor shaft for forcing atmospheric air through said condenser coil; an evaporator fan mounted directly to the other exterior end of said motor shaft for forcing air through said evaporator coil; and clutch means for selectively coupling said motor means to drive said compressor means.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said pump means further comprises a variable orifice valve in the discharge circuit of said pump; and means sensing the pressure differential across said valve for controlling the displacement of said pump to maintain a substantially constant output flow.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a shut-off valve in circuit with said pump means for actuation by an operator, whereby when said shut-off valve is closed, said pump means de-strokes in response thereto.

Claim 12

An air-conditioning system for a vehicle having an enclosed operator's compartment with a roof and having an engine, comprising: a constant flow pump driven by said vehicle engine for delivering hydraulic fluid to an outlet conduit; a control valve having an adjustable orifice in said outlet conduit; sensing means sensing the pressure differential across said control valve for reducing the stroke of said pump when said pressure exceeds a predetermined value and for increasing the stroke of said pump when said pressure is beneath said predetermined value; and a unit carried on said roof of said vehicle adjacent an access aperture therein, said unit including hydraulic motor means having a housing and a shaft extending in a vertical disposition through opposing sides of said housing, one end of said shaft extending above said housing; a condenser coil and an evaporator coil in said housing, means for separating said coils into separate air paths, a condenser fan mounted directly to said one end of said motor shaft for forcing atmospheric air centrally downwardly and thence through said condenser fan and rearwardly of said housing, an evaporator fan mounted to the other end of said rotatable shaft; compressor means driven by said rotatable shaft for compressing refrigerant received from said condenser coil and transmitting the compressed refrigerant to said evaporator coil; said outlet conduit being coupled to deliver hydraulic fluid from said pump to said motor; and clutch means for selectively coupling said motor to drive said compressor.

Claim 13

An air-conditioning system for a vehicle having an enclosed operator's compartment with a roof and having an engine, comprising: a constant flow pump driven by said vehicle engine for delivering hydraulic fluid to an outlet conduit; a control valve having an adjustable orifice in said outlet conduit; sensing means sensing the pressure differential across said control valve for reducing the stroke of said pump when said pressure exceeds a predetermined value and for increasing the stroke of said pump when said pressure is beneath said predetermined value; and a unit carried on said roof of said vehicle adjacent an access aperture therein, said unit including hydraulic motor means having a housing and a shaft extending in a vertical disposition through opposing sides of said housing, one end of said shaft extending above said housing; a condenser coil and an evaporator coil in said housing, means for separating said coils into separate air paths, a condenser fan mounted directly to said one end of said motor shaft for forcing atmospheric air centrally downwardly and thence through said condenser fan and rearwardly of said housing, an evaporator fan mounted to the other end of said rotatable shaft; compressor means driven by said rotatable shaft for compressing refrigerant received from said condenser coil and transmitting the compressed refrigerant to said evaporator coil; said outlet conduit being coupled to deliver hydraulic fluid from said pump to said motor; and clutch means for selectively coupling said motor to drive said compressor.