Heating system for automobiles with heat storage tank

Claim 1

A heating system for automobiles utilizing cooling water of an engine as a heat source, said engine having an inlet and an outlet for the cooling water, said heating system comprising: a heating radiator associated with a fan and a motor to blow air through said heating radiator; a heat accumulating water tank for storing hot cooling water and retaining heat thereof, said heat accumulating water tank having a mixing preventing device for preventing cold cooling water flowing into said heat accumulating water tank from mixing with the hot cooling water contained therein; a first pipe line having an inlet and outlet pipe lines for connecting said heating radiator between the inlet and the outlet for the cooling water of the engine; a second pipe line having an inlet and outlet pipe lines for connecting said heat accumulating water tank between the inlet and the outlet for the cooling water of the engine; a third pipe line provided between said heating radiator and said heat accumulating water tank a first valve to open and close the inlet pipe line of said first pipe line; and a second valve to open and close the outlet pipe line of said second pipe line and to open and close said third pipe line; and wherein by opening the inlet pipe line of said first pipe line by said first valve, and by opening the outlet pipe line of said second pipe line and closing said third pipe line by said second valve, said first pipe line and said second pipe line are both opened thereby to connect said heating radiator and said heat accumulating water tank in parallel with each other with respect to the engine, and by closing the inlet pipe line of said first pipe line by said first valve, and by closing the outlet pipe line of said second pipe line and opening said third pipe line by said second valve, said heating radiator and said heat accumulating water tank are connected in series with each other with respect to the engine through the inlet pipe line of said second pipe line, said third pipe line and the outlet pipe line of said first pipe line, said system further comprising, an outflow temperature sensor positioned at an outlet of said heat accumulating water tank for sensing a temperature of the cooling water outflowing from said water tank, an inflow temperature sensor positioned at an inlet of said heat accumulating water tank for sensing a temperature of the cooling water supplied from the engine to said water tank, and a control circuit for controlling said first and second valves in response to signals from said outflow and inflow temperature sensors, such that when said inflow temperature sensor senses a low temperature and said outflow temperature sensor senses a high temperature, said first and second valves are controlled to connect said heating radiator and said heat accumulating water tank in series between the inlet and outlet for the cooling water of the engine thereby to allow the cooling water of a low temperature to flow from the engine into said heat accumulating water tank to push out the hot water contained therein to flow into said heating radiator to radiate the heat and then to return to the engine, and when said outflow temperature sensor senses a low temperature due to consumption of the hot water and replacement by cold cooling water from the engine, and when said inflow temperature sensor senses a high temperature due to warming up of the engine, said first and second valves are controlled to connect said heating radiator and said heat accumulating water tank in parallel with each other between the inlet and outlet of the cooling water of the engine.