Air conditioner system with combustion heater for automobiles

Claim 1

An air conditioner system for an automotive vehicle including a passenger compartment and an engine having intake and exhaust manifolds mounted thereon, said air conditioner system comprising: a duct extending in said passenger compartment, said duct having an opening that is open to the passenger compartment; a blower means disposed in said duct for forcing air through said duct and to the opening thereof; an evaporator disposed in the passenger compartment in said duct and selectively operative to cool air flowing through the duct; and a combustion heater disposed outside of both the passenger compartment and said duct and operatively connected to the duct in an air flow communicating manner for heating the air flowing through the duct to the opening thereof, said combustion heater including a heat exchanger having passages connected to the duct and through which the cool air flowing through the duct in the passenger compartment passes and is reintroduced into the duct in the passenger compartment, a combustion chamber disposed in said heat exchanger and in which fuel is combusted for generating hot gases, an intake passage open to and extending between the intake manifold at a first location thereon and said combustion heater for allowing a portion of a gas flowing in an intake direction in the intake manifold to the engine to pass to said combustion chamber, a discharge passage open to and extending between the intake manifold at a second location thereon that is downstream of said first location with respect to said intake direction and said combustion chamber, a branch passage extending between said discharge passage at a junction defined thereat and the atmosphere, and a movable door disposed adjacent said junction, said door movable between a first position at which said combustion chamber is in communication with the intake manifold via said discharge passage for allowing the hot gases generated in said combustion chamber to pass to the intake manifold and a second position at which said combustion chamber is in communication with the atmosphere via said branch passage for allowing the hot gases generated in said combustion chamber to pass to the atmosphere.