Patent ID: 6213198
Filing Date: 2001-04-10
Classification: B60H

Abstract:
An air conditioning apparatus for a vehicle having a passenger compartment comprising:an air conditioning casing, in which an outside air suction inlet and a first inside air suction inlet for sucking an outside air and an inside air, respectively, are formed at one end, and a defroster opening for blowing out air at least toward a windshield of the vehicle and a foot opening for blowing out air toward feet of a passenger in said passenger compartment are formed at the other end, said air conditioning case further having a second inside air suction inlet separated from said first air suction inlet for sucking the inside air;a partitioning plate for defining and forming an interior of said air conditioning casing into a first air passage formed from said second inside air suction inlet to said foot opening, and a second air passage formed from said outside air suction inlet to said defroster opening;a heating heat exchanger provided in said first and second air passages to heat air in said first and second air passages;a blower for generating an air flow from said one end toward said other end in said first and second air passages, said blower having a first suction port and a second suction port; and;dehumidifying means for dehumidifying the inside air from the first inside air suction inlet; whereinsaid outside air suction inlet and said first and second inside air suction inlets are provided in said air conditioning casing at an upstream air side of said blower, in such a manner that said first inside air suction inlet communicates with said second suction port of said blower through a communication passage, said outside air suction inlet communicates with said second suction port through said second air passage, and said second inside air suction inlet communicates with said first suction port through said first air passage during an air outlet mode where both said defroster opening and said foot opening are opened, said dehumidifying means being provided in said communication passage; andsaid dehumidifying means includes an electric element provided in said air conditioning casing so as to face said communication passage and said second air passage, for absorbing heat from the inside air flowing through said communication passage and for radiating the absorbed heat to the outside air flowing through said second air passage, when an electric current is supplied thereto.