Patent ID: 6662572
Filing Date: 2003-12-16
Classification: B60H,F25B,Y02T

Abstract:
A vehicle climate control system for heating or cooling air in a passenger compartment of a vehicle, comprising:at least one solar panel structured and arranged to be removably attached to an exterior of a vehicle to serve as a sole source of electricity to the climate control system; at least one thermoelectric cooler connected to said at least one solar panel and operable to cool on one side and heat on an opposite side thereof when an electric current is passed through said at least one thermoelectric cooler; at least one fan connected to said at least one solar panel; and a housing containing said at least one thermoelectric cooler and the fan so as to form a unit, the housing defining an air intake port and an air discharge port and a flow passage therebetween, the fan being arranged to draw air into the intake port and move the air through the flow passage and out the discharge port, said at least one thermoelectric cooler being arranged such that one side thereof is exposed to air moving through the flow passage; wherein the unit is convertible from a stored position to an operable position, the unit in the operable position being removably mounted to the vehicle in such a manner that the air intake port draws air from the passenger compartment of the vehicle and moves said air over the one side of said at least one thermoelectric cooler and returns said air to the passenger compartment of the vehicle, and such that the opposite side of said at least one thermoelectric cooler is isolated from the air in the passenger compartment, whereby passenger compartment air is recirculated through the flow passage and heated or cooled by said at least one thermoelectric cooler so as to heat or cool the passenger compartment.