Patent ID: 6352102
Filing Date: 2002-03-05
Classification: B60H

Abstract:
An air conditioning apparatus for a vehicle having a passenger compartment, said air conditioning apparatus comprising:an air conditioning case for forming an air passage, said air conditioning case having a first opening portion for blowing air toward a lower portion of the passenger compartment and a second opening portion for blowing air toward an inner surface of a windshield; a heating heat exchanger for heating air passing through said air passage, said heating heat exchanger being disposed in said air conditioning case approximately vertically; temperature control means for adjusting a heating amount by said heating heat exchanger to control a temperature of the air; partitioning means for partitioning said air passage into a first air passage through which inside air flows and a second air passage through which outside air flows to set a double laminar mode when said temperature control means is controlled to maximize the heating amount during an air outlet mode where both of said first opening portion and said second opening portion are opened in such a manner that said first air passage is communicated with said first opening portion and said second air passage is communicated with said second opening portion; a first warm air passage for introducing the warm air having passed through said heating heat exchanger into said first and second opening portions, said first warm air passage being defined by a partition wall of said partition means to extend upwardly from an immediately downstream side of said heating heat exchanger; a second warm air passage for introducing the warm air having passed through said heating heat exchanger directly into said first opening portion while bypassing said first warm air passage, said second warm air passage having an inlet portion opposite to said heating heat exchanger; a communication path provided at an upper side of said partition wall, through which said first warm air passage and said second warm air passage communicate with each other; and a warm air bypass door for opening and closing said inlet portion of said second warm air passage, said warm air bypass door being operated between a first position where said inlet portion is opened and said first warm air passage is partitioned into said first air passage and said second air passage so that warm air having passed through an upper part of said heating heat exchanger is introduced toward an upper side through said first warm air passage while warm air having passed through a lower part of said heating heat exchanger is introduced into said second warm air passage through said inlet portion in said double air laminar mode, and a second position where said inlet portion is closed so that all warm air having passed through said heating heat exchanger is introduced toward the upper side through said first warm air passage, wherein: said second warm air passage is branched from said inlet portion into a front passage extending upwardly from said inlet portion, and a rear passage extending approximately horizontally from said inlet portion; and said first opening portion includes a front-seat foot opening which is provided to communicate with said front passage of said second warm air passage, and a rear-seat foot opening which is provided to communicate with said rear passage of said second warm air passage.