Air-conditioning system for the passenger compartment of a vehicle

An air-conditioning system for the passenger compartment of a vehicle. The air-conditioning system includes an air-treatment unit and with a series of ventilation outlets distributed inside the passenger compartment and connected to the air-treatment unit. Some of the ventilation outlets are mounted on the side surface of a tubular body, which is set in a bottom portion of the passenger compartment. An internal pipe communicates with the air-treatment unit, and is mounted to oscillate about a longitudinal axis thereof.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an air-conditioning system for the passenger compartment of a vehicle.

The present invention finds advantageous application in an air-conditioning system for the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, to which the ensuing treatment will make explicit reference without this implying any loss of generality.

BACKGROUND ART

In modern motor vehicles there is always present an air-conditioning system, which is designed to condition the passenger compartment introducing into the passenger compartment itself air at the temperature desired by the user. For this purpose, the air-conditioning system comprises a unit for treatment of the air, which is designed to heat or cool the air that is subsequently introduced into the passenger compartment by a series of ventilation outlets made in the passenger compartment itself.

Normally, inside the passenger compartment, the ventilation outlets are arranged at different levels so as to enable introduction of the air into different areas of the passenger compartment itself. In particular, there are by now always present top ventilation outlets designed to direct air towards the internal wall of the windscreen, intermediate ventilation outlets designed to direct the air towards the driver's body and the body of the passenger occupying the front seat, and bottom ventilation outlets designed to direct the air towards the feet of the driver and of the passenger occupying the front seat. Typically, only the intermediate ventilation outlets are mobile so as to enable regulation of the direction of the air introduced into the passenger compartment, whilst the top and bottom ventilation outlets are fixed and do not enable regulation of the direction of the air introduced into the passenger compartment.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an air-conditioning system for the passenger compartment of a vehicle, which will be easy and inexpensive to produce and, at the same time, will provide the driver or the passenger occupying the front seat with a wider range of possibilities of regulation of the air introduced into the passenger compartment.

In accordance with the present invention, an air-conditioning system for the passenger compartment of a vehicle is provided.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

InFIG. 1, the reference number1designates the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle provided with an air-conditioning system2, which comprises an air-treatment unit3housed in a engine compartment (not illustrated) and designed to treat the air that must be introduced into the passenger compartment1. Connected to the air-treatment unit3is a plurality of ventilation outlets4, which have the function of introducing into the passenger compartment1the air treated by the air-treatment unit3, are distributed inside the passenger compartment1, and are arranged at different levels in order to enable introduction of air into different areas of the passenger compartment1itself. In particular, the ventilation outlets4comprise: top ventilation outlets4(not illustrated in detail) designed to direct the air towards the internal wall of a windscreen; intermediate ventilation outlets4(not illustrated in detail) designed to direct the air towards the body of the driver and the body of the passenger occupying the front seat; and bottom ventilation outlets4(illustrated in the attached figures) designed to direct the air towards the feet of the driver and of the passenger occupying the front seat.

The air-conditioning system2comprises a tubular body5set in a bottom portion of the passenger compartment1, and an internal pipe6communicating with the air-treatment unit3, and is provided with a number of bottom ventilation outlets4mounted on the side surface7of the tubular body5. In particular, the ventilation outlets4are mounted on the tubular body5so as to be able to oscillate about a longitudinal central axis8of the tubular body5between two limit positions (illustrated inFIG. 2). The regulation of the directionality of the bottom ventilation outlets4about the central axis8enables ventilation of an area that starts from the driver's toes and reaches as far as lapping the surface of the knee protection, thus enabling the air to flow upwards “sticking” to the limit layer of the dashboard surface.

According to the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 1, the ventilation outlets4are mounted in a fixed position on the side surface7of the tubular body5, and the tubular body5is mounted so as to be able to oscillate about its longitudinal central axis8. In this way, all the ventilation outlets4oscillate in the same way together with the tubular body5and about the longitudinal central axis8of the tubular body5.

According to a different embodiment illustrated inFIG. 2, the tubular body5is mounted in a fixed position, and the ventilation outlets4are mounted on the side surface7of the tubular body5so as to be able to oscillate about the longitudinal central axis8of the tubular body5. In this way, each ventilation outlet4can oscillate about the longitudinal central axis8of the tubular body5independently of the other ventilation outlets4.

According to what is illustrated inFIG. 1, the tubular body5is supported by a wall9of the passenger compartment1by means of interposition of a pair of bearings10, which are fixed to two respective brackets11connected to the wall9. Preferably, the bearings10are made in such a way that the oscillation of the tubular body5about its longitudinal axis8occurs against a given force of friction, which is designed to maintain the tubular body5immobile in a given angular position in the absence of the action of external forces.

According to what is illustrated inFIG. 1, the tubular body5has one open end12in communication with the air-treatment unit3and one closed end13opposite to the end12. The open end12is in communication with the air-treatment unit3by means of a pipe14, which is mounted in a fixed position and has one end slidably coupled to the end12of the tubular body5.

Preferably, in a position corresponding to the open end12, the tubular body5comprises a regulation member15designed to vary the size of the section of passage of the air between a minimum value (normally zero) and a maximum value.

According to an embodiment not illustrated, the tubular body5has a handle designed to be grasped by a user for imparting on the tubular body5itself an oscillation about its longitudinal axis8.

According to what is illustrated in the attached figures, the tubular body5is arranged in a position corresponding to a set of pedals16of the vehicle, and is preferably arranged immediately behind a panel17of the passenger compartment1so as to be normally not visible to the driver and/or to the passenger of the motor vehicle.

Fabrication of the tubular body5described above proves extremely simple and inexpensive. Furthermore, various on-road tests have demonstrated that the tubular body5enables an effective and ergonomic regulation of the flows of air coming from the bottom ventilation outlets4. In fact, regulation of the directionality of the bottom ventilation outlets4enables ventilation of an area that starts from the driver's toes and reaches as far as lapping the surface of the knee protection thus enabling the air to flow upwards “sticking” to the limit layer of the dashboard surface.