Climate control device for motor vehicles

The invention relates to a climate control device for temperature regulation of passenger compartments in motor vehicles. The device comprises an air treatment chamber (2) through which incoming air to the passenger compartment is made to flow via channels from air intake (4) to air outlet (5) to be temperature-regulated depending upon a nominal value and an actual value for the air temperature in the passenger compartment. The actual value is detected using at least one temperature sensor (12) located in the passenger compartment, and an air stream is created at the sensor by means of a suction duct which is connected to a suction inlet (19) of an ejector (16). The ejector is transversed by streaming air via a pressure inlet (27) and outlet (33) in the air treatment chamber. The ejector (16) has a substantially funnel-shaped jacket (34) widening around the outlet and is located in the air treatment chamber (2) or connecting channels so that its pressure inlet (27) and funnel-shaped jacket is transversed by streaming air in a direction away from the pressure inlet. The air is flowing partly through the outlet and partly surrounding the funnel-shaped jacket.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The present invention relates to a climate control device for the 
regulation of the temperature of the passenger compartment of motor 
vehicles according to the appended claim 1. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Climate control devices for motor vehicles are in a varying degree provided 
with automatic temperature regulation, where air is treated, generally 
through heating and possibly also through cooling, depending upon the type 
of device and whether the ambient air is colder or warmer than the desired 
temperature inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle. For this 
purpose, the passenger compartment is provided with one or more 
temperature sensors which, for practical reasons, have to be located in 
the vicinity of a passenger compartment surface. To obtain a 
representative temperature reading, it is previously known to create an 
air stream past the sensor using a suction conduit. The required negative 
pressure is in this case created by an ejector which uses the air stream 
which is created in the climate control device. The air stream has been 
led through the ejector, located outside the air treatment chamber, in 
such a way that a local air stream is created in the passenger 
compartment, something which may be regarded as being irritating. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The object of the present invention is to provide a climate control device 
with which the ejector does not create any comfort reducing air stream in 
the passenger compartment of the vehicle. 
Said object is achieved by a climate control device, whose features are 
detailed in appended claim 1.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The schematic view according to FIG. 1 shows a climate control device for 
motor vehicles where its physical structure with conduit systems and air 
intakes and air outlets is only generally indicated. The climate control 
device has a central unit 1 having an air treatment chamber 2, which is 
provided with a fan 3 which may be switched on to replace or augment the 
air stream through the device created by the relative air velocity between 
the vehicle and the outside air during vehicle movement. An air intake 4 
is coupled to the fan. The fan may on the one hand be connected to the 
outside of the passenger compartment, i.e. the cab, which is to be 
temperature-regulated and on the other hand, may comprise a recirculation 
intake for closed recirculation in the cab. From the air treatment chamber 
2, there runs an air outlet 5 which is branched off to different locations 
via subconduits 6, 7 in the vehicle. To regulate the air streams, there 
are a plurality of different conduits and valves, but for clarity only one 
valve 8 for regulating the air outlet is shown. 
Furthermore, in the air treatment chamber 2 there are different 
temperature-influencing devices, usually at least one heating means 9, 
which may utilize the engine heat through a heat exchanger via a cooling 
water medium or air-borne heat or can be an electrically powered heating 
element. The climate control device may possibly be provided with a 
cooling means, for example in the form of an evaporator 10, through which 
an air stream is brought to pass in the air treatment chamber for the 
purpose of lowering the air temperature. 
For regulation of the temperature in the vehicle cab there is arranged at 
least one temperature sensor 11 which is located in a suitable position in 
the cab. For practical reasons, it is located close to a surface or an 
object in the cab which, through heat radiation, may provide the 
temperature sensor 11 with a temperature reading which deviates from the 
average temperature in the area which is to be monitored. Accordingly, an 
air stream, see arrow 12, is made to pass the temperature sensor for 
temperature equalizing purposes. In order to create this air stream, a 
suction conduit 13 is arranged with an opening 14 which is located in the 
close vicinity of the temperature sensor. Furthermore, the suction conduit 
13, at its opposite end, is connected to an ejector 16 which, according to 
the invention, is located inside the air treatment chamber 2 so that air 
streams 17 which are produced by pressure changes in the air treatment 
chamber either by the fan 3 or the air stream created by the relative air 
velocity between the vehicle and the outside air during vehicle movement, 
or a combination of both flow over and surround the ejector. The ejector 
16 is aimed in an appropriate manner so that it is subjected to an air 
flow in a main direction which as far as possible coincides with the 
longitudinal axis of the ejector from inlet side to outlet side, i.e. that 
which is indicated with a dashed and dotted arrow 18. 
The more detailed construction of the ejector is best apparent from FIGS. 
2, 3 and 4. The ejector has a suction inlet tube 19 which, in the shown 
example, is angled and comprises a section 20 which is angled away from 
the main direction of the ejector according to the arrow 18 and which 
passes through the wall 21 of the air treatment chamber 2 and may, using a 
suitable fastening means, form the mechanical support for the ejector 16 
in the central unit 1. The suction inlet tube 19 thereby constitutes a 
part of the suction conduit 13, the outer end of which is associated with 
the temperature sensor 11. The suction inlet tube 19 merges with an 
ejector housing 22 and is provided with a section 24 inside the ejector 
which tapers conically towards a circular opening 23. The ejector housing 
22 forms a duct 25 which encompasses the conical section 24 and which 
becomes an annular channel 26 running around the opening 23. The ejector 
further has a pressure inlet 27, which merges with the encompassing duct 
25 and is shaped like a capturing section or air scoop provided with an 
angled wall 28, having a suitable inclination relative to the main 
direction 18 and which widens in the rearward direction, see FIG. 3, and 
an opening 29 in the opposed direction to the main direction 18. The 
ejector furthermore has an outlet tube 30 which, in the shown example, is 
cylindrical and is provided with an inner annular edge, which is shaped 
like a flange 31 and is fastened to the ejector housing 22 so that the 
annular edge is located substantially in the same radial plane as the 
opening 33 of the suction inlet. The inner edge of the outlet tube 30, 
i.e. the flange 31, thereby forms the outer contour of the annular channel 
26. The tube 30 forms an outlet duct 32 having a circular opening 33. 
According to the invention, the ejector is provided with a funnel-shaped 
jacket 34 which expands in the main direction 18 and attaches to the 
housing 22 using a flange 35 which, seen in the main direction 18, is 
located beyond the pressure inlet 27. The flange 35 is shaped so that the 
ejector housing 22 merges into the funnel-shaped jacket via a step 36, 
which provides a tapering of the ejector at the inner end of the jacket 
for it to widen substantially conically to a diameter which, at the outer 
edge 37 of the jacket, has a cross-sectional dimension which substantially 
exceeds the cross-sectional dimension at the inner edge and, in the shown 
example, is in the order of twice this cross-sectional dimension. In the 
shown example, the largest outer diameter of the jacket is approximately 
twice the outer diameter of the outlet 33 of the ejector. More 
specifically, the outer edge of the jacket 34 is, in the example, provided 
with a flange-like edge 38 which merges into a more or less radial 
direction. As is apparent from FIG. 2 and the cross-section according to 
FIG. 4, the funnel-shaped jacket 34, more precisely its outer edge 37, and 
the outlet opening 33 are located substantially in the same radial plane, 
although, preferably having the outlet opening 33 protruding somewhat 
beyond or outside the edge 37. 
The prerequisite for the functioning of the ejector is that an air stream 
is present in the air treatment chamber 2 such that a pressure drop arises 
in the main direction 18 of the ejector, i.e. from its inlet side to its 
outlet side. Such a pressure drop may arise in several different locations 
in the air treatment chamber or other parts of the system, for what reason 
its placement suitably is done through testing. Advantageously, the 
ejector may be placed relatively close to one of the walls 21 of the air 
treatment chamber, as is shown in the example, and having at least some 
gap between the outer edge 38 of the funnel-shaped portion and with such a 
distance to the closest transverse wall 39 that the air stream past the 
ejector is not influenced. The negative pressure created by the ejector in 
the suction conduit 13 and, hence, the desired air stream past the 
temperature sensor 11 is, according to the invention, essentially achieved 
in the following manner, which will be described with reference mainly to 
FIG. 1 and FIG. 4. A part of the air stream in the air treatment chamber 2 
is received by the capturing section 27, whereby air is guided into the 
ejector, see arrows 40, 41, 42, 43. From the capturing portion, the air 
stream is guided through the annular channel 26 and into the outlet tube 
32. The remaining part of the air streams in the area around the ejector 
is guided past the ejector along its outside and is made to surround the 
ejector housing 22 and the funnel-shaped portion 24, see arrows 44. Owing 
to the air streams both outside the conical portion 34 and through the 
ejector, a strengthened two-stage ejector effect is obtained. The 
funnel-shaped jacket 34 creates an increased pressure drop in the ejector 
and a large flow velocity through the ejector tube 32 by guiding the air 
stream so that it diverges from the main direction 18 of the ejector. 
This, in turn, creates an ejector effect in a second stage with a negative 
pressure in the area of the ejector inlet at the opening 23, which creates 
a negative pressure in the suction tube 30 and an efficient air stream 
past the temperature sensor 11, even if the flow velocity of the air in 
the chamber 2 should not be particularly great. 
The temperature sensor 11 is a part of a regulating system for temperature 
regulation, for example through regulation of an air blending valve or a 
outlet valve 45, which is shown by way of example in FIG. 1. The 
temperature sensor can also be used to regulate heating element 9 or 
cooling device 10 to represent an actual value (in a regulating system) 
for the temperature in the cab and to regulate the temperature depending 
upon a pre-set nominal value of the temperature. 
The invention is not limited to the description above nor to the examples 
shown on the drawings, but can be varied within the scope of the appended 
claims. For example, the detailed construction of the ejector may be 
effected in many different ways having another design of the capturing 
portion and the funnel-shaped jacket. The climate control device may be 
provided with a heating device only, i.e. the cooling device may be 
omitted. The climate control device may be automated to a larger or lesser 
degree, for example through pre-setting the temperature using a manually 
operated control which alters the temperature depending upon the ambient 
temperature outside the cab. A plurality of temperature sensors and 
regulating systems may be comprised in the device for detection of 
different temperature zones in the cab. The suction conduit 13 may then be 
branched out to each and every one of the sensors or, alternatively, 
several ejectors are located in the air treatment chamber 2. The ejector 
may also be placed in another location, also in different areas, where the 
ventilation air passes, for example inlet or outlet ducts.