Abstract:
A ventilating, heating, and air conditioning device for a motor vehicle passenger compartment which includes air intake orifices and an associated air intake conduit which supplies at least one fan which forces an intake air stream through two heat exchangers towards a distributor. Outlets are connected by discharge pipes to associated orifices distributed inside the passenger compartment. The fan, heat exchanger, and distributor are controlled to selectively diffuse air streams inside the passenger compartment with variable flow rate and temperature. The distributor is transversely arranged in a central position and longitudinally behind a row of seats, and the distributor outlets are at the vehicle floor level.

Description:
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/601,348 filed on Oct. 11, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,831 which is a National Stage of PCT/FR/99/00173 filed on Feb. 19, 1999. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a device for ventilating, heating and air-conditioning a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle. 
     The invention relates more particularly to a device for ventilating, heating and air-conditioning a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, of the type provided with inside and outside air intake orifices for the passenger compartment of the vehicle and at least one air intake conduit associated with the said orifices, which conduit supplies at least one main fan, which forces an intake air stream through at least one heat exchanger toward a distributor, whose outlets are connected by ducts to associated vents, distributed throughout the passenger compartment, for delivery of air, and of the type provided with means for actuation of the main fan, exchanger and distributor, which means make it possible to blow delivery air streams of variable flowrate and temperature selectively into the zones of the passenger compartment. 
     2. Discussion of the Background 
     There are known numerous devices for ventilating, heating and air-conditioning designed to blow air streams at diverse temperatures and in diverse zones of the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle. 
     Most such devices are disposed between the dashboard and the engine compartment of the vehicle, and are provided with a fan which draws air either from outside or from inside the vehicle, then directs it to a heating radiator which uses the cooling fluid of the internal combustion engine, or to a cooling exchanger. The air heated or cooled in this way is then directed by the distributor and a system of ducts to diverse points of the passenger compartment in accordance with the needs of the passengers. These ducts discharge directly into adequate vents of the dashboard to ensure the comfort of the front passengers and at the bottom of the windshield to ensure defrosting thereof, or are prolonged to the rear of the vehicle, generally hidden among the interior furnishing elements such as the central bracket or the door sill moldings. 
     A problem arises when considerations of roominess and esthetics dictate that these ducts must not encroach on the habitable interior space. 
     A first type of solution comprises constructing devices which are provided with ducts hidden among the structural elements of the vehicle, such as the bottom of the vehicle body or other elements of the substructure. 
     U.S. Pat. No. A 2,696,774 describes such an arrangement. 
     In this case, the air is first drawn at the front of the vehicle then conveyed partly to an air conditioner via tubular cavities comprising part of the vehicle structure. Other zones of these same tubular cavities allow the heated or cooled air to be conveyed to the places of the rear passengers. 
     This solution is not satisfactory, however, because the temperature variations associated with heat exchanges between the walls of structural elements and the outside atmosphere greatly reduce the efficiency of the installation. 
     Another type of solution is introduced by the devices for which air originating from the distributor is conveyed in inlaid ducts of rectangular cross section and small thickness hidden among the trim of the floorboard of the vehicle. 
     European Patent EP A 0210548 describes such a device. 
     This device considerably reduces the exchanges of heat with the outside atmosphere, but it can be applied only to mid-sized vehicles, because long ducts cannot be applied to a vehicle of the monospace type having both great length and large inside volume, since the pressure losses in the ducts are too large. 
     In the monospace case it is possible to adopt an architecture of the device for ventilating, heating and air-conditioning the passenger compartment that uses the cavities of the vehicle structure to convey air to the front passengers, to the rear passengers and to the windows, thus making it possible to consider an intermediate longitudinal position for the device. The outlets of the distributor of the device can therefore be connected to different cavities of the vehicle structure to which the distributor is attached. 
     European Patent EP B1 0503987 describes such a device. 
     This device solves the problem of pressure losses, but it still suffers from exchanges of heat with the outside atmosphere. To overcome this, it is necessary to overdimension the exchangers and the fan, leading to a considerable disadvantage for a device which is supposed instead to occupy a minimum space on one of the sides of the vehicle, so that it can be housed in an intermediate longitudinal position, for example in a housing close to one of the vehicle posts, without encroaching on the habitable interior space. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     To overcome these disadvantages, the invention proposes a device of the type described hereinabove, characterized in that the distributor is arranged transversely in central position and longitudinally behind a row of seats, and in that the outlets of the distributor are disposed in the floor structure of the vehicle. 
     According to other characteristics of the invention: 
     the distributor is provided with a case, in an upper face of which there are disposed the outlets, to which there are connected the different ducts for delivery of air into the passenger compartment of the vehicle; 
     the case of the distributor is part of a unit, which is provided with a heat exchanger for heating and a heat exchanger for cooling; 
     the unit is provided with means which ensure that different mixtures of the air stream can be achieved and channeled to the distributor, to be blown simultaneously and independently through the different outlets of the distributor; 
     the unit is provided with the main fan, one inlet of which permits intake of the air and one interior outlet on the unit forces an air stream through a heating exchanger and/or a cooling exchanger; 
     the intake conduits and the air delivery ducts are fixed on the inside walls of the passenger compartment of the vehicle and/or are integrated into the interior trim elements of the vehicle, especially the floor carpets and the interior furnishing elements; 
     the air intake conduit is provided with a vertical segment which is connected to an outside air intake orifice disposed under the windshield of the vehicle, and a horizontal segment equipped with inside air intake orifices, which segment extends longitudinally close to the longitudinal central axis of the vehicle and is connected to the fan inlet; 
     the air delivery ducts are provided with two ducts, right and left respectively, for distributing air to the legs of the front passengers, which ducts are provided successively with horizontal segments extending longitudinally between the distributor and the vehicle dashboard, on the respective two sides of the central longitudinal axis of the vehicle, and which discharge into two vents, right and left respectively, for delivery of air to the legs of the front passengers, which vents are oriented vertically downward at right angles to the feet of the passengers; 
     the air delivery ducts are provided with at least one central duct, which delivers air to the legs of the rear passengers and is oriented along the central longitudinal axis of the vehicle; 
     the air delivery ducts are provided with two ducts, right and left respectively, for lateral and upward distribution of air, which ducts are provided successively with two opposite horizontal segments extending transversely, two segments extending vertically along the side posts of the passenger compartment of the vehicle and provided with right and left side vents disposed along the side posts, and two segments extending longitudinally along the sides of the roof of the vehicle and provided with side vents disposed on the sides of the roof of the vehicle; 
     the air delivery ducts are provided with two horizontal ducts, right and left respectively, for distribution of air toward the front, which ducts are provided with segments extending longitudinally between the distributor and the vehicle dashboard while following the central axis of the vehicle, and which are connected in the lower zone of the dashboard to a device for front air distribution; 
     the front air distribution device is actuated by means for actuating the ventilating, heating and air-conditioning device, and it is provided with at least one shutter which distributes the air between a single defrosting duct, with which there is associated an auxiliary electric fan to force a stream of air through an electric defrosting radiator toward defrosting vents disposed along the windshield of the vehicle, and between two independent transverse ducts, right and left respectively, for ventilation for the front passengers, each of which transverse ducts discharges into two blower vents situated at mid-height of the dashboard on each side of the right and left front passengers. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the detailed description hereinafter, which will be understood by referring to the attached drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a part of the passenger compartment of a vehicle equipped with a device constructed according to the invention, as seen by an observer situated at the left rear of the vehicle and showing the position of the different elements of the device in the passenger compartment of the vehicle; 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic overhead view showing the position, in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, of the device constructed according to the invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a view of a detail of FIG. 2 showing the front air distribution device in a mode of operation in which it blows air to the front places; 
     FIG. 4 is a view of a detail of FIG. 2 showing the front air distribution device in a mode of operating in which it defrosts the windshield; 
     FIG. 5 is a view of a detail of FIG. 2 showing the front air distribution device in a mixed mode of operation in which it defrosts the windshield and blows air to the front places; and 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the ventilating, heating and air-conditioning unit showing the position of the fan, heat exchangers and distributor, and the arrangement of the outlets thereof. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 shows the entirety of a device  10  for ventilation, heating and air-conditioning constructed according to the invention. Device  10  is installed in passenger compartment  12  of a motor vehicle of the monospace type. 
     According to the invention, a ventilating, heating and air-conditioning unit  14  is arranged transversely in central position and longitudinally behind a row of seats (not shown) in a floor structure  16  comprising part of passenger compartment  12  of the motor vehicle. An upper face  18  of a distributor  20  comprising part of ventilating, heating and air-conditioning unit  14  is disposed in floor structure  16  of the vehicle and is connected by different outlets (not shown) to the different air delivery ducts of the passenger compartment. In addition, ventilating, heating and air-conditioning unit  14  is supplied with air by means of an intake conduit  22 , which is disposed longitudinally to the right of a longitudinal central axis A of the vehicle, according to the views of FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     According to the invention, air intake conduit  22  is provided with an outside air intake orifice (not shown) and at least one inside air intake orifice (not shown). These inside and outside air intake orifices allow ventilating, heating and air-conditioning unit  14  to be supplied selectively by means of air intake conduit  22 . 
     The option given to the passengers of selective choice between two air intake sources is particularly advantageous to the extent that, since the vehicle may be forced to travel in zones of poor air quality, the plurality of air intake sources makes it possible to supply ventilating, heating and air-conditioning device  10  either with air from outside the vehicle, filtered through different particulate and odor filters, for example, or to recycle all or part of the inside air, and in all circumstances to maintain inside passenger compartment  12  of the vehicle an air quality level sufficient for the comfort of the passengers. 
     According to the invention, the different air delivery ducts make it possible to blow different air streams at different temperatures to different points of passenger compartment  12 . 
     Starting from central distributor  20 , two ducts  24  and  26 , left and right respectively, for distribution of air to the legs of the front passengers extend in a substantially longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The left and right ducts  24  and  26  respectively for distribution of air to the legs of the front passengers are provided with horizontal segments  28  and  30  respectively, which extend longitudinally toward the front of the vehicle while conforming to the shapes of floor structure  16  of the vehicle and in particular of a crossbeam  29 , which is designed to ensure rigidity of floor structure  16  of the vehicle and on which there can be fixed the seats of the front row. They are provided with two crooked members  32  and  34 , left and right respectively, which blow warm air toward the feet of the passengers. In fact, it is known that optimal comfort conditions are achieved when warm air is blown into the lower zones of the vehicle while fresher air is blown into the upper zones of the vehicle. 
     The left and right crooked members  32  and  34  respectively of left and right ducts  24  and  26  respectively for distribution of air to the front passengers make it possible on the one hand to satisfy this criterion by directing the air stream downward toward the legs of the front passengers. In analogous manner, a central duct  36  for delivery of air to the legs of the rear passengers, visible in the views of FIGS. 1 and 2, oriented along central longitudinal axis A of the vehicle, ensures that these criteria of comfort are met and that warm air is distributed homogeneously in the lower zones of the vehicle situated behind the front places. 
     Central duct  36  for delivery of air to the legs of the rear passengers is directly disposed on upper face  18  of ventilation, heating and air-conditioning unit  14 , and so it does not encroach on the part of the floor structure between unit  14  and the rear of the vehicle, which is reserved, for example, for slideways for adjustable fixation of the vehicle seats. 
     The blowing of air streams substantially fresher than those blown by ducts  24 ,  26  and  36  is ensured in two main zones. 
     On the one hand, two ducts  38  and  40 , left and right respectively, for lateral and upward distribution of air make it possible to blow fresh air streams into the lateral and upper parts of the vehicle. Duct  38 , of which FIG. 1 illustrates only the connection to upper face  18  of distributor  20 , is symmetric with right duct  40  relative to the central longitudinal plane of the vehicle. 
     Right duct  40  for lateral and upward air distribution is provided with a first horizontal segment  42 , visible in FIGS. 1 and 2, which extends transversely on both sides of unit  14  as far as the base of a lateral post  44 , visible in FIG. 1, of passenger compartment  12 . A second segment  46  of duct  40  ascends laterally along post  44  and is provided with at least one lateral vent  48  which permits in particular ventilation of the rear passengers and/or blowing air to the side windows of the vehicle (not shown). 
     Vertical lateral segment  46  of right duct  40  for lateral and upward air distribution is terminated at its top end in a segment  50  which extends longitudinally along right side  13  of the roof (not shown) of the vehicle, and which is provided with at least one lateral vent  52  directed vertically downward to ensure that fresh air is blown toward the passengers and/or the side windows of the vehicle. 
     As illustrated in FIG. 1, segment  50  of side  13  of the roof can extend to the front and rear of the vehicle over the entire length of the roof, to ensure homogeneous blowing of fresh air in the upper part over the entire length of passenger compartment  12  of the vehicle. 
     On the other hand, as is evident in FIGS. 1 and 2, device  10  for ventilating, heating and air-conditioning  10  is provided with two horizontal ducts  54  and  56 , left and right respectively, which extend longitudinally from upper face  18  of distributor  20  toward the front of the vehicle, to terminate at a front air distribution device  58 , and which contribute to the blowing of substantially fresh air in the interior of passenger compartment  12  of the vehicle. 
     Front air distribution device  58  makes it possible to channel the air stream originating from left and right horizontal ducts  54  and  56  respectively between, on the one hand, a plate  60  for defrosting a windshield  62  of the vehicle and, on the other hand, independent left and right blowers  64 ,  66  and  68 ,  70  respectively available to the front passengers of the vehicle. 
     The passengers can choose to favor selectively the blowing of air via plate  60  or via blowers  64 ,  66 ,  68 ,  70 , by adjusting air distribution device  58  as will be explained hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 3,  4  and  5 . Air distribution device  58  is particularly advantageous, because it permits using the air streams circulating in left and right ducts  54  and  56  respectively and coming from distributor  20 , thus ensuring functions of blowing air and defrosting simultaneously or independently. 
     The view of FIG. 2 illustrates in particular the layout on floor structure  16  of the different elements of ventilating, heating and air-conditioning device  10 . 
     The fact that distributor  20  occupies a central transverse position which in longitudinal direction is behind the front row of seats ensures that the lengths of ducts and conduits connected thereto can be made uniform. In this connection, the dimensioning of fan  72  can be matched exactly to the stream to be supplied, since the pressure losses are substantially the same in the different ducts, which have substantially the same length. 
     In addition, left and right ducts  24  and  26  respectively for distribution of air to the legs of the front passengers are disposed at such a transverse distance from central axis A of the vehicle that they pass between slideways  74  of the front seats of the vehicle. The same is true for left and right ducts  38  and  40  respectively for lateral and upward distribution of air, which ducts are disposed transversely between the slideways of the front seats and the slideways of the first row of rear seats of the vehicle, for example in a thickness of a floorboard covering (not shown). 
     Finally, it will be noted that air intake conduit  22 , which is disposed to the right of central axis A of the vehicle, can advantageously function as footrest for the right front passenger or for the driver if the vehicle is destined for a country with driving on the left, and in this context can be integrated into the interior furnishings of the vehicle. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates the operation of front air distribution device  58  according to a first mode of blowing air to the front passengers. 
     The fresh air stream is conveyed to front air distribution device through left and right front air distribution ducts  54  and  56  respectively. In this configuration, as the arrows show, the air streams are preferentially oriented toward the front passengers, independently for each passenger. Consequently, each duct for distribution of air to the front can blow an air stream at a temperature substantially different from that of the air stream conveyed by the other duct. The ventilation air streams are blown by the two series  64 ,  66  and  68 ,  70  respectively of blowers for the front passengers. This makes it possible to blow to the right and left front passengers air streams at different temperatures, to the liking of each passenger. To achieve this, device  58  is provided with left and right shutters  76  and  78  respectively, which guide each air stream along a case  80 , which in this figure is closed and which contains a fan  82 , which in this figure is turned off. 
     In FIG. 4, front air distribution device  58  is actuated by the passengers for the purpose of ensuring defrosting of front windshield  62 . In this configuration left and right shutters  76  and  78  respectively are open, thus diverting the air streams originating from distributor  20  and conveyed by front air distribution ducts  54  and  56  respectively, while mixing them in a duct  83  by means of an additional fan  82 , now turned on, which forces the stream thus obtained through an additional radiator  84  to heat the front air stream and urge it toward a series of vents  86  belonging to defrosting plate  60 . 
     In this configuration, the streams originating from left and right ducts  54  and  56  respectively are mixed in order to obtain a homogeneous mixture, which can be blown over the entire width of windshield  62  in order to defrost it rapidly. It is in fact known that the effectiveness of windshield defrosting depends on both the temperature and velocity of the air blown to its surface. In this context, front air distribution device  58  permits rapid defrosting by accelerating the air by means of fan  82  and by heating it by means of radiator  84 , which can be designed, for example, as a radiator based on ceramic material. 
     In the case illustrated in FIG. 5, in which the passengers wish to benefit from air blown to the front places and in which defrosting of windshield  62  is necessary, device  58  can perform only partial mixing of the air streams originating from left and right ducts  54  and  56  respectively for defrosting purposes. In fact, in this configuration, left and right shutters  76  and  78  respectively of front air distribution device  58  are merely half-open, and only part of each stream is diverted toward defrosting plate  60  and its defrosting vents  86 . For each of the left and right front air distribution ducts  54  and  56  respectively, only part of the air stream is mixed with part of the air stream originating from the other duct, while the remaining part is conveyed toward left and right blower vents  64 ,  66  and  68 ,  70  respectively, in order to ensure independent temperature comfort for each front passenger, as described hereinabove with reference to FIG.  3 . 
     This configuration is particularly advantageous, because it ensures that defrosting can be achieved at the same time as air is blown to the front passengers, while avoiding an increased number of ducts in the passenger compartment, since the only ducts conveying air from the distributor to the front of the vehicle are left and right front air distribution ducts  54  and  56  respectively, and since this configuration also achieves a large gain in space. 
     FIG. 6 illustrates a general view of ventilating, heating and air-conditioning unit  14 , showing the positions of the different constitutional elements thereof. 
     In known manner, unit  14  is provided with main fan  72 , and an upper face of case  88  thereof is provided with an orifice  90  which accommodates the end of air intake duct  22 . Fan  72  is included in the body and forces an air stream through a heating exchanger  92  or, by means of a shutter device (not shown) inside unit  14 , through a cooling exchanger  94 , such that different air streams at different temperatures can be obtained at the outlets of upper vents  96 ,  98 ,  100  and  102  formed in upper face  18  of distributor  20 , which vents represent the outlets thereof. 
     Outlets  96  are connected to lateral and upward air distribution ducts  38  and  40 , outlets  98  are connected to ducts  24  and  26  for distribution of air to the legs of the front passengers, outlets  100  are connected to front air distribution ducts  54  and  56 , and outlet  102  is connected to central duct  36  for delivery of air to the legs of the rear passengers, as described hereinabove with reference to FIG.  1 . 
     Such a ventilating, heating and air-conditioning unit  14  is particularly advantageous, because it makes it possible in a relatively confined space to group all the components for production of air streams at desired flowrates and temperatures, and consequently to simplify the installation of unit  14  during assembly of the vehicle, thus achieving particular advantages in terms of manufacturing costs.