Patent GB-705572-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to the heating and ventilation of motor vehicles
IPC: B60H1/00
Filed: 1950-05-08
Abstract: 705,572. Ventilating. DAIMLER-BENZ AKT.- GES. May 8, 1950 [May 7, 1949], No. 11461/50. Class 137. [Also in Groups XIII and XXIX] For heating and ventilating a motor vehicle, attempered air (heated by exhaust gases or engine coolant in a heater 4 or cooled by a cooler substituted for the heater), untreated air from a duct 2 or a flow of both, assisted by fans if required, is forced into a chamber 6 according to the setting of a control flap 7 pivoted at the junction of the attempered air duct 5 (which may be made of fabric) and the untreated air duct 2. Fresh air enters a funnel 1 behind the usual radiator grille and byepasses the radiator before dividing to flow through the ducts 2, 5. Instead of the flap 7, a flow control member may be located at the inlet ends of the ducts. A lever 14, pivoted at a ball joint 15 to move in all directions, controls not only the flap 7 by means of a Bowden wire 12 but also a flap 8 at the outlet of the chamber 6 by means of a second Bowden wire 13, the two wires being at right angles to the lever and to each other. The flap 8 determines the air flow, if any, to a windscreen duct 10 and nozzle 11 and also the air, if any, flowing by way of a passage 9 to be released in the footroom of the vehicle. Air may be passed also to a starting accessory for heating &c. A vertical movement A to B of the lever 14 closes or tends to close the flap 7 over the attempered-air duct 5 and, conversely, movement from B to A lets less untreated air into the chamber 6. A horizontal movement of the lever, according to the direction, turns the flap 8 up or down to divert more or less air, at a temperature determined by the position of the flap 7, to the footroom or windscreen. By movement of the end of the lever 14 at an angle to the horizontal, the flaps 7, 8 are moved simultaneously to determine both the temperature and direction of the air flow. The heater 4 is fitted with a handle for pulling it out of the duct 5 to be replaced by a cooling element for summer use. To suit the convenience of individual passengers a separate apparatus is provided on each side of the engine and vehicle, each being separately controlled or there may be one means controlling both apparatus or separate means to operate the pair of flaps 7, or the pair of flaps 8. In a modification, the flap 8 is arranged in a spherical housing 18, Fig. 8, and may be positioned (as shown) to cut off the air flow completely, a "spill" outlet to outside the passenger space being opened in this case to permit air flow through the heater 4 which then functions solely as an auxiliary cooling radiator for the engine coolant. The heater 4 is connected in parallel with the radiator by connections containing valves actuated from the driver's seat to bring the heater into use as required. In this modification also, Bowden wires controlling the flaps 7, 8 each connect to one of two cranked levers, Figs. 5-7 (not shown), operated by 'handles at the dashboard, the levers swinging about a common pivot. The levers may be held in their intermediate and their two extreme positions by a ball detent loaded by a spring tongue. An adjustably spring- loaded detent 21 gives the "feel" of the intermediate position of the flap 8 when the air is passed, by a duct 10, entirely to 'the windscreen. To give a positive movement, a tension spring 24 is pivoted at one end to a lever 23 on the flap and at the other end to a fixed point to move through a dead centre position as the flap is moved between the extreme positions.