Patent ID: 7975501

Claim:
An auxiliary air conditioning system for a motor vehicle ( 1 ) provided with a passenger compartment ( 4 ), comprising: an internal unit ( 44 ) installable in the passenger compartment ( 4 ) and provided with a first heat exchanger ( 17 ); and an external unit ( 43 ) installable on the motor vehicle ( 1 ) outside said passenger compartment ( 4 ) and comprising a second heat exchanger ( 14 ), an auxiliary compressor ( 12 ) and an auxiliary engine ( 8 ) for driving the auxiliary compressor ( 12 ); said heat exchangers ( 14 , 17 ) and said compressor ( 12 ) being part of a refrigerating circuit ( 11 ) in which an operative fluid flows and comprising switching means ( 20 ) for selectively setting: a first refrigerating cycle operating mode, in which said first heat exchanger ( 17 ) serves as an evaporator and said second heat exchanger ( 14 ) serves as a condenser, and a second heat pump operating mode in which said first heat exchanger ( 17 ) serves as a condenser; further comprising an auxiliary heat exchanger ( 30 ), and first circuit and valvolar means ( 38 , 41 ) for cutting out said second heat exchanger ( 14 ) and for circulating the operative fluid through said auxiliary heat exchanger ( 30 ) when said switching means ( 20 ) are set in said heat pump operating mode and second circuit and valvolar means ( 25 , 28 ) for cutting out said auxiliary heat exchanger ( 30 ) and for circulating the operative fluid through said second heat exchanger ( 14 ) when said switching means ( 20 ) are set in said first refrigerating cycle operating mode, wherein said auxiliary heat exchanger ( 30 ) is connected to the auxiliary engine muffler ( 31 ) and uses the exhaust gases of said auxiliary engine ( 8 ) to heat the operative fluid.