Patent ID: 6925825

Claim:
An air-conditioning system for a vehicle, said system comprising: an evaporator for receiving air that is discharged into said system and changing the discharged air to a cold air flow, the cold air flow being directed from said evaporator in a direction rearward of said evaporator; a heater located downstream of said evaporator for selectively receiving at least a portion of the cold air flow and heating the at least a portion of the cold air flow to a warm air flow; a partition disposed downstream of said heater for directing the warm air flow upwardly so as to permit mixing of the warm air flow through said heater and a remaining portion of the cold air flow that bypasses said heater, said partition including a top end portion which defines a surface having a streamlined or curved configuration along which cold air, warm air or a mixture of cold and warm air can flow; a guide adapted to downwardly direct the cold air, the warm air or the mixture of the cold and warm air which has flowed beyond said top end portion of said partition so as to blow the downwardly directed air out of said system; and a first damper operable to change a location thereof so as to adjust an amount of the cold air, the warm air or the mixture of the cold and warm air which flows beyond said top end portion of said partition, said first damper including a front end surface which is adapted so as to contact with said streamlined or curved configuration of said top end portion and a rear end surface which is adapted to contact with a vent outlet disposed above said partition, and said front end surface of said first damper being disposed so as to always face said top end portion of said partition even when said first damper changes the position thereof; wherein said guide downwardly directs all of the cold air, the warm air or the mixture of the cold and warm air so as to blow the downwardly directed air out of the system when said rear end portion contacts with the vent outlet disposed above said partition.