Patent ID: 8561420

Claim:
An air conditioning system for a vehicle comprising: a compressor to pressurize a refrigerant cycling through the air conditioning system; a condenser located downstream of and fluidly connected to the compressor to condense the refrigerant; a first sub-cooler located downstream of and fluidly connected to the condenser to reduce a temperature of the refrigerant to a temperature that is less than a temperature of the refrigerant exiting the condenser; a second sub-cooler located downstream of and fluidly connected to the first sub-cooler, the second sub-cooler being fluidly connected in series with the first sub-cooler such that refrigerant passes from the first sub-cooler directly to the second sub-cooler; a metering device located downstream of and fluidly connected to the second sub-cooler to reduce a pressure of the refrigerant; an evaporator located downstream of and fluidly connected to the metering device to convert the refrigerant from a liquid to a gas, the evaporator being located upstream of and fluidly connected to the compressor; and a housing in which the evaporator is housed, wherein the second sub-cooler is arranged directly below the evaporator and the housing so as to be spaced from the evaporator and disposed outside the housing, such that water condensation formed on the evaporator drains onto the second sub-cooler to cool the second sub-cooler such that a temperature of the refrigerant exiting the second sub-cooler is less than a temperature of the refrigerant exiting the first sub-cooler.