Patent ID: 7819171

Claim:
An air conditioning system for providing air conditioning to the interior of an automotive vehicle comprising: a housing defining a mixing chamber designed to create, by controlled mixing of a warm and of a cool partial air flow, at least one warmer and one cooler air-conditionable air flow, a first inlet into the mixing chamber and a first outlet out of the mixing chamber, the first inlet being located opposite the first outlet and the first inlet and first outlet cooperating to define a first flow path in a first flow direction through the mixing chamber, a second inlet into the mixing chamber and a second outlet out of the mixing chamber, the second inlet being located generally opposite the second outlet and the second inlet and second outlet cooperating to define a second flow path in a second flow direction through the mixing chamber, the warm partial air flow entering the mixing chamber through the first inlet and the cool partial airflow entering the mixing chamber through the second inlet, the first and second flow directions defining a counter flow pattern in the mixing chamber, an elongated port spaced apart from and extending within the housing and into the mixing chamber to restrict extension of the mixing zone, the elongated port having contiguous exterior side walls there around and cooperating to define an entrance into the elongated port, the elongated port extending from the first outlet to a location within the second flow path between the second inlet and second outlet such that a portion of the cool partial airflow is directed laterally around the exterior side walls of the elongated port within the mixing chamber; the warmer air-conditionable airflow exiting the mixing chamber through the first outlet and the cooler air-conditionable airflow exiting the mixing chamber through the second outlet.