Patent ID: 7150159

Claim:
A vehicle having a main engine, a main radiator, and a main air conditioning and heating system having at least one main heater element connected to the main radiator by main coolant lines for heating the interior of the vehicle while the main engine is operating, an improved system for heating and cooling the interior of the vehicle while the main engine of the vehicle is not operating, comprising: an auxiliary engine; an auxiliary radiator in fluid communication with the auxiliary engine; an AC generator mounted to and driven by the auxiliary engine for generating AC voltage; a battery charger electrically connected with the AC generator for converting the AC voltage into DC voltage and supplying the DC voltage to a battery of the vehicle; an auxiliary air conditioning and heating assembly that is operable independently of any component of the main air conditioning and heating system and which comprises: an auxiliary heater element connected to the auxiliary radiator by auxiliary coolant lines for receiving coolant flowing from the auxiliary engine, the auxiliary coolant lines being isolated from the main coolant lines, so that only coolant from the auxiliary engine flows through the auxiliary heater element and not coolant from the main engine; an air conditioner auxiliary compressor mounted to and driven by the auxiliary engine for compressing refrigerant; an auxiliary condenser in fluid communication with the auxiliary compressor for condensing the refrigerant supplied by the auxiliary compressor; an auxiliary evaporator in fluid communication with the refrigerant condensed by the auxiliary condenser; and an electrically driven blower mounted adjacent the auxiliary evaporator for moving air through the auxiliary evaporator and into the interior of the vehicle.