Patent ID: 7600561

Claim:
A method for air conditioning a passenger compartment of a vehicle, said method comprising: providing heat from a passenger compartment heat exchanger to the passenger compartment through heat pump operation of a refrigerating circuit ( 1 ) comprising a compressor ( 2 ) for pressurizing an automobile refrigerant, a condenser ( 3 ), a throttle valve ( 4 ) and an evaporator ( 5 ) used as a passenger compartment heat exchanger; measuring the temperature in the passenger compartment with a temperature sensor; measuring the atmospheric humidity in the passenger compartment with a humidity sensor; and when the temperature is in a predefined range and the atmospheric humidity reaches a defined threshold: controlling throttle valve ( 4 ) by signals from the temperature and humidity sensors to throttle the mass flow of refrigerant in the circuit upstream of the passenger compartment heat exchanger ( 5 ), in such a manner that the moisture contained in the air stream passing the passenger compartment heat exchanger ( 5 ) is at least substantially condensed at the passenger compartment heat exchanger ( 5 ), and the moisture which has already condensed at the heat exchanger ( 5 ) remains at the heat exchanger ( 5 ), and heating the passenger compartment by a heat source which is outside the circuit ( 1 ) until the temperature in the passenger compartment exceeds an upper limit temperature of the predefined range.