A HVAC system for a vehicle cabin comprises a direct vent 22,24 to direct air towards an occupant of the cabin and an indirect vent 27,29 for introducing an air flow into the cabin that is not directly incident on an occupant of the cabin. The system includes an electronic controller (530, figure 5) responsive to a user input to adjust a relative proportion of airflow through the direct vent and the indirect vent while substantially maintaining the total combined rate of airflow through the direct and indirect vents. The controller is also responsive to an automated temperature adjustment request (e.g. generated in response to a detected change in solar load on the vehicle) to adjust the rate of airflow through the indirect vent without adjusting the rate of airflow through the direct vent. By providing a combination of direct and indirect vents, and controlling them as a pair in this way, it is possible to provide a driver and/or front passenger with the facility to control airflow which impacts them directly, whilst maintaining an overall flow rate that enables the system to maintain a desired temperature.
HVAC system for a vehicle cabin
2024-05-01
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
IPC: | B60H ARRANGEMENTS OR ADAPTATIONS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING, OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES , Anordnung oder Einbau der Heizung, Kühlung, Lüftung oder anderer Luftbehandlungsvorrichtungen für die Fahrzeugräume für Reisende oder Fracht |
European Patent Office | 2020
|European Patent Office | 2023