Heating, ventilating and air-conditioning apparatus

摘要

An HVAC system is provided for use in a vehicle having a passenger compartment volume. The HVAC system includes a HVAC housing having a duct opening formed in an exterior sidewall thereof. An evaporator is further provided for exhausting air downstream that is cooler than the air on the upstream side. An auxiliary compartment, such as a storage bin, is spaced apart from the HVAC housing, such as in a remote location of the passenger compartment. An auxiliary duct fluidly interconnects the HVAC housing and the auxiliary compartment via the duct opening for transmitting the cool exhausted air to the auxiliary compartment to provide a cooling effect within the auxiliary location. The auxiliary duct, in some embodiments, is disposed external from the HVAC housing for improved service and retrofitting to existing HVAC systems.

主权项

1. An HVAC system for use in a vehicle, said vehicle having a passenger compartment volume, said system comprising:
a HVAC housing having an auxiliary duct opening formed in an exterior sidewall thereof, the exterior sidewall including a first portion and a second portion; an evaporator having an upstream side and a downstream side, said evaporator accepting air from said upstream side and exhausting air to said downstream side, said exhausting air being cooler than said air on said upstream side, said downstream side being at least partially disposed in said HVAC housing; a heating heat exchanger disposed on said downstream side of said evaporator; and an air mix door pivotably coupled within said HVAC housing, said air mix door being pivotable to a position immediately adjacent to said auxiliary duct opening, said second portion of the exterior sidewall being offset from said air mix door to define an air channel offset to permit air flow through said auxiliary duct opening when said air mix door is in said position immediately adjacent to said auxiliary duct opening; wherein the air mix door is pivotable between a first position prohibiting said exhausting air from flowing through said heating heat exchanger, a second position allowing said exhausting air to flow through said heating heat exchanger, and an intermediate position between the first position and the second position; and said exhausting air flowing through said auxiliary duct when said air mix door is in said intermediate position between the first and the second positions.