# US 12,600,198 B2 · Vehicle air conditioning system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,600,198 B2 - Document ID: US12600198B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/356,242 - Filed: 2023-07-21 - Published: 2024-04-18 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2022-10-14 - Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Subaru Matsumoto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12600198B2 ## CPC - B60H 1/00842: {the system comprising a plurality of damper doors; Air distribution between several outlets} - B60H 1/00564: {of air ducts} - B60H 3/024: {for only dehumidifying the air} - B60H: ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES ## Abstract A vehicle air conditioning system is provided. The vehicle air conditioning system includes: an air conditioning unit, including a blower and a temperature control module; and a dehumidification device, disposed between the blower and an evaporator of the temperature control module, enabling a part of air conditioning air flowing in from the blower to flow into the dehumidification device, and including an air volume adjusting mechanism for forming an air inflow channel of the dehumidification device; an air path switching mechanism for forming an air discharge channel of the dehumidification device; and a dehumidification element disposed on a flow path of the part of the air conditioning air flowing in from the blower between the air volume adjusting mechanism and the air path switching mechanism. The air volume adjusting mechanism and the air path switching mechanism both include a damper structure configured to adjust a degree of opening. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle air conditioning system, comprising: an air conditioning unit, configured to adjust temperature in a vehicle compartment and comprising a blower and a temperature control module; and a dehumidification device, configured to adjust humidity in the vehicle compartment, disposed between the blower and an evaporator of the temperature control module, and enabling a part of air conditioning air flowing in from the blower to flow into the dehumidification device, and the dehumidification device comprising: an air volume adjusting mechanism, used to form an air inflow channel of the dehumidification device; an air path switching mechanism, used to form an air discharge channel of the dehumidification device; and a dehumidification element, disposed on a flow path of the part of the air conditioning air flowing in from the blower between the air volume adjusting mechanism and the air path switching mechanism, wherein the air volume adjusting mechanism and the air path switching mechanism both comprise a damper structure configured to adjust a degree of opening, and during an operating process of the dehumidification device, the dehumidification device controls the degrees of opening of the damper structures of the air volume adjusting mechanism and the air path switching mechanism, so that the part of the air conditioning air passing through the dehumidification device is kept constant. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the degree of opening of the damper structure of the air volume adjusting mechanism is adjusted corresponding to a size of an air supply volume passing through the blower of the vehicle air conditioning system in different temperature ranges. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 2, wherein the dehumidification device further comprises: an actuator; and a connection mechanism, wherein the actuator connects the air volume adjusting mechanism and the air path switching mechanism through the connection mechanism to control the degrees of opening of the damper structures of both the air volume adjusting mechanism and the air path switching mechanism. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioning unit further comprises a main flow channel and a branch flow channel, the main flow channel is communicated with an air intake end portion and an air supply end portion of the air conditioning unit and is used for the air conditioning air flowing in to flow from the blower to the temperature control module, and the branch flow channel diverges from the main flow channel, is communicated with the main flow channel and the air inflow channel of the dehumidification device, and is used for the part of the air conditioning air flowing in from the blower to flow into the dehumidification device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 4, wherein the air path switching mechanism switches the air discharge channel between a return air path and a discharge air path, wherein the return air path is an air path for returning dehumidified dried air conditioning air back to the main flow path of the air conditioning unit, and the discharge air path is an air path for discharging humidified air generated after heating the dehumidification device to an outside of a vehicle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 4, wherein the dehumidification device is disposed on a connection channel connecting the blower of the air conditioning unit and the temperature control module. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 6, wherein the connection channel is formed as a part of the main flow path, the branch flow channel is communicated with the connection channel, the degree of opening of the damper structure of the air volume adjusting mechanism is used to form and adjust a size of an adjustable cross-sectional area of an inflow pathway of the branch flow channel, and the adjustable cross-sectional area of the inflow pathway of the branch flow channel is less than or equal to half of a cross-sectional area of the connection channel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 6, wherein an air volume of the part of the air conditioning air flowing from the branch flow path into the dehumidification device is less than or equal to an air volume of another part of air conditioning air that does not flow into the dehumidification device in the main flow path. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 4, further comprising: a partition, disposed in the main flow channel and used to divert the part of the air conditioning air in the main flow channel to the branch flow channel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 9, wherein the partition faces an air inlet of the dehumidification device, and the partition extends from an end of the air inlet of the dehumidification device to other end of the air inlet of the dehumidification device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 9, wherein the partition faces an air inlet and an exhaust port of the dehumidification device, and the partition extends from an upstream side of an air supply port of the blower for connecting the main flow channel to an end of the exhaust port of the dehumidification device away from the air inlet. ### Claim 12 (depends on 4) The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 4, further comprising: a main flow air volume distribution mechanism, disposed in the main flow channel and comprising a damper structure configured to adjust a degree of opening, wherein the degree of opening of the damper structure of the main flow air volume distribution mechanism is adjusted corresponding to a size of an air supply volume passing through the blower of the vehicle air conditioning system in different temperature ranges to control an air volume of air conditioning air in the main flow channel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 12, wherein the main flow air volume distribution mechanism is located on a flow path of dehumidified dried air conditioning air flowing from an exhaust port of the dehumidification device to the temperature control module, and the dehumidified dried air conditioning air merges with another part of air conditioning air that does not flow into the dehumidification device in the main flow channel after passing through the main flow air volume distribution mechanism. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 12, wherein the degree of opening of the damper structure of the main air flow distribution mechanism adjusts a size of a channel area of another part of air conditioning air that does not flow into the dehumidification device in the main flow channel. ### Claim 15 (depends on 2) The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 2, wherein there are a plurality of dehumidification devices, comprising a first dehumidification device and a second dehumidification device, wherein when dehumidification is performed through the dehumidification element of one of the first dehumidification device and the second dehumidification device, other one of the first dehumidification device and the second dehumidification device heats the dehumidification element of the other one to regenerate the other one of the first dehumidification device and the second dehumidification device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 15, wherein: when dehumidification is performed through the first dehumidification device, a degree of opening of a damper structure of an air volume adjusting mechanism of the first dehumidification device is greater than a degree of opening of a damper structure of an air volume adjusting mechanism of the second dehumidification device, when dehumidification is performed through the second dehumidification device, the degree of opening of the damper structure of the air volume adjusting mechanism of the second dehumidification device is greater than the degree of opening of the damper structure of the air volume adjusting mechanism of the first dehumidification device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 16, wherein: the degrees of opening of the damper structures of the air volume adjusting mechanisms of both the first dehumidification device and the second dehumidification device are adjusted corresponding to the size of the air supply volume passing through the blower of the vehicle air conditioning system in different temperature ranges. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 17, wherein: the degrees of opening of the damper structures of the air volume adjusting mechanisms of both the first dehumidification device and the second dehumidification device correspondingly increase as the air supply volume of the blower decreases. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 16, further comprising: a main flow air volume distribution mechanism, comprising a damper structure configured to adjust a degree of opening, wherein the degree of opening of the damper structure of the main flow air volume distribution mechanism is adjusted corresponding to the size of the air supply volume passing through the blower of the vehicle air conditioning system in different temperature ranges to control an air volume of air conditioning air in the main flow channel, the degree of opening of the damper structure of the main flow air volume distribution mechanism correspondingly decreases as the air supply volume of the blower decreases. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 19, wherein: the degrees of opening of the damper structures of the air volume adjusting mechanisms of both the first dehumidification device and the second dehumidification device do not change with the size of the air supply volume of the blower.