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US 5,187,349 AGranted
Defrost and passenger compartment heater system
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsJeffery A. Curhan, Daniel R. Pimentel, Peter G. Berg
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AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsJeffery A. Curhan, Daniel R. Pimentel, Peter G. Berg
Estimating the term…
A system for heating the passenger compartment of an automotive vehicle has a hot water heater receiving heat from a vehicle engine arranged in series with a self-regulating electrical resistance heater of positive temperature coefficient of resistivity, has a power source for energizing the electrical resistance heater, and has a fan for directing air in heat-transfer relation to the hot water heater and to the electrical resistance heater in sequence to provide a heated air output to the passenger compartment. Fan speed is controlled to regulate the volume of air directed in heat-transfer relation to the heaters so that the electrical resistance heater is promptly and consistently capable of heating that volume of air to at least a selected minimum temperature such as 100.degree. F. as the heated air output is furnished to the passenger compartment, thereby to give a vehicle passenger an immediate and continuing sensation of comfort beginning very promptly after engine start-up even on a very cold day. The fan speed is regulated to provide a large air volume for heating the compartment as quickly as possible with the available power while providing the immediate sensation of comfort to the vehicle passenger. Fan speed is also regulated to limit power consumption by the electrical resistance heater at a level consistent with efficient engine operation under different engine operating conditions and after engine warm-up occurs.
A system for providing heat to a vehicle defrost or a passenger compartment comprising a heater comprising a self-regulating electrical resistance heater of positive temperature coefficient of resistivity, a power source to electrically energize the heater, means directing air in heat-transfer relation to the heater to provide a heated air output to the passenger compartment, and means for varying the amount of air directed in heat-transfer relation to the heater for regulating the amount of air with respect to the self-regulated temperature of the heater to provide the air output to the passenger compartment at a temperature at least equal to the selected minimum temperature at any ambient temperature over a selected range.
A system for heating a passenger compartment of a vehicle having an internal combustion engine comprising a first heater for receiving heat form the engine, a second heater comprising a self-regulating electrical resistance heater of positive temperature coefficient of resistivity, a vehicle power source for energizing the second heater, means directing air in heat-transfer relation to the first and second heaters in sequence to provide a heated air output to the passenger compartment, and means for regulating the amount of air directed in heat-transfer relation to the heaters relative to the temperatures of the heaters to provide the air output to the passenger compartment at a temperature at least equal to a selected minimum temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.