Air conditioning system for vehicles

An air delivery system comprising:

• an air temperature adjustment unit;
• an intake unit having an intake opening and an exit opening;
• air cleaning means disposed in said intake unit;
• and
• switching means for selectively forming a first airflow route in said intake unit in which air from said intake opening flows to said exit opening via said air cleaning means and a second airflow route in said intake unit in which air from said intake opening flows to said exit opening without flowing through said air cleaning means,
• wherein:
• said intake opening is an exterior air intake opening;
• and
• said intake unit includes an internal air inlet and an inlet switching damper for selectively directing air from said air cleaning means, and from an interior of a vehicle via said internal air inlet, to said exit opening.

An air delivery system comprising:

• an air temperature adjustment unit;
• an intake unit having an intake opening and an exit opening;
• air cleaning means disposed in said intake unit;
• and
• switching means for selectively forming a first airflow route in said intake unit in which air from said intake opening flows to said exit opening via said air cleaning means and a second airflow route in said intake unit in which air from said intake opening flows to said exit opening without flowing through said air cleaning means,
• wherein said intake opening is an exterior air intake opening, and
• said intake unit includes an interior air intake cleaning opening and an inlet switching damper for selectively directing air from said exterior air intake opening and from said interior air intake cleaning opening to said exit opening.

An air delivery system comprising:

• an air temperature adjustment unit;
• an intake unit having an intakes and an exit opening;
• air cleaning means disposed in said intake unit;
• and
• switching means for selectively forming a first airflow route in said intake unit in which air from said intake opening flows to said exit opening via said air cleaning means and a second airflow route in said intake unit in which air from said intake opening flows to said exit opening without flowing through said air cleaning means;
• detecting means for generating signals representative of environmental parameters related to interior air in a passenger compartment of a vehicle;
• and
• control means connected to said detecting means and said switching means for detecting a regular condition and an irregular condition of said interior air based on said signals generated by said control means and for controlling said switching means to form said first air flowing route responsive to detection of a regular condition and to form said second air flowing route responsive to detection of an irregular condition.

A method of controlling air in an air delivery system, said method comprising the steps of:

• sensing a condition of interior air in a passenger compartment of a vehicle;
• when said interior air is in a regular condition, directing air to an air temperature adjustment device via an air cleaner;
• and
• when said interior air is in an irregular condition, directing air to said air temperature adjustment device without directing said air through said air cleaner.