Dual evaporator air conditioning system and method of use

A method of cooling air in front and rear portions of a cabin of a vehicle having an air dumping chamber using a dual evaporator air conditioning system having primary and auxiliary HVAC units, a control system for controlling the HVAC units between cooling and non-cooling modes, and a compressor for circulating refrigerant through the HVAC units, said method comprising the steps of:

• switching each of the primary and auxiliary HVAC units from the non-cooling mode to the cooling mode;
• activating the compressor in response to the primary HVAC unit being switched from the non-cooling mode to the cooling mode;
• circulating refrigerant through the primary HVAC unit and the auxiliary HVAC unit in response to activating the compressor;
• activating a primary blower for transferring heat from the air to the refrigerant to cool the air in the front portion of the cabin in response to the primary HVAC unit being in the cooling mode;
• discharging cooled air into the front portion of the cabin in response to activating the primary blower;
• activating an auxiliary blower for transferring heat from the air to the refrigerant to cool the air in the rear portion of the cabin in response to the auxiliary HVAC unit being in the cooling mode;
• discharging cooled air into the rear portion of the cabin in response to activating the auxiliary blower;
• switching the auxiliary HVAC unit from the cooling mode to the non-cooling mode while the primary HVAC unit remains in the cooling mode;
• and
• automatically diverting the cooled air from the rear portion of the cabin into the air dumping chamber in response to the auxiliary HVAC unit being switched from the cooling mode to the non-cooling mode while the primary HVAC unit remains in the cooling mode.

A dual evaporator air conditioning system for use with a refrigerant for cooling air in front and rear portions of a cabin of a vehicle having an air dumping chamber, said system comprising:

• a compressor for compressing and circulating the refrigerant;
• a primary air conditioning unit having a primary evaporator in fluid communication with said compressor for transferring heat from the air to the refrigerant for cooling the air for the front portion of the cabin;
• an auxiliary air conditioning unit having an auxiliary evaporator in fluid communication with said compressor for transferring heat from the air to the refrigerant for cooling the air for the rear portion of the cabin;
• and
• a control system having cooling and non-cooling modes for each of said air conditioning units for automatically diverting cooled air produced by said auxiliary air conditioning unit to the air dumping chamber in response to said auxiliary air conditioning unit being in said non-cooling mode while said primary air conditioning unit is in said cooling mode.

A dual evaporator air conditioning system for use with a refrigerant for cooling air in front and rear portions of a cabin of a vehicle having an air dumping chamber, said system comprising:

• a compressor for compressing and circulating the refrigerant;
• a primary HVAC unit having a primary evaporator in fluid communication with said compressor for transferring heat from the air to the refrigerant for cooling the air for the front portion of the cabin;
• an auxiliary HVAC unit having an auxiliary evaporator in fluid communication with said compressor for transferring heat from the air to the refrigerant for cooling the air for the rear portion of the cabin;
• and
• a control system having cooling and non-cooling modes for said primary and auxiliary HVAC units for automatically diverting cooled air produced by said auxiliary HVAC unit to the air dumping chamber in response to said auxiliary HVAC unit being in said non-cooling mode while said primary HVAC unit is in said cooling mode.

A vehicle having a dual evaporator air conditioning system for use with a refrigerant for cooling air, said vehicle comprising:

• a vehicle body defining front and rear portions of a cabin and an air dumping chamber separate from said front and rear portions of said cabin;
• a compressor near said vehicle body for compressing and circulating the refrigerant;
• a primary HVAC unit having a primary housing and a primary evaporator disposed in said primary housing, said primary evaporator being in fluid communication with said compressor for cooling the air for said front portion of said cabin;
• an auxiliary HVAC unit having an auxiliary housing and an auxiliary evaporator disposed in said auxiliary housing, said auxiliary evaporator being in fluid communication with said compressor for cooling the air for said rear portion of said cabin;
• and
• an air dumping duct housing extending from and engaging said auxiliary housing and extending into said air dumping chamber for diverting the cooled air from said auxiliary HVAC unit into said air dumping chamber.

A vehicle having a dual evaporator air conditioning system for use with a refrigerant for cooling air and for use with a coolant for heating the air, said vehicle comprising:

• a vehicle body defining front and rear portions of a cabin and an air dumping chamber separate from said front and rear portions of said cabin;
• a compressor near said vehicle body for compressing and circulating the refrigerant;
• a pump near said vehicle body for circulating the coolant;
• a primary HVAC unit having a primary housing and a primary blower, a primary evaporator, and a primary heater core disposed in said primary housing, said primary evaporator being in fluid communication with said compressor for cooling the air for said front portion of said cabin and said primary heater core being in fluid communication with said pump for heating the air for said front portion of said cabin;
• a plurality of primary air duct housings engaging said primary housing and defining a plurality of primary air ducts for distributing the air from said primary HVAC unit into said front portion of said cabin;
• at least one primary mode door engaging said primary housing and movable between first and second positions for selectively distributing the air from said primary HVAC unit into at least one of said primary air ducts to be distributed into said front portion of said cabin;
• an auxiliary HVAC unit having an auxiliary housing and an auxiliary blower, an auxiliary evaporator, and an auxiliary heater core disposed in said auxiliary housing, said auxiliary evaporator being in fluid communication with said compressor for cooling the air for said rear portion of said cabin and said auxiliary heater core being in fluid communication with said pump for heating the air for said rear portion of said cabin;
• a plurality of auxiliary air duct housings engaging said auxiliary housing and defining a plurality of auxiliary air ducts for distributing the air from said auxiliary HVAC unit into said rear portion of said cabin;
• an auxiliary mode door engaging said auxiliary housing and movable between discharge and air dumping positions for selectively directing the air from said auxiliary HVAC unit into at least one of said auxiliary air ducts to be distributed into said rear portion of said cabin in said discharge position and for directing the air from said auxiliary HVAC unit into said air dumping chamber in said air dumping position;
• and
• a control system having cooling and non-cooling modes for each of said HVAC units for automatically moving said auxiliary mode door from said discharge position to said air dumping position when said auxiliary HVAC unit is in said non-cooling mode while said primary HVAC unit is in said cooling mode.