Method and apparatus for drying a heat exchanger in a vehicular air conditioning system

An air conditioning system for a vehicle, comprising:

• a heater core having an air side and a coolant side in heat exchange relation with one another, said coolant side being adapted to receive liquid coolant from an engine or the like;
• a refrigerant heat exchanger having an air side and a refrigerant side in heat exchange relation with one another, said refrigerant side being adapted to be connected in a vapor compression cooling system or in a heat pump system to receive a refrigerant therefrom;
• said heater core and said heat exchanger being in end to end relation and at an angle to one another, said angle being in the range of an acute angle to about 180°;
• a housing containing said heater core and said heat exchanger, said housing including;
• an air inlet;
• a conditioned air outlet adapted to discharge conditioned air into a vehicle compartment,
• a windshield outlet adapted to direct conditioned air to the windshield of a vehicle;
• and
• a moist air outlet adapted to discharge moist air from a vehicle;
• a first flow control vane in said housing operable to (a) prevent or (b) allow direct air flow from said inlet to said heat exchanger;
• a second flow control vane in said housing operable to (a) prevent air flow from said inlet through said heater core or (b) allow air flow from said inlet through said heater core to said heat exchanger and said moist air outlet;
• a third flow control vane in said housing operable to (a) open or (b) close said moist air outlet;
• a fourth flow control vane in said housing for (a) opening or (b) closing said conditioned air outlet;
• and
• a fifth flow control vane in said housing operable to (a) open or (b) close said windshield outlet;
• whereby when said first vane prevents direct air flow to said heat exchanger and said third vane is operated to open said moist air outlet, said second vane may be caused to allow air flow from said inlet through said heater core to be heated therein and then through said heat exchanger to evaporate any residual condensate thereon and then to said moist air outlet to be discharged through said moist air outlet.