Title: Air conditioning system for a motor home vehicle or the like

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Claims: What is claimed is:

1. A refrigeration type air conditioning assembly employing a heat transfer medium for use in a motor home vehicle or the like having a front passenger area and a rear living area, and which is equipped with an engine, a source of d-c voltage, and an electrical outlet for connecting the motor vehicle or the like to a source of a-c line voltage, comprising:

a first compressor means, having a suction port and a discharge port, for compressing the gaseous heat transfer medium passing therethrough;

means for drivingly connecting said first compressor to the engine of the vehicle;

a second compressor means having a suction port and a discharge port, for compressing the gaseous heat transfer medium passing therethrough;

an electric drive motor drivingly connected to said second compressor and mounted on the vehicle;

electrical conductor means connected to said electric drive motor for electrically connecting said electric drive motor to the electrical outlet of the motor vehicle to provide a-c line voltage to said electric drive motor;

a first condenser coil means, having an inlet port and an outlet port and mounted on the motor vehicle, for condensing the gaseous heat transfer medium passing therethrough into the liquid state;

a second condenser coil means, having an inlet port and an outlet port and mounted on the motor vehicle, for condensing the gaseous heat transfer medium passing therethrough into the liquid state;

a first evaporator coil means, having an inlet port and an outlet port and mounted on the motor vehicle proximate to the front passenger area, for evaporating the liquid heat transfer medium passing therethrough into the gaseous state;

a second evaporator coil means, having an inlet port and an outlet port and mounted on the motor vehicle proximate to the rear living area, for evaporating the liquid heat transfer medium passing therethrough into the gaseous state;

a third evaporator coil means, having an inlet port and an outlet port and mounted on the motor vehicle proximate to the rear living area, for evaporating the liquid heat transfer medium passing therethrough into the gaseous state;

first discharge conduit means interconnecting the discharge port of said first compressor means and the inlet ports of said first and second condenser coil means, for conducting gaseous heat transfer medium from said first compressor means to said first and second condenser coil means;

second discharge conduit means interconnecting the discharge port of said second compressor means and the inlet ports of said first and second condenser coil means for conducting gaseous heat transfer medium from said second compressor means to said first and second condenser coil means;

first liquid conduit means interconnecting the outlet port of said first condenser coil means and the inlet port of said first evaporator coil means for conducting liquid heat transfer medium from said first condenser coil means to said first evaporator coil means;

second liquid conduit means interconnecting the outlet port of said second condenser coil means and the inlet port of said second evaporator coil means for conducting liquid heat transfer medium from said second condenser coil means to said second evaporator coil means;

third liquid conduit means interconnecting the outlet port of said first condenser coil means and the inlet port of said third evaporator coil means for conducting liquid heat transfer medium from said first condenser coil means to said third evaporator coil means;

first suction conduit means interconnecting the outlet port of said first evaporator coil means and the suction port of said first compressor means for conducting gaseous heat transfer medium from said first evaporator coil means to said first compressor means;

second suction conduit means interconnecting the outlet port of said second evaporator coil means and the suction port of said second compressor means for conducting gaseous heat transfer medium from said second evaporator coil means to said second compressor means;

third suction conduit means interconnecting the outlet port of said third evaporator coil means and the suction port of said first compressor means for conducting gaseous heat transfer medium from said third evaporator coil means to said first compressor means;

fourth suction conduit means interconnecting the first, second, and third suction conduit means;

first blower means disposed adjacent to said first evaporator coil means for moving air over said first evaporator coil means and into the front passenger area;

second blower means disposed adjacent to said second evaporator coil means for moving air over said second evaporator coil means and into the rear living area;

third blower means disposed adjacent to said third evaporator coil means for moving air over said third evaporator coil means and into the rear living area;

air circulating means mounted on the vehicle for moving air over said first and second condenser coil means;

a first expansion valve means connected to said first liquid conduit means and disposed adjacent to the inlet port of said first evaporator coil means;

a second expansion valve means connected to said second liquid conduit means and disposed adjacent to the inlet port of said second evaporator coil means; and

a third expansion valve means connected to said third liquid conduit means and disposed adjacent to the inlet port of said third evaporator coil means.

2. The air conditioning assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized further to include:

means disposed in said first discharge conduit means and responsive to the pressure of the heat transfer medium therein for disconnecting said first compressor means from the engine when the heat transfer medium pressure therein exceeds a predetermined value, whereby said first compressor means is rendered inoperative; and

means disposed in said second suction conduit means and responsive to the pressure of the heat transfer medium therein for disconnecting said second compressor means from said electric drive motor when the heat transfer medium pressure therein is less than a predetermined value, whereby said second compressor means is rendered inoperative.

3. The air conditioning assembly as defined in claim 1 further characterized to include electrical switch means connected to the d-c voltage source and to the a-c line voltage source so that the voltage source to the means for drivingly connecting said first compressor means to the engine can be switched to the electric drive motor drivingly connected to said second compressor means thereby switching the assembly from said first compressor means to said second compressor means.

4. The air conditioning system as defined in claim 3 characterized further to include means disposed in said first liquid conduit means and responsive to said electrical switch means for closing said first liquid conduit means when the electrical switch is connected to the a-c line voltage source, whereby said first evaporator means is rendered inoperative.

5. The air conditioning system as defined in claim 1 wherein said first, second and third liquid conduit means are further characterized to include a dryer for absorbing moisture from the heat transfer medium.

6. The air conditioning system as defined in claim 1 wherein said first liquid conduit means is further characterized to include a sight glass for determining whether there is air entrainment in the assembly.

7. The air conditioning system as defined in claim 1 wherein the conduit means are made of copper tubing and nylon hose for use with any type of refrigerant and more specifically Freon 22 as a heat transfer medium for maximum cooling efficiency.

8. The air conditioning system as defined in claim 1 wherein said first condenser coil means and said second condenser coil means are mounted on the motor vehicle proximate to the rear living area.

9. The air conditioning system as defined in claim 8 wherein said first condenser coil means, said second condenser coil means, said second compressor means, said electric drive motor, and said air circulating means are mounted together as a unit proximate to the rear living area.

10. The air conditioning system as defined in claim 9 wherein said second compressor means is mounted in a recess in the roof of the vehicle so that a minimum clearance as to the overall height of the vehicle is maintained.

11. A method for air conditioning a motor home vehicle or the like employing a heat transfer medium and cooling a front passenger area and a rear living area using a first compressor driven by the vehicle's engine and a second compressor driven by an electric drive motor, a first condenser coil and second condenser coil mounted on the roof of the vehicle, a first evaporator coil, a second evaporator coil and a third evaporator coil, a first expansion valve, a second expansion valve, and a third expansion valve mounted on the first evaporator coil, the second evaporator coil and the third evaporator coil, respectively, the first evaporator coil and a first blower being mounted under the dash of the vehicle, the second evaporator coil and a second blower, and the third evaporator coil and a third blower being mounted on the roof of the vehicle, comprising the steps of:

compressing gaseous heat transfer medium with the first compressor in a driven condition of the first compressor;

compressing the gaseous heat transfer medium with the second compressor in a driven condition of the second compressor;

driving one of the first and the second compressors via driving the first compressor via the vehicle engine in one condition and driving the second compressor via an electric motor drive in one other condition;

conducting the compressed gaseous heat transfer medium to the first and second condenser coils;

condensing the compressed gaseous heat transfer medium to a liquid heat transfer medium in the condenser coils;

conducting the condensed liquid heat transfer medium to the first, second and third evaporator coils;

expanding the liquid heat transfer medium through the first, second and third expansion valves prior to the liquid heat transfer medium entering the first, second and third evaporator;

evaporating the liquid heat transfer medium to a gaseous heat transfer medium by circulation through the evaporator coils;

circulating air using the first, second and third blowers past the evaporator coils to cool the passenger area and the rear living area; and

returning the gaseous heat transfer medium from the evaporator coils to the compressor.

12. The method as defined in claim 11 further characterized, after the step of condensing the compressed gaseous heat transfer medium to a liquid heat transfer medium in the condenser coils, to include the step of:

passing air over the first and second condenser coils to aid the condenser coils in condensing the compressed gaseous heat transfer medium.

Other info:

Inventors: Dawkins, Claude W. (Oklahoma City, OK, US)

Application Number: 581102
Filing Date: 1975-05-27
Publication_date: 1976-10-05
Assignee:
Primary Class(es): 62/89 62/236, 62/243, 62/244, 62/510
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

2054350	Sep, 1936	Weiland	62/244.
2513679	Jul, 1950	Ritter	62/239.
2784568	Mar, 1957	Schjolin	62/239.
2869333	Jan, 1959	Hoiby	62/259.
2907182	Oct, 1959	Kuklinski	62/236.
3218821	Nov, 1965	Spatt	62/244.
3315488	Apr, 1967	Lind	62/259.
3347310	Oct, 1967	Lind	62/259.
3719058	Mar, 1973	Waygood	62/243.

Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: O'Dea, William F.
Assistant Examiner: Capossel, Ronald C.
Attorney: Dunlap, Codding & McCarthy