IP Library Granted Patent US 12,539,730
Granted Patent B2
US 12,539,730 · App. 18/178,904 · Granted Feb 3, 2026

Road vehicle provided with an air conditioning system of the passenger compartment

Inventor: Gianpaolo Canato (Modena, IT)
Assignee: FERRARI S.P.A.
B60H1/00028B60H1/00285B60H1/00671B60H2001/00092B60H2001/00192
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,539,730
App. No.
18/178,904
Granted
Feb 3, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A road vehicle having: a passenger compartment in which a transmission tunnel is present, a right rear seat and a left rear seat; and an air conditioning system of the passenger compartment. The air conditioning system has: a rear body that is arranged in the centre of the passenger compartment at the transmission tunnel and in front of the rear seats; two air vents that are obtained in the rear body and are arranged side by side one towards the right and one towards the left, respectively; an air treatment unit that is connected to the two air vents; a single common supply duct that originates from the air treatment unit; a bifurcation that connects the common supply duct to the two air vents; a blade that is arranged in the area of the bifurcation and is movable between a completely closed position of a right branch of the bifurcation and a completely closed position of a left branch of the bifurcation; and an electric actuator configured to move the blade.

Claims (44)

1 . A road vehicle ( 1 ) comprising: a passenger compartment ( 2 ) in which a transmission tunnel (T) is present, a right rear seat ( 3 ) and a left rear seat ( 3 ); and an air conditioning system ( 4 ) of the passenger compartment ( 2 ); the air conditioning system ( 4 ) comprises:

a rear body ( 7 ) that is arranged in the centre of the passenger compartment ( 2 ) in the area of the transmission tunnel (T) and in front of the rear seats ( 3 );

two air vents ( 6 ) that are obtained in the rear body ( 7 ), are arranged side by side one on the right side of the passenger compartment ( 2 ) and the other on the left side of the passenger compartment ( 2 ), and are directed one towards the right rear seat ( 3 ) and the other towards the left rear seat ( 3 );

an air treatment unit ( 5 ) connected to the two air vents ( 6 ) in order to supply treated air to the two air vents ( 6 ); one single common supply duct ( 8 ), which originates from the air treatment unit ( 5 );

a bifurcation ( 9 ), which connects the common supply duct ( 8 ) to the two air vents ( 6 ) and has a right branch ( 10 ), which ends in a right air vent ( 6 ), and a left branch ( 10 ), which ends in a left air vent ( 6 );

a blade ( 11 ), which is arranged in the area of the bifurcation ( 9 ) and is movable between a completely closed position of the right branch ( 10 ) of the bifurcation ( 9 ) and a completely closed position of the left branch ( 10 ) of the bifurcation ( 9 );

an electric actuator ( 13 ) configured to move the blade ( 11 ) between the completely closed position of the right branch ( 10 ) and the completely closed position of the left branch ( 10 );

two control devices ( 16 ), each of which is associated with a corresponding air vent ( 6 ), can manually be operated by a user to request the quantity of treated air that has to flow out of the air vent ( 6 ) and is movable between a position of lack of aeration through the air vent ( 6 ) and a position of maximum aeration through the air vent ( 6 ); and

a control unit ( 15 ) configured to establish the position of the blade ( 11 ) depending on the signals provided by the two control devices ( 16 ).

2 . The road vehicle ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the blade ( 11 ) is hinged so as to rotate around a rotation axis ( 12 ) between the completely closed position of the right branch ( 10 ) and the completely closed position of the left branch ( 10 ).

3 . The road vehicle ( 1 ) according to claim 2 , wherein the common supply duct ( 8 ) has a vertically oriented end segment and the rotation axis ( 12 ) of the blade ( 11 ) is oriented horizontally and longitudinally.

4 . The road vehicle ( 1 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the two branches ( 10 ) of the bifurcation ( 9 ) form a sharp bend so as to have a vertical orientation in the area of the blade ( 11 ) and a horizontal orientation in the area of the two air vents ( 6 ).

5 . The road vehicle ( 1 ) according to claim 2 , wherein the two branches ( 10 ) of the bifurcation ( 9 ) are separated from one another by a fixed dividing wall ( 14 ) and the blade ( 11 ) is hinged in the area of an initial end of the dividing wall ( 14 ).

6 . The road vehicle ( 1 ) according to claim 5 , wherein the dividing wall ( 14 ) is arranged downstream of the blade ( 11 ) relative to the air flow.

7 . The road vehicle ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit ( 15 ) is configured to establish the position of the blade ( 11 ) depending on a combination of the signals provided by the two control devices ( 16 ) so that, if the signals are identical, the blade ( 11 ) is placed exactly at the centre between the two branches ( 10 ) of the bifurcation ( 9 ).

8 . The road vehicle ( 1 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the control unit ( 15 ) is configured to establish a flow rate of the treated air supplied through the common supply duct ( 8 ) depending on the signals provided by the two control devices ( 16 ).

9 . The road vehicle ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein each control device ( 16 ) comprises: a rotary knob ( 17 ), mounted rotatably between the position of lack of aeration through the corresponding air vent ( 6 ) and the position of maximum aeration through the corresponding air vent ( 6 ); and a sensor ( 18 ), which detects the angular position of the rotary knob ( 17 ).

10 . A road vehicle ( 1 ) comprising: a passenger compartment ( 2 ) in which a transmission tunnel (T) is present, a right rear seat ( 3 ) and a left rear seat ( 3 ); and an air conditioning system ( 4 ) of the passenger compartment ( 2 ); the air conditioning system ( 4 ) comprises:

a rear body ( 7 ) that is arranged in the centre of the passenger compartment ( 2 ) in the area of the transmission tunnel (T) and in front of the rear seats ( 3 );

two air vents ( 6 ) that are obtained in the rear body ( 7 ), are arranged side by side one on the right side of the passenger compartment ( 2 ) and the other on the left side of the passenger compartment ( 2 ), and are directed one towards the right rear seat ( 3 ) and the other towards the left rear seat ( 3 );

an air treatment unit ( 5 ) connected to the two air vents ( 6 ) in order to supply treated air to the two air vents ( 6 ); one single common supply duct ( 8 ), which originates from the air treatment unit ( 5 );

a bifurcation ( 9 ), which connects the common supply duct ( 8 ) to the two air vents ( 6 ) and has a right branch ( 10 ), which ends in a right air vent ( 6 ), and a left branch ( 10 ), which ends in a left air vent ( 6 );

a blade ( 11 ), which is arranged in the area of the bifurcation ( 9 ) and is movable between a completely closed position of the right branch ( 10 ) of the bifurcation ( 9 ) and a completely closed position of the left branch ( 10 ) of the bifurcation ( 9 ); and

an electric actuator ( 13 ) configured to move the blade ( 11 ) between the completely closed position of the right branch ( 10 ) and the completely closed position of the left branch ( 10 );

one single control device ( 16 ), which can manually be operated by a user to request the quantity of treated air that has to flow out of the two air vents ( 6 ) and is movable between a left limit position, in which the treated air only flows out of the left air vent ( 6 ), and a right limit position, in which the treated air only flows out of the right air vent ( 6 ); and

a control unit ( 15 ) configured to establish the position of the blade ( 11 ) depending on a signal provided by the control device ( 16 );

wherein the blade ( 11 ) is hinged so as to rotate around a rotation axis ( 12 ) between the completely closed position of the right branch ( 10 ) and the completely closed position of the left branch ( 10 );

wherein the common supply duct ( 8 ) has a vertically oriented end segment and the rotation axis ( 12 ) of the blade ( 11 ) is oriented horizontally and longitudinally;

wherein the two branches ( 10 ) of the bifurcation ( 9 ) form a sharp bend so as to have a vertical orientation in the area of the blade ( 11 ) and a horizontal orientation in the area of the two air vents ( 6 ).

11 . The road vehicle ( 1 ) according to claim 10 , wherein the two branches ( 10 ) of the bifurcation ( 9 ) are separated from one another by a fixed dividing wall ( 14 ) and the blade ( 11 ) is hinged in the area of an initial end of the dividing wall ( 14 ).

12 . The road vehicle ( 1 ) according to claim 11 , wherein the dividing wall ( 14 ) is arranged downstream of the blade ( 11 ) relative to the air flow.

13 . A road vehicle ( 1 ) comprising:

a passenger compartment ( 2 ) in which a transmission tunnel (T) is present, a right rear seat ( 3 ) and a left rear seat ( 3 ); and an air conditioning system ( 4 ) of the passenger compartment ( 2 ); the air conditioning system ( 4 ) comprising:

a rear body ( 7 ) that is arranged in the center of the passenger compartment ( 2 ) in the area of the transmission tunnel (T) and in front of the rear seats ( 3 );

two air vents ( 6 ) that are obtained in the rear body ( 7 ), are arranged side by side one on the right side of the passenger compartment ( 2 ) and the other on the left side of the passenger compartment ( 2 ), and are directed one towards the right rear seat ( 3 ) and the other towards the left rear seat ( 3 );

an air treatment unit ( 5 ) connected to the two air vents ( 6 ) in order to supply treated air to the two air vents ( 6 ); one single common supply duct ( 8 ), which originates from the air treatment unit ( 5 );

a bifurcation ( 9 ), which connects the common supply duct ( 8 ) to the two air vents ( 6 ) and has a right branch ( 10 ), which ends in a right air vent ( 6 ), and a left branch ( 10 ), which ends in a left air vent ( 6 );

a blade ( 11 ), which is arranged in the area of the bifurcation ( 9 ) and is movable between a completely closed position of the right branch ( 10 ) of the bifurcation ( 9 ) and a completely closed position of the left branch ( 10 ) of the bifurcation ( 9 );

an electric actuator ( 13 ) configured to move the blade ( 11 ) between the completely closed position of the right branch ( 10 ) and the completely closed position of the left branch ( 10 );

two control devices ( 16 ), each of which is associated with a corresponding air vent ( 6 ), can manually be operated by a user to request the quantity of treated air that has to flow out of the air vent ( 6 ) and is movable between a position of lack of aeration through the air vent ( 6 ) and a position of maximum aeration through the air vent ( 6 ); and

a control unit ( 15 ) configured to establish the position of the blade ( 11 ) depending on the signals provided by the two control devices ( 16 )

wherein the blade ( 11 ) is hinged so as to rotate around a rotation axis ( 12 ) between the completely closed position of the right branch ( 10 ) and the completely closed position of the left branch ( 10 );

wherein the common supply duct ( 8 ) has a vertically oriented end segment and the rotation axis ( 12 ) of the blade ( 11 ) is oriented horizontally and longitudinally;

wherein the two branches ( 10 ) of the bifurcation ( 9 ) form a sharp bend so as to have a vertical orientation in the area of the blade ( 11 ) and a horizontal orientation in the area of the two air vents ( 6 ).

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 25, 2025
From: CANATO, GIANPAOLO
To: FERRARI S.P.A.
Reel/Frame 070615/0479 →
Priority Claims (1)
IT 102022000004622 · Mar 10, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230286350A1 · Sep 14, 2023
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