This invention relates to automotive air conditioning, more particularly to a method of and a kit for installing an air conditioning system into a vehicle.

Air conditioning of an automotive vehicle is becoming more of a necessity due to the current trend in vehicle design toward minimum air resistance, this resulting in the provision of vehicle windows and windscreen having greater slope. Thus this results in a greater glass area subject to the sun's rays, and it has been noted that irrespective of the position of the sun, there is a large glass area permitting the penetration of the sun's rays into the interior of the vehicle. The interior of the vehicle thus rapidly increases in temperature, and the smaller the interior capacity of the vehicle, there appears to be a more rapid increase in temperature in the interior of the vehicle.

Thus air conditioning systems are very common in vehicles, and due to the more efficient design of refrigerant compressors, air conditioning is being fitted to vehicles having engines of smaller capacity. While many vehicles have factory installed air conditioning systems, with some of the imported smaller vehicles, it is not possible to have factory installed air conditioning systems, and the systems are then installed by the vehicle dealer or by a specialist air conditioning installer. One such vehicle is the Barina, and the local importer provides a kit with detailed instructions for the installation of the air conditioning system, so that the installed system falls within the manufacturer's warranty.

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Various vehicle manufacturers provide kits suitable for the installation of an air conditioning system in various model vehicles, but unfortunately sometimes these kits are not suitable for all models, or are not suitable for variously option vehicles of the same model. Thus with respect to the Barina SB., the kit is available for an engine of one capacity, and only if that vehicle is fitted with power steering. Also with the Barina SB., the kit is not suitable for the model having the smaller engine capacity, irrespective of whether that smaller engine vehicle has power steering or not. Thus to date customers have been advised that air conditioning is not available on the vehicle with the smaller capacity engine, or on the vehicle with the larger capacity engine which is not fitted with power steering.

Thus it is an object to provide a modified kit to provide air conditioning to a vehicle which previously was advised as not being able to be air conditioned

A further object of the invention is to provide a method of air conditioning such a vehicle.

Thus there is provided according to the invention a method of modifying a kit for the installation of an air conditioning system in a vehicle for which the kit is not suitable, and to modifications to be made to the vehicle to permit the installation of the modified kit.

The kit supplied to the installer includes the various components and items required for the installation of the air conditioner, and for convenience reference will only be made to those items which require modification, and the electrical connections and/or procedures which vary from the procedures and instructions set down in the instructions accompanying the kit.

In order to more fully describe the invention reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is a view of the drive arrangement of the known air conditioning system for a vehicle for which the kit is suitable,

Figure 2 shows the installation of the known kit on the engine for which the installation is suitable

Figure 3 is a view of the modified drive arrangement,

Figure 4 is a view of the installation of the modifications on the vehicle,

Figure 5 is view of the electrical circuit modifications, and

Figure 6 is a view of the compressor support and engine block modification.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the engine 1 of the motor vehicle to which the air conditioning is to be installed is shown in phantom lines. The kit includes the compressor 2 and compressor mounting 3 which is installed between the engine support 4 and the block 5 of the engine. Also the kit

includes a rear support bracket 6 to be bolted to the compressor 2 and to the engine block 5 to additionally support the compressor by being bolted through the compressor mounting 3 and also by a bolt through arm 7 of the bracket 6 into a tapped hole 8 in the engine block. The power steering pump 9 and the compressor are driven by a belt 10 by the crankshaft pulley 11 , the belt also driving the alternator pulley 12, an automatic tensioning pulley being also included and positioned to ensure the desired angle of wrap around the crankshaft pulley.

However in a vehicle which is not fitted with power steering, the power steering pump is not provided, and as manufactured the vehicle does not have the compressor fitted and so the drive belt would merely pass between the crankshaft pulley and the alternator pulley past an adjustable idler pulley.

Thus, according to the invention, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, at the position of the power steering pump, there is provided according to the invention an idler pulley 14 mounted on an extension bracket 15. The extension bracket has a base plate 16 to which is attached an extension 17, the extension having at its outer end a plate 18 to which the idler pulley is attached. The overall length of the extension bracket is such as to position the idler pulley in line with the alternator and crankshaft pulleys. The compressor, compressor mount and support bracket as supplied with the kit are also fitted.

Returning now to the vehicles described in respect of Figures 1 and 2, which are power steering vehicles fitted with the air conditioning kit, the vehicles are controlled by an electronic module which has the effect of de-energising the compressor clutch when the power steering is turned to full lock, or when the temperature of the engine coolant reaches 115°C.

However on those vehicles which are not fitted with power steering, the electronic module does not contain the required circuitry and controls to sense when the steering reaches full lock, or when the coolant temperature rises to the upper limit to de-energise the compressor clutch when either signal is sensed. If an attempt were made to connect to the electronic module, the electronic module would reject the signals.

Thus a modification has to be made to the electronic control system in the vehicle to achieve the same desired control of the compressor clutch on

temperature rise of the engine coolant, that is, to de-energise the compressor clutch when the engine coolant reaches a high temperature, say 115°C. Thus the invention includes the installation of a thermal switch to the radiator to cut the power to the air conditioner circuit when the temperature of the coolant in the radiator reaches a predetermined upper limit. In order to provide a modification to provide for the absence of the power steering input to the electronic control module, a circuit modification is provided as shown in Figure 5, wherein a relay is connected to the main loom and the air conditioner loom and earth to thus by-pass the electronic control module.

The above has been described with respect to the vehicle fitted with the larger engine. However with the smaller engine which can be installed in the vehicle, further modifications have to be made in order to install the air conditioning compressor on the engine. The smaller engine does not have the tapped hole 8 in the engine block to which the arm 7 on the bracket 6 is affixed. Thus it has been found that if this arm 7 is removed from the bracket 6, that the compressor is still securely supported. Thus in Figure 2, the arm has been shown in dotted lines this indicating its removal for use on the smaller capacity engine.

Also the engine block 5 of the smaller engine does not have the correct location for all of the required tapped holes for the studs to attach the compressor support. The lowest hole 20 in the compressor support 3 does not have a corresponding hole in the engine block at the required position. In order to have the stud 21 penetrate into a portion of the block having sufficient depth and width of metal, the hole in the compressor support is extended to form a slot, and a hole drilled and tapped in the block at the end of the extended slot in the portion of the block having sufficient metal surrounding the tapped hole for support.

Thus it will be seen that according to the invention there has been provided a method and kit for the installation of an air conditioning system in motor vehicles. The invention uses virtually all the components which have been supplied with the kit under the manufacturers warranty, and the additional items have been provided with a life which exceeds the estimated hourly life operation of a vehicle.

As noted above while the available kit is suitable for various models of a

particular vehicle, the kit is suitable for only selected models of that vehicle and to date it has not been possible with the available kit to install air conditioning in other models of that particular vehicle, and potential customers have been advised that air conditioning is not available and cannot be fitted to various models of that vehicle.

However as explained above it is possible to fit air conditioning to all models of that vehicle by utilising the modifications explained above. Thus the invention entails the modification of the drive system by incorporating an idler pulley in place of the power steering pump and a modification of the electronic control system. Furthermore with the smaller engine a modification of the compressor mounting and bracket is required. These vehicles have been available to the public for many years and it is only now that a method and modification has been made to overcome this deficiency in the vehicles.

Although the invention has been described in some detail it is to be realised that the invention is not limited thereto but can include variations and modifications falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.