Apple granted patent for climate control system for an automobile

Let the Apple Car rumors roll on. Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,752,082) for a climate control system for an automobile.

In the patent data, Apple notes that many climate control systems in cars adjust environmental conditions by providing thermally conditioned fluid, generally air, to the vehicle cabin using a series of ducts, outlets, and user-manipulated directional control devices. For example, systems mayinclude manually-adjustable vanes or registers positioned across rectangular duct outlets located on interior surfaces such as the instrument panel or the center console within the vehicle.

However, Apple says that these outlet and vane combinations use a large amount of space within the vehicle and grant a limited amount of fluid delivery control to the user. The tech giant’s solution involves a low-profile, slit-vent fluid delivery module.

Here’s the summary of the invention: “A climate control system includes a fluid delivery module. The fluid delivery module includes a housing defining a fluid flow path between an inlet and an outlet with the outlet having an elongated, slit-like shape and is not visible within a sight line of a user. The fluid delivery module further includes a fluidic control device disposed within the housing between the inlet and the outlet and movable to vary a direction of the fluid flow path within the housing.”