Let the Apple Car rumors roll on. Apple has filed for a patent (number US 20230061874 A1) for a climate control system for a vehicle.
About the patent filing
In the patent filing, Apple notes that novel vehicle cabin configurations, such as configurations with opposed seats and an open interior, can increase a thermal conditioning priority for occupants seated in a rear of the vehicle cabin as compared to occupants seated in a front of the vehicle cabin.
The tech giant adds that duct routing, vent design, and air extraction or exhaust methods associated with traditional vehicle cabin configurations may not provide adequate climate control efficiency or occupant comfort in novel vehicle cabin configurations.
If a vehicle including a novel vehicle cabin configuration is an electric vehicle or a hybrid-electric vehicle, climate control can be more complicated to achieve than in a vehicle operating with a combustion engine since excess, waste, or by-product heat available to the climate control system from the propulsion system is limited in comparison. Apple wants to overcome such limitations a climate control system with a variety of operational modes for use in a vehicle.
Summary of the patent filing
Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent filing: “A climate control system for a vehicle includes a front-end or first heat exchanger configured to thermally condition airflow from an environment external to a vehicle cabin, a rear-end or second heat exchanger configured to thermally condition airflow from the vehicle cabin, a recirculation path configured to return airflow from the second heat exchanger to the vehicle cabin, and an extraction path configured to vent airflow from the second heat exchanger to the environment external to the vehicle cabin. Various operational modes of the climate control system direct airflow to either the recirculation path or the extraction path.”
When might we see an Apple Car?
Apple has scaled back its “ambitious” plans for a self-driving electric car and postponed the launch date back a year to 2026, reports Bloomberg.
The article says that Apple plans to sell a consumer “Apple Car” for “under” $100,000. Other points from the article:
° Apple wanted its vehicle to come without a steering wheel or pedals, but has decided that such a plan isn’t feasible at this time.
° The Apple Car will have guided driving features that work on highways, but won’t be fully autonomous.
° Apple currently plans to develop a vehicle that lets drivers conduct other tasks — say, watch a movie or play a game — on a freeway and be alerted with ample time to switch over to manual control if they reach city streets or encounter inclement weather.
° It will sport an Apple-designed custom processor to power AI (artificial intelligence) functionality.
° It will use the cloud for some AI processing.
° Apple might offer a remote command center that could assist drivers and control cars from afar during emergencies.
° Apple may also offer its own insurance program.
° Apple still hasn’t dialed in on a design for its first vehicle and the team is still working in a “pre-prototype” stage.
