Vehicle air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10047988-B2
Application number	US-201414912566-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2014
Priority date	Aug 23, 2013
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

There is disclosed a vehicle air conditioner in which in a dehumidifying and heating mode, a heating capability by a radiator can be acquired while avoiding frost formation to a heat absorber. A dehumidifying and heating mode is executed in which a refrigerant discharged from a compressor 2 radiates heat in a radiator 4, the refrigerant by which heat has been radiated is decompressed, and then heat is absorbed in a heat absorber 9 and an outdoor heat exchanger 7 or only in the heat absorber 9 to heating a vehicle interior while dehumidifying the vehicle interior. The vehicle air conditioner includes an injection circuit 40 which distributes a part of the refrigerant flowing out from the radiator 4 to return the part to the compressor 2. In the dehumidifying and heating mode, a controller 32 operates the injection circuit 40 in a case where there is established a predetermined heating capability shortage condition on which a heating capability runs short, a predetermined dehumidifying capability excess condition on which a dehumidifying capability becomes excessive or a predetermined low outdoor air temperature startup condition on which startup is made at a low outdoor air temperature.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle air conditioner comprising:
a compressor which compresses a refrigerant;
a radiator which lets the refrigerant radiate heat to heat air to be supplied to a vehicle interior;
a heat absorber which lets the refrigerant absorb heat to cool the air to be supplied to the vehicle interior;
an outdoor heat exchanger disposed outside the vehicle interior to let the refrigerant absorb heat; and
control means,
the vehicle air conditioner executing a dehumidifying and heating mode in which the control means is configured to let the refrigerant discharged from the compressor radiate heat in the radiator, decompress the refrigerant by which heat has been radiated and then absorb heat in the heat absorber and the outdoor heat exchanger or only in the heat absorber, thereby heating the vehicle interior while dehumidifying the vehicle interior,
the vehicle air conditioner comprising an injection circuit which distributes a part of the refrigerant flowing out from the radiator to return the part of the refrigerant to the compressor,
wherein in the dehumidifying and heating mode, the control means is configured to operate the injection circuit, and return the refrigerant to the compressor in a case where there is established one of a predetermined heating capability shortage condition on which a heating capability runs short, a predetermined dehumidifying capability excess condition on which a dehumidifying capability becomes excessive and a predetermined low outdoor air temperature startup condition on which startup is made at a low outdoor air temperature, or any combination of the conditions,
wherein the control means is configured to judge that the dehumidifying capability excess condition is established, in a case where a difference between a target radiator temperature and a temperature of the radiator decreases, a difference between a target radiator pressure and a pressure of the radiator decreases, and the temperature of the heat absorber lowers.

2. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control means is configured to judge that the heating capability shortage condition is established, in a case where after elapse of predetermined time from the startup, a difference between a target radiator temperature and a temperature of the radiator increases and a difference between a target radiator pressure and a pressure of the radiator increases.

3. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control means is configured to stop the operation of the injection circuit, in a case where the difference between the target radiator temperature and the temperature of the radiator decreases, the difference between the target radiator pressure and the pressure of the radiator decreases, and a difference between a target heat absorber temperature and a temperature of the heat absorber decreases.

4. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control means is configured to judge that the low outdoor air temperature startup condition is established, in a case where within predetermined time from the startup, an outdoor air temperature is low and a target outlet temperature to the vehicle interior is high.

5. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 4 ,
wherein the control means is configured to stop the operation of the injection circuit in a case where the outdoor air temperature rises and the target outlet temperature lowers.

6. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 ,
which comprises an outdoor expansion valve which decompresses the refrigerant flowing into the outdoor heat exchanger,
wherein the refrigerant is distributed before the outdoor expansion valve, decompressed and flows through the heat absorber, and
the control means is configured to control a number of revolutions of the compressor on a basis of the target radiator pressure of the radiator, and control a valve position of the outdoor expansion valve on the basis of the target heat absorber temperature of the heat absorber.

7. A vehicle air conditioner comprising:
a compressor which compresses a refrigerant;
a radiator which lets the refrigerant radiate heat to heat air to be supplied to a vehicle interior;
a heat absorber which lets the refrigerant absorb heat to cool the air to be supplied to the vehicle interior;
an outdoor heat exchanger disposed outside the vehicle interior to let the refrigerant absorb heat; and
control means,
the vehicle air conditioner executing a dehumidifying and heating mode in which the control means is configured to let the refrigerant discharged from the compressor radiate heat in the radiator, decompress the refrigerant by which heat has been radiated and then absorb heat in the heat absorber and the outdoor heat exchanger or only in the heat absorber, thereby heating the vehicle interior while dehumidifying the vehicle interior,
the vehicle air conditioner comprising an injection circuit which distributes a part of the refrigerant flowing out from the radiator to return the part of the refrigerant to the compressor,
wherein in the dehumidifying and heating mode, the control means is configured to operate the injection circuit, and return the refrigerant to the compressor in a case where there is established one of a predetermined heating capability shortage condition on which a heating capability runs short, a predetermined dehumidifying capability excess condition on which a dehumidifying capability becomes excessive and a predetermined low outdoor air temperature startup condition on which startup is made at a low outdoor air temperature, or any combination of the conditions,
wherein the control means is configured to judge that the heating capability shortage condition is established, in a case where after elapse of predetermined time from the startup, a difference between a target radiator temperature and a temperature of the radiator increases and a difference between a target radiator pressure and a pressure of the radiator increases,
wherein the control means is configured to stop the operation of the injection circuit, in a case where the difference between the target radiator temperature and the temperature of the radiator decreases, the difference between the target radiator pressure and the pressure of the radiator decreases, and a difference between a target heat absorber temperature and a temperature of the heat absorber decreases.

Assignees

• Sanden Holdings Corp

Inventors

• Miyakoshi Ryo
• Suzuki Kenichi

Classifications

• B60H3/024

  for only dehumidifying the air · CPC title

• F25B6/04

  arranged in series · CPC title

• B60H2001/3258

  of the air at a condensing unit · CPC title

• F25B5/04

  arranged in series · CPC title

• F25B2400/0411

  for expansion valves or capillary tubes · CPC title