Air conditioner for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10071611-B2
Application number	US-201514622727-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2015
Priority date	Nov 17, 2014
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

An air conditioner for a vehicle includes a heating line having a condenser at an inlet thereof and having an outlet communicating with an interior of the vehicle. A cooling line has an inlet communicating with the inlet of the heating line, an outlet communicating with the interior of the vehicle, and an evaporator connected to the condenser inside of the cooling line. One or more doors are provided to control a flow stream of each line and to control a temperature of air introduced into the interior of the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air conditioner for a vehicle, comprising:
a heating line having a condenser at an inlet thereof and an outlet communicating with an interior of the vehicle;
a cooling line having an inlet communicating with the inlet of the heating line, an outlet communicating with the interior of the vehicle, and an evaporator connected to the condenser inside of the cooling line for circulating a refrigerant;
one or more doors opening and closing to control a flow stream of each line and to control a temperature of air introduced into the interior of the vehicle; and
a circulation line communicating with the cooling line and the interior of the vehicle to recirculate the air in the interior of the vehicle to the cooling line,
wherein the condenser is disposed at a position where the inlet of the heating line and the inlet of the cooling line are connected to each other,
wherein the evaporator is disposed in the cooling line at a position of downstream from the condenser in a direction of air flow,
wherein at least one of the one or more doors is disposed between the condenser and the evaporator in a flow path for outdoor air to be introduced into the cooling line,
wherein an amount of heated air after passing through the condenser to pass through the evaporator is controlled depending on degrees of opening of the at least one of the one or more doors, and
wherein the circulation line is disposed between the cooling line and the heating line so as to distinguish the cooling line and the heating line from each other.

2. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the one or more doors include at least one door at each of the inlets and outlets of the heating line and cooling line.

3. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the cooling line and the heating line have through-holes to communicate with outside, and the one or more doors open/close the through-holes, such that flow paths of the air flowing in the respective lines are changed according to the opening/closing of the through-holes.

4. The air conditioner of claim 3 , wherein the one or more doors comprise:
a first cooling door provided at the inlet of the cooling line and forming a flow path for outdoor air to be introduced into the cooling line in response to the first cooling door is open; and
a second cooling door provided at the outlet of the cooling line and forming a flow path for the air of the cooling line to be discharged to the outside in response to the second cooling door is open.

5. The air conditioner of claim 4 , wherein the one or more doors further comprise a heating door provided at the outlet of the heating line and forming a flow path for the air of the heating line to be discharged to the outside in response to a third through-hole is open.

6. The air conditioner of claim 4 , wherein the first cooling door is open to inside of each of the cooling line and heating line at opening to control an amount of air introduced from the condenser to the cooling line or the heating line.

7. The air conditioner of claim 4 , wherein the second cooling door and the heating door are open to insides of the cooling line and heating line, respectively, to block the cooling line or the heating line at opening.

8. The air conditioner of claim 4 , further comprising:
a third cooling door disposed at the circulation line for connecting/disconnecting the communication between the cooling line and the circulation line.

9. The air conditioner of claim 5 , wherein the air conditioner opens the first cooling door, closes the second cooling door, and opens the heating door for cooling the interior of the vehicle such that cooled air passing through the evaporator is introduced into the inside of the vehicle.

10. The air conditioner of claim 5 , wherein the air conditioner closes the heating door and opens at least one of the first and second cooling doors for heating the interior of the vehicle such that the air of the condenser is introduced into the interior of the vehicle.

11. The air conditioner of claim 5 , further comprising:
blowers blowing air toward the outlet of each line are provided between the first cooling door and the second cooling door, and between the condenser and the heating door.

12. The air conditioner of claim 11 , further comprising:
a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater provided between the blower and the heating door.

13. The air conditioner of claim 5 , further comprising:
an auxiliary heating door provided at the inlet of the heating line and forming a flow path for a part of the air of the condenser to be discharged to the outside.

14. The air conditioner of claim 13 , further comprising:
a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater provided between the auxiliary heating door and the heating door,
wherein the auxiliary heating door is provided between the condenser and the PTC heater.

15. The air conditioner of claim 14 , further comprising:
blowers that disposed between the auxiliary heating door and the heating door and blow air toward the outlet of each line.

16. The air conditioner of claim 14 , further comprising:
blowers that disposed between the first cooling door and the evaporator and between the auxiliary heating door and the PTC heater, and blow air toward the outlet of each line.

17. The air conditioner of claim 13 , wherein the air conditioner closes the heating door and the auxiliary heating door for heating the interior of the vehicle so that the air of the condenser is introduced to the interior of the vehicle.

18. The air conditioner of claim 12 , wherein the blowers are disposed at rear sides of the evaporator and the PTC heater, respectively.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Park June Kyu
• Kim Yong Chul

Classifications

• B60H1/3227

  characterised by the arrangement or the type of heat exchanger, e.g. condenser, evaporator (condensed liquid drainage means B60H1/3233) · CPC title

• B60H2001/00178

  comprising an air passage from the HVAC box to the exterior of the cabin · CPC title

• B60H1/00057 Primary

  the air being heated and cooled simultaneously, e.g. using parallel heat exchangers · CPC title

• B60H1/26

  Ventilating openings in vehicle exterior; Ducts for conveying ventilating air · CPC title

• B60H1/22

  the heat source being other than the propulsion plant {(B60H1/00492 takes precedence)} · CPC title