Vehicle air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10071614-B2
Application number	US-201414903569-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2014
Priority date	Jul 26, 2013
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

This vehicle air conditioner includes: a component temperature-adjustment path in which a coolant flows for performing a heat exchange with a vehicle component which needs a temperature adjustment; an engine coolant path in which an engine coolant guided from an engine cooling portion flows; a heater core. The vehicle air conditioner further includes: a first water-refrigerant heat exchanger which performs a heat exchange between a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant of a heat pump, the coolant fed to the component temperature-adjustment path, and the engine coolant; a second water-refrigerant heat exchanger which performs a heat exchange between a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant of the heat pump, and the engine coolant; and a first switch which can switch between a state where the engine coolant flows to the first water-refrigerant heat exchanger and a state where the refrigerant bypasses the first water-refrigerant heat exchanger.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle air conditioner comprising:
a component temperature-adjustment path in which a coolant flows for performing a heat exchange with a vehicle component which needs a temperature adjustment;
an engine coolant path in which an engine coolant guided from an engine cooling portion flows;
a heater core, in which the engine coolant flowing in the engine coolant path flows, for heating air to be fed to an interior of the vehicle;
a first water-refrigerant heat exchanger which performs a heat exchange between a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant of a heat pump and the coolant flowing in the component temperature-adjustment path, and between the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant of the heat pump and the engine coolant flowing in the engine coolant path;
a second water-refrigerant heat exchanger which performs a heat exchange between a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant of the heat pump, and the engine coolant flowing in the engine coolant path;
a first switch which can switch between a state where the engine coolant flowing in the engine coolant path flows to the first water-refrigerant heat exchanger and a state where the refrigerant bypasses the first water-refrigerant heat exchanger;
an evaporator, in which the refrigerant of the heat pump flows, for cooling the air to be fed to the interior of the vehicle; and
a second switch which can switch at least between a state of a cooling mode where the refrigerant flows to a circulation route including the second water-refrigerant heat exchanger, a condenser which releases heat from the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant to outside air and condenses the refrigerant, the evaporator, and a compressor which compresses the refrigerant, and the refrigerant does not flow to the first water-refrigerant heat exchanger, and a state of a heat pump heating mode where the refrigerant flows to a circulation route including the second water-refrigerant heat exchanger, the first water-refrigerant heat exchanger, and the compressor,
wherein the engine coolant path is configured to allow the engine coolant to flow from the engine cooling portion and to return to the engine cooling portion via the second water-refrigerant heat exchanger, the heater core, and the first water-refrigerant heat exchanger in this order.

2. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the component temperature-adjustment path and the engine coolant path are independent with each other.

3. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein, when the second switch switches to the state where the refrigerant of the heat pump flows to both of the evaporator and the first water-refrigerant heat exchanger, the first switch switches to the state where the engine coolant bypasses the first water-refrigerant heat exchanger.

4. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein, when the second switch switches to the state of the heat pump heating mode, the first switch switches to a state where the engine coolant flows to the first water-refrigerant heat exchanger.

5. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 , further comprising a check valve disposed on a path in which the refrigerant flows from the evaporator to the compressor.

6. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first expander which expands the refrigerant fed from the second water-refrigerant heat exchanger, and then feeds the refrigerant to the first water-refrigerant heat exchanger, and
a second expander which expands the refrigerant condensed by the condenser to a low-temperature and low-pressure state, and then discharges the refrigerant to the evaporator.

7. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein
when the first switch is in the state where the engine coolant flows to the first water-refrigerant heat exchanger, the engine coolant flows in order of the engine cooling portion, the second water-refrigerant heat exchanger, the heater core, the first switch, and the first water-refrigerant heat exchanger, and returns to the engine cooling portion, and
when the first switch is in the state where the refrigerant bypasses the first water-refrigerant heat exchanger, the engine coolant flows in order of the engine cooling portion, the second water-refrigerant heat exchanger, the heater core, and the first switch, and returns to the engine cooling portion.

8. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein
the second switch can switch between a state where the refrigerant flows to a refrigerant circuit including a compressor which compresses the refrigerant, the second water-refrigerant heat exchanger, and the first water-refrigerant heat exchanger, and a state where the refrigerant flows to a refrigerant circuit including the compressor, a condenser which releases heat from the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant to outside air and condenses the refrigerant, and the evaporator, and
a refrigerant path from the second water-refrigerant heat exchanger to the first water-refrigerant heat exchanger is different from a refrigerant path from the condenser to the evaporator.

9. The vehicle air conditioner device according to claim 8 , wherein the second switch switches to a state where the refrigerant flows to the refrigerant circuit including the compressor, the second water-refrigerant heat exchanger, and the first water-refrigerant heat exchanger in a heat pump heating mode, and switches to a state where the refrigerant flows to the refrigerant circuit including the compressor, the condenser, and the evaporator in a cooling mode.

10. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 9 , wherein, when the second switch switches to the state of the heat pump heating mode, the first switch switches to a state where the engine coolant flows to the first water-refrigerant heat exchanger.

11. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 9 , further comprising a check valve disposed on a path in which the refrigerant flows from the evaporator to the compressor.

12. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a first expander which expands the refrigerant fed from the second water-refrigerant heat exchanger, and then feeds the refrigerant to the first water-refrigerant heat exchanger, and
a second expander which expands the refrigerant condensed by the condenser to a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant, and then discharges the refrigerant to the evaporator.

13. A vehicle air conditioner comprising:
a component temperature-adjustment path in which a coolant flows for performing a heat exchange with a vehicle component which needs a temperature adjustment;
an engine coolant path in which an engine coolant guided from an engine cooling portion flows;
a heater core, in which the engine coolant flowing in the engine coolant path flows, for heating air to be fed to an interior of the vehicle;
a first water-refrigerant heat exchanger which performs a heat exchange between a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant of a heat pump and the coolant flowing in the component temperature-adjustment path, and between the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant of the heat pump and the engine coolant flowing in the engine coolant path;
a second water-refrigerant heat exchanger which performs a heat exchange between a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant of the heat pump, and the engine coolant flowing in the engine coolant path;
a first switch which can switch between a state where the engine coolant flowing in the engine coolant path flows to the first water-refrigerant heat excha

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kuroda Kentaro
• Noda Yoshitoshi
• Taniguchi Katsuji

Classifications

• B60H1/32284

  comprising two or more secondary circuits, e.g. at evaporator and condenser side · CPC title

• F25B5/02

  arranged in parallel · CPC title

• B60H2001/00928

  comprising a secondary circuit · CPC title

• B60K2001/005

  the electric storage means · CPC title

• B60K11/02

  with liquid cooling · CPC title