Vehicle anti-fogging device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10464398-B2
Application number	US-201615567168-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2016
Priority date	Apr 24, 2015
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

A vehicle anti-fogging device is applied to a vehicle provided with an air conditioning apparatus for controlling a temperature of air blown into a vehicle interior, and includes a thermosiphon. The thermosiphon is formed separately from the air conditioning apparatus and exchanges heat with vehicle interior air to condense the vehicle interior air. The thermosiphon includes a first heat exchanger configured to radiate heat from the refrigerant to the vehicle exterior air, a second heat exchanger configured to absorb heat from the vehicle interior air into the refrigerant, and a refrigerant pipe that connects the first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger to form a closed loop refrigerant circuit through which the refrigerant circulates.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle anti-fogging device for use in a vehicle provided with an air conditioning apparatus for controlling a temperature of air blown into a vehicle interior, the vehicle anti-fogging device comprising:
a thermosiphon that is formed separately from the air conditioning apparatus, the thermosiphon being configured to exchange heat with vehicle interior air to condense the vehicle interior air, wherein
the thermosiphon includes
a first heat exchanger configured to radiate heat from a refrigerant to vehicle exterior air,
a second heat exchanger configured to absorb heat from the vehicle interior air into the refrigerant, and
a refrigerant pipe that connects the first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger to form a closed loop refrigerant circuit through which the refrigerant circulates.

2. The vehicle anti-fogging device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first heat exchanger is disposed in a front pillar of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle anti-fogging device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first heat exchanger is disposed in each of left and right front pillars of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle anti-fogging device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first heat exchanger is disposed in a duct provided in a cowl of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle anti-fogging device according to claim 1 , wherein
a first heat exchanger inlet portion which is a refrigerant inlet of the first heat exchanger is located at a position higher than a first heat exchanger outlet portion which is a refrigerant outlet of the first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger inlet portion which is a refrigerant inlet of the second heat exchanger, and a second heat exchanger outlet portion which is a refrigerant outlet of the second heat exchanger,
the first heat exchanger outlet portion is located at a position higher than the second heat exchanger inlet portion and the second heat exchanger outlet portion, and
the second heat exchanger inlet portion is located at a position lower than the second heat exchanger outlet portion.

6. The vehicle anti-fogging device according to claim 1 , wherein
the thermosiphon includes a refrigerant transfer pump that transfers the refrigerant, after having heat radiated by the first heat exchanger, from the first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger.

7. The vehicle anti-fogging device according to claim 1 , wherein
the air conditioning apparatus includes an air conditioning blower that sucks the vehicle interior air from a suction port and then generates an air flow by circulating the vehicle interior air in the air conditioning apparatus and blowing the vehicle interior air into the vehicle interior, and
the second heat exchanger is disposed upstream of the suction port in an air flow direction, and the air flow generated by the air conditioning blower passes through the second heat exchanger.

8. The vehicle anti-fogging device according to claim 1 , wherein
the thermosiphon includes an anti-fogging blower that causes the vehicle interior air to flow in the second heat exchanger.

9. The vehicle anti-fogging device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first heat exchanger includes a refrigerant tube through which the refrigerant flows, and
the refrigerant tube is in close contact with an outer plate of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• KOZASA Tetsuo

Classifications

• F25B23/006

  boiling cooling systems · CPC title

• B60H3/00

  Other air-treating devices · CPC title

• B60H1/00785 Primary

  by the detection of humidity or frost · CPC title

• F28F1/32

  the means having portions engaging further tubular elements · CPC title

• B60H1/3202

  using evaporation, i.e. not including a compressor, e.g. involving fuel or water evaporation · CPC title