Internal temperature adjusting device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10670313-B2
Application number	US-201615776323-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2016
Priority date	Nov 18, 2015
Publication date	Jun 2, 2020
Grant date	Jun 2, 2020

Abstract

An internal temperature adjusting device includes a heat pump, an internal heat exchanger, and an external heat exchanger. The internal heat exchanger is configured to function as one of an evaporator or a condenser of the heat pump, and exchange heat between a heat medium and air inside the container. The external heat exchanger is configured to function as the other one of the evaporator or the condenser, and exchange heat between the heat medium and air outside the container. The external heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat exchanging members separated from each other. According to the internal temperature adjusting device, drainage of the external heat exchanger as a whole can be secured.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An internal temperature adjusting device for regulating a temperature in a container, comprising:
a heat pump;
an internal heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between a heat medium and air inside the container, the internal heat exchanger being configured to function as an evaporator of the heat pump during a cooling operation for cooling the air inside the container, the internal heat exchanger being configured to function as a condenser of the heat pump during a heating operation for heating the air inside the container; and
an external heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the heat medium and air outside the container, the external heat exchanger being configured to function as a condenser of the heat pump during the cooling operation, the external heat exchanger being configured to function as an evaporator of the heat pump during the heating operation, wherein
the external heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat exchanging members separated from each other,
the plurality of the heat exchanging members include
an inclined heat exchanging member through which the air flows in a predetermined direction intersecting with a ceiling surface of the container, and
an upright heat exchanging member through which the air flows in a direction parallel to the ceiling surface of the container, and

during the heating operation in which the external heat exchanger functions as the evaporator, the heat medium flows from the inclined heat exchanging member to the upright heat exchanging member.

2. The internal temperature adjusting device according to claim 1 , wherein
the predetermined direction is approximately perpendicular to the ceiling surface of the container.

3. The internal temperature adjusting device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an external fan closer in a vertical direction to the ceiling surface of the container than the inclined heat exchanging member is to the ceiling surface, the external fan being configured to send the air to the inclined heat exchanging member; and
a controller configured to control actuations of the heat pump and the external fan, wherein
the controller is configured to perform
the cooling operation in which the controller actuates the heat pump such that the internal heat exchanger functions as the evaporator to cool the air inside the container,
the heating operation in which the controller actuates the heat pump such that the internal heat exchanger functions as the condenser to heat the air inside the container, and
a defrosting operation in which the controller actuates the heat pump to defrost the inclined heat exchanging member during the heating operation,

in the cooling operation and the heating operation, the controller actuates the external fan such that the air flows through the inclined heat exchanging member toward the ceiling surface of the container, and
the controller is configured to reverse a rotation direction of the external fan such that the air flows through the inclined heat exchanging member toward a bottom surface of the container, thereby removing water droplets which are generated on the inclined heat exchanging member due to the defrosting operation.

4. The internal temperature adjusting device according to claim 3 , wherein
in the cooling operation, the controller controls a compressor and a four-way valve such that the heat medium flows through, in order, the compressor, the external heat exchanger, and the internal heat exchanger,
in the heating operation, the controller controls the compressor and the four-way valve such that the heat medium flows through, in order, the compressor, internal heat exchanger, and the external heat exchanger, and
in the defrosting operation, the controller controls the compressor and the four-way valve such that the heat medium flows through, in order, the compressor, the external heat exchanger, and the internal heat exchanger.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Nishida Yasushi

Classifications

• F25B2500/01

  Geometry problems, e.g. for reducing size · CPC title

• F25D21/14

  Collecting or removing condensed and defrost water; Drip trays · CPC title

• F25B2313/0294

  related to the outdoor fan, e.g. controlling speed · CPC title

• F25B2700/172

  of the condenser fan · CPC title

• F25B2327/001

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic