Integrated coolant heating module for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11365673-B2
Application number	US-202017110533-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2020
Priority date	Dec 12, 2019
Publication date	Jun 21, 2022
Grant date	Jun 21, 2022

Abstract

An integrated coolant heating module for a vehicle includes a water-cooled condenser having a plurality of refrigerant inlet/outlet ports and a plurality of coolant inlet/outlet ports, and exchanging heat between coolant and refrigerant that circulate therein, a water heater having a plurality of mounting parts, the water heater being coupled to the water-cooled condenser and selectively heating the coolant passing through the water-cooled condenser, a multi-way valve coupled to a mounting part of the water heater, and controlling a direction of flow of the coolant, and a water pump coupled to a mounting part of the water heater, having a first side connected to the multi-way valve and a second side connected to a second coolant inlet/outlet port of the water-cooled condenser, and creating a pressure of the coolant between the multi-way valve and the water-cooled condenser.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An integrated coolant heating module for a vehicle, the module comprising:
a water-cooled condenser having a plurality of refrigerant inlet/outlet ports and a plurality of coolant inlet/outlet ports, the water-cooled condenser being configured to exchange heat between coolant and refrigerant that circulate therein;
a water heater having an outer surface including a plurality of mounting parts, the water heater being coupled to the water-cooled condenser at one side, and the water heater being configured to selectively heat the coolant passing through the water-cooled condenser by being connected to a first coolant inlet/outlet port of the water-cooled condenser at an inlet of the water-cooled condenser;
a multi-way valve coupled to one of the plurality of mounting parts of the water heater, the multi-way valve being configured to control a direction of flow of the coolant; and
a water pump coupled to a second one of the plurality of mounting parts of the water heater, the water pump having a first side connected to the multi-way valve and a second side connected to a second coolant inlet/outlet port of the water-cooled condenser, the water pump being configured to create a pressure of the coolant between the multi-way valve and the water-cooled condenser.

2. The module of claim 1 , wherein the water heater comprises:
a main body having a built-in heater module; and
a cover covering the main body;
wherein the cover is an integrally injection-molded structure including the plurality of mounting parts.

3. The module of claim 2 , wherein a lower end of the water heater and a lower end of the water-cooled condenser are coupled to a vehicle body, the water-cooled condenser is disposed on a side of the water heater, the main body of the water heater has a coupling part formed on a side surface thereof and coupled to the water-cooled condenser, and the water heater and the water-cooled condenser are directly coupled to each other by the coupling part.

4. The module of claim 3 , wherein the coupling part of the water heater is configured to be detachable from the water-cooled condenser so that the water heater and the water-cooled condenser are detachably assembled to each other.

5. The module of claim 2 , wherein the main body of the water heater has an open upper surface, and the cover is coupled to the upper surface of the main body; and
first, second, and third mounting parts are formed on an upper surface of the cover and arranged in a triangle shape,
wherein the first mounting part is formed on a first end of the upper surface of the cover, the second mounting part is formed on a second end of the upper surface of the cover, and the third mounting part is formed on a front end of the upper surface of the cover on a central axis between the first and second mounting parts.

6. The module of claim 5 , wherein the water pump is coupled to the first and second mounting parts, and the multi-way valve is coupled to the third mounting part.

7. The module of claim 1 , further comprising:
a bracket provided to surround an outer circumferential surface of the water pump, and directly coupled to the mounting part of the water heater to couple the water pump to the water heater.

8. The module of claim 7 , wherein a damper is provided on an inner circumferential surface of the bracket where the bracket and the water pump are in contact with each other, and the damper is configured to insulate noise or vibration of the water pump from being transmitted to a vehicle body through the water heater due to contact between the bracket and the water pump.

9. The module of claim 7 , wherein the bracket comprises:
a lower bracket provided along a circumference of a lower surface of the water pump and directly connected to the mounting part of the water heater; and
an upper bracket provided along a circumference of an upper surface of the water pump and having opposite ends connected to the lower bracket.

10. The module of claim 9 , wherein a through-hole allowing a fastening bolt to be inserted thereinto is formed at each of opposite sides of each of the lower bracket and the upper bracket, and the fastening bolt passes through the respective through-holes of the lower bracket and the upper bracket to couple the lower bracket and the upper bracket to each other.

11. The module of claim 9 , wherein a hole allowing a flange bolt to be inserted thereinto is formed in an upper surface of the mounting part of the water heater, a damper bush additionally absorbing noise or vibration of the water pump is coupled to each of opposite ends of the lower bracket, and the damper bush and the mounting part are coupled to each other by the flange bolt whereby the lower bracket is connected to the water heater.

12. The module of claim 1 , wherein the multi-way valve comprises a fixing part directly connected to the mounting part of the water heater.

13. The module of claim 12 , wherein the multi-way valve is an integrally injection-molded structure including the fixing part.

14. The module of claim 1 , further comprising:
a printed circuit board (PCB) for integrated control that simultaneously controls driving of the water heater, the multi-way valve, and the water pump.

15. The module of claim 1 , wherein the water pump and multi-way valve are directly connected to each other, the inlet of the water heater is connected to the first coolant inlet/outlet port of the water-cooled condenser by a first hose, and the multi-way valve is connected to the second coolant inlet/outlet port of the water-cooled condenser by a second hose.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp
• Hyundai Wia Corp

Inventors

• Oh Man Ju
• Lee Sang Shin
• Lee keon sik
• Kim Man Hee
• Im Seon Gyu
• Lee Chang Won

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

• F01P2060/18

  Heater · CPC title

• F01P11/20 Primary

  concerning atmospheric freezing conditions, e.g. automatically draining or heating during frosty weather · CPC title

• F01P2007/146

  using valves · CPC title

• F01P5/10

  Pumping liquid coolant; Arrangements of coolant pumps · CPC title