Vehicle air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016159203-A1
Application number	US-201414903569-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 23, 2014
Priority date	Jul 26, 2013
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

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

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 among a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant of a heat pump, the coolant flowing in the component temperature-adjustment path, 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; and 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.

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 , further comprising:
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 between a state where the refrigerant of the heat pump flows only to the evaporator, and a state where the refrigerant of the heat pump flows to both of the evaporator and the first water-refrigerant heat exchanger.

4 . The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 3 , 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.

5 . The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 3 , wherein the second switch can switch between a state where the refrigerant fed from the second water-refrigerant heat exchanger is fed to the evaporator and a state where the refrigerant is not fed to the evaporator, and can switch between a state where the refrigerant fed from the second water-refrigerant heat exchanger is fed to the first water-refrigerant heat exchanger and a state where the refrigerant is not fed to the first water-refrigerant exchanger.

6 . The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 5 , wherein the second switch 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.

7 . The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 6 , 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.

8 . The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 6 , further comprising a check valve disposed on a path in which the refrigerant flows from the evaporator to the compressor.

9 . The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 6 , 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.

10 . The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 3 , 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.

11 . The vehicle air conditioner device according to claim 10 , 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.

12 . The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 11 , 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.

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

14 . The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 11 , 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.

15 . 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.

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

• F25B2339/047

  Water-cooled condensers · CPC title

• B60H1/00899

  Controlling the flow of liquid in a heat pump system (controlling the properties of the refrigerant liquid, e.g. pressure or temperature, B60H1/3204) · CPC title

• B60K2001/005

  the electric storage means · CPC title

• B60H2001/00928

  comprising a secondary circuit · CPC title