Vehicular air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9909795-B2
Application number	US-201314435658-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2013
Priority date	Feb 27, 2013
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

In a vehicular air conditioner in which a cooling operation and a heating operation are switched by switching a four-way valve, a pressure accumulator is provided in which a coolant, which is related to an aspiration pressure of a compressor, is accumulated when the compressor is operated, and a differential pressure, which is required for switching the four-way valve, between piston rooms is maintained, and the differential pressure, which is required for switching the four-way valve, is generated between the piston rooms of the four-way valve even after the compressor is stopped.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicular air conditioner, comprising:
a four-way valve including:
a piston mechanism;
a valve unit configured to be shifted between one side piston room and an another side piston room, in a state where a discharge pressure of a compressor is acted to the one side piston room of the four-way valve, and an aspiration pressure of the compressor is acted to the another side piston room of the four-way valve, and the piston mechanism and the valve unit are shifted by using a differential pressure between the piston rooms, and the four-way valve is switched, whereby a cooling operation and a heating operation are switched;
a pressure accumulator in which a coolant which is related to the aspiration pressure of the compressor is accumulated when the compressor is operated; and
the differential pressure which is required for switching the four-way valve between the piston rooms is maintained in the pressure accumulator;
the differential pressure which is required for switching the four-way valve is generated between the piston rooms of the four-way valve when the compressor is stopped and is not being operated;
the pressure accumulator is a low pressure accumulator of a coolant which is aspirated to the compressor;
the low pressure accumulator is connected to a pipe which passes the low pressure coolant which is aspirated to the compressor via a check valve in which a flow direction is a direction for aspirating the coolant to the compressor; and
the low pressure accumulator is connected to the one side or the another side piston room via a control solenoid valve; whereby the coolant is aspirated from the one side or the another side piston room.

2. A vehicular air conditioner as recited in claim 1 , wherein a capacity of the pressure accumulator is 1.5 times to 3 times with respect to a maximum capacity of the one side or the another side piston room.

3. A vehicular air conditioner, comprising:
a four-way valve including:
a piston mechanism;
a valve unit configured to be shifted between one side piston room and an another side piston room, in a state where a discharge pressure of a compressor is acted to the one side piston room of the four-way valve, and an aspiration pressure of the compressor is acted to the another side piston room of the four-way valve, and the piston mechanism and the valve unit are shifted by using a differential pressure between the piston rooms, and the four-way valve is switched, whereby a cooling operation and a heating operation are switched;
a pressure accumulator in which a coolant which is related to the discharge pressure of the compressor is accumulated when the compressor is operated; and
the differential pressure which is required for switching the four-way valve between the piston rooms is maintained in the pressure accumulator;
the differential pressure which is required for switching the four-way valve is generated between the piston rooms of the four-way valve when the compressor is stopped and is not being operated;
the pressure accumulator is a high pressure accumulator of a coolant which is discharged from the compressor;
the high pressure accumulator is connected to a pipe which passes the high pressure coolant which is discharged from the compressor via a check valve in which a flow direction is a direction for flowing the coolant which is discharged from the compressor; and
the high pressure accumulator is connected to the one side or the another side piston room via a control solenoid valve; whereby the high pressure coolant which is discharged from the compressor is supplied to the one side or the another side piston room.

4. A vehicular air conditioner as recited in claim 3 , wherein a capacity of the pressure accumulator is 1.5 times to 3 times with respect to a maximum capacity of the one side or the another side piston room.

Assignees

• Shingu Wahei
• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Shingu Wahei

Classifications

• B60H1/00907

  where the flow direction of the refrigerant changes and an evaporator becomes condenser · CPC title

• F25B2500/27

  characterised by the stop of the refrigeration cycle · CPC title

• F16K11/0655

  with flat slides · CPC title

• F25B49/022 Primary

  Compressor control arrangements · CPC title

• B60H1/00485

  Valves for air-conditioning devices, e.g. thermostatic valves · CPC title