Heat exchanger and heat pump system using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9927153-B2
Application number	US-201314652010-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2013
Priority date	Dec 12, 2012
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

A main core portion ( 6 ) performing heat exchange between air and a refrigerant, a receiver tank ( 8 ) into which the refrigerant having flowed through the main core portion flows, a sub-cool core portion ( 10 ) for sub-cooling a liquid refrigerant having flowed through the receiver tank by heat exchange with air, a first flow path ( 36 b, 68, 78 ) through which a refrigerant flows in order of the main core portion, the receiver tank, and the sub-cool core portion, a second flow path ( 36 a, 36 c, 68, 72 ) through which the refrigerant flows in order of the main core portion and the sub-cool core portion by bypassing the receiver tank, and flow-path switching means ( 82 ) for switching between the first flow path and the second flow path.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heat pump system for an air-conditioning device for a vehicle comprising an outdoor heat exchanger used as a condenser or an evaporator, an indoor evaporator and an indoor condenser, the outdoor heat exchanger comprising:
a main core portion for performing heat exchange between air and a refrigerant;
a receiver tank into which the refrigerant having flowed through the main core portion flows;
a sub-cool core portion for sub-cooling a liquid refrigerant having flowed through the receiver tank by heat exchange with the air;
a first flow path through which the refrigerant is made to flow in order of the main core portion, the receiver tank, the sub-cool core portion, the indoor evaporator, and the indoor condenser;
a second flow path through which the refrigerant is made to flow in order of the main core portion, the sub-cool core portion, and the indoor condenser by bypassing the receiver tank; and
a flow-path switching means for switching between the first flow path and the second flow path,
wherein when the outdoor heat exchanger is used as a condenser, the refrigerant is made to flow through the first flow path by the flow-path switching means,
wherein when the outdoor heat exchanger is used as an evaporator, the refrigerant is made to flow through the second flow path by the flow-path switching means, and
wherein when the main core portion and the sub-cool core portion are to be defrosted, the refrigerant is made to flow through the second flow path by the flow-path switching means, and when the main core portion and the sub-cool core portion do not require defrosting, the refrigerant is made to flow through the first flow path by the flow-path switching means.

2. The heat pump system according to claim 1 , wherein flow directions of the refrigerant in the main core portion and the sub-cool core portion of the first flow path and the second flow path are the same.

3. The heat pump system according to claim 2 , wherein each of the main core portion and the sub-cool core portion has:
a pair of header tanks arranged away from each other in a vertical direction;
a plurality of tubes arranged so as to extend in the vertical direction between the header tanks and to cause the pair of header tanks to communicate with each other; and
a fin provided in the outdoor heat exchanger.

4. The heat pump system according to claim 3 , wherein the main core portion and the sub-cool core portion are arranged adjacent to each other.

5. The heat pump system according to claim 4 , wherein the receiver tank includes one connecting member having a first communication hole made to communicate with the header tank and a second communication hole made to communicate with the first flow path.

Assignees

• Sanden Holdings Corp

Inventors

• Matsumoto Yuuichi
• Kouno Shinji

Classifications

• F28D2021/0084

  Condensers · CPC title

• F28F9/262

  for radiators (F28D1/0408 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60H1/3227

  characterised by the arrangement or the type of heat exchanger, e.g. condenser, evaporator (condensed liquid drainage means B60H1/3233) · CPC title

• F25B2600/2501

  Bypass valves · CPC title

• B60H1/00921 Primary

  where the flow direction of the refrigerant does not change and there is an extra subcondenser, e.g. in an air duct · CPC title