Vehicle air conditioner with arrangement of temperature detector

• US 20030041610A1
• Filed: 08/21/2002
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Takahashi, Koji, Kitamura, Keiichi, Shirota, Yuichi
• Granted Patent: US 6,640,568 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/244
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/005 Regenerative cooling means, e.g. cold accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00792 Arrangement of detectors B60H1/00742, B60H1/0075, B60H1/00785 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/2117 of an evaporator
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 39/02 Evaporators
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/05391 with multiple rows of conduits or with multi-channel conduits combined with a particular flow pattern, e.g. multi-row multi-stage radiators

Abstract

In a vehicle air conditioner, a temperature sensor is disposed on a tank of an evaporator to contact the tank. In addition, the temperature sensor is disposed at a tank position separated from a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet. Accordingly, a downstream space of the evaporator can be effectively used, and the size of the air conditioner can be reduced while the temperature of the evaporator can be accurately detected using the temperature sensor.

Claims

1. An air conditioner for a vehicle, comprising:

an evaporator for cooling air passing therethrough by performing a heat exchange with refrigerant flowing therein, the evaporator having a core portion for performing the heat exchange, and a tank for distributing refrigerant into and for collecting refrigerant from the core portion; and

a temperature detector detecting temperature of the evaporator, the temperature detector being disposed to contact the tank.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising

an air conditioning case defining an air passage through which air flows into a passenger compartment of the vehicle, wherein:

the evaporator is disposed in the air conditioning case to approximately cross an entire sectional area of the air passage; and

the temperature detector is disposed between the tank of the evaporator and the air conditioning case.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein:

the tank is arranged at an upper side of the core portion; and

the temperature detector is disposed on an upper surface of the tank portion.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein:

the evaporator is constructed to be divided into at least two parts in a flow direction of air passing through the evaporator, and to be divided into at least two parts in a width direction approximately perpendicular to the flow direction of air;

the tank has a first tank portion connected to a refrigerant inlet from which refrigerant flows into the evaporator, a second tank portion from which refrigerant is discharged to an outside of the evaporator, and an intermediate tank portion that is the other tank portion of the tank, except for the first tank portion and the second tank portion; and

the temperature sensor is disposed to contact the intermediate tank portion.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein:

the evaporator is constructed to be divided into two parts in a flow direction of air passing through the evaporator;

the evaporator has a refrigerant inlet from which refrigerant flows into the evaporator, and a refrigerant outlet from which refrigerant is discharged to an outside of the evaporator; and

the temperature sensor is disposed at a position separated from the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet at least by a predetermined distance.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising

a cold storage unit disposed at a downstream air side of the evaporator to be cooled by the evaporator.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 6, wherein the evaporator and the cold storage unit are disposed to have a clearance therebetween, smaller than a predetermined clearance.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein:

the core portion has a plurality of tubes through which refrigerant flows; and

the tank is disposed to communicate with the tubes.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is disposed to contact the tank at a downstream air side position in a flow direction of air passing through the evaporator.

10. An air conditioner comprising:

an air conditioning case for defining an air passage through which air flows;

an evaporator disposed in the air conditioning case for cooling air passing therethrough by performing a heat exchange with refrigerant flowing therein, the evaporator having a core portion for performing the heat exchange, and a tank for distributing refrigerant into and for collecting refrigerant from the core portion; and

a temperature detector detecting temperature of the evaporator, the temperature detector being disposed between the tank and the air conditioning case to contact the tank.