Air conditioner for vehicle

• US 20120102974A1
• Filed: 10/31/2011
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ota, Koji, Maeda, Manabu, Kawazoe, Yuji
• Application Number:
  US13/317,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20120102974A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/3.61
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00035 for sending an air stream of uniform temperature into the passenger compartment
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00478 Air-conditioning devices using the Peltier effect for air-conditioning in general F24F5/0042; for refrigeration F25B21/02; electric devices exhibiting the Peltier effect H10N10/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00128 Electric heaters
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/02 using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/0417 with particular circuits for the same heat exchange medium, e.g. with the heat exchange medium flowing through sections having different heat exchange capacities or for heating/cooling the heat exchange medium at different temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/0435 Combination of units extending one behind the other F28D1/0452 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/0478 the conduits having a non-circular cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/05366 Assemblies of conduits connected to common headers, e.g. core type radiators
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/13 characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction

Abstract

In a vehicle air conditioner, a heating heat exchanger is disposed in an air passage of a casing to heat air to be blown toward a vehicle compartment by performing heat exchange between air and a heating fluid, a heat radiation portion is disposed to radiate heat to the heating fluid before being heat-exchanged in the heating heat exchanger, a heat absorption portion is disposed to absorb heat from the heating fluid after being heat-exchanged in the heating heat exchanger, and a Peltier element is disposed between the heat radiation portion and the heat absorption portion to pump heat from the heat absorption portion to the heat radiation portion. Furthermore, the heat radiation portion is disposed in the air passage of the casing, in which the heating heat exchanger is disposed. Thus, heat discharged from the Peltier element can be effectively used.

Claims

1. An air conditioner for a vehicle, comprising:

a casing defining an air passage through which air flows into a vehicle compartment;

a heating heat exchanger disposed in the air passage of the casing to heat air to be blown toward the vehicle compartment by performing heat exchange between air and a heating fluid;

a heat radiation portion disposed to radiate heat to the heating fluid before being heat-exchanged in the heating heat exchanger;

a heat absorption portion disposed to absorb heat from the heating fluid after being heat-exchanged in the heating heat exchanger; and

a Peltier element disposed between the heat radiation portion and the heat absorption portion to pump heat from the heat absorption portion to the heat radiation portion, wherein the heat radiation portion is disposed in the air passage of the casing, in which the heating heat exchanger is disposed.

2. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the heat radiation portion, the Peltier element and the heat absorption portion are formed integrally with the heating heat exchanger.

3. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the heating heat exchanger includes a passage forming member defining a heating fluid passage in which the heating fluid flows,

the heat radiation portion is configured by a heating-fluid inlet side portion of the passage forming member,

the heat absorption portion is configured by a heating-fluid outlet side portion of the passage forming member, and

the Peltier element is arranged between the heating-fluid inlet side portion and the heating-fluid outlet side portion of the passage forming member.

4. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

the heat radiation portion configured by the heating-fluid inlet side portion of the passage forming member is a part of a heat-exchanging portion in which the heating fluid is heat-exchanged with air.

5. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the passage forming member is formed in a serpentine shape.

6. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

the heating heat exchanger includes a fin member that is arranged on an outer surface of the passage forming member in the heat exchanging portion to facilitate heat exchange between air and the heating fluid,

the fin member is arranged with different fin pitches at a heating-fluid upstream side of the passage forming member and at a heating-fluid downstream side of the passage forming member, and

the fin pitch of the fin member at the heating-fluid upstream side of the passage forming member is larger than the fin pitch of the fin member at the heating-fluid downstream side of the passage forming member.

7. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

the heating-fluid inlet side portion used as the heat radiation portion and the heating-fluid outlet side portion used as the heat absorption portion have therein a passage height that is smaller than 1 mm.

8. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the heating heat exchanger includes a first heating heat exchanger, and a second heating heat exchanger disposed to heat air after passing through the first heating heat exchanger, and

the heat radiation portion, the Peltier element and the heat absorption portion are provided at least at the second heating heat exchanger, in the first and second heating heat exchangers.

9. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 8, wherein

the heat radiation portion and the heat absorption portion are configured such that the heating fluid flowing out of the first heating heat exchanger is joined to the heating fluid flowing in the heat absorption portion or the heating fluid before flowing into the heat absorption portion.