AIR-CONDITIONER FOR VEHICLE

• US 20120227428A1
• Filed: 02/23/2012
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Umehara, Akira, Yanagimachi, Yoshinori, Yokoo, Yasuhiro, Higuchi, Terukazu
• Application Number:
  US13/403,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20120227428A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/126
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00921 where the flow direction of the refrigerant does not change and there is an extra subcondenser, e.g. in an air duct
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00961 comprising means for defrosting outside heat exchangers

Abstract

An air-conditioner includes a heat pump cycle having an outdoor heat exchanger; a frost state calculator that calculates a degree of frost formed in the outdoor heat exchanger; an output portion that outputs an information of the frost; and a controller that instructs a defrosting operation for melting the frost by controlling the heat pump cycle. The controller controls the output portion to output the degree of frost when the defrosting operation is not performed, and controls the output portion to output a defrosting information representing that the defrosting operation is being performed when the defrosting operation is performed.

Claims

1. An air-conditioner for a vehicle comprising:

a heat pump cycle having an outdoor heat exchanger that condenses high-pressure refrigerant by exchanging heat with outside air;

a frost state calculator that calculates a degree of frost formed in the outdoor heat exchanger;

an output portion that outputs information of the frost formed in the outdoor heat exchanger; and

a controller that instructs a defrosting operation for melting the frost adhering to the outdoor heat exchanger by controlling a component of the heat pump cycle, wherein

the controller controls the output portion to output the degree of frost calculated by the frost state calculator as a frost information, when the defrosting operation is not performed, and

the controller controls the output portion to output a defrosting information representing that the defrosting operation is being performed, when the defrosting operation is performed.

2. The air-conditioner according to claim 1, wherein

the controller calculates a remaining time period of the defrosting operation taken for finishing the defrosting operation based on the degree of frost while the defrosting operation is performed, and

the controller controls the output portion to output the defrosting information and the remaining time period of the defrosting operation while the defrosting operation is performed.

3. The air-conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising:

a determiner that determines whether the degree of frost requires the defrosting operation, wherein

the controller controls the output portion to output a requirement information representing that the defrosting operation is necessary when the determiner determines that the defrosting operation is necessary while the defrosting operation is not performed.

4. The air-conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising:

a starter that inputs a start information representing that the defrosting operation is to be started to the controller, wherein

the controller controls the component of the heat pump cycle to start the defrosting operation when the starter inputs the start information to the controller.

5. The air-conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising:

a stopper that inputs a stop information representing that the defrosting operation is to be stopped to the controller, wherein

the controller controls the component of the heat pump cycle to stop the defrosting operation when the stopper inputs the stop information to the controller.

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

a drive state detector that detects a driving state of the vehicle, wherein

the controller controls the component of the heat pump cycle to stop the defrosting operation when the detector detects the vehicle to start driving while the defrosting operation is performed in a state where the vehicle is stopped.

7. The air-conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first temperature detector that detects a temperature of the outside air; and

a second temperature detector that detects a temperature of the refrigerant at a refrigerant outlet part of the outdoor heat exchanger, wherein

the frost state calculator calculates the degree of frost using a difference between the detected temperature of the outside air and the detected temperature of the refrigerant.