REFRIGERANT CYCLE DEVICE

• US 20120291467A1
• Filed: 05/16/2012
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Yamanaka, Takashi, Wakisaka, Takeshi, Matsunaga, Ken, Sasaki, Minoru, Yamaguchi, Motohiro, Sasaki, Yasuaki
• Granted Patent: US 9,803,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/151
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/3208 Vehicle drive related control of the compressor drive means, e.g. for fuel saving purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3266 related to the operation of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3275 to control the volume of a compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2327/001 of the internal combustion type
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2500/12 Sound
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/023 controlling swash plate angles
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 27/00 Machines, plants or systems, using particular sources of energy F25B30/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/195 of the condenser
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/022 Compressor control arrangements

Abstract

A refrigerant cycle device for a vehicle includes a compressor which compresses and discharges refrigerant, a discharge capacity control portion which controls a discharge capacity of the compressor. The refrigerant cycle device further includes a noise determination portion which determines whether an audible noise other than a refrigerant passing noise is in a low noise state, and/or a load determination portion which determines whether an air-conditioning thermal load is in a high load state. The discharge capacity control portion performs a gradual activation control in which the discharge capacity of the compressor is set to be lower than that determined in a normal control, when the noise determination portion determines that the audible noise is in the low noise state, and/or when the load determination portion determines that the air-conditioning thermal load is in the high load state, at an activation time of the compressor.

Claims

1. A refrigerant cycle device for a vehicle, adapted to adjust a temperature of air blown into an air-conditioning target space by utilizing heat of refrigerant circulating in a refrigerant cycle of the refrigerant cycle device, the refrigerant cycle device comprising:

a compressor configured to compress refrigerant and to discharge the compressed refrigerant;

a discharge capacity control portion configured to control a discharge capacity of the compressor; and

a noise determination portion configured to determine whether a noise audible to a passenger, other than a refrigerant passing noise generated when refrigerant passes through the refrigerant cycle, is in a low noise state in which a level of the audible noise other than the refrigerant passing noise is equal to or lower than a predetermined noise level, wherein

the discharge capacity control portion performs a normal control in which the discharge capacity of the compressor is increased in accordance with increase of an air-conditioning thermal load of the air-conditioning target space, and

the discharge capacity control portion performs a gradual activation control in which the discharge capacity of the compressor is set to be lower than the discharge capacity determined in the normal control, when the noise determination portion determines that the audible noise other than the refrigerant passing noise is in the low noise state at an activation time of the compressor.

4. The refrigerant cycle device according to claim 1, wherein the air-conditioning target space is a vehicle compartment of the vehicle,

the refrigerant cycle device further comprising:

a plurality of air outlets through which air is blown into the vehicle compartment, the plurality of air outlets including a defroster air outlet through which air is blown toward a windshield in the vehicle compartment; and

an air outlet mode changing portion configured to change open/close states of the plurality of air outlets, wherein

the discharge capacity control portion performs the gradual activation control when a flow of air from the defroster air outlet into the vehicle compartment is interrupted by the air outlet mode changing portion at the activation time of the compressor.

5. The refrigerant cycle device according to claim 4, further comprising

a defroster requirement input portion through which a passenger sets a defroster mode in which conditioned air is blown into the vehicle compartment from the defroster air outlet, wherein

the air outlet changing portion opens the defroster air outlet such that conditioned air is blown into the vehicle compartment from the defroster air outlet when the defroster mode is set by the passenger.

6. The refrigerant cycle device according to claim 1, wherein

the discharge capacity changing portion determines a difference between an initial value of the discharge capacity in the gradual activation control and an initial value of the discharge capacity in the normal control, based on the air-conditioning thermal load.

7. The refrigerant cycle device according to claim 6, wherein

the discharge capacity changing portion increases the difference in accordance with the increase of the air-conditioning thermal load.

8. The refrigerant cycle device according to claim 6, wherein

the discharge capacity changing portion keeps the discharge capacity of the compressor at the initial value of the discharge capacity during the gradual activation control.

9. The refrigerant cycle device according to claim 1, wherein

the discharge capacity changing portion gradually increases the discharge capacity of the compressor after the gradual activation control is terminated and is switched to the normal control.

10. The refrigerant cycle device according to claim 1, wherein the air-conditioning target space is a vehicle compartment of the vehicle,

the refrigerant cycle device further comprising:

a front-seat evaporator in which low pressure refrigerant evaporates by exchanging heat with air to be blown toward a front-seat side of the vehicle compartment;

a rear-seat evaporator in which low pressure refrigerant evaporates by exchanging heat with air to be blown toward a rear-seat side of the vehicle compartment;

a front-seat refrigerant pipe which connects the compressor and the front-seat evaporator;

a rear-seat refrigerant pipe which connects the compressor and the rear-seat evaporator, the rear-seat refrigerant pipe being longer than the front-seat refrigerant pipe; and

an open-close portion configured to open or close the rear-seat refrigerant pipe, wherein

the discharge capacity changing portion adjusts a period of performing the gradual activation control to be longer when the rear-seat refrigerant pipe is open, than that when the rear-seat refrigerant pipe is closed.

2. A refrigerant cycle device for a vehicle, adapted to adjust a temperature of air blown into an air-conditioning target space by utilizing heat of refrigerant circulating in a refrigerant cycle of the refrigerant cycle device, the refrigerant cycle device comprising:

a compressor configured to compress refrigerant and to discharge the compressed refrigerant;

a discharge capacity control portion configured to control a discharge capacity of the compressor; and

a load determination portion configured to determine whether an air-conditioning thermal load of the air-conditioning target space is in a high load state in which the air-conditioning thermal load is equal to or higher than a predetermined air-conditioning thermal load, wherein

the discharge capacity control portion performs a normal control, in which the discharge capacity of the compressor is increased in accordance with increase of the air-conditioning thermal load, and

the discharge capacity control portion performs a gradual activation control, in which the discharge capacity of the compressor is set to be lower than the discharge capacity determined in the normal control, when the load determination portion determines that the air-conditioning thermal load is in the high load state at an activation time of the compressor.

3. The refrigerant cycle device according to claim 2, further comprising

a noise determination portion configured to determine whether a noise audible to a passenger, other than a refrigerant passing noise generated when refrigerant passes through the refrigerant cycle, is in a low noise state in which a level of the audible noise other than the refrigerant passing noise is equal to or lower than a predetermined noise level, wherein

the discharge capacity control portion performs the gradual activation control when the noise determination portion determines that the audible noise other than the refrigerant passing noise is in the low noise state at the activation time of the compressor.

11. The refrigerant cycle device according to claim 2, wherein the air-conditioning target space is a vehicle compartment of the vehicle,

the refrigerant cycle device further comprising:

a plurality of air outlets through which air is blown into the vehicle compartment, the plurality of air outlets including a defroster air outlet through which air is blown toward a windshield in the vehicle compartment; and

an air outlet mode changing portion configured to change open/close states of the plurality of air outlets, wherein

the discharge capacity control portion performs the gradual activation control when a flow of air from the defroster air outlet into the vehicle compartment is interrupted by the air outlet mode changing portion at the activation time of the compressor.

12. The refrigerant cycle device according to claim 11, further comprising

a defroster requirement input portion through which a passenger sets a defroster mode in which conditioned air is blown into the vehicle compartment from the defroster air outlet, wherein

the air outlet changing portion opens the defroster air outlet such that conditioned air is blown into the vehicle compartment from the defroster air outlet when the defroster mode is set by the passenger.

13. The refrigerant cycle device according to claim 2, wherein

the discharge capacity changing portion determines a difference between an initial value of the discharge capacity in the gradual activation control and an initial value of the discharge capacity in the normal control, based on the air-conditioning thermal load.

14. The refrigerant cycle device according to claim 13, wherein

the discharge capacity changing portion increases the difference in accordance with the increase of the air-conditioning thermal load.

15. The refrigerant cycle device according to claim 13, wherein

the discharge capacity changing portion keeps the discharge capacity of the compressor at the initial value of the discharge capacity during the gradual activation control.

16. The refrigerant cycle device according to claim 2, wherein

the discharge capacity changing portion gradually increases the discharge capacity of the compressor after the gradual activation control is terminated and is switched to the normal control.

17. The refrigerant cycle device according to claim 2, wherein the air-conditioning target space is a vehicle compartment of the vehicle,

the refrigerant cycle device further comprising:

a front-seat evaporator in which low pressure refrigerant evaporates by exchanging heat with air to be blown toward a front-seat side of a vehicle compartment;

a rear-seat evaporator in which low pressure refrigerant evaporates by exchanging heat with air to be blown toward a rear-seat side of the vehicle compartment;

a front-seat refrigerant pipe which connects the compressor and the front-seat evaporator;

a rear-seat refrigerant pipe which connects the compressor and the rear-seat evaporator, the rear-seat refrigerant pipe being longer than the front-seat refrigerant pipe; and

an open-close portion configured to open or close the rear-seat refrigerant pipe, wherein

the discharge capacity changing portion adjusts a period of performing the gradual activation control to be longer when the rear-seat refrigerant pipe is open, than that when the rear-seat refrigerant pipe is closed.