Heat pump type air conditioner for vehicle

• US 6,422,308 B1
• Filed: 10/31/1997
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
• Original Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
• Inventors: Ohashi, Toshio, Meguriya, Yuichi, Okawara, Yasuhito, Tajima, Tadayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ford, John K.
• Application Number:
  US08/961,917
• Time in Patent Office: 1,726 Days
• Field of Search: 621/73, 621/60, 623/241, 623/246, 621/964, 251/117, 165/202, 165/203, 165/240, 165/241, 165/42, 165/43, 237/2.B, 237/12.3 B
• US Class Current: 165/202
• 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 2001/00949 comprising additional heating/cooling sources, e.g. second evaporator
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 27/02 using waste heat, e.g. from internal-combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/274 using waste energy, e.g. from internal combustion engine

Abstract

A heat pump type air conditioner for a vehicle has a refrigeration cycle constituted by a compressor, an external heat exchanger, a refrigerant valve unit and an internal heat exchanger unit. The refrigerant valve unit includes first and second flow control valves, and the internal heat exchanger unit includes an auxiliary internal heat exchanger and a main internal heat exchanger. In the refrigeration cycle, the first flow control valve, the auxiliary internal heat exchanger, the second flow control valve and the main internal heat exchanger are serially connected in the order of mention. The main and auxiliary internal heat exchangers change their function between an evaporator and a condenser according to the controlled state of the first and second flow control valve.

Claims

1. A heat pump type air conditioner for a vehicle executing a heating operation and a cooling operation according to a temperature condition, said heat pump type air conditioner comprising:

refrigerant;

a compressor applying workload to said refrigerant;

an external heat exchanger connected to an outlet of said compressor;

a bypass passage connecting a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet of said external heat exchanger;

a flow mode selector that selects a heating flow mode when the heating operation is executed and selects a cooling flow mode when the cooling operating is executed, said refrigerant flowing through said bypass passage without flowing through said external heat exchanger when the heating flow mode is selected, said refrigerant flowing through said external heat exchanger without flowing through said bypass passage when the cooling flow mode is selected;

a first flow control valve connected to the refrigerant outlet of said external heat exchange, said first flow control valve being an electromagnetic valve which comprises a valve body having a port through which said refrigerant flows, a valve opening and closing the port according to an electrical signal, and a choked portion through which said refrigerant restrictedly flows when the port is closed by said valve;

an auxiliary internal heat exchanger connected to an outlet of said first flow control valve;

a second flow control valve connected to a refrigerant outlet of said auxiliary internal heat exchanger;

a main internal heat exchanger connected to an outlet to said second flow control valve, a refrigerant outlet of said main internal heat exchanger being connected to an inlet of said compressor;

air delivering means for passing air through said main and auxiliary internal heat exchangers and delivering the air to a passenger compartment of the vehicle;

a sub heat exchanger connected to the refrigerant outlet of said main internal heat exchanger and the inlet of said compressor, said sub heat exchanger being arranged to heat said refrigerant by means of engine coolant of a vehicular engine;

a heater core which is connected to the vehicular engine so that the engine coolant circulates said heater core, said heater core being disposed in said air delivering means and downstream of said main and auxiliary internal heat exchangers; and

an air-mix door disposed between said auxiliary internal heat exchanger and said heater core, said air-mix door controlling a quantity of the air passing through said heater core.

2. A heat pump type air conditioner as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first flow control valve is arranged to be selectively set in an open state and a choked state.

3. A heat pump type air conditioner as claimed in claim 2, wherein said second flow control valve is arranged to be selectively set in an open state and a choked state.

4. A heat pump type air conditioner as claimed in claim 1. wherein said first flow control valve is set in an open state when the heating operation is executed so that said auxiliary internal heat exchanger functions as a condenser.

5. A heat pump type air conditioner as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second flow control valve is set in a choked state for restrictedly flowing said refrigerant when the heating operation is executed so that said main internal heat exchanger functions as an evaporator.

6. A heat pump type air conditioner as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first flow control valve is set in a choked state for restrictedly flowing said refrigerant when the cooling operation is executed so that said auxiliary internal heat exchanger functions as an evaporator.

7. A heat pump type air conditioner as claimed in claim 6, wherein said second flow control valve is set in an open state so that said main internal heat exchanger functions as an evaporator.

8. A heat pump type air conditioner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the choked portion is an orifice tube having a predetermined inner diameter d and a predetermined length D.

9. A heat pump type air conditioner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the choked portion is integrally formed with the valve body.

10. A heat pump type air conditioner as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first flow control valve is an electromagnetic valve constituted by a valve body and an electromagnetic pilot,

the valve body including a first connecting port to which said refrigerant is inputted, a second connecting port from which said refrigerant is outputted, a main port on which a diaphragm valve is opened and closed, an equalizing pressure hole penetratingly formed in the diaphragm valve, and a pilot port through which the refrigerant passing through the equalizing pressure hole is directed to the second connecting port,

the electromagnetic pilot including a pilot valve for opening and closing the pilot port, a plunger for operating the pilot valve, and a coil which generates electromagnetic force for moving the plunger,

wherein a choked portion is formed such that said refrigerant is restrictedly flowed from the first connecting port to the second connecting port in the valve body.

11. A heat pump type air conditioner as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a liquid tank connected to the outlet of said external heat exchanger and the inlet of the first flow control valve.

12. A heat pump type air conditioner as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the heating operation is executed and when a temperature of the engine coolant is less than a predetermined temperature, said air-mix door is controlled so that the air heated by said main and auxiliary internal heat exchangers bypasses said heater core.

13. A heat pump type air conditioner as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the heating operation is executed and when a temperature of the engine coolant becomes greater than a predetermined value, said compressor is stopped and the air is heated only by said heater core.

14. A heat pump type air conditioner as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a heater valve installed between the engine and the heater core,

wherein, when the temperature of the engine coolant is less than a predetermined temperature, the heater valve is closed to stop flowing the engine coolant to the heater core or the air-mix door is set at a predetermined position at which the conditioned air bypasses the heater core.

15. A heat pump type air conditioner as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a refrigerant returning means for returning said refrigerant remaining in said external heat exchanger when the heating operation is executed.

16. A heat pump type air conditioner as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an accumulator which is connected to the refrigerant outlet of said main internal heat exchanger and the inlet of said compressor.

17. A heat pump type air conditioner as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said first and second flow control valves is a pressure difference operation type solenoid valve.

18. A heat pump type air conditioner for a vehicle executing a heating operation and a cooling operation according to a temperature condition, said heat pump type air conditioner comprising;

refrigerant;

a compressor applying workload to said refrigerant;

an external heat exchanger connected to an outlet of said compressor;

a bypass passage connecting a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet of said external heat exchanger, said refrigerant flowing through said bypass passage without flowing through said external heat exchanger when the heating operation is executed;

a first flow control valve connected to a refrigerant outlet of said external heat exchanger;

an auxiliary internal heat exchanger connected to an outlet of said first flow control valve;

a second flow control valve connected to a refrigerant outlet of said auxiliary internal heat exchanger;

a main internal heat exchanger connected to an outlet of said second flow control valve, a refrigerant outlet of said main internal heat exchanger being connected to an inlet of said compressor;

air delivering means for passing air through said main and auxiliary internal heat exchangers and delivering the air to a passenger compartment of the vehicle;

a sub heat exchanger connected to the refrigerant outlet of said main internal heat exchanger and the inlet of said compressor, said sub heat exchanger being arranged to heat said refrigerant by means of engine coolant of a vehicular engine;

a heater core which is connected to the vehicular engine so that the engine coolant circulates said heater core, said heater core being disposed in said air delivering means and downstream of said main and auxiliary internal heat exchangers,

wherein said first flow control valve is an electromagnetic valve which comprises a valve body, an electromagnetic pilot, and a choked portion formed such that said refrigerant is restrictedly flowed from a first connecting port to a second connecting port in the valve body; and

an air-mix door disposed between said auxiliary internal heat exchanger and said heater core, said air-mix door controlling a quantity of the air passing through said heater core.

19. A heat pump type air conditioner as claimed in claim 18, wherein the valve body comprises a first connecting port through which the refrigerant is inputted, the second connecting port from which the refrigerant is outputted, a main port through which the refrigerant flows through said valve body, a diaphragm valve opening and closing the main port, an equalizing hole formed in the diaphragm valve so as to fluidly communicate a first side surface and a side of the other surface of the diaphragm valve, and a pilot port directing the refrigerant passed through the equalizing hole to the second connecting port, the electromagnetic pilot comprising a pilot valve opening and closing the pilot port, a plunger operating the pilot valve, and a coil generating electromagnetic force for moving the plunger.

20. A heat pump type air conditioner as claimed in claim 18, wherein said choked portion is constituted by fixedly installing an orifice tube at a partition wall which shares a high-pressure side and a low-pressure side in the main port.

21. A heat pump type air conditioner as claimed in claim 18, wherein each of said first and second flow control valves is a pressure difference operation type solenoid valve.

22. A heat pump type air conditioner for a vehicle executing a heating operation and a cooling operation according to a temperature condition, said heat pump type air conditioner comprising:

refrigerant;

a compressor applying workload to said refrigerant;

an external heat exchanger connected to an outlet of said compressor;

a bypass passage connecting a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet of said external heat exchanger;

a flow mode selector connected to the outlet of said compressor, the refrigerant inlet of said external heat exchanger and an inlet of said bypass passage, said flow mode selector flowing said refrigerant from said compressor to said external heat exchanger without flowing said refrigerant to said bypass passage when the cooling operation is executed, said flow mode selector flowing said refrigerant from said compressor to said bypass passage without flowing said refrigerant to said external heat exchanger when the heating operation is executed;

a first flow control valve connected to the refrigerant outlet of said external heat exchanger;

an auxiliary internal heat exchanger connected to an outlet of said first flow control valve;

a second flow control valve connected to a refrigerant outlet of said auxiliary internal heat exchanger;

a main internal heat exchanger connected to an outlet to said second flow control valve, a refrigerant outlet of said main internal heat exchanger being connected to an inlet of said compressor;

air delivering means for passing air through said main and auxiliary internal heat exchangers and delivering the air to a passenger compartment of the vehicle;

a sub heat exchanger connected to the refrigerant outlet of said main internal heat exchanger and the inlet of said compressor, said sub heat exchanger being arranged to heat said refrigerant by means of engine coolant of a vehicular engine;

a heater core which is connected to an engine of the vehicle so that engine coolant circulates the heater core, the heater core being disposed in said air delivering means; and

an air-mix door disposed between said auxiliary internal heat exchanger and said heater core, said air-mix door controlling a quantity of the air passing through said heater core.