Air conditioner for vehicle
AssigneeHonda Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorIsao Tsunoda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
To provide an air conditioner for a vehicle having a simple configuration and capable of controlling temperature in a wide range. In a dehumidification heating operation in which a refrigerant is circulated through a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, an evaporator and a compressor in the order named so as to radiate the heat of the refrigerant into the first heat exchanger, there is provided a refrigerant heating means which heats the refrigerant when an outside air temperature is not higher than a predetermined temperature and when an opening degree of the second expansion valve which expands the refrigerant flowing out from the second heat exchanger is larger than an opening degree of the first expansion valve which expands the refrigerant flowing out from the first heat exchanger.
Claims7
An air conditioner for a vehicle comprising:
- a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant;
- a first heat exchanger configured to radiate heat of the refrigerant compressed by the compressor into air;
- a first expansion valve configured to expand the refrigerant flowing out from the first heat exchanger;
- a second heat exchanger configured to heat-exchange the refrigerant flowing out from the first expansion valve with outside air;
- a second expansion valve configured to expand the refrigerant flowing out from the second heat exchanger;
- and
- an evaporator configured to cause the refrigerant flowing out from the second expansion valve to absorb heat of air;
- wherein the air conditioner for the vehicle is configured to operate in any operation mode of a heating mode, a cooling mode and a dehumidification heating mode, the heating mode being an operation mode in which the refrigerant is circulated through a heating circuit comprising the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger and the compressor in the order named so as to cause the first heat exchanger to radiate the heat of the refrigerant,
- the cooling mode being an operation mode in which the refrigerant is circulated through a cooling circuit comprising the second heat exchanger, the evaporator and the compressor in the order named, and
- the dehumidification heating mode being an operation mode in which the refrigerant is circulated through a dehumidification heating circuit comprising the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger, the evaporator and the compressor in the order named so as to cause the first heat exchanger to radiate the heat of the refrigerant and to cause the refrigerant to absorb heat in the second heat exchanger;
- and
- wherein the dehumidification heating circuit further comprises a refrigerant heating means configured to heat the refrigerant, and the refrigerant heating means heats the refrigerant when the operation mode is in the dehumidification heating mode, an outside air temperature is not higher than a predetermined temperature, and when an opening degree of the second expansion valve is larger than an opening degree of the first expansion valve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.