# US 12,600,199 B2 · Heat pump system for a vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,600,199 B2 - Document ID: US12600199B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/794,423 - Filed: 2024-08-05 - Published: 2025-06-12 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2023-12-12 - Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Corporation - Applicants: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Corporation - Inventors: Seong-Bin Jeong - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12600199B2 ## CPC - 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} - B60H 1/3228: {characterised by refrigerant circuit configurations} - B60H 1/00321: {Heat exchangers for air-conditioning devices (B60H1/3227 takes precedence)} - B60H 1/323: {characterised by comprising auxiliary or multiple systems, e.g. plurality of evaporators, or by involving auxiliary cooling devices} - B60H 2001/00949: {comprising additional heating/cooling sources, e.g. second evaporator} - B60H 2001/3286: {Constructional features} - B60H: ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES ## Abstract A heat pump system for a vehicle includes a compressor, a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) module, a heat-exchanger, a first expansion valve, a first connection line, a second expansion valve, and a heat-exchange module. The heat exchange module is configured to exchange heat between a coolant and a refrigerant, and to exchange heat between a high-temperature refrigerant and a low-temperature refrigerant. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A heat pump system for a vehicle, comprising: a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant; a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) module including an internal condenser, an evaporator connected to the compressor via a refrigerant line, and an opening/closing door configured to adjust air having passed through the evaporator to selectively flow into the internal condenser, depending on a cooling mode or a heating mode of the vehicle; a heat-exchanger connected to the internal condenser via the refrigerant line; a first expansion valve provided on the refrigerant line between the heat-exchanger and the evaporator; a first connection line having a first end connected to the refrigerant line between the heat-exchanger and the first expansion valve and having a second end connected to the refrigerant line between the evaporator and the compressor; a second expansion valve provided on the first connection line; and a heat-exchanger module connected to the first connection line and configured to exchange heat between a coolant selectively introduced via a coolant line and the refrigerant introduced via the first connection line, wherein the heat-exchanger module is connected to the refrigerant line and configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant supplied from one of the internal condenser or the heat-exchanger and the refrigerant supplied from one of the evaporator or the first connection line. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The heat pump system of claim 1, wherein the heat-exchanger module comprises: a chiller provided on the first connection line at a downstream end of the second expansion valve to allow the refrigerant to pass through, the chiller connected to a coolant circulation apparatus circulating the coolant via the coolant line; and a sub-heat-exchanger integrally provided in the chiller and connected to the refrigerant line connecting the heat-exchanger and the first expansion valve and to the refrigerant line connecting the evaporator and the compressor, respectively. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The heat pump system of claim 2, wherein the chiller comprises: a first heat-exchange unit configured to exchange heat between the coolant and the refrigerant; a first refrigerant inlet disposed on a first side of the first heat-exchange unit and configured to receive the refrigerant from the second expansion valve; and a first refrigerant outlet disposed on a second side of the first heat-exchange unit and configured to discharge the refrigerant to the sub-heat-exchanger. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The heat pump system of claim 3, wherein the heat-exchanger module comprises: a coolant inlet configured to flow the coolant into the first heat-exchange unit; a first coolant outlet disposed at a location opposed to the coolant inlet and configured to discharge the coolant that has not passed through the first heat-exchange unit; and a second coolant outlet disposed at a location spaced apart from the coolant inlet and configured to discharge the coolant having passed through the first heat-exchange unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The heat pump system of claim 4, wherein: the coolant inlet is connected to a heating element via the coolant line flowing the coolant; the first coolant outlet is connected to a radiator included in the coolant circulation apparatus via the coolant line; and the second coolant outlet is connected to a coolant valve comprised in the coolant circulation apparatus via the coolant line. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The heat pump system of claim 5, wherein the chiller is configured to recollect a waste heat of the heating element and exchange heat between the coolant introduced into the first heat-exchange unit via the coolant line and the refrigerant, or to cool the heating element by using the coolant having exchanged heat with the refrigerant. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The heat pump system of claim 3, wherein the sub-heat-exchanger comprises: a second heat-exchange unit configured to exchange heat between a low-temperature refrigerant and a high-temperature refrigerant; a second refrigerant inlet disposed on a first side of the second heat-exchange unit and configured to flow the high-temperature refrigerant supplied from one of the internal condenser or the heat-exchanger to the second heat-exchange unit; a second refrigerant outlet disposed in the second heat-exchange unit at a location spaced apart from the second refrigerant inlet and configured to discharge the refrigerant having passed through the second heat-exchange unit to the first expansion valve or the second expansion valve; a third refrigerant inlet disposed on a second side of the second heat-exchange unit and configured to flow the low-temperature refrigerant supplied from the evaporator into the second heat-exchange unit; and a third refrigerant outlet disposed on the first side of the second heat-exchange unit at a location opposite to the third refrigerant inlet and configured to discharge the refrigerant having passed through the second heat-exchange unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The heat pump system of claim 7, wherein the third refrigerant inlet communicate with the first refrigerant outlet disposed in the chiller such that the refrigerant having passed through the first heat-exchange unit may be introduced into the second heat-exchange unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The heat pump system of claim 8, wherein the refrigerant having passed through at least one of the evaporator or the chiller is introduced into the second heat-exchange unit through the third refrigerant inlet. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The heat pump system of claim 1, further comprising: a second connection line having a first end connected to the second expansion valve and having a second end connected to the refrigerant line between the internal condenser and the heat-exchanger; a third expansion valve provided on the refrigerant line between the internal condenser and the heat-exchanger; and a third connection line having a first end connected to the third expansion valve and having a second end connected to the refrigerant line between the heat-exchanger and a sub-heat-exchanger. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The heat pump system of claim 10, wherein the heat-exchanger is configured to condensate or evaporate the refrigerant by exchanging heat with ambient air based on a selective operation of the third expansion valve. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The heat pump system of claim 10, wherein the second expansion valve and the third expansion valve are electronic expansion valves configured to selectively expand the refrigerant while controlling a flow of the supplied refrigerant. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The heat pump system of claim 1, further comprising an accumulator provided on the refrigerant line between the evaporator and the compressor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The heat pump system of claim 1, wherein the heat-exchanger module is a plate heat-exchanger.