Heat exchanger

A heat exchanger of a refrigerant circuit, the heat exchanger comprising:

• a first heat transfer area having a first fluid path for a first fluid to flow through and a second fluid path for a second fluid to flow through, the first fluid path being in thermal contact with the second fluid path for heat transfer between the first fluid and the second fluid;
• a second heat transfer area having a third fluid path for the first fluid to flow through and a fourth fluid path for the second fluid to flow through, the third fluid path being in thermal contact with the fourth fluid path for heat transfer between the first fluid and the second fluid;
• a fluid collector having at least one first fluid inlet and at least one first fluid outlet for the inflow of the first fluid into the fluid collector for storage of the first fluid in the fluid collector and for outflow of the first fluid from the fluid collector;
• and
• a valve unit to control the fluid flow of the first heat transfer area, the second heat transfer area, and the fluid collector in at least one first operating state for air conditioning cycle operation and/or at least one second operating state for heat pump circuit operation,
• wherein, the second heat transfer area is a sub-cooling area,
• wherein the second heat transfer area and the fluid collector are controllable independently of the first heat transfer area via the valve unit,
• wherein the valve unit, in the at least one first operating state, connects the first fluid path of the first heat transfer area with the at least one first fluid inlet of the fluid collector and connects the at least one first fluid outlet of the fluid collector with the third fluid path,
• wherein the valve unit has a second fluid inlet for the inflow of the first fluid into a fifth fluid path of the valve unit and the valve unit has a second fluid outlet for the outflow of the first fluid from the fifth fluid path of the valve unit,
• wherein the valve unit, in the at least one first operating state, connects the second fluid inlet and the second fluid outlet with the first fluid path of the first heat transfer area via the fifth fluid path,
• wherein the valve unit has a third fluid inlet for the inflow of the first fluid into a sixth fluid path of the valve unit and the valve unit has a third fluid outlet for the outflow of the first fluid from the sixth fluid path of the valve unit, and
• wherein, in the at least one first operating state, the first fluid path of the first heat transfer area is connected to the third fluid inlet of the valve unit and the valve unit connects the sixth fluid path to the at least one first fluid inlet of the fluid collector via the third fluid outlet.