Automotive air conditioner having condenser and evaporator provided within air duct

An automotive air conditioner having a plurality of conditioning modes including a heating mode, a cooling mode and a dehumidifying mode, said air conditioner comprising:

• a duct defining a passageway for guiding conditioned air for discharge into a passenger compartment of an automobile;
• a blower for causing air passing through said duct to blow into said passenger compartment;
• an evaporator disposed in said duct for evaporating refrigerant to cool the air guided therethrough;
• a compressor for compressing refrigerant to increase a temperature thereof and for discharging high temperature refrigerant compressed therein;
• a heater disposed downstream of said evaporator in said duct for receiving the high temperature refrigerant discharged from said compressor and for exchanging heat between the air passing therethrough and the high temperature refrigerant to heat the air;
• a damper disposed in said duct for variably controlling the flow rate of air to pass said heater;
• an outside heat exchange means disposed outside of said duct for exchanging heat between air passing therethrough and refrigerant flowing thereinto;
• and
• expansion means for expanding refrigerant to decrease a temperature thereof;
• a controller for controlling a heat exchanging function of said evaporator, said heater, and said outside heat exchanger in accordance with conditioning mode so that in the heating mode, the heater exchanges heat between the air passing through said duct and the refrigerant passing therethrough for heating the air to be discharged into the passenger compartment and said outside heat exchanger exchanges heat between the air and the refrigerant for evaporating the refrigerant;
• in the cooling mode, said evaporator exchanges heat between the air passing through said duct and the refrigerant passing therethrough for cooling the air to be discharged into the passenger compartment and said outside heat exchanger exchanges heat between the air and the refrigerant for condensing the refrigerant;
• and in the dehumidifying mode, said evaporator exchanges heat between the air passing through said duct and the refrigerant passing therethrough for cooling the air and said heater exchanges heat between the air passing through said evaporator and the refrigerant passing therethrough for dehumidifying the air discharged into the passenger compartment.

An automotive air conditioner having a plurality of conditioning modes including a heating mode, a cooling mode and a dehumidifying mode, said air conditioner comprising:

• a duct for conducting conditioned air to and introducing conditioned air into a passenger compartment of an automobile;
• a blower for blowing air through said duct;
• an evaporator disposed in said duct for evaporating refrigerant to cool the air in the duct;
• a compressor for compressing refrigerant to increase a temperature thereof and for discharging high temperature refrigerant compressed therein;
• a heater disposed downstream of said evaporator in a flow of air in said duct for exchanging heat between the air passing therethrough and the high temperature refrigerant to heat the air;
• a bypass passageway disposed on the downstream of said evaporator in said duct for flowing therethrough air bypassing said heater;
• an air mixing damper disposed in said duct for controlling the ratio of a flow rate of air to be admitted into said heater to a flow rate of air to flow through said bypass passageway;
• an outside heat exchange means disposed for connection between said compressor and said heater for exchanging heat between air passing therethrough and refrigerant flowing thereinto;
• and
• expansion means for expanding refrigerant to decrease a temperature thereof;
• wherein a heat exchanging function of said evaporator, said heater, and said outside heat exchanger is varied in accordance with conditioning mode so that in said heating mode, said heater exchanges heat between the air passing through said duct and the refrigerant passing therethrough for heating the air to be discharged into the passenger compartment and said outside heat exchanger exchanges heat between the air and the refrigerant for evaporating the refrigerant;
• in the cooling mode, said evaporator exchanges heat between the air passing through said duct and the refrigerant passing therethrough for cooling the air to be discharged into the passenger compartment and said outside heat exchanger exchanges heat between the air and the refrigerant for condensing the refrigerant;
• and in the dehumidifying mode, said evaporator exchanges heat between the air passing through said duct and the refrigerant passing therethrough for cooling the air and said heater exchanges heat between the air passing through said evaporator and the refrigerant passing therethrough for dehumidifying the air discharged into the passenger compartment.

An automotive air conditioner having a plurality of conditioning modes including a heating mode, a cooling mode and a dehumidifying mode, said air conditioner comprising:

• a duct defining a passageway for guiding conditioned air for discharge into a passenger compartment of an automobile, said duct including a defrost register, a vent register and a foot register formed at an end of a portion of said duct, said defrost register being for principally blowing out conditioned air toward a windshield, said vent register being for principally blowing out conditioned air toward a head and breast of a passenger, and said foot register being for principally blowing out conditioned air toward legs of a passenger so that the conditioned air is introduced into the passenger compartment through said registers;
• dampers for selectively opening and closing a defrost spit hole, a vent spit hole and a foot spit hole so that the conditioned air blows into the passenger's room through at least one of said holes;
• a blower for blowing air through the duct toward the passenger compartment of the automobile;
• an evaporator disposed in said duct for evaporating refrigerant to cool the air guided therethrough;
• a compressor for compressing refrigerant to increase a temperature thereof and for discharging high temperature refrigerant compressed therein;
• a heater disposed downstream of said evaporator in said duct for exchanging heat between the air passing therethrough and the high temperature to heat the air;
• an outside heat exchange means disposed outside said duct for exchanging heat between air passing therethrough and refrigerant flowing thereinto;
• and
• expansion means for expanding refrigerant to decrease a temperature thereof;
• wherein a heat exchanging function of said evaporator, said heater, and said outside heat exchanger is varied in accordance with conditioning mode so that in said heating mode, said heater exchanges heat between the air passing through said duct and the refrigerant passing therethrough for heating the air to be discharged into the passenger compartment and said outside heat exchanger exchanges heat between the air and the refrigerant for evaporating the refrigerant;
• in the cooling mode, said evaporator exchanges heat between the air passing through said duct and the refrigerant passing therethrough for cooling the air to be discharged into the passenger compartment and said outside heat exchanger exchanges heat between the air and the refrigerant for condensing the refrigerant;
• and in the dehumidifying mode, said evaporator exchanges heat between the air passing through said duct and the refrigerant passing therethrough for cooling the air and said heater exchanges heat between the air passing through said evaporator and the refrigerant passing therethrough for dehumidifying the air discharged into the passenger compartment.