Air conditioning apparatus for automobile

An air conditioning apparatus for an automobile having a cabin, comprising:

• a duct having an inlet for an intake of air and an outlet for the discharge of an air flow to the cabin;
• an air inlet switching means for switching between an outside air inlet mode where an air outside the cabin is introduced into the duct and an inside air inlet mode where the air inside the cabin is introduced into the duct;
• a fan means for generating a forcible flow of the air as introduced into the duct via said inlet;
• a refrigerating cycle including a circuit for a refrigerant, a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger and a pressure reducer, said first heat exchanger being arranged in the duct for obtaining a heat exchange between the refrigerating medium and the air in the duct, the second exchanger being arranged for obtaining a heat exchange between the refrigerating medium and the air outside the duct;
• heat source switching means for switching the direction of the flow of the refrigerant in said circuit between a heating mode where the refrigerant from the compressor is, first, directed to the first heat exchanger, and to the pressure reducer and the second heat exchanger, thereby causing the first heat exchanger to operate as a condenser to heat the air in the duct, and a cooling mode where the refrigerant from the compressor is, first, directed to the second heat exchanger, and then to the pressure reducer and the first heat exchanger, thereby causing the first heat exchanger to operate as an evaporator to cool the air in the duct, and;
• means for forcing said air inlet switching means to obtain said outside air inlet mode when switching to the heating mode after the execution of a cooling or dehumidifying operation in the cooling mode.

An air conditioning apparatus for an automobile having a cabin, comprising:

• a duct having a first end for the intake of air and a second end for the discharge of an air flow to the cabin;
• an air inlet switching means for switching between an outside air inlet mode where air outside the cabin is introduced into the duct and an inside air inlet mode where the air inside the cabin is introduced into the duct;
• a fan means for generating a forcible flow of the air as introduced into the duct via said inlet;
• heat exchanging means for receiving a flow of a heat exchanging medium for obtaining a heat exchange between the medium and said air flow in the duct;
• heat source switching means for switching between a low temperature source mode, where a source of the medium having a low temperature is connected to the heat exchanging means, and a hot temperature source mode, where a source of the medium having a high temperature is connected to the heat exchanging means, and;
• means for notifying a request thereby causing inlet switching means to obtain said outside air inlet mode when switching to the hot temperature source mode following the execution of a cooling or dehumidifying operation in the low temperature source mode.

An air conditioning apparatus for an automobile having a cabin, comprising:

• a duct having an inlet for an intake of air and an outlet for the discharge of an air flow to the cabin;
• an air inlet switching means for switching between an outside air inlet mode, where air outside the cabin is introduced into the duct, and an inside air inlet mode, where the air inside the cabin is introduced into the duct;
• a fan means for generating a forcible flow of the air as introduced into the duct via said inlet;
• a refrigerating cycle including a circuit passageway for a refrigerant, a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger and a pressure reducer;
• said first heat exchanger being arranged in the duct for obtaining a heat exchange between the refrigerating medium and the air in the duct;
• the second heat exchanger being arranged for obtaining a heat exchange between the refrigerating medium and the air outside the duct;
• heat source switching means for switching the direction of the flow of the refrigerant in said circuit between a heating mode, where the refrigerant from the compressor is first directed to the first heat exchanger, the pressure reducer and the second heat exchanger, thereby causing the first heat exchanger to operate as a condenser and heat the air in the duct, and a cooling mode where the refrigerant from the compressor is first directed to the second heat exchanger, and then to the pressure reducer and the first heat exchanger, thereby causing the second heat exchanger to operate as an evaporator and cool the air in the duct, and;
• means for issuing an electric signal to the inlet switching means for switching said air inlet switching means to the outside air inlet mode when switching to the hot temperature source mode following the execution of a cooling or dehumidifying operation in the low temperature source mode.