Air conditioning apparatus for vehicle, using a flammable refrigerant
AssigneeDenso Corporation
InventorsHisayoshi Sakakibara, Shin Nishida
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
According to the present invention, when leakage of refrigerant is detected during operation of an air conditioning apparatus for a vehicle, air outlets for a passenger and a solenoid valve for an air passage are closed. Accordingly, a compressor is stopped after a predetermined time has elapsed since the solenoid valve is closed. In this way, refrigerant within an evaporator is sucked and discharged. Consequently, an amount of refrigerant leaking from an air conditioner casing due to damage of the evaporator can be reduced.
Claims16
An air conditioning apparatus for a vehicle having a passenger compartment, comprising:
- an air conditioner casing for forming an air passage therein, said air passage having an air outlet on an downstream air side thereof so as to be open to said passenger compartment;
- an evaporator disposed within said air conditioner casing, said evaporator cooling air flowing into said passenger compartment by using latent evaporation heat of a flammable refrigerant;
- air passage opening-closing means for opening or closing said air passage, said air passage opening-closing means being disposed on an downstream air side of said evaporator within said air conditioner casing;
- refrigerant detecting means for detecting refrigerant disposed within said air conditioner, casing to detect said refrigerant which has flowed within said air passage;
- and
- opening-closing control means for controlling said air passage opening-closing means so as to close said air passage when a detected value of said refrigerant detecting means is a predetermined value or more.
An air conditioning apparatus for a vehicle having a passenger compartment, comprising:
- an air conditioner casing for forming an air passage therein, said air passage having an air outlet on a downstream air side thereof so as to be open to said passenger compartment;
- an evaporator disposed within said air conditioner casing, said evaporator cooling air flowing into said passenger compartment by using latent evaporation heat of a flammable refrigerant;
- air passage opening-closing means for opening or closing said air passage, said air passage opening-closing means being disposed on a downstream air side of said evaporator within said air conditioner casing;
- opening-closing control means for controlling said air passage opening-closing means so as to close said air passage when the air conditioning apparatus is stopped;
- start instruction means for instructing a starting of the air conditioning apparatus;
- refrigerant detecting means for detecting refrigerant which has flowed within said air passage, said refrigerant detecting means being disposed within said air conditioner casing on an upstream air side of said air passage opening-closing means;
- and
- maintaining means for controlling air passage opening-closing means so as to maintain said air passage in a closed state if a detected value of said refrigerant detecting means is a predetermined value or more when a starting of the air conditioning apparatus has been instructed by said start instructing means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.