Unitary heat pump air conditioner having a heat exchanger with an integral receiver and sub-cooler

A plate type hot-side heat exchanger assembly for a unitary heat pump air conditioner, comprising:

• a plurality of plates stacked and hermetically sealed between an upstream end plate and a downstream end plate, defining:
• a condenser/chiller portion adjacent said upstream end plate, wherein said upstream end plate includes a refrigerant inlet and a hot coolant outlet;
• a sub-cooler portion adjacent said downstream end plate, wherein said downstream end plate includes a refrigerant outlet, a hot coolant inlet, a sub-cooler coolant inlet and a sub-cooler coolant outlet;
• a refrigerant receiver portion sandwiched between said condenser/chiller portion and said sub-cooler portion;
• a refrigerant passageway in hydraulic communication with said refrigerant inlet and said refrigerant outlet;
• wherein said refrigerant passageway extends through said condenser/chiller portion and said sub-cooler portion;
• a first coolant passageway in hydraulic communication with said hot coolant inlet and said hot coolant outlet;
• and
• a second coolant passageway in hydraulic communication with said sub-coolant inlet and said sub-coolant outlet;
• wherein said first coolant passageway and said second coolant passageway are in non-contact thermal communication with said refrigerant passageway,
• wherein the plate type hot-side heat exchanger has a size suited for installation within a unitary heat pump air conditioner that forms a unitary subassembly suited for installation win at least one of the following locations in a passenger vehicle:
• a vehicle trunk, under a vehicle hood, within a vehicle dashboard, or under vehicle seats.