JP2024085651A - Vehicle air conditioning system - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner for a vehicle that is capable of recovering heat from air discharged to the outside of a vehicle compartment without providing a heat exchanger dedicated to recovering exhaust heat.
[Solution] A vehicle air conditioner 1 has an indoor casing 21, an indoor heat exchanger 13, an outdoor heat exchanger 15, an outdoor casing 41, an inside/outdoor air switching unit 23, an intake air switching unit 45, and a control device 60. The outdoor casing 41 has an outside air blowing passage 43 and an exhaust air blowing passage 49. The outside air blowing passage 43 allows outside air introduced from outside to flow as air to be blown to the outdoor heat exchanger 15. The exhaust air blowing passage 49 is configured to allow exhaust air to flow as air to be blown to the outdoor heat exchanger via a route different from the outside air blowing passage 43. The control device 60 controls the inside/outdoor air switching unit 23 and the intake air switching unit 45 to switch the intake air switching unit 45 to an exhaust air introduction state when the inside/outdoor air switching unit 23 is in an outside air introduction mode.
[Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

This disclosure relates to a vehicle air conditioner that uses a refrigeration cycle.

Conventionally, in a vehicle air conditioning system using a refrigeration cycle, the technology described in Patent Document 1 is known as a technology for saving power by recovering heat from the air exhausted from the passenger compartment to the outside of the passenger compartment in the outside air intake mode.

In the vehicle air conditioning system of Patent Document 1, a heat exchanger for recovering exhaust heat is added to the refrigeration cycle in the exhaust passage through which air flows from the passenger compartment to the outside of the passenger compartment, thereby recovering the heat contained in the exhaust air.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 05-155245

Considered heat exchangers for exhaust heat recovery include total heat exchangers and sensible heat exchangers. However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 results in an increase in the number of parts, an increase in mounting space, and an increase in mounting weight due to the addition of a heat exchanger for exhaust heat recovery to the refrigeration cycle.

In view of the above, the present disclosure aims to provide a vehicle air conditioner that is capable of recovering heat from air exhausted outside the vehicle cabin without providing a heat exchanger dedicated to exhaust heat recovery.

In order to achieve the above object, a vehicle air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present disclosure has an air conditioner case (21), an indoor heat exchanger (13), an outdoor heat exchanger (15), an air passage forming section (41), an inside/outside air switching section (23), an air blowing switching section (45), and a control section (60).

The air conditioning case is disposed in the vehicle cabin and forms an air passage. The indoor heat exchanger exchanges heat between the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle and the air flowing through the air passage inside the air conditioning case. The outdoor heat exchanger exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the air outside (O). The air passage forming section has a first air passage (43) and a second air passage (49). The first air passage is adapted to allow outside air introduced from outside the vehicle to flow as air to be blown to the outdoor heat exchanger. The second air passage is adapted to allow exhaust air discharged from the vehicle and containing exhaust heat to flow as air to be blown to the outdoor heat exchanger via a route different from the first air passage.

The inside/outside air switching unit switches between an inside air introduction mode in which inside air within the vehicle cabin is introduced into the air passage, and an outside air introduction mode in which outside air is introduced into the air passage and inside air is exhausted from the vehicle cabin. The air blowing switching unit switches between an exhaust air introduction state in which exhaust air is introduced into the second air blowing path, and an outside air introduction state in which outside air is introduced into the second air blowing path. The control unit controls the operation of the inside/outside air switching unit and the air blowing switching unit. Then, when the inside/outside air switching unit is in the outside air introduction mode, the control unit switches the air blowing switching unit to the exhaust air introduction state.

As a result, in the vehicle air conditioning system, when the outside air introduction mode is used to introduce outside air into the air passage and exhaust inside air from the vehicle cabin, the air blowing switching unit is switched to the exhaust air introduction state. Therefore, in the outside air introduction mode, the exhaust air containing exhaust heat is passed through the exterior heat exchanger by the air blowing switching unit, so that air conditioning of the vehicle cabin can be achieved using the exhaust heat contained in the exhaust air as a heat source.

In other words, the vehicle air conditioning system can recover exhaust heat from the exhaust air discharged outside the vehicle cabin without the need for a heat exchanger to recover the exhaust heat, thereby efficiently providing comfortable air conditioning inside the vehicle cabin.

Note that the symbols in parentheses for each means described in this section and in the claims indicate the corresponding relationship with the specific means described in the embodiments described below.

1 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle air conditioning device according to a first embodiment; 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the vehicle air conditioning device according to the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of an arrangement of an outdoor heat exchanger in the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an arrangement of an outdoor heat exchanger in a second embodiment. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an arrangement of an outdoor heat exchanger in a third embodiment. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle air conditioner according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle air conditioning device according to a fifth embodiment. 13 is a flowchart of a control program in the fifth embodiment. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle air conditioner according to a sixth embodiment. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle air conditioner according to a seventh embodiment. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle air conditioning device according to an eighth embodiment. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle air conditioning device according to a ninth embodiment.

Below, several embodiments for implementing the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, parts corresponding to matters described in the preceding embodiment may be given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions may be omitted. In cases where only a portion of the configuration is described in each embodiment, other previously described embodiments may be applied to the other portions of the configuration. In addition to combinations of parts that are specifically specified as being possible in each embodiment, it is also possible to partially combine embodiments even if not specified, as long as there is no particular problem with the combination.

First Embodiment
A first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. A vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the first embodiment is mounted on, for example, an electric vehicle, which is a vehicle that obtains driving force for traveling from an electric motor. The vehicle air conditioner 1 conditions the air inside the vehicle cabin, which is the space to be air-conditioned in the electric vehicle, and has an in-vehicle equipment temperature control function that controls the temperature of in-vehicle equipment such as a battery.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the first embodiment includes a heat pump cycle 10, an indoor unit 20, an outdoor unit 40, a control device 60, and the like. Note that the double line drawn between the indoor unit 20 and the outdoor unit 40 in FIG. 1 indicates a wall that separates the interior of the vehicle compartment R from the exterior O. This is the same in the subsequent drawings.

First, we will explain the heat pump cycle 10 that constitutes the vehicle air conditioner 1. The heat pump cycle 10 adjusts the temperature of the air blown into the vehicle compartment R in the vehicle air conditioner 1. The heat pump cycle 10 has a compressor 11, a four-way switching valve 12, an indoor heat exchanger 13, an expansion valve 14, an outdoor heat exchanger 15, an accumulator 16, etc.

The heat pump cycle 10 uses an HFO refrigerant (specifically, R1234yf) as the refrigerant. The heat pump cycle 10 constitutes a vapor compression subcritical refrigeration cycle in which the refrigerant pressure on the high-pressure side does not exceed the critical pressure of the refrigerant. The refrigerant is mixed with refrigeration oil (specifically, PAG oil) to lubricate the compressor 11. A portion of the refrigeration oil circulates through the heat pump cycle 10 together with the refrigerant.

The compressor 11 draws in, compresses, and discharges refrigerant in the heat pump cycle 10. The compressor 11 is disposed in a drive unit chamber Rd at the front of the vehicle interior. The drive unit chamber Rd forms a space in which at least a portion of a drive unit (e.g., an electric motor) for outputting driving force for traveling is disposed.

The compressor 11 is an electric compressor that uses an electric motor to rotate a fixed-capacity compression mechanism with a fixed discharge capacity. The rotation speed of the compressor 11 (i.e., the refrigerant discharge capacity) is controlled by a control signal output from the control device 60.

The first connection 12a side of the refrigerant passage of the four-way switching valve 12 is connected to the discharge port of the compressor 11. The four-way switching valve 12 is a refrigerant circuit switching unit that switches the communication state of the refrigerant passage, and has a first connection 12a to a fourth connection 12d. The four-way switching valve 12 is an electromagnetic valve, and the operation of the four-way switching valve 12 is controlled by a control signal output from the control device 60.

The second connection part 12b of the refrigerant passage of the four-way switching valve 12 is connected to one inlet/outlet of the refrigerant passage of the indoor heat exchanger 13. The indoor heat exchanger 13 is a heat exchange part that exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant passage and the air flowing through the air passage 28 in the indoor unit 20. The indoor heat exchanger 13 is disposed in the air passage 28 formed in the indoor casing 21 of the indoor unit 20.

The other inlet/outlet of the refrigerant passage of the indoor heat exchanger 13 is connected to one of the refrigerant inlet/outlet sides of the expansion valve 14. The expansion valve 14 is a pressure reducing section that reduces the pressure of the high-pressure refrigerant of the heat pump cycle 10.

The expansion valve 14 is an electric variable throttle mechanism having a valve body that changes the throttle opening and an electric actuator (specifically, a stepping motor) that displaces the valve body. The operation of the expansion valve 14 is controlled by a control pulse output from the control device 60.

The expansion valve 14 has a fully open function that functions simply as a refrigerant passage with almost no refrigerant pressure reduction or flow rate adjustment action when the valve is fully open. The expansion valve 14 has a fully closed function that blocks the refrigerant passage when the valve is fully closed.

The other refrigerant inlet/outlet of the expansion valve 14 is connected to one refrigerant inlet/outlet side of the refrigerant passage of the outdoor heat exchanger 15. The outdoor heat exchanger 15 is a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant passage and the air flowing inside the outdoor unit 40. The outdoor heat exchanger 15 is disposed inside the outdoor unit 40, which is disposed outside the vehicle interior R, on the outdoor O side.

A so-called tank-and-tube type heat exchanger is used as the outdoor heat exchanger 15. As shown in FIG. 3 etc., the tank-and-tube type heat exchanger has a plurality of refrigerant tubes 76 and a pair of refrigerant tanks (a first refrigerant tank 71 and a second refrigerant tank 72 described later). The refrigerant tubes 76 are metal tubes through which the refrigerant flows. The plurality of refrigerant tubes 76 are stacked and arranged at intervals in a predetermined direction. An air passage is formed between adjacent refrigerant tubes 76 to flow air that exchanges heat with the refrigerant.

The refrigerant tank is formed in a metal box shape extending in the stacking direction of the multiple refrigerant tubes 76. The pair of refrigerant tanks are connected to both ends of the multiple refrigerant tubes 76. Inside the refrigerant tank, a distribution space that distributes the refrigerant to the multiple refrigerant tubes 76 and a collection space that collects the refrigerant flowing out from the multiple refrigerant tubes 76 are formed.

This forms a heat exchange section 75 that exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing through each refrigerant tube 76 and the air flowing through the air passage. Fins 77 are arranged in each air passage in the heat exchange section 75 to promote heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air.

The other inlet/outlet of the refrigerant passage of the outdoor heat exchanger 15 is connected to the third connection 12c side of the refrigerant passage of the four-way switching valve 12. The inlet side of the accumulator 16 is connected to the fourth connection 12d of the refrigerant passage of the four-way switching valve 12. The accumulator 16 is a low-pressure liquid storage section that separates the refrigerant that flows into it into gas and liquid and stores the separated liquid-phase refrigerant as surplus refrigerant in the cycle. The suction port side of the compressor 11 is connected to the gas-phase refrigerant outlet of the accumulator 16.

According to the heat pump cycle 10 configured in this manner, by controlling the operation of the four-way switching valve 12, it is possible to switch between absorbing and releasing heat in the indoor heat exchanger 13 and the outdoor heat exchanger 15. That is, the heat pump cycle 10 can realize heating of the vehicle interior R by using heat absorbed in the outdoor heat exchanger 15 to heat the air by releasing heat in the indoor heat exchanger 13. In addition, the heat pump cycle 10 can absorb heat from the air supplied to the vehicle interior R in the indoor heat exchanger 13 and release heat in the outdoor heat exchanger 15, thereby supplying air cooled by absorbing heat into the vehicle interior R, thereby realizing cooling of the vehicle interior R.

Next, we will explain the indoor unit 20 that constitutes the vehicle air conditioner 1. The indoor unit 20 is a unit that integrates multiple components in the vehicle air conditioner 1 to blow air that has been appropriately temperature-controlled to appropriate locations within the vehicle compartment R.

The indoor unit 20 has an indoor casing 21. The indoor casing 21 forms the outer shell of the indoor unit 20. The indoor casing 21 is molded from a resin (specifically, polypropylene) that has a certain degree of elasticity and excellent strength.

An air passage 28 is formed inside the indoor casing 21. Therefore, the indoor casing 21 corresponds to an example of an air conditioning case. The vehicle compartment R and the drive unit compartment Rd are separated by a partition (a so-called dash panel or firewall). The indoor heat exchanger 13 is disposed inside the air passage 28. Therefore, the air passage 28 is an air passage that circulates air flowing into the indoor heat exchanger 13 and air that has passed through the indoor heat exchanger 13.

An inside/outside air switching section 23 is disposed at the most upstream side of the air flow in the air passage 28. The inside/outside air switching section 23 is configured with an outside air inlet 24, an inside air inlet 25, and an inside/outside air switching door 26. The outside air inlet 24 is an opening for introducing outside air, which is air from the outside O, into the air passage 28, and is formed in the indoor casing 21. The outside air inlet 24 is connected to an outside air introduction passage 22 that communicates with the outside O. The inside air inlet 25 is an opening for introducing inside air, which is air inside the vehicle cabin, into the air passage 28, and is formed in the indoor casing 21.

The inside/outside air switching door 26 is connected to an electric actuator (not shown) and switches between opening and closing the inside air inlet 25 and the outside air inlet 24. The operation of the electric actuator for the inside/outside air switching door 26 is controlled by a control signal output from the control device 60. Therefore, the inside/outside air switching unit 23 corresponds to an example of an inside/outside air switching unit.

An indoor blower 27 is disposed downstream of the indoor/outdoor air switching unit 23 and upstream of the indoor heat exchanger 13. The indoor blower 27 is an electric blower that draws in air that has flowed into the air passage 28 and blows it toward the vehicle interior R. The rotation speed (i.e., blowing capacity) of the indoor blower 27 is controlled by a control voltage output from the control device 60.

An indoor supply port 29 is formed in a portion of the indoor casing 21 that forms the most downstream portion of the air passage 28. The indoor supply port 29 has a plurality of openings (not shown) for blowing air that has passed through the indoor heat exchanger 13 into the vehicle cabin. The openings include a face opening, a foot opening, and a defroster opening. The face opening is an opening for blowing air toward the upper body of an occupant in the vehicle cabin. The foot opening is an opening for blowing air toward the feet of an occupant. The defroster opening is an opening for blowing air toward the inside surface of the vehicle front windshield.

A blowing mode switching door (not shown) is disposed upstream of these openings. The blowing mode switching door switches the opening from which the conditioned air is blown out by opening and closing each opening. The blowing mode switching door is driven by an electric actuator for driving the blowing mode switching door. The operation of the electric actuator for driving the blowing mode switching door is controlled by a control signal output from the control device 60.

Next, we will explain the outdoor unit 40 that constitutes the vehicle air conditioner 1. The outdoor unit 40 has an outdoor casing 41 that constitutes an air passage through which exhaust air from the vehicle and outside air flow, and is disposed in the drive unit chamber Rd.

The outdoor casing 41 is formed with an outside air blowing passage 43 and an exhaust air blowing passage 49. The outside air blowing passage 43 and the exhaust air blowing passage 49 are arranged adjacent to each other, and the upstream end of the exhaust air blowing passage 49 is connected to the outside air blowing passage 43.

As described above, the outdoor heat exchanger 15 is disposed inside the outdoor casing 41. A portion of the outdoor heat exchanger 15 (the outdoor air duct arrangement area Aa, described below) is disposed in the outdoor air duct 43. The remaining area of the outdoor heat exchanger 15 (the exhaust air duct arrangement area Ab, described below) is disposed in the exhaust air duct 49.

An intake air switching section 45 is disposed at the upstream end of the exhaust air blowing passage 49. The intake air switching section 45 has a first communication section 46, a second communication section 47, and a switching door 48.

The first communication section 46 is an opening that connects the inside of the vehicle interior R with the exhaust air blowing passage 49, and is formed, for example, in the exterior casing 41 and a partition wall (so-called dash panel or firewall). The second communication section 47 is formed in a partition wall in the exterior casing 41, and is an opening that connects the exhaust air blowing passage 49 and the outside air blowing passage 43 on the upstream side of the air flow of the exhaust air blowing passage 49.

The switching door 48 is a door member configured to selectively open and close the first communication portion 46 and the second communication portion 47. The switching door 48 is driven by an electric actuator for driving the switching door 48. The operation of the electric actuator for driving the switching door 48 is controlled by a control signal output from the control device 60.

An outdoor fan 51 is disposed inside the outdoor air blowing duct 43. The outdoor fan 51 is an electric fan that blows the outside air O into the outdoor casing 41. The outdoor fan 51 according to the first embodiment is disposed inside the outdoor air blowing duct 43, upstream of the air flow from the intake air switching section 45 (i.e., the second communication section 47).

Therefore, in the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the first embodiment, when the second communication part 47 is opened in the intake air switching part 45, the outside air blown by the outdoor blower 51 is introduced into the exhaust air blowing passage 49 via the second communication part 47. Also, when the first communication part 46 is opened in the intake air switching part 45, the inside air in the passenger compartment R is introduced into the exhaust air blowing passage 49 via the first communication part 46.

An outside air exhaust port 44 is disposed at the most downstream air flow portion of the outside air blowing duct 43. The outside air exhaust port 44 connects the inside of the outside air blowing duct 43 to the outside O, and exhausts the air that has flowed through the outside air blowing duct 43 to the outside O.

In addition, an exhaust air outlet 50 is disposed at the most downstream air flow portion of the exhaust air duct 49. The exhaust air outlet 50 connects the exhaust air duct 49 to the outside O, and exhausts the air that has flowed through the exhaust air duct 49 to the outside O.

The vehicle air conditioner 1 configured in this manner can efficiently provide comfortable air conditioning by switching between heat absorption and heat release in the indoor heat exchanger 13, heat absorption and heat release in the outdoor heat exchanger 15, and the type of air blown to the indoor heat exchanger 13 and the outdoor heat exchanger 15.

Next, an overview of the electrical control unit of the vehicle air conditioner 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. The control device 60 is composed of a well-known microcomputer including a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and its peripheral circuits. The control device 60 performs various calculations and processes based on an air conditioning control program stored in the ROM, and controls the operation of various controlled devices connected to the output side. The controlled devices connected to the control device 60 include the compressor 11, four-way switching valve 12, expansion valve 14, inside/outside air switching unit 23, indoor blower 27, intake air switching unit 45, outdoor blower 51, etc.

Various control sensors are connected to the input side of the control device 60. The control sensors include an indoor air temperature sensor 61a, an outdoor air temperature sensor 61b, and a solar radiation sensor 61c. Further control sensors include a high pressure sensor 61d, an indoor heat exchanger temperature sensor 61e, an outdoor heat exchanger temperature sensor 61f, a first refrigerant temperature sensor 61g, and a second refrigerant temperature sensor 61h.

The inside air temperature sensor 61a is an inside air temperature detection unit that detects the inside air temperature Tr, which is the temperature inside the vehicle cabin. As shown in FIG. 1, the inside air temperature sensor 61a is disposed inside the vehicle cabin R. The outside air temperature sensor 61b is an outside air temperature detection unit that detects the outside air temperature Tam, which is the temperature outside the vehicle O. The outside air temperature sensor 61b is disposed, for example, in the outside air blowing duct 43.

The solar radiation sensor 61c is a solar radiation detection unit that detects the amount of solar radiation As irradiated into the vehicle cabin. The high-pressure pressure sensor 61d is a high-pressure pressure detection unit that detects the high-pressure pressure Pd of the high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11.

The indoor heat exchanger temperature sensor 61e is a temperature detection unit that detects the refrigerant evaporation temperature in the indoor heat exchanger 13 (i.e., the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger 15). The outdoor heat exchanger temperature sensor 61f is a temperature detection unit that detects the refrigerant evaporation temperature in 15. The first refrigerant temperature sensor 61g is a temperature detection unit that detects the first refrigerant temperature T1, which is the temperature of the refrigerant flowing out from the refrigerant passage of the indoor heat exchanger 13. The second refrigerant temperature sensor 61h is a temperature detection unit that detects the second refrigerant temperature T2, which is the temperature of the refrigerant flowing out from the outdoor heat exchanger 15.

Furthermore, an operation panel 62 located near the instrument panel at the front of the vehicle interior is connected to the input side of the control device 60. Various operation switches are provided on the operation panel 62, and operation signals from the various operation switches are input to the control device. The various operation switches provided on the operation panel 62 specifically include an auto switch, an air conditioner switch, an air volume setting switch, a temperature setting switch, etc.

The auto switch is an operation switch that sets or cancels the automatic control operation of the heat pump cycle 10. The air conditioner switch is an operation switch that requests air cooling by the indoor heat exchanger 13. The air volume setting switch is an operation switch that manually sets the air volume of the indoor blower 27. The temperature setting switch is an operation switch that sets the target temperature Tset in the vehicle cabin.

The control device 60 is also configured as an integrated control unit that controls the various controlled devices connected to its output side. Therefore, the configuration (i.e., hardware and software) that controls the operation of each controlled device constitutes a control unit that controls the operation of each controlled device.

For example, the component of the control device 60 that controls the operation of the compressor 11 of the heat pump cycle 10 is the compressor control unit 60a. Also, the component of the control device 60 that controls the operation of the four-way switching valve 12 of the heat pump cycle 10 is the cycle switching control unit 60b. The component of the control device 60 that controls the operation of the expansion valve 14 of the heat pump cycle 10 is the pressure reduction control unit 60c.

The control device 60 is configured to control the operation of the indoor blower 27 and the outdoor blower 51 by the air blowing control unit 60d. The control device 60 is configured to control the operation of the inside/outside air switching unit 23 and the intake air switching unit 45 when air conditioning the vehicle interior R by the circulation mode switching control unit 60e. The control device 60 is configured to change the inside air exhaust mode depending on the inside air temperature and outside air temperature when air conditioning the vehicle interior R by the inside air exhaust control unit 60f.

Next, the operation of the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the first embodiment described above will be described. The vehicle air conditioner 1 has four operating modes for conditioning the interior of the vehicle compartment R. Specifically, when conditioning the interior of the vehicle compartment R, the vehicle air conditioner 1 can be switched between any one of the following operating modes: outside air introduction heating mode, inside air circulation heating mode, outside air introduction cooling mode, and inside air circulation cooling mode.

First, operation in the outside air introduction heating mode will be described. In the outside air introduction heating mode, the inside/outside air switching unit 23 is controlled by the inside/outside air switching door 26 to open the outside air introduction port 24 and close the inside air introduction port 25. The inside/outside air switching unit 23 in this state corresponds to an example of the outside air introduction mode.

The intake air switching unit 45 is controlled by the switching door 48 to open the first communication unit 46 and close the second communication unit 47. The intake air switching unit 45 in this state corresponds to an example of an exhaust air intake state.

In the heat pump cycle 10 in the outside air introduction heating mode, the four-way switching valve 12 is controlled to connect the first connection part 12a to the second connection part 12b and to connect the third connection part 12c to the fourth connection part 12d. The throttle opening of the expansion valve 14 is appropriately controlled according to the target temperature set for the heating operation.

As a result, in the heat pump cycle 10 in the outdoor air introduction heating mode, the refrigerant circulates through the compressor 11, four-way switching valve 12, indoor heat exchanger 13, expansion valve 14, outdoor heat exchanger 15, four-way switching valve 12, accumulator 16, and compressor 11 in that order. Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 in the outdoor air introduction heating mode, the indoor heat exchanger 13 functions as a radiator that radiates heat from the refrigerant, and the outdoor heat exchanger 15 functions as a heat absorber that causes the refrigerant to absorb heat.

In the indoor unit 20 in the outside air introduction heating mode, the indoor blower 27 is operated to draw outside air into the air passage 28 through the outside air introduction port 24. The outside air drawn into the air passage 28 is heated by heat exchange with the refrigerant as it passes through the indoor heat exchanger 13, and is then supplied to the vehicle interior R. This achieves heating in the vehicle interior R.

In addition, in the outdoor unit 40 in the outside air introduction heating mode, the inside air in the passenger compartment R is introduced into the exhaust air blowing duct 49 through the first communication part 46 that is opened by the intake air switching part 45. The exhaust air that passes through the exhaust air blowing duct 49 exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the exterior heat exchanger 15, and then is exhausted to the outside O.

The outdoor air is sent to the outdoor air blowing duct 43 of the outdoor unit 40 by the outdoor blower 51. The outdoor air introduced into the outdoor air blowing duct 43 exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 15, and is then discharged to the outside O from the outdoor air exhaust port 44. At this time, the second communication portion 47 is closed by the switching door 48, so that no outdoor air is introduced into the exhaust air blowing duct 49.

As a result, exhaust air composed of inside air passes through a portion of the area of the exterior heat exchanger 15, while outside air passes through the remaining area of the exterior heat exchanger 15. Because exhaust air derived from the inside air containing exhaust heat passes through the exterior heat exchanger 15, which functions as a heat absorber, the vehicle air conditioner 1 can recover and effectively utilize the exhaust heat contained in the inside air to heat the passenger compartment R.

The outside air introduction heating mode is one of the heating operation modes that is adopted when the inside air temperature is higher than the outside air temperature. Therefore, by absorbing heat from the exhaust air originating from the inside air in the exterior heat exchanger 15, the exhaust heat contained in the inside air can be recovered and used as a heating heat source, thereby improving the heating performance of the vehicle air conditioner 1.

In addition, in the intake air switching section 45 in the outside air introduction heating mode, the switching door 48 closes the second communication section 47, so that the exhaust air duct 49 through which the exhaust air originating from the inside air flows is formed independently from the outside air duct 43 through which the outside air flows. This reduces the effect of the operating state of the outdoor fan 51 arranged in the outside air duct 43 on the flow of exhaust air flowing through the exhaust air duct 49.

For example, when the outdoor blower 51 is in an operating state where it blows a large amount of air, it is expected that the pressure in the outdoor air duct 43 will be higher than the pressure in the exhaust air duct 49. Even in such a case, by separating the outdoor air duct 43 from the exhaust air duct 49, it is possible to prevent the pressure difference between the outdoor air duct 43 and the exhaust air duct 49 from impeding the flow of exhaust air through the exhaust air duct 49.

Next, operation in the inside air circulation heating mode will be described. In the inside air circulation heating mode, the inside/outside air switching unit 23 is controlled by the inside/outside air switching door 26 to open the inside air inlet 25 and close the outside air inlet 24. The inside/outside air switching unit 23 in this state corresponds to an example of the inside air introduction mode.

The intake air switching unit 45 is controlled by the switching door 48 to open the second communication unit 47 and close the first communication unit 46. The intake air switching unit 45 in this state corresponds to an example of an outside air intake state.

In the heat pump cycle 10 in the internal air circulation heating mode, the four-way switching valve 12 is controlled to connect the first connection part 12a to the second connection part 12b and to connect the third connection part 12c to the fourth connection part 12d. The throttle opening of the expansion valve 14 is appropriately controlled according to the target temperature set for the heating operation.

As a result, in the heat pump cycle 10 in the internal air circulation heating mode, the refrigerant circulates through the compressor 11, four-way switching valve 12, indoor heat exchanger 13, expansion valve 14, outdoor heat exchanger 15, four-way switching valve 12, accumulator 16, and compressor 11 in that order. Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 in the internal air circulation heating mode, the indoor heat exchanger 13 functions as a radiator that radiates heat from the refrigerant, and the outdoor heat exchanger 15 functions as a heat absorber that causes the refrigerant to absorb heat.

In the indoor unit 20 in the interior air circulation heating mode, the indoor blower 27 is operated to draw the interior air in the passenger compartment R into the air passage 28 through the interior air inlet 25. The interior air drawn into the air passage 28 is heated by heat exchange with the refrigerant as it passes through the indoor heat exchanger 13, and is then supplied to the passenger compartment R. This allows the passenger compartment R to be heated by circulating the interior air in the passenger compartment R.

In addition, in the outdoor unit 40 in the indoor air circulation heating mode, outside air is introduced into the exhaust air blowing duct 49 through the second communication part 47 that is opened by the intake air switching part 45. The outside air that passes through the exhaust air blowing duct 49 exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 15, and then is exhausted to the outside O.

Then, outdoor air is blown into the outdoor air blowing duct 43 of the outdoor unit 40 by the outdoor blower 51, in the same manner as in the outdoor air introduction heating mode described above. The outdoor air introduced into the outdoor air blowing duct 43 exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 15, and is then discharged to the outside O from the outdoor air exhaust port 44. At this time, because the first communication portion 46 is closed by the switching door 48, exhaust air originating from the indoor air is not introduced into the exhaust air blowing duct 49.

As a result, outside air is introduced into both the outside air blowing duct 43 and the exhaust air blowing duct 49 in which the exterior heat exchanger 15 is located, and the outside air passes through the heat exchange section 75 of the exterior heat exchanger 15. Therefore, the vehicle air conditioner 1 in the interior air circulation heating mode can effectively utilize the heat of the outside air to heat the interior of the vehicle compartment R.

Next, the operation of the outside air introduction cooling mode will be described. In the outside air introduction cooling mode, the inside/outside air switching unit 23 is controlled by the inside/outside air switching door 26 to open the outside air introduction port 24 and close the inside air introduction port 25, similar to the outside air introduction heating mode. In other words, the inside/outside air switching unit 23 is controlled to be in the outside air introduction mode.

The intake air switching unit 45 is controlled by the switching door 48 to open the first communication portion 46 and close the second communication portion 47, as in the outside air introduction heating mode. The intake air switching unit 45 is controlled to be in the exhaust air introduction state.

In the heat pump cycle 10 in the outside air cooling mode, the four-way switching valve 12 is controlled to connect the first connection part 12a to the third connection part 12c and to connect the second connection part 12b to the fourth connection part 12d. The throttle opening of the expansion valve 14 is appropriately controlled according to the target temperature set for the cooling operation.

As a result, in the heat pump cycle 10 in the outdoor air introduction cooling mode, the refrigerant circulates through the compressor 11, four-way switching valve 12, outdoor heat exchanger 15, expansion valve 14, indoor heat exchanger 13, four-way switching valve 12, accumulator 16, and compressor 11 in that order. Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 in the outdoor air introduction cooling mode, the outdoor heat exchanger 15 functions as a radiator that radiates heat from the refrigerant, and the indoor heat exchanger 13 functions as a heat absorber that causes the refrigerant to absorb heat.

In the indoor unit 20 in the outside air introduction heating mode, the indoor blower 27 is operated to draw outside air into the air passage 28 through the outside air introduction port 24. The outside air drawn into the air passage 28 is cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant as it passes through the indoor heat exchanger 13, and is then supplied to the vehicle interior R. This achieves cooling of the vehicle interior R.

In addition, in the outdoor unit 40 in the outside air introduction heating mode, the inside air in the passenger compartment R is introduced into the exhaust air blowing duct 49 through the first communication part 46 that is opened by the intake air switching part 45. The exhaust air that passes through the exhaust air blowing duct 49 exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the exterior heat exchanger 15, and then is exhausted to the outside O.

The outdoor air is sent to the outdoor air blowing duct 43 of the outdoor unit 40 by the outdoor blower 51. The outdoor air introduced into the outdoor air blowing duct 43 exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 15, and is then discharged to the outside O from the outdoor air exhaust port 44. At this time, the second communication portion 47 is closed by the switching door 48, so that no outdoor air is introduced into the exhaust air blowing duct 49.

As a result, exhaust air composed of inside air passes through a portion of the area of the exterior heat exchanger 15, while outside air passes through the remaining area of the exterior heat exchanger 15. Because the exhaust air derived from the inside air containing exhaust heat passes through the exterior heat exchanger 15, which functions as a heat absorber, the vehicle air conditioning device 1 absorbs heat from the outside air supplied into the passenger compartment R and releases the absorbed heat to the exhaust air and the outside air, thereby realizing cooling of the passenger compartment R.

The outside air cooling mode is one of the cooling operation modes that is adopted when the inside air temperature is lower than the outside air temperature. Therefore, by blowing exhaust air derived from the inside air to the exterior heat exchanger 15, the cold energy contained in the exhaust air can be recovered and utilized, thereby improving the cooling performance of the vehicle air conditioner 1.

In addition, in the intake air switching section 45 in the outside air introduction cooling mode, the switching door 48 closes the second communication section 47, so that the exhaust air duct 49 through which the exhaust air originating from the inside air flows is formed independently from the outside air duct 43 through which the outside air flows. This makes it possible to reduce the effect of the operating state of the outdoor fan 51 arranged in the outside air duct 43 on the flow of exhaust air flowing through the exhaust air duct 49.

Next, the operation of the inside air circulation cooling mode will be described. In the inside air circulation cooling mode, the inside/outside air switching unit 23 is controlled by the inside/outside air switching door 26 to open the inside air inlet 25 and close the outside air inlet 24. In other words, the inside/outside air switching unit 23 is controlled to enter the inside air introduction mode.

The intake air switching unit 45 is controlled by the switching door 48 to open the second communication unit 47 and close the first communication unit 46. The intake air switching unit 45 is controlled to be in an outside air intake state.

In the heat pump cycle 10 in the internal air circulation cooling mode, the four-way switching valve 12 is controlled to connect the first connection part 12a to the third connection part 12c and to connect the second connection part 12b to the fourth connection part 12d. The throttle opening of the expansion valve 14 is appropriately controlled according to the target temperature set for the cooling operation.

As a result, in the heat pump cycle 10 in the internal air circulation cooling mode, the refrigerant circulates through the compressor 11, four-way switching valve 12, outdoor heat exchanger 15, expansion valve 14, indoor heat exchanger 13, four-way switching valve 12, accumulator 16, and compressor 11 in that order. Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 in the internal air circulation cooling mode, the outdoor heat exchanger 15 functions as a radiator that radiates heat from the refrigerant, and the indoor heat exchanger 13 functions as a heat absorber that causes the refrigerant to absorb heat.

In the indoor unit 20 in the interior air circulation cooling mode, the indoor blower 27 is operated to draw the interior air in the passenger compartment R into the air passage 28 through the interior air inlet 25. The interior air drawn into the air passage 28 is cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant as it passes through the indoor heat exchanger 13, and is then supplied to the passenger compartment R. This allows the passenger compartment R to be cooled by circulating the interior air in the passenger compartment R.

In addition, in the outdoor unit 40 in the inside air circulation cooling mode, outside air is introduced into the exhaust air blowing duct 49 through the second communication part 47 that is opened by the intake air switching part 45. The outside air that passes through the exhaust air blowing duct 49 exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 15, and then is exhausted to the outside O.

Then, the outdoor air is blown into the outdoor air blowing duct 43 of the outdoor unit 40 by the outdoor blower 51, in the same manner as in the outdoor air introduction cooling mode described above. The outdoor air introduced into the outdoor air blowing duct 43 exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 15, and is then discharged to the outside O from the outdoor air exhaust port 44. At this time, because the first communication portion 46 is closed by the switching door 48, exhaust air originating from the indoor air is not introduced into the exhaust air blowing duct 49.

As a result, outside air is introduced into both the outside air blowing duct 43 and the exhaust air blowing duct 49 in which the exterior heat exchanger 15 is located, and the outside air passes through the heat exchange section 75 of the exterior heat exchanger 15. Therefore, the vehicle air conditioner 1 in the interior air circulation cooling mode can cool the vehicle interior R by radiating heat absorbed from the interior air by the interior heat exchanger 13 to the outside air in the exterior heat exchanger 15.

As described above, the vehicle air conditioning system 1 according to the first embodiment can achieve air conditioning in the passenger compartment R in four operating modes: outside air introduction heating mode, inside air circulation heating mode, outside air introduction cooling mode, and inside air circulation cooling mode.

In the outdoor unit 40 of the vehicle air conditioner 1, an exhaust air blowing passage 49 is formed separately from the outdoor air blowing passage 43 as an air passage to the outdoor heat exchanger 15 in the outdoor air introduction heating mode and the outdoor air introduction cooling mode. This allows the vehicle air conditioner 1 to supply exhaust air containing exhaust heat to the outdoor heat exchanger 15, so that the exhaust heat, etc. can be effectively utilized to improve heating and cooling performance.

In addition, because the exhaust air duct 49 is formed independently of the outdoor air duct 43, the effect of the airflow state of the outdoor fan 51 arranged in the outdoor air duct 43 on the air flow in the exhaust air duct 49 can be reduced.

Furthermore, in the vehicle air conditioner 1 in the inside air circulation heating mode and inside air circulation cooling mode, the intake air switching section 45 is controlled by the switching door 48 to close the first communication section 46 and open the second communication section 47. As a result, outside air flows into the exhaust air blowing passage 49 without exhaust air flowing in. In other words, the outside air flowing through the outside air blowing passage 43 and the exhaust air blowing passage 49 is supplied to the exterior heat exchanger 15, so the vehicle air conditioner 1 can exhibit heating and cooling performance similar to that of a conventional air conditioner that exchanges heat between the outside air and the refrigerant in the exterior heat exchanger 15.

Here, in the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the first embodiment, the placement of the exterior heat exchanger 15 in the exterior unit 40 is determined with an emphasis on providing high capacity at the beginning of operation in the exterior air introduction heating mode and the exterior air introduction cooling mode.

The arrangement of the exterior heat exchanger 15 in the exterior unit 40 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 3. As described above, a so-called tank-and-tube type heat exchanger is used as the exterior heat exchanger 15 in the vehicle air conditioner 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the exterior heat exchanger 15 has a pair of refrigerant tanks consisting of a first refrigerant tank 71 and a second refrigerant tank 72, and a heat exchange section 75 in which a plurality of refrigerant tubes 76 are arranged in a stacked manner.

The heat exchange section 75 is configured by stacking a plurality of refrigerant tubes 76 at intervals in a predetermined direction. Between adjacent refrigerant tubes 76, air passages are formed through which air that exchanges heat with the refrigerant flows. Fins 77 that promote heat exchange between the refrigerant and air are arranged in each air passage in the heat exchange section 75.

The first refrigerant tank 71 is formed in a metal box shape that extends along the stacking direction of the refrigerant tubes 76, and has multiple partition walls 74 inside. The inside of the first refrigerant tank 71 is divided by two partition walls 74 into a first storage section 80a, a third storage section 80c, and a fifth storage section 80e.

The second refrigerant tank 72, like the first refrigerant tank 71, is formed in a metal box shape and is arranged to face the first refrigerant tank 71 via a heat exchange section 75 consisting of a plurality of refrigerant tubes 76. A partition wall 74 is arranged in the internal space of the second refrigerant tank 72. Therefore, the internal space of the second refrigerant tank 72 is divided by the partition wall 74 into a second storage section 80b and a fourth storage section 80d.

The first refrigerant tank 71 is disposed at one end of the multiple refrigerant tubes 76, and the second refrigerant tank 72 is disposed at the other end of the multiple refrigerant tubes 76. The internal space of the first refrigerant tank 71 and the internal space of the second refrigerant tank 72 are in communication with each other via the multiple refrigerant tubes 76.

A refrigerant inlet 78 through which the refrigerant flows is disposed on the top surface of the first storage section 80a of the first refrigerant tank 71. One end of a plurality of refrigerant tubes 76 constituting the heat exchange section 75 is connected to the first storage section 80a, and the other end of the plurality of refrigerant tubes 76 is connected to the second storage section 80b of the second refrigerant tank 72. In the following description, of the plurality of refrigerant tubes 76, those connected to the first storage section 80a and the second storage section 80b are referred to as first tubes 76a.

In the following description, of the multiple refrigerant tubes 76, the one connected to the second storage section 80b of the second refrigerant tank 72 and the third storage section 80c of the first refrigerant tank 71 is referred to as the second tube 76b. And, of the multiple refrigerant tubes 76, the one connected to the third storage section 80c of the first refrigerant tank 71 and the fourth storage section 80d of the second refrigerant tank 72 is referred to as the third tube 76c.

Of the multiple refrigerant tubes 76, the one connected to the fourth storage section 80d of the second refrigerant tank 72 and the fifth storage section 80e of the first refrigerant tank 71 is called the fourth tube 76d. The fifth storage section 80e of the first refrigerant tank 71 is provided with a refrigerant outlet 79 through which the refrigerant that has circulated inside the outdoor heat exchanger 15 flows out.

Therefore, in the outdoor heat exchanger 15 shown in FIG. 3, the refrigerant flows back and forth between the first refrigerant tank 71 and the second refrigerant tank 72. That is, the refrigerant flows from the refrigerant inlet 78 into the first storage section 80a of the first refrigerant tank 71, and flows in the order of the first tube 76a, the second storage section 80b, the second tube 76b, the third storage section 80c, the third tube 76c, the fourth storage section 80d, the fourth tube 76d, and the fifth storage section 80e. After flowing into the fifth storage section 80e, the refrigerant flows out of the outdoor heat exchanger 15 from the refrigerant outlet 79 arranged in the fifth storage section 80e.

Here, in the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the first embodiment, a portion of the exterior heat exchanger 15 is positioned within the exterior air blowing duct 43, and the remaining portion of the exterior heat exchanger 15 is positioned within the exhaust air blowing duct 49.

Specifically, in the first embodiment, the portion of the outdoor heat exchanger 15 that is upstream of the refrigerant flow is located inside the exhaust air duct 49, and the portion that is downstream of the refrigerant flow is located inside the outdoor air duct 43. In the following description, the area of the outdoor heat exchanger 15 that is located inside the outdoor air duct 43 is referred to as the outdoor air duct arrangement area Aa, and the area of the outdoor heat exchanger 15 that is located inside the exhaust air duct 49 is referred to as the exhaust air duct arrangement area Ab.

As shown in FIG. 3, the exhaust air passage arrangement area Ab according to the first embodiment is set to an area including the first tube 76a in the outdoor heat exchanger 15. The outdoor air passage arrangement area Aa is set to the remaining area of the outdoor heat exchanger 15 (for example, an area including the second tube 76b to the fourth tube 76d).

By arranging the outdoor heat exchanger 15 in the outdoor air blowing duct 43 and the exhaust air blowing duct 49 in the manner shown in FIG. 3, exhaust air having exhaust heat can be blown to the upstream side of the refrigerant flow inside the outdoor heat exchanger 15. This makes it possible to increase the temperature difference between the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 15 and the exhaust air flowing through the exhaust air blowing duct 49, and to increase the amount of heat exchange between the exhaust air and the refrigerant.

As a result, the vehicle air conditioning system 1 according to the first embodiment can recover a large amount of exhaust heat contained in the exhaust air by the exterior heat exchanger 15, and can respond to cases where high capacity is required at the beginning of operation in the exterior air introduction heating mode and the exterior air introduction cooling mode.

As described above, in the outside air introduction heating mode and outside air introduction cooling mode, the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the first embodiment introduces outside air into the vehicle compartment R via the inside/outside air switching unit 23 for air conditioning, and also introduces exhaust air into the exhaust air blowing duct 49 via the intake air switching unit 45. As a result, the exhaust air containing exhaust heat passes through the exterior heat exchanger 15, so that the vehicle air conditioner 1 can realize air conditioning in the vehicle compartment R using the exhaust heat contained in the exhaust air as a heat source.

In other words, the vehicle air conditioner 1 can recover exhaust heat from the exhaust air discharged to the outside O without providing a heat exchanger for exhaust heat recovery, and can efficiently achieve comfortable air conditioning in the vehicle interior R.

As shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle air conditioner 1 arranges the upstream portion of the refrigerant flow in the exterior heat exchanger 15 within the exhaust air blowing passage 49, so that the upstream portion of the refrigerant flow is the exhaust air blowing passage arrangement area Ab. By blowing exhaust air to the upstream portion of the refrigerant flow in the exterior heat exchanger 15, the temperature difference between the refrigerant and the exhaust air can be increased, and the amount of heat exchanged in the exterior heat exchanger 15 can be increased. This allows the vehicle air conditioner 1 to fully utilize the exhaust heat contained in the exhaust air to improve air conditioning performance.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the outdoor unit 40 of the vehicle air conditioner 1, the outdoor blower 51 is disposed upstream of the intake air switching section 45 with respect to the flow of outside air within the outdoor unit 40. This allows the vehicle air conditioner 1 to create air flows in the outside air blowing duct 43 and the exhaust air blowing duct 49 by operating the outdoor blower 51.

In addition, in the vehicle air conditioner 1, the exhaust air introduced into the exhaust air blowing duct 49 originates from the air inside the vehicle compartment R. Therefore, the vehicle air conditioner 1 can utilize the exhaust heat generated by the passengers and equipment inside the vehicle compartment R as a heat source for air conditioning.

In the outdoor unit 40 of the vehicle air conditioner 1, the intake air switching section 45 has a first communication section 46, a second communication section 47, and a switching door 48. The vehicle air conditioner 1 can realize a configuration that can adjust the balance between outside air and exhaust air in the air introduced into the exhaust air blowing duct 49 with a relatively simple configuration.

Furthermore, by controlling the intake air switching unit 45 and closing the second communication unit 47 with the switching door 48, the exhaust air blowing path 49 can be made an independent blowing path from the outside air blowing path 43 with a simple configuration.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment different from the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. In the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the second embodiment, the arrangement of the exterior heat exchanger 15 in the exterior unit 40 is different from that of the above-described embodiment. The rest of the configuration of the heat pump cycle 10, the interior unit 20, and the control device 60 in the vehicle air conditioner 1 are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, so repeated description will be omitted.

In the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the second embodiment, the arrangement of the exterior heat exchanger 15 in the exterior unit 40 differs from that of the above-described embodiment. The exterior heat exchanger 15 according to the second embodiment is arranged so as to be located in both the exterior air duct 43 and the exhaust air duct 49, with the aim of prioritizing the stability of air conditioning operation in the outside air introduction cooling mode. That is, a part of the exterior heat exchanger 15 is located in the exterior air duct 43, and the remaining part of the exterior heat exchanger 15 is located in the exhaust air duct 49.

Here, the outdoor heat exchanger 15 according to the second embodiment is configured as a tank-and-tube type heat exchanger, similar to the first embodiment. That is, the outdoor heat exchanger 15 has a pair of refrigerant tanks consisting of a first refrigerant tank 71 and a second refrigerant tank 72, and a heat exchange section 75 in which a plurality of refrigerant tubes 76 are arranged in a stacked manner. The configuration of the pair of refrigerant tanks and the heat exchange section 75 is the same as in the first embodiment. Therefore, in the outdoor heat exchanger 15 in the second embodiment, the flow of refrigerant from the refrigerant inlet 78 to the refrigerant outlet 79 is the same as in the first embodiment.

Specifically, in the second embodiment, the downstream portion of the refrigerant flow in the outdoor heat exchanger 15 is located inside the exhaust air blowing duct 49, and the upstream portion of the refrigerant flow is located inside the outdoor air blowing duct 43.

As shown in FIG. 4, the exhaust air blowing passage arrangement area Ab according to the second embodiment is set to an area including the fourth tube 76d in the outdoor heat exchanger 15. The outdoor air blowing passage arrangement area Aa is set to the remaining area of the outdoor heat exchanger 15 (for example, an area including the first tube 76a to the third tube 76c).

By arranging the exterior heat exchanger 15 in the exterior air blowing duct 43 and the exhaust air blowing duct 49 in the manner shown in FIG. 4, exhaust air having exhaust heat can be blown toward the downstream side of the refrigerant flow inside the exterior heat exchanger 15. This allows exhaust air from the vehicle interior R, which is at a lower temperature than the exterior air, to be blown toward the refrigerant flowing through the exterior heat exchanger 15 that has a low dryness and a high liquid phase content. In other words, since heat can be exchanged with the exhaust air in the area with a high heat transfer coefficient, the vehicle air conditioner 1 can improve the efficiency of the heat pump cycle 10 and improve the stability of air conditioning operation in the exterior air introduction cooling mode.

As described above, according to the vehicle air conditioner 1 of the second embodiment, even if the arrangement of the exterior heat exchanger 15 in the exterior air blowing duct 43 and the exhaust air blowing duct 49 is changed, it is possible to obtain the same effects as those of the above-mentioned embodiment due to the configuration and operation.

In addition, in the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the second embodiment, the exterior heat exchanger 15 is disposed inside the exterior unit 40 so that the exhaust air blowing passage arrangement area Ab is located downstream of the refrigerant flow in the exterior heat exchanger 15. As a result, with the vehicle air conditioner 1, exhaust air from the vehicle interior R, which is at a lower temperature than the outside air, can be blown into the refrigerant, which has a low dryness and a high liquid phase component, to exchange heat in the part of the refrigerant with a high heat transfer coefficient, thereby improving the stability of the air conditioning performance.

Third Embodiment
Next, a third embodiment different from the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. In the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the third embodiment, the configuration of the exterior heat exchanger 15 and the arrangement of the exterior heat exchanger 15 in the exterior unit 40 are different from those of the above-described embodiment. Other configurations of the heat pump cycle 10, the interior unit 20, the control device 60, etc. in the vehicle air conditioner 1 are the same as those of the above-described embodiment, so repeated description will be omitted.

In the vehicle air conditioning device 1 according to the third embodiment, a heat exchanger having a different configuration from that of the above-described embodiment is used as the exterior heat exchanger 15. Therefore, the configuration of the exterior heat exchanger 15 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 5. The exterior heat exchanger 15 according to the third embodiment has a heat exchange section 75 in which multiple refrigerant tanks (first refrigerant tank 71 to third refrigerant tank 73) and multiple refrigerant tubes 76 are arranged in a stacked manner. That is, the exterior heat exchanger 15 of the third embodiment is a tank-and-tube type heat exchanger, similar to the above-described embodiments.

The heat exchange section 75 of the outdoor heat exchanger 15 according to the third embodiment is configured by stacking a plurality of refrigerant tubes 76 extending in the direction of gravity (i.e., the vertical direction) in a horizontal direction. Air passages are formed between the plurality of refrigerant tubes 76, and fins 77 are arranged between the plurality of refrigerant tubes 76.

As shown in FIG. 5, a first refrigerant tank 71 and a third refrigerant tank 73 are arranged above the outdoor heat exchanger 15 according to the third embodiment. The first refrigerant tank 71 is arranged on one side (e.g., the front side) above the outdoor heat exchanger 15, and has a refrigerant inlet 78 on its upper surface. The third refrigerant tank 73 is arranged on the other side (e.g., the back side) above the outdoor heat exchanger 15, and has a refrigerant outlet 79 on its upper surface.

A second refrigerant tank 72 is disposed below the outdoor heat exchanger 15 according to the third embodiment. The second refrigerant tank 72 is connected to the first refrigerant tank 71 via a heat exchanger 75 disposed on one side of the outdoor heat exchanger 15. The second refrigerant tank 72 is also connected to the third refrigerant tank 73 via a heat exchanger 75 disposed on the other side of the outdoor heat exchanger 15.

Therefore, in the outdoor heat exchanger 15 according to the third embodiment, when the refrigerant flows into the first refrigerant tank 71 from the refrigerant inlet 78, it flows toward the second refrigerant tank 72 through each refrigerant tube 76 constituting the heat exchange section 75 on one side. The refrigerant in the second refrigerant tank 72 flows into the third refrigerant tank 73 through each refrigerant tube 76 constituting the heat exchange section 75 on the other side of the outdoor heat exchanger 15, and flows out of the outdoor heat exchanger 15 from the refrigerant outlet 79. For this reason, in the outdoor heat exchanger 15 according to the third embodiment, two heat exchange sections 75 are arranged side by side from one side to the other side, and heat exchange is performed between the refrigerant flowing in each heat exchange section 75 and the air blown toward the outdoor heat exchanger 15.

When the vehicle air conditioner 1 is performing heating operation for the passenger compartment R, the exterior heat exchanger 15 is used as a heat absorber. At this time, a refrigerant with a temperature lower than the outside air temperature flows through each refrigerant tube 76 that constitutes the heat exchange section 75 of the exterior heat exchanger 15, so it is expected that condensation water, frost, and ice will form in the heat exchange section 75 of the exterior heat exchanger 15.

Normally, condensed water generated in the heat exchange section 75 of the outdoor heat exchanger 15 and moisture from melted frost or ice flows downward due to the effect of gravity and is discharged to the outside through a drain (not shown) located at the bottom of the outdoor heat exchanger 15.

Here, moisture resulting from condensation water, frost, and ice adhering to the heat exchanger 75 may freeze on the surface of the heat exchanger 75 and block the air passage in the heat exchanger 75, for example, when the outside air temperature is below 0°C. If the air passage in the heat exchanger 75 is blocked, the heat exchange performance of the exterior heat exchanger 15 decreases, which causes a decrease in the air conditioning performance of the vehicle air conditioner 1.

For this reason, in the third embodiment, the placement of the outdoor heat exchanger 15 within the outdoor unit 40 is determined to suppress deterioration of the heat exchange performance of the outdoor heat exchanger 15 due to moisture resulting from condensation water, etc.

Specifically, in the third embodiment, the outdoor heat exchanger 15 is positioned so that the exhaust air blowing duct arrangement area Ab is located below the heat exchanger 75 (the second refrigerant tank 72 side) and the outdoor air blowing duct arrangement area Aa is located above the heat exchanger 75 (the first refrigerant tank 71 side). That is, the outdoor heat exchanger 15 is positioned within the outdoor unit 40 so that the upper side of the heat exchanger 75 is located inside the outdoor air blowing duct 43 and the lower side of the heat exchanger 75 is located inside the exhaust air blowing duct 49.

As a result, in the heat exchange section 75 of the exterior heat exchanger 15, the downstream portion of the drainage path for moisture originating from condensed water, etc. is set in the exhaust air blowing passage arrangement area Ab. In other words, according to the vehicle air conditioning device 1, exhaust air having exhaust heat can be blown to the downstream portion of the drainage path, suppressing the refreezing of moisture originating from condensed water, etc., and preventing a decrease in heat exchange performance.

As described above, the vehicle air conditioning system 1 according to the third embodiment can achieve the same effects as the above-mentioned embodiment through the same configuration and operation, even when an exterior heat exchanger 15 is used in which multiple refrigerant tubes 76 extending in the vertical direction are arranged in a stacked manner.

In addition, according to the vehicle air conditioner 1 of the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, by setting the exhaust air blowing passage arrangement area Ab on the downstream side of the exterior heat exchanger 15 in the gravity direction, it is possible to suppress the refreezing of moisture downstream of the drainage path in the heat exchange section 75. By suppressing the refreezing of moisture originating from condensed water, etc., the vehicle air conditioner 1 can suppress the deterioration of the heat exchange performance of the exterior heat exchanger 15 and prevent the deterioration of air conditioning performance.

Fourth Embodiment
Next, a fourth embodiment different from the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. In the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the fourth embodiment, the configuration of the exhaust air blowing duct 49 in the exterior unit 40 is different from that of the above-described embodiment. The configurations of the heat pump cycle 10, the interior unit 20, and the control device 60 in the vehicle air conditioner 1 are otherwise the same as those of the above-described embodiment, and therefore will not be described again.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the fourth embodiment, the exhaust air passage 49 in the exterior unit 40 is divided into a plurality of passages by a partition wall 49c. Specifically, the exhaust air passage 49 according to the fourth embodiment is composed of a first exhaust air passage 49a and a second exhaust air passage 49b. The second exhaust air passage 49b is a passage in the exhaust air passage 49 that is located closer to the outside air passage 43 than the partition wall 49c. The first exhaust air passage 49a is a passage in the exhaust air passage 49 that is formed at a position farther away from the outside air passage 43 than the partition wall 49c.

The end of the partition wall 49c is configured to be able to face the end of the switching door 48. Therefore, when the end of the partition wall 49c faces the end of the switching door 48, the switching door 48, together with the partition wall 49c, forms part of the partition that separates the first exhaust air passage 49a and the second exhaust air passage 49b.

Therefore, when the end of the partition wall 49c faces the end of the switching door 48, exhaust air carrying exhaust heat from the vehicle interior R flows into the first exhaust air passage 49a through the first communication portion 46. On the other hand, outside air flows into the second exhaust air passage 49b through the second communication portion 47.

When the switching door 48 closes the first communication portion 46, outside air flows into the first exhaust air passage 49a and the second exhaust air passage 49b through the second communication portion 47. When the switching door 48 closes the second communication portion 47, exhaust air flows from the vehicle interior R through the first communication portion 46 into the first exhaust air passage 49a and the second exhaust air passage 49b.

As a result, with the vehicle air conditioning device 1 according to the fourth embodiment, the balance between the volume of outside air blown to the exterior heat exchanger 15 and the volume of exhaust air can be adjusted by controlling the operation of the switching door 48 in the intake air switching section 45.

For example, the balance between the airflow path area through which the outside air flows and the airflow path area through which the exhaust air flows can be adjusted according to the balance between the volume of outside air supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger 15 by the outdoor blower 51 and the volume of exhaust air supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger 15 via the first communication section 46.

For example, if the volume of outside air supplied from the exterior blower 51 to the exterior heat exchanger 15 is large and the volume of exhaust air blown to the exterior heat exchanger 15 through the vehicle interior R is small, the air passage area required to blow the exhaust air to the exterior heat exchanger 15 may be small.

In this case, the vehicle air conditioner 1 controls the operation of the intake air switching unit 45 to make the end of the partition wall 49c face the end of the switching door 48, thereby introducing exhaust air into the first exhaust air passage 49a and outside air into the second exhaust air passage 49b. As a result, the air passage area of the exhaust air supplied to the exterior heat exchanger 15 can be adjusted to a portion of the exhaust air passage 49, while the air passage area of the outside air can be adjusted to the outside air passage 43 plus the remaining portion of the exhaust air passage 49.

In other words, according to the vehicle air conditioner 1 of the fourth embodiment, the balance between the air passage areas of the outside air and the exhaust air in the outside air passage 43 and the exhaust air passage 49 can be adjusted according to the balance of the air volumes of the outside air and the exhaust air to the exterior heat exchanger 15, thereby realizing an appropriate state.

As described above, according to the vehicle air conditioner 1 of the fourth embodiment, even if the internal configuration of the exhaust air blowing duct 49 in the exterior unit 40 is changed, the same effects as those of the above-mentioned embodiment can be obtained from the configuration and operation.

The vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the fourth embodiment also changes the usage of the first exhaust air passage 49a and the second exhaust air passage 49b that constitute the exhaust air passage 49 as appropriate according to the volume of exhaust air exhausted from the vehicle compartment R. This allows the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the fourth embodiment to adjust the balance of the air passage areas of the outside air and exhaust air relative to the exterior heat exchanger 15 to an appropriate mode according to the air volume balance.

Fifth Embodiment
Next, a fifth embodiment different from the above-described embodiments will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. The vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the fifth embodiment has an inside air discharge section 30 in addition to the outside unit 40 as a means for discharging air from inside the vehicle compartment R. That is, the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the fifth embodiment differs from the above-described embodiments in terms of the configuration of the inside air discharge section 30 and the operation control of the outside unit 40 and the inside air discharge section 30. Other configurations of the heat pump cycle 10, the inside unit 20, the control device 60, etc. in the vehicle air conditioner 1 are the same as those of the above-described embodiments, so repeated description will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 7, the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the fifth embodiment is configured similarly to the first embodiment, except that an inside air exhaust section 30 is provided on the passenger compartment R side. The inside air exhaust section 30 is one of the components that exhausts the inside air in the passenger compartment R to the outside O, and has an inside air exhaust port 31 and an exhaust door 32. The inside air exhaust port 31 is an opening that connects the passenger compartment R to the outside O. The exhaust door 32 is a door member that opens and closes the inside air exhaust port 31.

The exhaust door 32 is connected to an electric actuator (not shown) and switches the inside air exhaust port 31 open and closed. The operation of the electric actuator for the exhaust door 32 is controlled by a control signal output from the control device 60. Therefore, the inside air exhaust unit 30 corresponds to an example of an inside air exhaust unit.

Therefore, in the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the fifth embodiment, when outside air is introduced into the vehicle compartment R by the inside/outside air switching unit 23, the method of discharging the inside air in the vehicle compartment R to the outside O can be selected from a method via the intake air switching unit 45 and a method via the inside air exhaust unit 30.

Here, we consider the initial state of air conditioning operation in the vehicle cabin R. It is assumed that at the beginning of heating operation, the inside air temperature in the vehicle cabin R is lower than the outside air temperature. In this case, when the inside/outside air switching unit 23 goes into the outside air introduction mode, outside air is introduced into the vehicle cabin R. At this time, if the intake air switching unit 45 supplies exhaust air whose temperature is lower than the outside air temperature to the exterior heat exchanger 15, the amount of heat pumped by the heat pump cycle 10 will be lower than when outside air is supplied to the exterior heat exchanger 15, and it is thought that the heating performance will be reduced.

In addition, it is assumed that the inside air temperature in the passenger compartment R is higher than the outside air temperature at the beginning of cooling operation. In this case, the inside/outside air switching unit 23 goes into the outside air introduction mode and outside air is introduced into the passenger compartment R. At this time, if the intake air switching unit 45 supplies exhaust air with a temperature higher than the outside air temperature to the exterior heat exchanger 15, the amount of heat exchanged in the exterior heat exchanger 15 will be lower than when outside air is supplied to the exterior heat exchanger 15, and the cooling performance will be reduced.

In the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the fifth embodiment, in order to prevent a decrease in air conditioning performance when introducing outside air into the vehicle compartment R, switching control is performed for the exhaust mode of exhaust air from the vehicle compartment R.

In other words, when the inside/outside air switching unit 23 is in the outside air introduction mode, the vehicle air conditioner 1 appropriately selects the method of exhausting the exhaust air derived from the inside air from the exhaust direction via the inside air exhaust unit 30 and the exhaust method via the intake air switching unit 45, depending on the result of the comparison between the inside air temperature and the outside air temperature.

Next, the content of the control for switching the exhaust mode when exhausting air from the vehicle interior R in the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 8. The control program shown in the flowchart of FIG. 8 is stored in the ROM of the control device 60 described above and is executed by the CPU.

In addition, in the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the fifth embodiment, the air circulation mode during air conditioning in the vehicle compartment R can be appropriately selected from either the inside air circulation mode or the outside air introduction mode. Selection and setting from the inside air circulation mode or the outside air introduction mode includes an automatic setting that is automatically performed by the control device 60, and a manual setting that is set based on a selection and setting operation by the user.

The interior air circulation mode is a circulation mode in which the air in the vehicle interior R is circulated through the interior heat exchanger 13 to condition the vehicle interior R. The exterior air introduction mode is a circulation mode in which the air in the vehicle interior R is circulated from the outside O to the interior heat exchanger 13 to condition the vehicle interior R, and the air in the vehicle interior R is exhausted to the outside O.

When the control program starts to be executed, in step S1, it is determined whether the selected setting of the internal air recirculation mode or the external air introduction mode is the automatic setting. If the selected setting is the automatic setting, the process proceeds to step S2. On the other hand, if the selected setting is the manual setting rather than the automatic setting, the process proceeds to step S10.

In step S2, in order to perform automatic setting, the inside air temperature is acquired by the inside air temperature sensor 61a, and the outside air temperature is acquired by the outside air temperature sensor 61b. The inside air temperature and the outside air temperature may be detected values detected after moving to step S2, or may be data that has already been detected at the time of moving to step S2. After acquiring the inside air temperature and the outside air temperature, the process moves to step S3.

In step S3, it is determined whether the heat pump cycle 10 is in cooling operation. Specifically, the determination in step S3 is made based on control signals for the four-way switching valve 12 and the expansion valve 14. If the heat pump cycle 10 is in cooling operation, the process proceeds to step S4. On the other hand, if the heat pump cycle 10 is not in cooling operation but is in heating operation, the process proceeds to step S7.

In step S4, the inside air temperature and the outside air temperature acquired in step S2 are compared to determine whether the inside air temperature is lower than the outside air temperature. If the inside air temperature is lower than the outside air temperature, processing proceeds to step S5. On the other hand, if the inside air temperature is not lower than the outside air temperature, i.e., if the inside air temperature is equal to or higher than the outside air temperature, processing proceeds to step S6.

In step S5, since cooling operation is performed when the inside air temperature is lower than the outside air temperature, the inside air circulation mode is set as the air circulation mode in the passenger compartment R. Therefore, in step S5, the inside/outside air switching unit 23 is controlled to close the outside air inlet 24 with the inside/outside air switching door 26 and open the inside air inlet 25. In addition, the inside air exhaust unit 30 is controlled to close the inside air exhaust port 31 with the exhaust door 32. And the intake air switching unit 45 is controlled to close the first communication unit 46 with the switching door 48 and open the second communication unit 47.

As a result, when the process proceeds to step S5, the interior of the vehicle compartment R can be cooled by circulating the interior air of the vehicle compartment R through the interior heat exchanger 13. In the interior air circulation mode, high-temperature outside air is not introduced into the vehicle compartment R, so cooling operation can be performed without increasing the load on the cooling of the vehicle compartment R.

When proceeding to step S5, outside air is supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger 15 via the outside air blowing duct 43 and the exhaust air blowing duct 49. When the operation control of the inside/outside air switching unit 23, the inside air exhaust unit 30, and the intake air switching unit 45 is terminated in step S5, the execution of the control program is terminated.

In step S6, since cooling operation is performed when the inside air temperature is equal to or higher than the outside air temperature, the outside air introduction mode is set as the air circulation mode in the passenger compartment R. Therefore, in step S6, the inside/outside air switching unit 23 is controlled to close the inside air inlet 25 with the inside/outside air switching door 26 and open the outside air inlet 24. In addition, the inside air exhaust unit 30 is controlled to close the inside air exhaust port 31 with the exhaust door 32. And the intake air switching unit 45 is controlled to close the first communication unit 46 with the switching door 48 and open the second communication unit 47.

As a result, when the process proceeds to step S6, the interior of the vehicle compartment R can be cooled by adjusting the temperature of the outside air, which is lower in temperature than the air inside the vehicle compartment R, using the indoor heat exchanger 13. In the outside air introduction mode, low-temperature outside air is introduced into the vehicle compartment R, so that the load on the air conditioning inside the vehicle compartment R can be reduced and cooling operation can be performed.

When proceeding to step S6, outside air is also supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger 15 via the outside air blowing duct 43 and the exhaust air blowing duct 49. When the operation control of the inside/outside air switching unit 23, the inside air exhaust unit 30, and the intake air switching unit 45 is terminated in step S6, the execution of the control program is terminated.

In step S7, which is performed when the heat pump cycle 10 is in heating operation, the indoor air temperature and outdoor air temperature obtained in step S2 are compared to determine whether the indoor air temperature is equal to or higher than the outdoor air temperature. If the indoor air temperature is equal to or higher than the outdoor air temperature, processing proceeds to step S8. On the other hand, if the indoor air temperature is not equal to or higher than the outdoor air temperature, i.e., if the indoor air temperature is lower than the outdoor air temperature, processing proceeds to step S9.

In step S8, heating operation is performed when the inside air temperature is equal to or higher than the outside air temperature. Therefore, in step S8, the inside/outside air switching unit 23 is controlled to close the inside air inlet 25 with the inside/outside air switching door 26 and open the outside air inlet 24. The inside air exhaust unit 30 is controlled to close the inside air exhaust port 31 with the exhaust door 32. The intake air switching unit 45 is controlled to close the second communication unit 47 with the switching door 48 and open the first communication unit 46. When the operational control of the inside/outside air switching unit 23, the inside air exhaust unit 30, and the intake air switching unit 45 is ended in step S8, the execution of the control program is ended.

As a result, when the process proceeds to step S8, the outside air introduced through the outside air inlet 24 can be heated by the indoor heat exchanger 13 to heat the vehicle interior R. The heated inside air is supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger 15 via the intake air switching unit 45 and the exhaust air blowing path 49, rather than the inside air exhaust unit 30. This allows the outdoor heat exchanger 15 to recover exhaust heat from the exhaust air derived from the inside air, thereby achieving efficient heating operation.

In step S9, heating operation is performed when the inside air temperature is lower than the outside air temperature. For this reason, the inside/outside air switching unit 23 is controlled to close the inside air inlet 25 with the inside/outside air switching door 26 and open the outside air inlet 24. The inside air exhaust unit 30 is controlled to close the inside air exhaust port 31 with the exhaust door 32. The intake air switching unit 45 is controlled to close the first communication unit 46 with the switching door 48 and open the second communication unit 47. When the operational control of the inside/outside air switching unit 23, the inside air exhaust unit 30, and the intake air switching unit 45 is ended in step S9, the execution of the control program is ended.

As a result, when proceeding to step S9, the outside air introduced through the outside air inlet 24 can be heated by the indoor heat exchanger 13 to heat the vehicle interior R. Outside air that is at a higher temperature than the inside air is introduced into the exhaust air blowing duct 49 through the second communication part 47. By supplying outside air that has more heat than the exhaust air to the outside air blowing duct 43 and the exhaust air blowing duct 49, the heat of the outside air can be effectively utilized to heat the vehicle interior R.

In step S10, which is reached if manual setting is set in step S1, it is determined whether or not the inside air recirculation mode has been manually set as the operating mode of the inside/outside air switching unit 23. The determination process in step S10 is performed by checking the contents of the setting information stored in the RAM of the control device 60. The setting information is written when settings related to the operating mode of the inside/outside air switching unit 23 are made using, for example, the operation panel 62 or the like. If the inside air recirculation mode is set, the process proceeds to step S11. On the other hand, if the inside air recirculation mode is not set (i.e., if the outside air introduction mode is set), the process proceeds to step S12.

Step S11 is a case where air conditioning operation is performed in the inside air circulation mode. In this case, the inside/outside air switching unit 23 is controlled to close the outside air inlet 24 with the inside/outside air switching door 26 and open the inside air inlet 25. The inside air exhaust unit 30 is controlled to close the inside air exhaust port 31 with the exhaust door 32. The intake air switching unit 45 is controlled to close the first communication unit 46 with the switching door 48 and open the second communication unit 47. When the operational control of the inside/outside air switching unit 23, the inside air exhaust unit 30, and the intake air switching unit 45 is ended in step S11, the execution of the control program is ended.

Therefore, in step S11, the interior air is circulated through the interior heat exchanger 13 in accordance with the user's manual settings, thereby conditioning the interior of the vehicle compartment R. Furthermore, in the exterior unit 40, outside air is supplied to both the outside air blowing duct 43 and the exhaust air blowing duct 49, so the vehicle air conditioner 1 can achieve air conditioning operation that effectively utilizes heat exchange with the outside air.

Step S12 is a case where air conditioning operation is performed in the outside air introduction mode. In this case, the inside/outside air switching unit 23 is controlled to close the inside air inlet 25 with the inside/outside air switching door 26 and open the outside air inlet 24. The inside air exhaust unit 30 is controlled to close the inside air exhaust port 31 with the exhaust door 32. The intake air switching unit 45 is controlled to close the second communication unit 47 with the switching door 48 and open the first communication unit 46. When the operational control of the inside/outside air switching unit 23, the inside air exhaust unit 30, and the intake air switching unit 45 is ended in step S11, the execution of the control program is ended.

Therefore, in step S12, the outside air introduced from the inside/outside air switching unit 23 is introduced into the indoor heat exchanger 13 and the temperature is adjusted according to the user's manual setting, thereby performing air conditioning in the vehicle compartment R. Then, exhaust air derived from the inside air can be introduced into the exhaust air blowing passage 49 via the intake air switching unit 45, so that the vehicle air conditioner 1 can realize air conditioning operation that utilizes the exhaust heat contained in the exhaust air in the outdoor heat exchanger 15.

As described above, according to the vehicle air conditioner 1 of the fifth embodiment, even when a configuration is adopted that has an inside air exhaust section 30 having an inside air exhaust port 31 and an exhaust door 32, it is possible to obtain the same effects as those of the above-mentioned embodiment through the configuration and operation.

The vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the fifth embodiment controls the operation of the inside/outside air switching unit 23, the inside air exhaust unit 30, and the intake air switching unit 45 based on the control program shown in FIG. 8, thereby enabling the vehicle air conditioner 1 to adopt an air circulation mode suited to the inside air temperature and outside air temperature conditions. This allows the vehicle air conditioner 1 to improve air conditioning performance in accordance with the inside air temperature and outside air temperature conditions during air conditioning operation in the passenger compartment R.

Sixth Embodiment
Next, a sixth embodiment different from the above-mentioned embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9. In the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the sixth embodiment, exhaust air containing exhaust heat from the vehicle-mounted equipment arranged in the drive unit room Rd flows through the exhaust air blowing passage 49 as the exhaust air from the exterior unit 40 and exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the exterior heat exchanger 15. That is, in the sixth embodiment, exhaust air containing exhaust heat from the vehicle-mounted equipment flows as the exhaust air passing through the exterior heat exchanger 15, instead of the inside air in the above-mentioned embodiment. The rest of the configuration of the heat pump cycle 10, the interior unit 20, the control device 60, etc. in the vehicle air conditioner 1 are the same as those in the above-mentioned embodiment, so repeated description will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 9, in the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the sixth embodiment, the configuration of the exterior unit 40 is different from that of the fifth embodiment described above. One end of the exhaust air blowing passage 49 according to the sixth embodiment is connected to the drive unit chamber Rd, and the other end of the exhaust air blowing passage 49 is connected to the outside O.

An exhaust fan 55 is disposed upstream of the exhaust air duct 49 in the sixth embodiment. The exhaust fan 55 is an electric fan for blowing air from one end of the exhaust air duct 49 to the other end. Therefore, the exhaust fan 55 can exhaust air from the drive unit chamber Rd to the outside O via the exhaust air duct 49.

The drive unit room Rd is equipped with a drive unit (e.g., an electric motor, etc.) for outputting driving force for traveling. The on-board equipment mounted in the drive unit room Rd includes an on-board battery, power control elements, etc., in addition to the electric motor. Since these on-board devices generate heat when they are operated, the air in the drive unit room Rd contains the exhaust heat from the on-board devices.

A hot exhaust air temperature sensor 61i is disposed in the exhaust air blowing passage 49. The hot exhaust air temperature sensor 61i is a detection unit for detecting the temperature of the exhaust air (i.e., the hot exhaust air) that contains the exhaust heat from the equipment and is introduced from the drive unit room Rd.

The intake air switching section 45 according to the sixth embodiment is disposed downstream of the exhaust air blowing passage 49. Similarly to the above-mentioned embodiments, the intake air switching section 45 according to the sixth embodiment has a first communication section 46, a second communication section 47, and a switching door 48.

The first communication section 46 in the sixth embodiment is an opening that connects the inside of the drive unit chamber Rd with the exhaust air blowing passage 49, and is opened, for example, in the outdoor casing 41. The second communication section 47 is an opening that connects the exhaust air blowing passage 49 with the outside air blowing passage 43, and is formed in a partition wall inside the outdoor casing 41.

The switching door 48 according to the sixth embodiment is a door member configured to selectively open and close the first communication portion 46 and the second communication portion 47, similar to the above-described embodiments. The switching door 48 is driven by an electric actuator for driving the switching door 48. The operation of the electric actuator for driving the switching door 48 is controlled by a control signal output from the control device 60.

Inside the outdoor unit 40 according to the sixth embodiment, the outdoor heat exchanger 15 is arranged in the same manner as in the above-mentioned embodiments. That is, the outdoor heat exchanger 15 is arranged across the outdoor air duct 43 and the exhaust air duct 49, downstream of the intake air switching section 45 in the blown air flow. A part of the outdoor heat exchanger 15 is arranged in the outdoor air duct 43, and the remaining part of the outdoor heat exchanger 15 is arranged in the exhaust air duct 49.

Therefore, according to the outdoor unit 40 of the sixth embodiment, when the second communication part 47 is closed by the switching door 48 and the first communication part 46 is opened, exhaust air containing the exhaust heat from the on-board equipment in the drive unit chamber Rd can be supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger 15 as exhaust air.

In addition, when the first communication section 46 is closed by the switching door 48 and the second communication section 47 is opened, the outdoor unit 40 according to the sixth embodiment can supply outside air to the outdoor heat exchanger 15 via the outside air blowing passage 43 and the exhaust air blowing passage 49, as in the above-described embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 9, the outdoor unit 40 according to the sixth embodiment is provided with a third communication section 52 and an exhaust switching door 53. The third communication section 52 is an opening formed in the outdoor casing 41 downstream of the exhaust fan 55 in the exhaust air duct 49 and upstream of the intake air switching section 45. The third communication section 52 connects the inside of the exhaust air duct 49 to the outside O.

The discharge switching door 53 is a door member configured to selectively open and close the third communication section 52. The discharge switching door 53 is driven by an electric actuator for driving the discharge switching door 53. The operation of the electric actuator for driving the discharge switching door 53 is controlled by a control signal output from the control device 60.

Therefore, according to the vehicle air conditioner 1 of the sixth embodiment, when the first communication section 46 is closed by the switching door 48 and the second communication section 47 is opened, the exhaust air containing the equipment exhaust heat flowing through the exhaust air blowing passage 49 can be exhausted to the outside O by opening the third communication section 52.

In the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the sixth embodiment, when the indoor unit 20 is used in the outside air introduction mode, the inside/outside air switching section 23 is controlled to close the inside air inlet 25 with the inside/outside air switching door 26 and open the outside air inlet 24. The inside air exhaust section 30 is controlled to open the inside air exhaust port 31 with the exhaust door 32.

As a result, the outside air introduced through the outside air introduction passage 22 and the outside air introduction port 24 is temperature-adjusted in the indoor heat exchanger 13 and supplied to the vehicle interior R. In the sixth embodiment, the air in the vehicle interior R is exhausted to the outside O through the inside air exhaust port 31.

On the other hand, in the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the sixth embodiment, when the indoor unit 20 is used in the inside air circulation mode, the inside/outside air switching section 23 is controlled so that the outside air inlet 24 is closed by the inside/outside air switching door 26 and the inside air inlet 25 is opened. The inside air exhaust section 30 is controlled so that the exhaust door 32 closes the inside air exhaust port 31.

As a result, air in the vehicle interior R is drawn into the interior of the indoor casing 21 through the indoor air inlet 25 and supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 13. The air whose temperature has been adjusted by the indoor heat exchanger 13 is supplied to the vehicle interior R through the indoor supply port 29.

In the outdoor unit 40 according to the sixth embodiment, when outside air is supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger 15 via the exhaust air blowing passage 49, the intake air switching section 45 is controlled by the switching door 48 to close the first communication section 46 and open the second communication section 47. At this time, the third communication section 52 is controlled to be open by the exhaust switching door 53.

As a result, in the outdoor unit 40, outdoor air is introduced into both the outdoor air duct 43 and the exhaust air duct 49, and the outdoor heat exchanger 15 exchanges heat between the outdoor air and the refrigerant.

On the other hand, in the outdoor unit 40 according to the sixth embodiment, when exhaust air containing equipment waste heat is supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger 15 via the exhaust air blowing passage 49, the intake air switching section 45 is controlled so that the switching door 48 closes the second communication section 47 and opens the first communication section. At this time, the third communication section 52 is controlled so that it is closed by the exhaust switching door 53.

As a result, in the outdoor unit 40, the outdoor air blowing passage 43 and the exhaust air blowing passage 49 are individually partitioned to form independent blowing passages. Therefore, outdoor air is supplied to a part of the outdoor heat exchanger 15 via the outdoor air blowing passage 43, and exhaust air containing equipment exhaust heat is supplied to the remaining part of the outdoor heat exchanger 15 via the exhaust air blowing passage 49. Therefore, according to the vehicle air conditioning device 1 in this case, heat exchange between the refrigerant and the exhaust air is performed in the outdoor heat exchanger 15, so that the equipment exhaust heat contained in the exhaust air can be recovered and used for air conditioning in the passenger compartment R.

In the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the sixth embodiment, when the outside air is supplied to the exterior heat exchanger 15 via the exhaust air blowing duct 49, the following cases can be assumed. For example, when the heat pump cycle 10 is performing heating operation, the exhaust air temperature detected by the exhaust air temperature sensor 61i may be lower than the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor 61b.

In addition, when the heat pump cycle 10 is performing cooling operation and the exhaust air temperature is higher than the outdoor air temperature, it is desirable to adopt a mode in which outdoor air is supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger 15 via the exhaust air blowing duct 49.

Furthermore, when the amount of exhaust air supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger 15 is small and absorbing heat from the outside air improves the air conditioning performance of the heat pump cycle 10, it is desirable to adopt a mode in which outside air is supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger 15 via the exhaust air blowing duct 49.

According to the vehicle air conditioner 1 of the sixth embodiment, by closing the second communication portion 47 with the switching door 48, the outside air blowing passage 43 and the exhaust air blowing passage 49 can be formed as separate and independent blowing passages inside the exterior unit 40.

As a result, exhaust air containing the exhaust heat from the equipment in the drive unit chamber Rd can be supplied to the exterior heat exchanger 15 via the exhaust air blowing duct 49 without being affected by the driving state of the exterior blower 51 arranged in the exterior air blowing duct 43. And, according to the vehicle air conditioning device 1, the exterior heat exchanger 15 can recover heat from the exhaust air containing the exhaust heat from the equipment, thereby improving the air conditioning performance.

When the outside air temperature is low and the vehicle is operating in cooling mode, the pressure difference between the high-pressure side and the low-pressure side of the heat pump cycle 10 may become too small, making it impossible for the heat pump cycle 10 to operate. In such a case, the vehicle air conditioner 1 can increase the pressure on the high-pressure side of the heat pump cycle 10 and increase the pressure difference between the high-pressure side and the low-pressure side by supplying exhaust air that is at a higher temperature than the outside air to the exterior heat exchanger 15. In other words, the vehicle air conditioner 1 can optimize the operating state of the heat pump cycle 10 by effectively utilizing the exhaust heat from the equipment during cooling mode and other operations when the outside air temperature is low.

As described above, the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the sixth embodiment can achieve the same effects as the above-mentioned embodiments through the same configuration and operation, even when the exhaust air containing the exhaust heat from the equipment in the drive unit chamber Rd is the target.

In addition, in the outside air introduction heating mode and outside air introduction cooling mode, the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the sixth embodiment introduces outside air into the vehicle compartment R via the inside/outside air switching unit 23 to perform air conditioning, and also introduces exhaust air containing equipment waste heat into the exhaust air blowing path 49 via the intake air switching unit 45. As a result, the exhaust air containing equipment waste heat passes through the exterior heat exchanger 15, so that the vehicle air conditioner 1 can achieve air conditioning in the vehicle compartment R using equipment waste heat derived from the on-board equipment as a heat source.

Seventh Embodiment
Next, a seventh embodiment different from the above-described embodiments will be described with reference to Fig. 10. In the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the seventh embodiment, the arrangement of the outdoor fan 51 in the outdoor unit 40 is different from that in the above-described sixth embodiment. The rest of the configuration of the heat pump cycle 10, the indoor unit 20, the control device 60, etc. in the vehicle air conditioner 1 is the same as in the above-described embodiments, so repeated description will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 10, in the outdoor unit 40 according to the seventh embodiment, the outdoor blower 51 is disposed downstream of the air flow from the downstream end of the outdoor air blowing duct 43 and the exhaust air blowing duct 49. Therefore, the outdoor blower 51 according to the seventh embodiment is located downstream of the air flow from the intake air switching section 45 and the outdoor heat exchanger 15 inside the outdoor unit 40.

As a result, the exterior blower 51 is positioned downstream of the downstream end of the exhaust air duct 49, so that by driving the exterior blower 51, the air in the drive unit chamber Rd can be sucked into the exhaust air duct 49 as exhaust air. As a result, the vehicle air conditioner 1 can recover the equipment exhaust heat contained in the exhaust air in the exterior heat exchanger 15, and can improve air conditioning performance by utilizing the equipment exhaust heat.

In addition, by driving the outdoor blower 51, an air flow can be generated in the exhaust air duct 49 in addition to the air flow in the outdoor air duct 43, so the exhaust blower 55 as in the sixth embodiment can be omitted.

As described above, according to the vehicle air conditioner 1 of the seventh embodiment, even if the position of the outdoor fan 51 in the outdoor unit 40 is changed, the same effects as those of the above-mentioned embodiment can be obtained from the configuration and operation.

In addition, the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the seventh embodiment has an exterior blower 51 disposed downstream of the downstream end of the exhaust air duct 49, so that exhaust air containing equipment waste heat can be supplied to the exterior heat exchanger 15 via the exhaust air duct 49 by driving the exterior blower 51. This allows the vehicle air conditioner 1 to recover equipment waste heat from the exhaust air in the exterior heat exchanger 15, improving air conditioning performance.

In the seventh embodiment, an example was described in which the position of the outdoor fan 51 was changed based on the configuration of the sixth embodiment, but in the configurations shown in the first to fifth embodiments, it is also possible to change the position of the outdoor fan 51 in the same way as in the seventh embodiment.

Eighth embodiment
Next, an eighth embodiment, which is different from the above-described embodiments, will be described with reference to Fig. 11. In the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the eighth embodiment, the arrangement of the exterior heat exchanger 15 and the exterior blower 51 differs from that of the above-described sixth and seventh embodiments. Other configurations of the heat pump cycle 10, the interior unit 20, and the control device 60 in the vehicle air conditioner 1 are the same as those of the above-described embodiments, and therefore will not be described again.

As shown in FIG. 11, in the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the eighth embodiment, the arrangement of the exterior heat exchanger 15 and the exterior blower 51 in the exterior unit 40 differs from that of the sixth and seventh embodiments described above.

Inside the outdoor unit 40 according to the eighth embodiment, the outdoor heat exchanger 15 is disposed downstream of the air flow relative to the downstream ends of the outdoor air blowing duct 43 and the exhaust air blowing duct 49.

A part of the outdoor heat exchanger 15 is disposed in an area where the outdoor air blowing passage 43 is extended downstream of the air flow, and the remaining part of the outdoor heat exchanger 15 is disposed in an area where the exhaust air blowing passage 49 is extended downstream of the air flow. Therefore, even in the arrangement of the outdoor heat exchanger 15 according to the eighth embodiment, an outdoor air blowing passage arrangement area Aa is set in a part of the outdoor heat exchanger 15, and an exhaust air blowing passage arrangement area Ab is set in the remaining part of the outdoor heat exchanger 15.

Inside the outdoor unit 40 according to the eighth embodiment, the outdoor blower 51 is disposed downstream of the air flow from the downstream end of the outdoor air blowing duct 43 and the exhaust air blowing duct 49, and upstream of the outdoor heat exchanger 15.

The exterior heat exchanger 15 is disposed downstream of the exterior blower 51, and no components such as a heat exchanger are disposed upstream of the exterior blower 51. For this reason, in the exterior unit 40, by driving the exterior blower 51, the air in the drive device chamber Rd can be sucked into the exhaust air blowing passage 49 as exhaust air without loss. As a result, the vehicle air conditioner 1 can supply more exhaust air to the exterior heat exchanger 15. And, since the vehicle air conditioner 1 can recover the equipment exhaust heat contained in the exhaust air in the exterior heat exchanger 15, the air conditioning performance can be further improved by utilizing the equipment exhaust heat.

As described above, according to the vehicle air conditioning system 1 of the eighth embodiment, even if the exterior blower 51 is disposed downstream of the exhaust air blowing passage 49 and upstream of the exterior heat exchanger 15, it is possible to obtain the same advantageous effects as those of the above-mentioned embodiment due to the configuration and operation.

In addition, the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the eighth embodiment is disposed downstream of the exhaust air duct 49 and upstream of the exterior heat exchanger 15, thereby enabling the air flow in the upstream exhaust air duct 49 to be created with reduced loss. In other words, the vehicle air conditioner 1 can efficiently supply exhaust air containing equipment exhaust heat to the exterior heat exchanger 15, thereby increasing the amount of exhaust heat recovered by the exterior heat exchanger 15 and improving air conditioning performance.

Ninth embodiment
Next, a ninth embodiment different from the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12. In the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the ninth embodiment, the configuration of the intake air switching section 45 in the outdoor unit 40 is different from that of the above-described embodiment. The configurations of the heat pump cycle 10, the indoor unit 20, the control device 60, etc. in the vehicle air conditioner 1 are the same as those of the above-described embodiment, so that a repeated description will be omitted.

In the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the ninth embodiment, part of the configuration of the intake air switching section 45 in the exterior unit 40 differs from that of the above-described embodiment. As shown in FIG. 12, in the ninth embodiment, a partition wall 54 is disposed at a predetermined distance from a partition wall including a support shaft that rotatably supports the switching door 48 of the intake air switching section 45. As a result, an air passage that communicates with the outside O is formed between the partition wall including the support shaft and the partition wall 54.

The intake air switching section 45 according to the ninth embodiment has a third communication section 52 in addition to the first communication section 46, the second communication section 47, and the switching door 48, as in the above-described embodiment. The first communication section 46 is an opening section that connects the upstream side of the exhaust air blowing passage 49 that connects to the drive device chamber Rd with the downstream side of the exhaust air blowing passage 49. The second communication section 47 is an opening section that connects the exhaust air blowing passage 49 with the outside air blowing passage 43, and is formed in a partition wall inside the outdoor casing 41.

The third communication section 52 according to the ninth embodiment is disposed between the partition wall including the support shaft and the partition wall 54, and constitutes the end of the air passage that communicates with the outside O. When the third communication section 52 is opened, an air flow is generated in the air passage that communicates with the outside O.

The switching door 48 according to the ninth embodiment differs from the switching door 48 according to the above-mentioned embodiments in that it is supported so as to be rotatable about the center of the plate-shaped switching door 48. The switching door 48 according to the ninth embodiment is configured so that the first communication portion 46 or the second communication portion 47 can be blocked by the portion on one side of the support shaft, and the third communication portion 52 can be blocked by the portion on the other side of the support shaft.

The switching door 48 according to the ninth embodiment is driven by an electric actuator for driving the switching door 48, as in the above-described embodiment. The operation of the electric actuator for driving the switching door 48 is controlled by a control signal output from the control device 60.

In the outdoor unit 40 according to the ninth embodiment configured in this manner, when the first communication section 46 is closed and the second communication section 47 is opened by the switching door 48, the third communication section 52 is also opened.

In this case, the outside air blown by the exterior blower 51 is supplied to the exterior heat exchanger 15 via the exterior air blowing passage 43, and is also supplied to the exterior heat exchanger 15 via the second communication portion 47 and the downstream portion of the exhaust air blowing passage 49. Therefore, the vehicle air conditioning device 1 can recover the heat contained in the outside air in the exterior heat exchanger 15 and use it for air conditioning operation in the passenger compartment R.

At this time, exhaust air containing the equipment waste heat is introduced from the drive unit chamber Rd into the exhaust air blowing passage 49 by the operation of the exhaust blower 55, and flows through the third communication part 52 into the blowing passage formed between the partition wall including the support shaft and the partition wall 54. Therefore, the exhaust air in this case is exhausted from the drive unit chamber Rd to the outside O through the third communication part 52, etc.

In the outdoor unit 40 according to the ninth embodiment, when the second communication section 47 is closed and the first communication section 46 is opened by the switching door 48, the third communication section 52 is also closed. In this case, the outside air blown by the outdoor blower 51 flows through the outside air blowing passage 43 and is supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger 15 because the second communication section 47 is closed.

In addition, because the first communication section 46 is open and the third communication section 52 is closed by the switching door 48, the exhaust air is introduced from the drive unit chamber Rd to the exhaust air blowing passage 49 by the exhaust blower 55 and is supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger 15 via the first communication section 46.

Therefore, the vehicle air conditioner 1 can improve the air conditioning performance of the air conditioning operation in the passenger compartment R by recovering the heat contained in the outside air via the outside air blowing duct 43 and at the same time recovering the exhaust heat of the equipment from the exhaust air via the exhaust air blowing duct 49.

In other words, according to the vehicle air conditioner 1 of the ninth embodiment, the switching door 48 of the intake air switching section 45 can be provided with a function for selectively opening and closing the first communication section 46 and the second communication section 47, and a function for opening and closing the third communication section 52 depending on the situation. The vehicle air conditioner 1 can reduce the number of parts and assembly steps compared to a case where the function for selectively opening and closing the first communication section 46 and the second communication section 47 and the function for opening and closing the third communication section 52 depending on the situation are separately realized.

As described above, according to the vehicle air conditioner 1 of the ninth embodiment, even if the configuration of the intake air switching unit 45 is changed, the same effects as those of the above-mentioned embodiment can be obtained from the configuration and operation.

In addition, with the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the ninth embodiment, the switching door 48 of the intake air switching section 45 is provided with a function for selectively opening and closing the first communication section 46 and the second communication section 47, and a function for opening and closing the third communication section 52 depending on the situation, thereby reducing the number of parts and the assembly man-hours.

Other Embodiments
The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made as follows without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

In the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the embodiment described above, the switching door 48 of the intake air switching section 45 is configured by a door member that rotates around a support shaft, but is not limited to this form. As long as the first communication section 46 and the second communication section 47 can be opened and closed, the configuration of the switching door 48 can be changed as appropriate, and for example, a sliding door may be used.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Vehicle air conditioner 13 Indoor heat exchanger 15 Outdoor heat exchanger 21 Indoor casing 23 Interior/exterior air switching section 41 Outdoor casing 43 Exterior air blowing passage 45 Intake air switching section 49 Exhaust air blowing passage 60 Control device

Claims (11)

An air conditioning case (21) arranged in a vehicle interior and forming an air passage;
an indoor heat exchanger (13) for exchanging heat between a refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle and air flowing through the air passage inside the air conditioning case;
an outdoor heat exchanger (15) for exchanging heat between the refrigerant and air in the outdoor portion (O);
an air blowing passage forming section (41) including: a first air blowing passage (43) through which outside air introduced from outside flows as air to be blown to the exterior heat exchanger; and a second air blowing passage (49) configured to allow exhaust air discharged from a vehicle and having exhaust heat to flow as air to be blown to the exterior heat exchanger via a route different from the first air blowing passage;
an inside/outside air switching unit (23) that switches between an inside air introduction mode in which inside air in the vehicle cabin is introduced into the air passage and an outside air introduction mode in which the outside air is introduced into the air passage and the inside air is exhausted from the vehicle cabin;
an air blowing switching unit (45) that switches between an exhaust air introduction state in which the exhaust air is introduced into the second air blowing duct and an outside air introduction state in which the outside air is introduced into the second air blowing duct;
A control unit (60) that controls the operation of the inside/outside air switching unit and the air blowing switching unit,
The control unit switches the air blowing switching unit to the exhaust air introduction state when the inside/outside air switching unit is in the outside air introduction mode. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the second air passage blows air to a portion (Ab) of the exterior heat exchanger that is upstream of the flow of the refrigerant inside the exterior heat exchanger. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the second air passage blows air to a downstream portion (Ab) of the exterior heat exchanger in the flow of the refrigerant inside the exterior heat exchanger. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the second air passage blows air to a portion (Ab) of the exterior heat exchanger that is on the lower side in the direction of gravity. An outdoor fan (51) that generates a flow of the outdoor air passing through the outdoor heat exchanger,
The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the exterior blower is disposed upstream of the air blowing switching unit with respect to the flow of the outside air. An outdoor fan (51) that generates an air flow passing through the outdoor heat exchanger,
The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the exterior blower is disposed downstream of a downstream end of the second air passage in relation to the air flow. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust air is inside air exhausted from the passenger compartment. an inside air exhaust section (30) capable of exhausting the inside air from the vehicle interior without passing through the second air blowing passage;
8. The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 7, further comprising an inside air discharge switching unit (60f) that switches between a state in which the inside air is discharged from the passenger compartment through the second air supply path and a state in which the inside air is discharged from the passenger compartment through the inside air discharge unit based on a comparison result between the temperature of the outside air and the temperature of the inside air. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust air is air containing exhaust heat from on-board equipment mounted in the vehicle. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the air flow switching section (45) has a communication section (47) that connects the first air flow passage and the second air flow passage, and a switching door (48) that can adjust the opening area of the communication section. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 10, wherein the air flow switching unit causes the outside air to flow through the first air flow passage and the exhaust air to flow independently through the second air flow passage when the communication portion is closed by the switching door.

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