JPH05178072A - Air conditioner for automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make sure that air to be supplied to a vehicle room inside is subjected to heat exchange by means of interior heat exchangers. CONSTITUTION:An air conditioner installed in an automobile 1 is of a heat pump type, and as for interior heat exchangers that conduct heat exchange with air to be supplied to a vehicle room 2 interior, two heat exchangers, a first and a second heat exchanger 10, 11, are used. These exchangers 10, 11 are arranged in a heat exchanger chamber 5 provided at the front of the vehicle room 2. Also, an exterior heat exchanger 13 that conducts heat exchange with air to be discharged to the vehicle outside, is arranged in a motor chamber 6 provided at the rear of the vehicle room 2. At the time of normal air conditioning, a refrigerant is so arranged that it flows through an expansion valve 20 and a bypass passage 24. For example, at the time of cooling, the refrigerant conducts heat absorption at the first interior heat exchanger 10, and then, conducts heat absorption further at the second interior heat exchanger 11. Accordingly, air to be supplied to the vehicle room 2 interior is cooled in two steps by means of these heat exchangers 10, 11.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner installed in an automobile, and more particularly to an air conditioner provided with an indoor heat exchanger and an outdoor heat exchanger, and a gas phase / liquid phase between the heat exchangers. The present invention relates to an air conditioner for an automobile, which performs cooling or heating by circulating a refrigerant while causing a phase change.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an air conditioner for an automobile includes an evaporator for an indoor heat exchanger for exchanging heat with air supplied to a vehicle interior, a condenser for an outdoor heat exchanger for exchanging heat with air exhausted outside the vehicle, The compressor is composed of a compressor for compressing the refrigerant flowing from the evaporator to the condenser, and a decompression means such as an expansion valve for decompressing the refrigerant flowing from the condenser to the evaporator. The following refrigerating cycle is performed in the cooling device. First, the vapor-phase refrigerant compressed by the compressor becomes high temperature and high pressure and is introduced into the condenser. Outside air is blown to the condenser by a cooling fan, and the outside air cools and liquefies the refrigerant. The liquefied high-pressure refrigerant is then decompressed by the expansion valve and sent to the evaporator. In the evaporator, the refrigerant vaporizes by taking heat from the surroundings. Therefore, if the evaporator is blown with air that is taken in from the outside or inside the vehicle and is supplied to the inside of the vehicle, the air is cooled and the inside of the vehicle is cooled. Then, the vaporized refrigerant is sent to the compressor again and compressed.
A typical automobile air conditioner is configured by combining a vapor compression type cooling device that performs such a refrigeration cycle and a heater that uses engine cooling water.

Recently, for example, JP-A-60-179322 has been used.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication, adoption of a heat pump system for an air conditioner for automobiles has been studied. Even in the heat pump type air conditioner,
An indoor heat exchanger and an outdoor heat exchanger are provided, and cooling is performed by circulating a refrigerant between them in the same manner as in the refrigeration cycle described above. On the other hand, heating is performed by switching the flow direction of the refrigerant so that the refrigeration cycle is reversed and heat is radiated from the indoor heat exchanger. According to such a heat pump type air conditioner, since heat is absorbed from the outside air to perform heating, it does not depend on the engine temperature as in the case of using the engine cooling water described above, and the heating starts up quickly. Become. It can also be applied to an electric vehicle that does not have an internal combustion engine.

As described above, in the automobile air conditioner, the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger are used regardless of whether they are of the vapor compression type or the heat pump type. Since the indoor heat exchanger is for exchanging heat with the air supplied into the vehicle interior, it is arranged inside the vehicle interior. Generally, the indoor heat exchanger is installed in an instrument panel in the front part of the vehicle compartment. On the other hand, the outdoor heat exchanger is installed in a position where the air is easily taken in from the outside of the vehicle and easily discharged to the outside of the vehicle, for example, in the engine room at the front end portion of the vehicle because of the heat exchange with the outside air. Then, in order to prevent the air that has been heat-exchanged by the outdoor heat exchanger from flowing into the vehicle interior, the room where the indoor heat exchanger is installed and the room where the outdoor heat exchanger is installed are The spaces are separated from each other.

By the way, the temperature inside the vehicle compartment controlled by such an air conditioner largely depends on the efficiency of the indoor heat exchanger that exchanges heat with the air supplied into the vehicle interior. Even if the temperature of the refrigerant flowing into the indoor heat exchanger is sufficiently low or high, if the amount of heat absorption or the amount of heat radiation in the heat exchanger is small, the temperature inside the vehicle compartment will not reach the desired temperature. The temperature of the refrigerant guided to the indoor heat exchanger depends on the temperature of the outside air that exchanges heat in the outdoor heat exchanger, but cooling is performed when the outside air temperature is high, and heating is performed. It is when the outside temperature is low. That is, it is difficult to make the temperature of the refrigerant flowing into the indoor heat exchanger sufficiently low or high. Therefore, the amount of heat exchange by the indoor heat exchanger is required to be as large as possible.

Therefore, in the one described in the above publication,
In addition to the usual outdoor heat exchanger and indoor heat exchanger installed in the front of the passenger compartment, a third heat exchanger is installed in the rear of the passenger compartment, and the third heat exchanger should also be used as the indoor heat exchanger. I have to. In the air conditioner, each heat exchanger is connected to a compressor via a refrigerant pipe. Further, the heat exchangers are connected to each other by a refrigerant pipe provided with a pressure reducing device for adiabatically expanding the refrigerant. A four-way valve is provided between the compressor and each heat exchanger, and the flow direction of the refrigerant is switched by the four-way valve. Then, during cooling, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor is sent to the outdoor heat exchanger, and the refrigerant vaporized from the indoor heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger is returned to the compressor. While being sent to the exchanger, the refrigerant vaporized from the third heat exchanger is returned to the compressor. The outdoor heat exchanger is blown with outside air that is taken in from the outside of the vehicle and discharged to the outside of the vehicle. Further, air introduced from outside or inside the vehicle is blown to the indoor heat exchanger, and the air that has passed through the heat exchanger is introduced into the vehicle interior. Then, the air flowing out of the vehicle compartment passes through the third heat exchanger. The air that has passed through the third heat exchanger is returned to the vehicle interior during cooling and discharged outside the vehicle during heating. According to such an air conditioner, the third heat exchanger functions as an indoor heat exchanger during cooling. That is, since two indoor heat exchangers are provided and the heat exchange area increases, the heat exchange amount increases.

[0007]

However, in such an air conditioner, for example, when performing cooling and heating while introducing outside air, the outside air is supplied into the vehicle compartment only through the indoor heat exchanger on the front side of the vehicle compartment. If the heat exchange efficiency of the indoor heat exchanger is low, air that is not sufficiently cooled or heated will flow into the vehicle interior. Moreover, in the case of the air conditioner, the third heat exchanger works as the indoor heat exchanger as described above at the time of cooling, but acts as the outdoor heat exchanger at the time of heating, so that the third heat exchanger is used by the third heat exchanger. It is also not possible to raise the temperature of the indoor air. Therefore, it becomes difficult to sufficiently raise the temperature inside the vehicle, especially when the outside air temperature is low. Although it suffices that the third heat exchanger always works as an indoor heat exchanger, in the air conditioner in which the three heat exchangers are arranged in parallel as described above, if such an attempt is made, each heat exchanger will be It is necessary to control the flow direction of the refrigerant flowing in each of the channels, which makes the circuit extremely complicated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to cool or heat the outside air sufficiently even when performing cooling and heating while introducing the outside air. It is to obtain a vehicle air conditioner with a simple structure and high cooling and heating efficiency.

[0009]

In order to achieve this object, in the present invention, a first indoor heat exchanger and a second indoor heat exchanger are used as indoor heat exchangers for exchanging heat with the air supplied to the passenger compartment. Using two heat exchangers with a heat exchanger,
In the first compartment provided with an air outlet for blowing air into the vehicle compartment, the air passing through the first indoor heat exchanger is arranged so as to pass through the second indoor heat exchanger, and
An outdoor heat exchanger that exchanges heat with the air discharged outside the vehicle is arranged in the second room separated from the room, and the heat exchangers are connected in series by a refrigerant pipe. Second
The compressor which compresses a refrigerant is provided in the refrigerant piping which connects an indoor heat exchanger and an outdoor heat exchanger. Further, a pressure reducing means for reducing the pressure of the refrigerant is provided in the refrigerant pipe connecting the outdoor heat exchanger and the first indoor heat exchanger.

[0010]

In the air conditioner thus configured, when the high-temperature and high-pressure gas-phase refrigerant compressed by the compressor is sent to the outdoor heat exchanger side, the refrigerant is introduced into the second chamber in the outdoor heat exchanger. Condensates by exchanging heat with air. Then, the liquefied refrigerant is decompressed by the decompression means, absorbs heat from the air introduced into the first indoor heat exchanger in the first indoor heat exchanger, and is further sent to the second indoor heat exchanger to be transferred to the first indoor heat exchanger. It vaporizes by exchanging heat with the air that has passed through the heat exchanger. Therefore, the air introduced into the first chamber is cooled by both the first indoor heat exchanger and the second indoor heat exchanger, and even when high temperature outdoor air is introduced, the outdoor air is also cooled. Is sufficiently cooled. Then, the cooling air is supplied from the air outlet into the vehicle interior, so that the vehicle interior is reliably cooled. In addition, when the refrigerant compressed by the compressor is sent to the second indoor heat exchanger side,
The high-temperature refrigerant sequentially flows from the second indoor heat exchanger to the first indoor heat exchanger, and exchanges heat with the air supplied to the vehicle interior in these heat exchangers. Therefore, the temperature of the air is double-heated, and the interior of the vehicle is heated by the temperature-raised air. Then, the refrigerant is condensed by its heat exchange, decompressed by the decompression means, sent to the outdoor heat exchanger, and vaporized by absorbing heat from the outside in the heat exchanger. As described above, in any of the heating and cooling, the air supplied into the vehicle compartment is cooled or heated by the first indoor heat exchanger and then further cooled or heated by the second indoor heat exchanger. Therefore,
The apparent heat exchange area of the indoor heat exchanger is increased, and the heat exchange amount by these heat exchangers is sufficiently small as a whole, even if it is small individually. Thus
It becomes an air conditioner with high cooling and heating efficiency. Further, since it is only necessary to add one indoor heat exchanger to the conventional air conditioner, the structure does not become complicated. Moreover, since each indoor heat exchanger can have a small capacity, the entire air conditioner can be made compact.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an automobile air conditioner according to the present invention. As is clear from this figure, the vehicle interior space of the automobile 1 is partitioned by an instrument panel 3 and a rear partition wall 4 in front of and behind the vehicle compartment 2, and in front of the vehicle compartment 2 as a first chamber for heat exchange. The engine room 5 is a second room behind the vehicle room 2, which is a prime mover room 6
Are formed respectively. Further, the space in front of the instrument panel 3 is also divided into upper and lower parts by a horizontal partition wall 7, and a passage 8 communicating with the vehicle compartment 2 is formed below the heat exchanger chamber 5. The vehicle 1 is an electric vehicle, and its power source, a battery 9 and a motor (not shown), are installed in a rear engine room 6.

A first indoor heat exchanger 10 is installed in the center of the heat exchanger room 5 in front of the passenger compartment 2, and a second indoor heat exchanger 10 is installed behind it.
The indoor heat exchanger 11 is installed. Further, in front of the first indoor heat exchanger 10, those heat exchangers 10, 1
An indoor electric fan 12 that blows air to 1 is provided. Thus, the indoor electric fan 1 is installed in the heat exchanger chamber 5.
Air is introduced by 2, and the air passes through the first indoor heat exchanger 10 and then passes through the second indoor heat exchanger 11. On the other hand, in the motor room 6 behind the vehicle compartment 2, an outdoor heat exchanger 13 and an outdoor electric fan 14 that guides air to the heat exchanger 13 are provided. Immediately before the outdoor heat exchanger 13, the compressor 15 and its drive motor (not shown) are installed. The above-mentioned battery 9 and the like are also arranged immediately before the outdoor heat exchanger 13 so that the air guided to the outdoor heat exchanger 13 passes above the heat sources such as the battery 9 and the compressor 15. ..

The first indoor heat exchanger 10 and the second indoor heat exchanger 11 are connected via a refrigerant pipe 16. Also,
The second indoor heat exchanger 11 and the outdoor heat exchanger 13 are connected via a refrigerant pipe 17. And the outdoor heat exchanger 1
3 and the first indoor heat exchanger 10 are connected via a refrigerant pipe 18. Thus, each heat exchanger 10, 11, 13
Are connected in series with each other to form a loop-shaped refrigerant circuit. The compressor 15 includes a refrigerant pipe 17 between the second indoor heat exchanger 11 and the outdoor heat exchanger 13.
To a four-way valve 19. Therefore, by switching the four-way valve 19, the compressor 1
The refrigerant compressed by 5 is sent to either the second indoor heat exchanger 11 or the outdoor heat exchanger 13. That is, in this embodiment, the four-way valve 19
By this, a switching means for switching the flow direction of the refrigerant is configured. The refrigerant pipe 18 between the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the first indoor heat exchanger 10 is provided with an expansion valve 20 as a pressure reducing means for reducing the pressure of the refrigerant. Its expansion valve 2
0 is a thin tube called a capillary tube, which is a reversible type that similarly depressurizes the refrigerant flowing on either side. Thus, the first and second indoor heat exchangers 10, 11, the outdoor heat exchanger 13, the compressor 1
5, the refrigerant pipes 16, 17, 18, the four-way valve 19, and the expansion valve 20 constitute a heat pump cycle.

The refrigerant pipe 18 provided with the expansion valve 20 is further provided with a bypass passage 21 that bypasses the expansion valve 20. And the bypass passage 21
A directional switching valve 22 that switches between the expansion valve 20 side and the bypass passage 21 side is provided at the branch portion of the. Therefore, when the switching valve 22 is switched to the bypass passage 21 side, the refrigerant bypasses the expansion valve 20 and flows. Further, the expansion valve 20 described above is also provided in the refrigerant pipe 16 between the first indoor heat exchanger 10 and the second indoor heat exchanger 11.
A similar expansion valve 23 and a bypass passage 24 that bypasses the expansion valve 23 are provided. A directional valve 25 is provided at the branch portion of the bypass passage 24,
By the switching valve 25, the expansion valve 23 side and the bypass passage 2
It can be switched to the 4th side. Further, the refrigerant pipe 1
The directional switching valve 26 is also provided between the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the switching valve 22 in FIG. The switching valve 26 is connected to the other end of a bypass pipe 27, one end of which is connected to the refrigerant pipe 17 between the compressor 15 and the outdoor heat exchanger 13. Thus, when the direction switching valve 26 is switched to the bypass pipe 27 side, the refrigerant flows around the outdoor heat exchanger 13.

An outside air intake port 28 for taking in outside air into the heat exchanger chamber 5 is provided on the front end surface of the vehicle body. The outside air intake port 28 is an outside air introduction damper 2 whose opening can be adjusted.
It is designed to be opened and closed by 9. Further, the horizontal partition wall 7 forming the bottom surface of the heat exchanger chamber 5 is provided at its front end portion with an inside air introduction port 30 for taking the air in the vehicle interior 2 into the heat exchanger chamber 5 through the passage 8. There is. Then, behind the inside air introduction port 30, a communication damper 31 that rotates downward and has an adjustable opening degree is provided. The communication damper 31 blocks the passage 8 when it is completely rotated downward. The horizontal partition wall 7 further has a rear end portion thereof, that is, the passenger compartment 2 side as well.
An opening 33 that is opened and closed by 2 is provided. The opening 33 is located rearward of the position where the second indoor heat exchanger 11 is arranged. And the damper 32
Is designed to shut off the air flowing from the passenger compartment 2 to the inside air introduction port 30 when the opening 33 is opened. Therefore, at that time, the air that has passed through the second indoor heat exchanger 11 does not flow through the opening 33 toward the passenger compartment 2 side. That is, the damper 32 constitutes a shielding means for shielding the heat exchanger chamber 5 from the vehicle interior 2. The instrument panel 3 forming a wall surface facing the passenger compartment 2 of the heat exchanger compartment 5 is provided with air outlets 34, 35, 36 on its upper surface, upper portion, and lower portion, respectively, as in a normal automobile. There is. The air outlets 34, 35, 36 can also be opened and closed. Thus, in the heat exchanger chamber 5, the outside air intake port 2
8 or the air inside the vehicle compartment 2 is taken in from the inside air inlet 30 and the air is heat-exchanged by the first and second indoor heat exchangers 10 and 11, and then the air outlets 34, 35 and 36. It is designed to be guided from the inside to the passenger compartment 2. Further, when the opening 33 is opened, the air in the heat exchanger chamber 5 circulates through the passage 8.

On the other hand, the rear end surface of the vehicle body is provided with an air discharge port 37 for discharging the air passing through the outdoor heat exchanger 13 in the prime mover chamber 6 to the outside of the vehicle. The air outlet 37 is opened and closed by an exhaust damper 38. When the air outlet 37 is closed, the air that has passed through the outdoor heat exchanger 13 circulates in the prime mover chamber 6. Further, an outside air introduction port 40 that is opened and closed by an outside air introduction damper 39 is provided on the outer wall of the prime mover chamber 6 facing the outside of the vehicle at a position where positive pressure is applied while the automobile 1 is traveling. Further, the rear partition wall 4 for partitioning the passenger compartment 2 and the prime mover compartment 6 is provided with a ventilation port 41 for communicating them.
Is provided. The ventilation port 41 has a ventilation damper 42.
It is designed to be opened and closed by.

Next, the operation of the vehicle air conditioner thus constructed will be described. A) Cooling Normally, the directional switching valve 22 provided in the refrigerant passage 18 between the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the first indoor heat exchanger 10 is
The refrigerant is set to flow through the expansion valve 20.
On the other hand, the direction switching valve 25 provided in the refrigerant passage 16 between the first and second indoor heat exchangers 10 and 11 is set so that the refrigerant flows through the bypass passage 24. Further, the direction switching valve 26 is set so that the refrigerant flows through the outdoor heat exchanger 13. When cooling the passenger compartment 2, the four-way valve 19 is set to the compressor 15 as shown in FIG.
The refrigerant compressed by is set so as to be guided to the outdoor heat exchanger 13. And the instrument panel 3
The upper air outlet 35, the outside air inlet 4 of the engine room 6
0 and the air outlet 37 are opened. Further, when ventilation is performed simultaneously, the outside air intake port 28 of the heat exchanger chamber 5, the communication damper 31 that opens and closes the passage 8, and the ventilation port 41 between the vehicle compartment 2 and the prime mover chamber 6 are each half-open. Keep the other openings closed.

In this state, the compressor 15 and the electric fans 12, 14 are driven. When the indoor electric fan 12 is driven, the outside air intake port 2 in front of the heat exchanger chamber 5
Outside air is taken in together with the running wind from 8. Also,
The air in the passenger compartment 2 is sucked from the inside air introduction port 30 through the passage 8 adjacent to the heat exchanger chamber 5. The mixed air is used as the first and second indoor heat exchangers 1 in the heat exchanger chamber 5.
0,11 sprayed on their heat exchangers 10,11
The air that has passed through is supplied from the air outlet 35 into the vehicle interior 2. On the other hand, by driving the outdoor electric fan 14, the outside air is taken into the engine room 6 through the outside air inlet 40, and the air inside the vehicle compartment 2 is sucked through the ventilation port 41, and the mixed air is exchanged with the outside heat. It is sprayed on the vessel 13. Then, the air that has passed through the heat exchanger 13 is discharged from the air outlet 37 to the outside of the vehicle. During this time, by driving the compressor 15, the gas-phase refrigerant that has been compressed by the compressor 15 and has become high temperature and high pressure is guided to the outdoor heat exchanger 13 in the prime mover chamber 6. As described above, the heat exchanger 13 is blown with the mixed air of the outside air taken in from the outside of the vehicle and the inside air discharged from the vehicle interior 2. Therefore, in the outdoor heat exchanger 13, heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air introduced into the prime mover chamber 6 is performed, and the heat exchange cools the refrigerant. As a result, the refrigerant condenses into a liquid. The air whose temperature has been raised by exchanging heat with the refrigerant is discharged from the air outlet 37 to the outside of the vehicle. On the other hand, the liquefied refrigerant flows through the refrigerant pipe 18 and the expansion valve 2 provided in the refrigerant pipe 18
It is decompressed by 0 to be in a state of being easily evaporated, and then introduced into the first indoor heat exchanger 10 in the heat exchanger chamber 5. In the heat exchanger 10, the refrigerant rapidly evaporates and vaporizes while removing heat from the surroundings. Further, the refrigerant is guided to the second indoor heat exchanger 11 through the bypass passage 24, and expands again in the heat exchanger 11. In this way, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the surroundings by repeating adiabatic expansion. Therefore, the air blown to the first and second indoor heat exchangers 10 and 11 is cooled. Then, the cooling air is blown into the vehicle interior 2 from the air outlet 35. The refrigerant, which has been vaporized by absorbing heat from the air supplied into the vehicle interior 2 and whose temperature has been raised, is again guided to the compressor 15 and compressed.

In this way, by supplying air into the vehicle interior 2 through the first and second indoor heat exchangers 10 and 11, the interior of the vehicle interior 2 is cooled. In that case, in the second indoor heat exchanger 11, since the air cooled by the first indoor heat exchanger 10 is further cooled, the temperature of the air becomes sufficiently low. Therefore, even if the outside temperature is high,
The interior of the passenger compartment 2 is surely cooled. In addition, the outside air is taken into the passenger compartment 2 through the heat exchanger compartment 5, and the air in the passenger compartment 2 is exhausted from the prime mover compartment 6 to the outside of the vehicle by that amount, so that the inside of the passenger compartment 2 is ventilated. The temperature in the vehicle interior 2, that is, the temperature of the air supplied into the vehicle interior 2 is adjusted by the rotation speed of the compressor 15 and the amount of air blown by the indoor fan 12.
In addition, the ventilation amount is controlled by the opening degree of the damper 42 of the ventilation port 41 or the rotation speed of the electric fans 12, 14.

The air blown to the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is mixed with the cool air discharged from the inside of the passenger compartment 2. Therefore, the temperature of the air becomes lower than that of the outside air, and the refrigerant flowing in the heat exchanger 13 is efficiently cooled. In addition, the cool air discharged from the vehicle interior 2 is discharged from the battery 9 and the compressor 1.
By flowing around the heat sources such as 5, the heat sources are cooled. That is, the air discharged from the vehicle compartment 2 for ventilation is also used for cooling the battery 9 and the like. In this way, the cool air discharged from the vehicle interior 2 is effectively utilized, and the energy spent for cooling the vehicle interior 2 is recovered.

When not performing ventilation but only cooling,
As shown in FIG. 3, the outside air intake port 28 of the heat exchanger chamber 5 and the ventilation port 41 between the vehicle compartment 2 and the prime mover chamber 6 are closed. Further, the communication damper 31 of the passage 8 that connects the vehicle compartment 2 and the heat exchanger chamber 5 is kept horizontal and the passage 8 is fully opened. By doing so, air is circulated between the passenger compartment 2 and the heat exchanger compartment 5 to cool the passenger compartment 2. That is, cooling of the inside air circulation is performed. In that case, it is not necessary to cool the high-temperature outside air taken in from the outside of the vehicle, and the cool air inside the vehicle compartment 2 is not discharged, so that the cooling inside the vehicle compartment 2 is performed more efficiently, and The rise will be faster.

(B) Heating When heating the passenger compartment 2, as shown in FIG. 4, the four-way valve 19 is switched so that the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 15 is guided to the second indoor heat exchanger 11. I will be able to be. Then, the air outlet 36 at the bottom of the instrument panel 3, the outside air inlet 40 and the air outlet 37 of the prime mover chamber 6 are opened. When performing ventilation at the same time,
Further, the outside air intake port 28 of the heat exchanger chamber 5, the communication damper 31 that opens and closes the passage 8, and the ventilation port 41 between the vehicle compartment 2 and the prime mover chamber 6 are each half-open. Keep the other openings closed. In this state, the compressor 15 and the electric fans 12 and 14 are driven. When the indoor electric fan 12 in the heat exchanger chamber 5 is driven, the air in the passenger compartment 2 is sucked into the heat exchanger chamber 5 from the inside air introduction port 30 through the passage 8 and the outside air is introduced from the outside air intake port 28. Can be incorporated.
Then, the mixed air is used as the first and second air in the heat exchanger chamber 5.
After passing through the indoor heat exchangers 10 and 11, the air is blown into the vehicle interior 2 from the air outlet 36. On the other hand, by driving the outdoor electric fan 14, the outside air is taken into the prime mover chamber 6 from the outside air introduction port 40, and the ventilation port 41 is provided.
The air in the passenger compartment 2 is sucked in from and the mixed air is blown to the outdoor heat exchanger 13. Then, the air that has passed through the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is discharged to the outside of the vehicle from the air discharge port 37. When the compressor 15 operates, the gas-phase refrigerant that has been compressed by the compressor 15 and has become high temperature and high pressure is sent to the second indoor heat exchanger 11 in the heat exchanger chamber 5. Further, the refrigerant is transferred to the first passage through the bypass passage 24.
It is guided to the indoor heat exchanger 10. Then, in those heat exchangers 10 and 11, heat is exchanged with the air introduced into the heat exchanger chamber 5. Therefore, the temperature of the air is raised. The hot air is blown out into the vehicle interior 2 from the air outlet 36. The refrigerant that has exchanged heat with the air supplied into the passenger compartment 2 is cooled to become a high-pressure liquid, which is decompressed by the expansion valve 20 of the refrigerant pipe 18 and then guided to the outdoor heat exchanger 13 in the prime mover room 6. And the outdoor heat exchanger 1
By exchanging heat with the air blown onto 3, the heat in the air is taken and vaporized. Then, the refrigerant is again guided to the compressor 15 and compressed. The air that has become low temperature by exchanging heat with the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 13,
The air is discharged from the air outlet 37 of the prime mover chamber 6 to the outside of the vehicle.

In this way, the heat pump cycle is reversed from that during cooling, and the first and second indoor heat exchangers 10,
While radiating the heat of the refrigerant in 11, the heat exchanger 1
By supplying air into the vehicle interior 2 through 0 and 11, the interior of the vehicle interior 2 is heated. In that case, the air supplied to the vehicle interior 2 is first heated in the first indoor heat exchanger 10 and then further heated in the second indoor heat exchanger 11. That is, also in this case, the air supplied into the vehicle compartment 2 is discharged by the first and second indoor heat exchangers 10 and 11.
Heat will be exchanged in stages. Therefore, the apparent heat exchange area of the indoor heat exchanger is significantly increased, and the temperature is sufficiently raised even when the outside air temperature is low. Moreover,
The air blown to the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is heated by a heat source such as the battery 9 and the compressor 15 installed on the upstream side of the air. Then, the heat is absorbed by the refrigerant. As a result, the battery 9 and the compressor 15
Exhaust heat from the air will be positively used, and the heating efficiency will be significantly improved. Further, the outside air taken in through the heat exchanger chamber 5 is supplied into the vehicle interior 2, and the air in the vehicle interior 2 is exhausted to the outside from the air exhaust port 37 through the ventilation port 41 and the prime mover chamber 6 by that much. As a result, the interior of the passenger compartment 2 is ventilated. In that case, although the temperature of the air discharged from the vehicle interior 2 is high, the air is passed through the outdoor heat exchanger 13 in the prime mover compartment 6. Then, the heat in the air is absorbed by the heat exchanger 13, and the temperature of the vapor-phase refrigerant sent to the compressor 15 is increased. Since the air supplied into the vehicle interior 2 is heated by exchanging heat with the refrigerant after passing through the compressor 15, the heat in the air exhausted from the vehicle interior 2 for ventilation is added to the supply air. Will be added. In this way, the heat in the air discharged from the vehicle interior 2 is recovered. Switching between cooling and heating is performed only by reversing the flow direction of the refrigerant by the four-way valve 19. That is, it is not necessary to individually control the flow direction of the refrigerant so that all the three heat exchangers 10, 11 and 13 work effectively in any of the heating and cooling. Therefore, it is not necessary to use a large number of control valves and the like, and the refrigerant circuit is simple.

Also in this heating mode, as shown in FIG. 5, it is possible to operate by closing both the outside air intake port 28 of the heat exchanger chamber 5 and the ventilation port 41 at the rear part of the vehicle compartment 2. In that case, the communication damper 31 is kept horizontal to keep the passage 8 fully open. By doing so, the internal air circulation type heating is performed, the heating of the vehicle interior 2 is efficiently performed, and the rising thereof is accelerated.

C) Ventilation When only the interior of the passenger compartment 2 is ventilated, the compressor 15
To stop the heat pump cycle. As shown in FIG. 6, the outside air intake port 28 of the heat exchanger chamber 5, the air outlet port 35 in the upper part of the instrument panel 3, and the partition wall 4 between the vehicle compartment 2 and the prime mover chamber 6 are provided. The ventilation port 41 and the air outlet 37 at the rear of the prime mover chamber 6 are opened. Further, the air outlet 34 on the upper surface of the instrument panel 3 may also be opened. on the other hand,
The passage 8 that connects the passenger compartment 2 and the heat exchanger compartment 5 is blocked by rotating the communication damper 31 downward. In this case, generally, the outside air introduction port 40 of the prime mover chamber 6 is closed. The electric fans 12 and 14 are stopped when the automobile 1 runs at high speed. Further, it is driven when traveling at low speed or when the vehicle is stopped. With this configuration, when the vehicle 1 travels at high speed, the traveling air flows into the heat exchanger chamber 5 through the outside air intake port 28 at the front end and flows into the vehicle interior 2 through the air outlet port 34 or 35 of the instrument panel 3. To do. Then, the air inside the vehicle compartment 2 flows out of the vehicle from the rear ventilation port 41 through the prime mover chamber 6. Therefore, the interior of the vehicle compartment 2 is ventilated. The ventilation amount at this time is adjusted by the opening degree of the outside air introduction damper 29 that opens and closes the outside air intake port 28. The opening can be adjusted, for example, by detecting the air volume at that time by the back electromotive force generated in the motor of the indoor electric fan 12 and controlling the electromagnetic motor or the like which operates the damper 29 by the signal. .. Further, when the automobile 1 is stopped or running at a low speed, the indoor electric fan 12 takes in outside air from the outside air intake port 28 and supplies the outside air into the vehicle interior 2. Then, the air in the vehicle compartment 2 is exhausted to the outside by the outdoor electric fan 14 by that amount. Therefore, the interior of the vehicle compartment 2 is ventilated. The ventilation amount at this time is adjusted by the number of rotations of the electric fans 12 and 14. In this case, the battery 9 and the compressor 15 installed in the prime mover room 6 are
It is cooled by the air in the vehicle interior 2 discharged from the air exhaust port 37 to the outside of the vehicle through the above. In the case where the air alone does not provide sufficient cooling, the outside air inlet 40 of the prime mover chamber 6 is opened to introduce the outside air into the prime mover chamber 6 as indicated by the broken line in the figure, and The outside air is added to the cooling air such as the battery 9.

D) Dehumidification When the humidity inside the vehicle compartment 2 rises and the windshield or the like becomes cloudy, the dehumidification mode is operated. First, when the temperature inside the vehicle compartment 2 is moderate, as shown in FIG. 7, it is provided in the refrigerant pipe 18 between the first indoor heat exchanger 10 and the outdoor heat exchanger 13. Switch the direction switching valve 22,
The refrigerant is allowed to flow around the expansion valve 20. on the other hand,
The switching valve 25 provided in the refrigerant pipe 16 between the first indoor heat exchanger 10 and the second indoor heat exchanger 11 switches so that the refrigerant flows through the expansion valve 23. Further, the direction switching valve 26 is also switched so that the compressor 15 and the first indoor heat exchanger 10 are short-circuited. Then, the four-way valve 19 is switched to the direction in which the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 15 flows toward the second indoor heat exchanger 11 side. At this time, the air outlet 34 on the upper surface of the instrument panel 3, the outside air inlet 40 and the air outlet 37 of the prime mover chamber 6 are opened. In this state, the compressor 15
Also, the electric fans 12 and 14 are driven at a low speed. When the compressor 15 operates, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 15 is guided to the second indoor heat exchanger 11. Then, after radiating heat in the indoor heat exchanger 11, the pressure is reduced by the expansion valve 23 and vaporized in the first indoor heat exchanger 10. The air introduced from the inside of the vehicle compartment 2 through the passage 8 and the inside air introduction port 30 is blown to the first indoor heat exchanger 10. Therefore, the air is cooled, and the water content in the air is condensed by the cooling. As a result, the second indoor heat exchanger 1 passes through the first indoor heat exchanger 10.
The air blown onto 1 is relatively dry air.
Then, the temperature of the air is raised by exchanging heat with the refrigerant in the second indoor heat exchanger 11. In this way, dry air is blown out from the air blowing port 34 on the upper surface of the instrument panel 3, and the dry air is blown onto the windshield, so that the windshield is clouded. In this case, the direction switching valve 26 is the refrigerant pipe 1
8 is connected to the bypass pipe 27, the refrigerant vaporized in the first indoor heat exchanger 10 is directly introduced from the bypass passage 21 and the refrigerant pipe 18 to the compressor 15 through the bypass pipe 27. Therefore, the refrigerant does not flow into the outdoor heat exchanger 13, and the outdoor heat exchanger 13 does not work. That is, heat absorption and heat dissipation of the refrigerant are performed only in the first and second indoor heat exchangers 10 and 11. And, theoretically, the amount of absorbed heat and the amount of released heat are equal. As a result, the air taken into the heat exchanger chamber 5 from the vehicle interior 2 and cooled by the first indoor heat exchanger 10 is heated in the second indoor heat exchanger 11 by the same temperature. The temperature of the air supplied from the heat exchanger chamber 5 into the vehicle interior 2 becomes equal to the original temperature. Thus
Dehumidification prevents the temperature in the passenger compartment 2 from changing. During this period, the battery 9 and the compressor 15 installed in the prime mover room 6 are not connected to the outdoor electric fan 14
Is cooled by the outside air introduced into the prime mover chamber 6.

When the temperature inside the passenger compartment 2 is low and it is required to dehumidify while heating, the directional control valve 26 is returned to the normal state as shown in FIG. Others are the same as in the case of FIG. In this way, as in the case described above, the air heated in the second indoor heat exchanger 11 after being cooled in the first indoor heat exchanger 10 is supplied into the vehicle interior 2. In this case, the refrigerant that has absorbed heat from the outside air in the first indoor heat exchanger 10 is guided to the outside heat exchanger 13, and the heat exchanger 13 also absorbs heat from the outside air. Therefore, the second indoor heat exchanger 11
The temperature of the refrigerant introduced into the cylinder rises. Then, while the heat absorption of the refrigerant is performed in the two heat exchangers 10 and 13 as described above, the heat radiation is performed only in the second indoor heat exchanger 11, so that the air introduced into the heat exchanger chamber 5 is Is higher in the second indoor heat exchanger 11 than in the first indoor heat exchanger 10. That is, higher temperature air is supplied to the vehicle interior 2, and the vehicle interior 2 is heated. In this way, heating while dehumidifying is possible. Since the interior of the vehicle compartment 2 is heated in this way, even when the outside air temperature is low, it is possible to dehumidify while ventilating the interior of the vehicle compartment 2. In that case, as shown in the figure,
The outside air intake port 28 of the heat exchanger chamber 5, the communication damper 31 that opens and closes the passage 8, and the ventilation port 41 between the vehicle compartment 2 and the prime mover chamber 6 are half opened. By doing so, the passenger compartment 2
Similarly, high temperature dry air generated by heating after cooling is supplied. On the other hand, the high-humidity air in the vehicle compartment 2 flows from the ventilation port 41 to the air exhaust port 3
It is discharged to the outside of the vehicle through 7. Also at this time, the heat in the hot air discharged from the vehicle interior 2 is recovered by the outdoor heat exchanger 13. Further, exhaust heat of the battery 9 and the compressor 15 installed in the prime mover chamber 6 is also used for heating. Therefore, the thermal efficiency is kept sufficiently high.

E) Defrosting Heating is performed when the outside air temperature is low. And
As described above, when operating in the heating mode, the outdoor heat exchanger 13 absorbs heat. That is, as the refrigerant vaporizes, heat is taken from the air blown to the outdoor heat exchanger 13. Therefore, when the high-humidity outside air is blown onto the heat exchanger 13, the moisture in the outside air may be condensed to form ice and adhere to the outdoor heat exchanger 13. If ice adheres to the outdoor heat exchanger 13 as described above, the efficiency of the heat exchanger 13 is significantly reduced.
Therefore, in such a case, drive as follows.

First, as shown in FIG. 9, the flow direction of the refrigerant is the same as that in the heating mode. That is, the four-way valve 19 remains set so that the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 15 flows toward the second indoor heat exchanger 11 side. Further, as in the case of heating the inside air circulation, the passage 8 between the vehicle compartment 2 and the heat exchanger chamber 5 and the air outlet 36 below the instrument panel 3 are kept open. on the other hand,
Both the outside air introduction port 40 and the air discharge port 37 of the prime mover chamber 6 are closed, and the ventilation port 41 with the vehicle compartment 2 is also closed. Then, at this time, the direction switching valve 22 provided in the refrigerant pipe 18 between the first indoor heat exchanger 10 and the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is switched so that the refrigerant flows by bypassing the expansion valve 20. To do. In this state, the compressor 15 and the electric fans 12 and 14 are driven. In that case, the indoor electric fan 12 is rotated at a low speed. Then, the amount of air that exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the first and second indoor heat exchangers 10 and 11 is suppressed to a small amount, so that the refrigerant is used in the heat exchangers 10 and 11.
Even after passing through 11, it remains relatively hot. Then, the refrigerant bypasses the expansion valve 20 and the bypass passage 2
1 and flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 13. Therefore,
A relatively high temperature and high pressure refrigerant is introduced into the outdoor heat exchanger 13. Moreover, at this time, since the prime mover chamber 6 is sealed, air is circulated in the prime mover chamber 6 by driving the outdoor electric fan 14. Then, the air is supplied to the battery 9 and the compressor 1.
It is heated by heat generation such as 5. As a result, high temperature air is blown to the outdoor heat exchanger 13. In this way, the ice adhering to the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is thawed. During this period, the amount of air blown to the first and second indoor heat exchangers 10 and 11 is small due to the low rotation speed of the indoor electric fan 12, but the indoor heat exchangers 10 and 1 are small.
At least heated by 1. Then, the heated air is supplied into the vehicle interior 2. Therefore, the passenger compartment 2
Even if the interior is not heated, at least the temperature drop is prevented. In this way, the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is thawed while the temperature inside the vehicle compartment 2 is maintained.

If the outdoor heat exchanger 13 cannot be thawed even in this mode, as shown in FIG. 10, the four-way valve 19 is switched to operate the heat pump cycle in the cooling mode. In that case, the first and second indoor heat exchangers 1
In order to prevent the air cooled by 0 and 11 from flowing out into the passenger compartment 2, the heat exchanger compartment 5 to the passenger compartment 2
The air outlets 34, 35, 36 for blowing out air are all closed, and the opening 33 on the vehicle compartment 2 side provided in the horizontal partition wall 7 forming the bottom wall of the heat exchanger compartment 5 is opened. Then, the passage 32 is opened by the damper 32 that opens and closes the opening 33.
Is shut off from the passenger compartment 2 side, and the heat exchanger compartment 5 side is sealed. Therefore, the air that has passed through the first and second indoor heat exchangers 10 and 11 in the heat exchanger chamber 5 flows out from the opening 33 to the passage 8 side, and then again passes through the inside air introduction port 30 into the heat exchanger chamber 5 again. Will flow into. In this way, it is possible to prevent the passengers from feeling cold air. Then, by operating in the cooling mode in this manner, the outdoor heat exchanger 1
In 3, the refrigerant radiates heat, so the temperature around the heat exchanger 13 becomes high. Also at this time, the prime mover chamber 6 in which the heat source such as the battery 9 and the compressor 15 is housed is sealed, and the air is circulated in the prime mover chamber 6, so that the prime mover chamber 6 is Outdoor heat exchanger 1
Warm air will be blown to 3. As a result, the ice adhering to the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is rapidly thawed. In this way, even when the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is frozen, the heat pump cycle is operated and the battery 9
By using the exhaust heat from the compressor and compressor 15,
The ice can be removed.

In the above embodiment, the one in which the four-way valve 19 is used as the switching means for switching the flow direction of the refrigerant has been described, but as the compressor 15, as shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 55-8588, the reverse rotation is performed. If a possible one is used, such a four-way valve 19 can be omitted. Further, as the pressure reducing means for reducing the pressure of the refrigerant, in addition to the single expansion valve 20 composed of a capillary tube as in the above embodiment, an expansion valve working in the cooling cycle and an expansion valve working in the heating cycle are separately provided. Can also be used. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is arranged in the prime mover chamber 6 at the rear of the vehicle, but the outdoor heat exchanger 13 has a third chamber at the front end of the vehicle body, for example. Alternatively, it may be formed and placed in the third chamber. By doing so, the outdoor heat exchanger 1
It becomes easier to take in the outside air to be blown onto the 3. In such a case, the compressor 15 or the like can be installed in the third chamber. Further, the compressor 15 and the like can be arranged in a separate room independent of any of those rooms. Further, it is also possible to provide two outdoor heat exchangers and arrange the outdoor heat exchangers in the independent chambers in the front and rear of the vehicle body. In that case, those heat exchangers may be connected in series as in the case of the above embodiment.

[0032]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the number of indoor heat exchangers is two, and the air passing through one of the indoor heat exchangers is heated by the other heat. Since it is arranged so as to pass through the exchanger, the air supplied into the vehicle compartment is heat-exchanged in two stages, and the heat exchange efficiency can be improved. Therefore, the heat radiation amount when the outside air temperature is high, or the heat absorption amount when the outside temperature is low can be secured, and the air conditioner with extremely high efficiency can be obtained. Further, since only one indoor heat exchanger needs to be added to the conventional air conditioner, the structure does not become complicated. Since each indoor heat exchanger can be individually made small in capacity, the entire air conditioner can be made compact. Furthermore, by providing an expansion valve and a bypass passage that bypasses the expansion valve between the two indoor heat exchangers, special dehumidification such as dehumidification while maintaining a constant temperature in the vehicle interior or dehumidification while heating is performed. Since it is possible to drive in various modes, it is possible to always maintain a comfortable environment in the vehicle interior. Also, by arranging those indoor heat exchangers in the front of the vehicle compartment and arranging the outdoor heat exchanger in the rear of the vehicle compartment, energy in the air discharged from the vehicle compartment during ventilation is recovered. Therefore, the air conditioner can consume less energy, and can be applied to an electric vehicle or the like.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an automobile air conditioner according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing one form of a cooling mode in the air conditioner.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing different modes of a cooling mode in the air conditioner.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing one form of a heating mode in the air conditioner.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing different modes of a heating mode in the air conditioner.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing one form of a ventilation mode in the air conditioner.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing one form of a dehumidifying mode in the air conditioner.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing different modes of a dehumidifying mode in the air conditioner.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing one form of an ice thawing mode in the air conditioner.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing different forms of an ice-breaking mode in the air conditioner.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Car 2 Vehicle Room 5 Heat Exchanger Room (First Room) 6 Motor Room (Second Room) 9 Battery 10 First Indoor Heat Exchanger 11 Second Indoor Heat Exchanger 13 Outdoor Heat Exchanger 15 Compressor 16, 17, 18 Refrigerant piping 19 Four-way valve 20 Expansion valve (pressure reducing means) 21 Bypass passage 22 Directional switching valve 23 Expansion valve (pressure reducing means) 24 Bypass passage 25 Directional switching valve 28 Outside air intake port 30 Inside air inlet port 31 Communication dampers 34, 35, 36 Air outlet 37 Air outlet 40 Outside air inlet 41 Ventilation port

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] February 20, 1992

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be corrected] Drawing

[Correction target item name] All drawings

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Figure 1]

[Fig. 2]

[Figure 3]

[Figure 4]

[Figure 5]

[Figure 6]

[Figure 7]

[Figure 8]

[Figure 9]

[Figure 10]

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A first indoor heat exchanger for exchanging heat with the air supplied into the vehicle interior and a second indoor heat exchanger in a first room provided with an air outlet for blowing air into the vehicle interior. The air that has passed through the first indoor heat exchanger is arranged so as to pass through the second indoor heat exchanger, and heat is exchanged with the air discharged to the outside of the vehicle in the second room separated from the first room. The outdoor heat exchanger for performing the above is disposed, the first indoor heat exchanger and the second indoor heat exchanger, the second indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger, and the outdoor heat exchanger. And the first indoor heat exchanger are connected in series by refrigerant pipes, respectively, and the refrigerant flowing between the second indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger is compressed by the refrigerant pipe. And a compressor between the outdoor heat exchanger and the first indoor heat exchanger. The tube, characterized in that the pressure reducing means are provided for reducing the pressure of refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant pipe, an automotive air conditioner. 2. A bypass passage that bypasses the pressure reducing means is switchably provided in the refrigerant pipe between the outdoor heat exchanger and the first indoor heat exchanger, and the first indoor heat exchanger and the second indoor heat exchanger are provided. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerant pipe between the indoor heat exchanger and the decompressor for decompressing the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant pipe and the bypass passage for bypassing the decompressor are switchably provided. Air conditioner. 3. The first chamber is provided in front of the vehicle compartment, the second chamber is provided in the rear of the vehicle compartment, and a ventilation port that can be opened and closed is provided between the second chamber and the vehicle compartment. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, which is capable of communicating with each other. 4. The automobile air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein a heat source such as the compressor and a drive motor thereof is installed in the second chamber.