JP2955899B2 - Automotive air conditioners - Google Patents

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 having an indoor heat exchanger and an outdoor heat exchanger, and a gas / liquid phase between the heat exchangers. The present invention relates to an air conditioner for an automobile in which cooling or heating is performed by circulating a refrigerant while causing a phase change.

[0002]

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

Recently, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-179322
As shown in the publication, adoption of a heat pump system for an air conditioner for automobiles has been studied. 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 as in the refrigeration cycle described above. On the other hand, heating is performed by switching the direction of flow of the refrigerant and reversing the refrigeration cycle to release heat from the indoor heat exchanger. According to such a heat pump air conditioner, heating is performed by absorbing heat from the outside air, so that the heating is not affected by the engine temperature as in the above-described case using the engine cooling water, and the heating rises quickly. Become. Further, the present invention can be applied to an electric vehicle that does not include an internal combustion engine.

As described above, in an automotive air conditioner, an indoor heat exchanger and an outdoor heat exchanger are used in either a vapor compression type or a heat pump type. Since the indoor heat exchanger exchanges heat with the air supplied to the vehicle interior, it is disposed on the vehicle interior side. On the other hand, the outdoor heat exchanger is installed at a position where air can be easily taken in from the outside of the vehicle due to heat exchange with outside air. Normally, the room in which the outdoor heat exchanger is installed is separated from the room in which the indoor heat exchanger is installed. In a conventional automotive air conditioner, the outdoor heat exchanger is installed in the engine room at the front end of the vehicle body, adjacent to the radiator. Further, since the compressor is driven by the engine, the compressor is also arranged in the engine room. That is, as disclosed in the above publication, both the outdoor heat exchanger and the compressor are disposed in the same room at the front of the vehicle body.

[0005]

By the way, in an automobile, air conditioning is often performed while ventilating.
In that case, the air supplied into the vehicle interior is taken in from outside the vehicle. Then, the air in the vehicle compartment is discharged to the outside of the vehicle from the rear of the vehicle compartment by that amount. The exhaust air is tempered. Especially at the time of heating, the air has a considerably higher temperature than the outside air. Therefore, heat in the vehicle interior is released together with the air. However, it is not possible to recover the heat by installing a heat exchanger at the front of the vehicle body as in the related art. Therefore, there is a problem that the heat efficiency is reduced when ventilation is performed during air conditioning.
Heating is performed when the outside air temperature is low. Then, during heating, heat is absorbed in the outdoor heat exchanger, so that the outside air blown to the heat exchanger is further cooled. For this reason, when the humidity of the outside air is high, moisture in the outside air may condense due to heat exchange in the outdoor heat exchanger and may adhere as ice. If the outdoor heat exchanger is provided at the front of the vehicle body as in the related art, rainwater or the like is likely to fall on the outdoor heat exchanger while the vehicle is running, and such ice formation is more likely to occur. And when such ice formation occurs, the efficiency of the heat exchanger is remarkably reduced.

Accordingly, in the above-mentioned publication,
Indoor heat exchangers are provided before and after the passenger compartment, and the rear heat exchanger is used as an evaporator, that is, an outdoor heat exchanger during heating. By doing so, by blowing the air exhausted from the passenger compartment to the heat exchanger, the heat in the air is added to the refrigerant passing through the heat exchanger, so that the exhaust heat can be recovered. Become. Further, since the air has a high temperature and no rainwater or the like is mixed therein, ice is less likely to adhere to the heat exchanger.

However, even in such an air conditioner, during cooling, the heat exchangers before and after the cabin both act as evaporators, that is, indoor heat exchangers. Therefore, if ventilation is performed in that state, the cool air in the cabin remains unchanged. Will be discharged. Therefore, it is not possible to recover the energy used for cooling. In the air conditioner, the outdoor heat exchanger is installed in the engine room together with the compressor as described above. The temperature in the engine room becomes high due to heat generated by the engine and the like. Also, the compressor itself generates heat. for that reason,
The outdoor heat exchanger receives radiant heat from those heat sources, and the efficiency of refrigerant condensation by the heat exchanger is reduced. Further, since the cooling efficiency for cooling the compressor is also reduced, when the refrigerant is compressed to a predetermined pressure by the compressor, the refrigerant is heated more than necessary.
Therefore, in order to perform the cooling operation, it is necessary to increase the capacity of the outdoor heat exchanger to have a large capacity. As described above, it is difficult to increase the cooling efficiency of the conventional vehicle air conditioner. Energy consumption during cooling of an automotive air conditioner is extremely large. In particular, in the case of an electric vehicle, the amount of electric power to be mounted is limited. Therefore, if the electric power is consumed by such cooling, the mileage becomes short. Therefore,
Improving its efficiency is a major challenge.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and has as its object to improve the cooling and heating efficiency and to maintain the efficiency even when performing cooling and heating while ventilating. The goal is to obtain a vehicle air conditioner that can. Another object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner for a vehicle that can be used in various operation modes.

[0009]

In order to achieve this object, according to the present invention, a first room in which an indoor heat exchanger is installed is placed in front of a vehicle compartment, and a second room in which an outdoor heat exchanger is installed. And the compressors,
The first and second rooms are arranged in a third room which is separated from the vehicle room. An openable and closable vent is provided between the second room where the outdoor heat exchanger is installed and the vehicle room. An outside air intake for taking in outside air into the first room, an outside air introduction opening for taking in outside air into the second room, and an air discharge opening for discharging air from the second room can also be opened and closed. Further, the third chamber in which the compressor is installed has an openable and closable cooling air intake for taking in outside air for cooling the compressor, and a third cooling air intake therefor.
An openable / closable heat exhaust port for exhausting the indoor heated air is provided. The indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger are connected to each other by two refrigerant pipes, and the refrigerant circulates between them. One of the refrigerant pipes is provided with a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, and the other is provided with decompression means for decompressing the refrigerant. In this case, if a reversible pressure reducing means is used and a switching means for switching the flow direction of the refrigerant is provided, a heat pump air conditioner is obtained. It is desirable to provide a shutable passage between the first chamber in which the indoor heat exchanger is installed and the third chamber in which the compressor is installed, which allows communication therebetween. In addition, it is desirable that a power source such as a motor and a battery of the vehicle be disposed upstream of the heat exchanger in the second room where the outdoor heat exchanger is installed.

[0010]

As described above, the indoor heat exchanger is arranged in the first room in front of the vehicle compartment, and the outdoor heat exchanger is connected to the second room in the rear of the vehicle room.
By arranging in the room and enabling communication between the vehicle room and the second room, air in the vehicle room is guided into the second room during ventilation, and heat is generated in the outdoor heat exchanger disposed in the second room. The exchange will take place. Therefore, the energy in the temperature-conditioned air discharged from the vehicle interior is recovered at any time of the cooling and heating, and the cooling and heating efficiency is improved. By arranging the compressor in the independent third room, the effect of the radiant heat of the compressor is not exerted on the outdoor heat exchanger, so that the efficiency of the outdoor heat exchanger is improved. In addition, by allowing the cooling air to flow through the third chamber, the compressor is efficiently cooled, so that the efficiency of the compressor itself is also improved. Therefore, an automotive air conditioner having high cooling efficiency is obtained. Furthermore, it is possible to communicate or shut off between the rooms, and by using a heat pump type, it is possible to use in various operation modes such as a cooling mode, a heating mode, a ventilation mode, a dehumidification mode, and a deicing mode. .

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing one embodiment of an automotive air conditioner according to the present invention. As is apparent from this figure, the interior space of the vehicle 1 is divided into three front and rear spaces by an instrument panel 2 and a rear partition 3. The space at the forefront is vertically divided by a horizontal partition wall 4. Thus, the first room 6 is formed in front of the vehicle room 5, the second room 7 is formed behind the vehicle room 5, and the third room 8 is formed below the first room 6. The third room 8 communicates with the vehicle room 5. This car 1
Is an electric vehicle, and its power source, a battery 9 and a motor (not shown), are installed in a rear second room 7.

An indoor heat exchanger 10 for exchanging heat with air supplied to the interior of the cabin 5 and an indoor electric fan 11 for guiding the air to the heat exchanger 10 are provided in a first chamber 6 in front of the cabin 5. Is provided. In the second room 7 behind the vehicle room 5,
An outdoor heat exchanger 12, which exchanges heat with air discharged outside the vehicle,
And an outdoor electric fan 13 for guiding air to the heat exchanger 12
Is provided. The battery 9 and the like are connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 1
2, so that the air guided to the outdoor heat exchanger 12 passes above it. Furthermore,
In the third chamber 8 below the first chamber 6, a compressor 14 and a drive motor (not shown) thereof, and an electric fan 15 for introducing air into the third chamber 8 are provided.

The indoor heat exchanger 10 and the outdoor heat exchanger 12 are connected to each other by two refrigerant pipes 16 and 17. The compressor 14 has one refrigerant pipe 16
Through a four-way valve 18. Therefore, by switching the four-way valve 18, the compressor 1
The refrigerant compressed by 4 is guided to either the indoor heat exchanger 10 or the outdoor heat exchanger 12. That is, in this embodiment, the four-way valve 18 constitutes switching means for switching the flow direction of the refrigerant. The other refrigerant pipe 17 is provided with an expansion valve 19 as a pressure reducing means for reducing the pressure of the refrigerant. The expansion valve 19 is made of a thin tube called a capillary tube, and is of a reversible type that similarly reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing to either side. Thus, these indoor heat exchangers 1
0, outdoor heat exchanger 12, compressor 14, refrigerant pipe 1
The heat pump cycle is constituted by the 6, 17, the four-way valve 18 and the expansion valve 19.

The refrigerant pipe 17 provided with the expansion valve 19 is further connected to a bypass pipe 20 for bypassing the expansion valve 19. And the bypass pipe 20
Is provided with an on-off valve 21. Therefore, when the on-off valve 21 is opened, the refrigerant flows around the expansion valve 19.

An outside air intake 22 for taking in outside air into the first chamber 6 is provided at a front end face of the vehicle body. The outside air intake 22 is opened and closed by an outside air introduction damper 23. At an intermediate portion of the horizontal partition 4 that forms the bottom surface of the first chamber 6, an inside air inlet 24 for taking in the air in the vehicle compartment 5 is provided in front of the position where the indoor heat exchanger 10 is provided. The inside air inlet 24 is opened and closed by an inside air circulation damper 25 that rotates downward. When the inside air circulation damper 25 is opened, the space between the compressor 14 installation portion of the third chamber 8 and the vehicle compartment 5 is partitioned. Further, the horizontal partition wall 4 is provided with an opening 27 which is opened and closed by a damper 26 which rotates downward at a rear portion thereof, that is, on the vehicle compartment 5 side. The opening 27 is located behind the position where the indoor heat exchanger 10 is provided. And the damper 2
When the opening 27 is opened, the first compartment 6
The air flowing through the inside air inlet 24 is shut off. Therefore, at this time, the air that has passed through the indoor heat exchanger 10 does not flow toward the passenger compartment 5 through the opening 27. That is, the damper 2
6 constitutes a shielding means for blocking the first room 6 from the vehicle room 5. The horizontal partition 4 between the first chamber 6 and the third chamber 8 is also provided with an opening 28 at the front end thereof, which constitutes a communication passage for communicating between the chambers 6 and 8. The opening 28 is also opened and closed by a damper 29. The arrangement position of the opening 28 is located forward of the installation portion of the compressor 14. Therefore, when the front and rear openings 27 and 28 of the horizontal partition 4 are both opened, the air around the compressor 14 in the third chamber 8 becomes the first air.
It circulates through an indoor heat exchanger 10 installed in the chamber 6. That is, the openings 27, 28
Thereby, a circulation path between the first chamber 6 and the third chamber 8 is formed. The instrument panel 2, which forms a wall surface of the first room 6 facing the cabin 5, has air outlets 30, 31, 32 at the upper surface, upper portion, and lower portion, respectively, as in a normal automobile. . The air outlets 30, 31, 32 can also be opened and closed. Thus, the outside air intake 22 is provided in the first chamber 6.
Alternatively, air outside the vehicle or inside the vehicle cabin 5 is taken in from the inside air inlet 24, and air in the third room 8 is taken in from the opening 28. Then, after the air is heat-exchanged by the indoor heat exchanger 10, the air is guided from the air outlets 30, 31, 32 into the vehicle compartment 5 and from the opening 27 into the third chamber 8. Has become.

On the other hand, an air discharge port 33 for discharging air passing through the outdoor heat exchanger 12 in the second chamber 7 is provided at the rear end face of the vehicle body.
Is provided. The air outlet 33 is provided with the exhaust damper 3.
4 for opening and closing. When the air outlet 33 is closed, the air passing through the outdoor heat exchanger 12 circulates in the second chamber 7. In addition, the outside air introduction damper 3 is provided on the outer wall facing the outside of the second room 7 at a position where a positive pressure is applied while the vehicle 1 is running.
5 is provided with an outside air inlet 36 which is opened and closed by 5. Further, a rear partition 3 for partitioning between the passenger compartment 5 and the second compartment 7.
Is provided with a ventilation port 37 for communicating between them. The ventilation opening 37 is opened and closed by a ventilation damper 38.

The outside air introduction damper 39 is also provided on the front of the third chamber 8.
A cooling air intake 40 is provided which is opened and closed. Further, a heat exhaust port 41 for exhausting air heated by the compressor 14 and its drive motor to the outside of the vehicle is provided at a position behind the compressor 14 installation portion of the third chamber 8. The heat exhaust port 41 is opened and closed by a heat exhaust damper 42 that rotates upward.

Next, the operation of the thus configured automotive air conditioner will be described. A) Cooling When cooling the interior of the passenger compartment 5, the four-way valve 18 is set so that the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 14 is guided to the outdoor heat exchanger 12, as shown in FIG. Then, the inside air inlet 24 of the first chamber 6, the air outlet 31 above the instrument panel 2, the outside air inlet 36 and the air outlet 33 of the second chamber 7 are opened. Also, the third
The cooling air intake 40 and the heat exhaust port 41 of the chamber 8 are also opened. Furthermore, when performing ventilation simultaneously, the outside air intake port 22 of the first room 6 and the ventilation port 37 between the vehicle room 5 and the second room 7 are half-opened. Other openings are closed. Bypass piping 20
Is normally closed. In this state, the compressor 14 and the electric fans 11, 13, 15 are driven. When the electric fans 11, 13, 15 are driven, the first
Outside air is taken into the room 6 from the outside air intake 22 on the front thereof together with the traveling wind, and air in the vehicle room 5 is sucked from the inside air introduction port 24. Then, the mixed air is blown to the indoor heat exchanger 10 in the first chamber 6. In addition, outside air is taken into the second chamber 7 from the outside air introduction port 36, and the air in the passenger compartment 5 is sucked from the ventilation port 37, and the mixed air is blown to the outdoor heat exchanger 12. Further, outside air is taken into the third chamber 8 from the cooling air intake port 40 on the front thereof together with the traveling wind. Then, the air flows around the compressor 14 and then flows out of the vehicle from the exhaust heat port 41. On the other hand, when the compressor 14 is driven, the high-temperature and high-pressure gas-phase refrigerant compressed by the compressor 14 is guided to the outdoor heat exchanger 12 in the second chamber 7. As described above, the mixed air of the outside air taken in from outside the vehicle and the inside air exhausted from the vehicle compartment 5 is blown to the heat exchanger 12. Therefore, in the outdoor heat exchanger 12, the refrigerant and the second chamber 7
The heat exchange with the air introduced into the inside is performed, and the refrigerant is cooled by the heat exchange. As a result, the refrigerant becomes a high-pressure liquid. The high-temperature air that has exchanged heat with the refrigerant is discharged from the air discharge port 33. Next, the liquid refrigerant is supplied to the expansion valve 1.
The pressure is reduced by 9 to make it easy to evaporate.
It is led to the indoor heat exchanger 10 in the chamber 6. In the indoor heat exchanger 10, the refrigerant evaporates while taking heat from the surroundings by rapidly expanding. Therefore, the air blown to the indoor heat exchanger 10 is cooled.
Then, the cooling air flows from the air outlet 31 to the cabin 5.
It is blown out inside. The refrigerant whose temperature has been increased by absorbing heat from the air supplied into the vehicle interior 5 is again compressed by the compressor 1.
4 and compressed.

In this way, by supplying air into the cabin 5 through the indoor heat exchanger 10, the inside of the cabin 5 is cooled. The outside air is taken into the vehicle compartment 5 through the first room 6 and the air in the vehicle room 5 is discharged to the outside of the vehicle from the second room 7 by that amount to ventilate the inside of the vehicle room 5. The temperature in the cabin 5, that is, the temperature of the air supplied into the cabin 5 is adjusted by the rotation speed of the compressor 14 and the amount of air blown by the indoor electric fan 11. Further, the ventilation amount is controlled by the opening degree of the damper 38 of the ventilation port 37 or the rotation speed of the electric fans 11 and 13.

In the meantime, the compressor 14 and its driving motor are installed in the independent third chamber 8.
Cooling air is introduced into the third chamber 8 from outside the vehicle. Therefore, the compressor 14 is directly cooled by the cooling air, and the cooling is performed efficiently. As a result, a rise in the temperature of the refrigerant when the refrigerant is compressed can be suppressed low. The refrigerant is cooled in the outdoor heat exchanger 12. Therefore, if the temperature rise can be kept low, the cooling efficiency will be improved. In addition, the outdoor heat exchanger 12
The cool air discharged from the interior of the vehicle compartment 5 is mixed with the air blown to the inside. Therefore, the temperature of the air is lower than that of the outside air, and the refrigerant flowing in the heat exchanger 12 is efficiently cooled. In addition, since the outdoor heat exchanger 12 is installed in the second chamber 7 distant from the third chamber 8 in which the compressor 14 and its driving motor are installed, the outdoor heat exchanger 12 is affected by radiant heat from the compressor 14 and the like. There is no. Therefore, the cooling efficiency is further improved. Further, the efficiency of the outdoor heat exchanger 12 is also improved, and the heat exchanger 12 can be downsized. Further, the cool air discharged from the vehicle compartment 5 flows around the battery 9 to cool the battery 9. That is, the air discharged from the passenger compartment 5 for ventilation is also used for cooling the battery 9 and the like. Thus, the cool air discharged from the vehicle compartment 5 is effectively used, and the energy used for cooling the air is recovered.

When only cooling is performed without performing ventilation,
As shown in FIG. 3, the outside air intake 2 of the first chamber 6
The ventilation port 37 between the second room 2 and the second room 7 is closed.
By doing so, the interior of the vehicle compartment 5 is cooled by circulating air between the vehicle interior 5 and the first room 6. That is,
Cooling of the inside air circulation is performed. In that case, there is no need to cool the hot outside air taken from outside the vehicle,
Since the cool air in the cabin 5 is not exhausted, the cooling in the cabin 5 is efficiently performed, and the rising speed of the cooling is quick.

(B) Heating When heating the interior of the passenger compartment 5, as shown in FIG. 4, the four-way valve 18 is switched so that the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 14 is guided to the indoor heat exchanger 10. To Then, the front opening 28 between the first chamber 6 and the third chamber 8, the air outlet 32 at the lower part of the instrument panel 2, the outside air inlet 36 and the air outlet 33 of the second chamber 7 are opened. When ventilation is performed simultaneously, the outside air intake 22 on the front of the first room 6 and the ventilation opening 37 between the vehicle room 5 and the second room 7 are half-opened. Other openings are closed. In this state, the compressor 14 and the electric fan 1
1 and 13 are driven. The electric fan 15 in the third chamber 8 is stopped or reversed. When the electric fan 11 in the first room 6 is driven, the air in the vehicle room 5 flows into the first room 6 from the front opening 28 through the third room 8. Outside air is taken in from the outside air intake 22 on the front of the first chamber 6 together with the traveling wind. Then, the mixed air is blown to the indoor heat exchanger 10 in the first chamber 6. On the other hand, the electric fan 1
3 drives the outside air inlet 3 into the second chamber 7.
The outside air is taken in from the inside 6, and the air in the cabin 5 is sucked in from the ventilation port 37, and the mixed air is blown to the outdoor heat exchanger 12. When the compressor 14 operates, the high-temperature and high-pressure gas-phase refrigerant compressed by the compressor 14 is guided to the indoor heat exchanger 10 in the first chamber 6. Then, the heat exchanger 10 exchanges heat with the air introduced into the first chamber 6. Therefore, the air is heated. The hot air is supplied to the air outlet 32
From the vehicle compartment 5. On the other hand, the refrigerant that has exchanged heat with the air supplied into the vehicle compartment 5 is cooled to become a high-pressure liquid, decompressed by the expansion valve 19, and then guided to the outdoor heat exchanger 12 in the second compartment 7. Then, by exchanging heat with the air blown to the outdoor heat exchanger 12, the heat in the air is robbed and vaporized. Then, the refrigerant
It is again guided to the compressor 14 and compressed. Further, the air that has become low temperature by exchanging heat with the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 12 is discharged outside the vehicle from the air discharge port 33 of the second chamber 7.

In this way, the heat pump cycle is reversed from that for cooling, and while radiating heat from the indoor heat exchanger 10, air is supplied into the passenger compartment 5 through the heat exchanger 10 so that Heating is performed. In that case, the air flowing from the interior of the vehicle compartment 5 into the first compartment 6 passes through the third compartment 8 in which the compressor 14 is installed. The temperature inside the third chamber 8 is high due to heat generated by the compressor 14 and its drive motor. Therefore, the cabin 5 and the first
The air circulating with the chamber 6 will be heated. Then, the high-temperature air is further heated in the indoor heat exchanger 10. As a result, the temperature of the air supplied into the passenger compartment 5 increases, and the heating efficiency improves. In addition, the outside air taken in through the first room 6 is supplied into the vehicle room 5, and the air in the room 5 is discharged to the outside from the air outlet 33 through the ventilation port 37 and the second chamber 7. As a result, ventilation in the passenger compartment 5 is performed. In this case, the temperature of the air discharged from the vehicle compartment 5 is high, but the air is passed through the outdoor heat exchanger 12 in the second chamber 7. Then, the heat in the air is absorbed by the heat exchanger 12, and the temperature of the gas-phase refrigerant sent to the compressor 14 is increased. Since the air supplied into the cabin 5 is heated by exchanging heat with the refrigerant after passing through the compressor 14, the heat in the air discharged from the cabin 5 for ventilation is included in the supplied air. Will be added. Thus, the heat in the air discharged from the cabin 5 is recovered. Furthermore, the air blown to the outdoor heat exchanger 12 also receives heat from the battery 9 installed on the upstream side. As a result, the exhaust heat of the battery 9 and the like is used for heating, and the heating efficiency is further improved.

Also in this heating mode, as shown in FIG. 5, the operation can be performed with both the outside air intake 22 of the first chamber 6 and the ventilation port 37 at the rear of the cabin 5 closed. By doing so, the inside air circulation type heating is performed, the heating in the vehicle interior 5 is performed efficiently, and the rising time is shortened.

C) Ventilation When only ventilation in the passenger compartment 5 is performed, the compressor 14
To stop the heat pump cycle. As shown in FIG. 6, the air inlet 22 of the first chamber 6, the air outlet 31 at the upper part of the instrument panel 2, and the partition wall 3 between the cabin 5 and the second chamber 7 are provided. The ventilating opening 37 and the air outlet 33 at the rear of the second chamber 7 are opened. Further, the air outlet 30 on the upper surface of the instrument panel 2 may be opened. At this time, the outside air inlet 36 of the second chamber 7 is closed. The electric fans 11, 13, and 15 are stopped when the automobile 1 runs at high speed. Also, when driving at low speed or stopping,
Only the indoor electric fan 11 is driven. In this way, when the vehicle 1 is running at high speed, the outside air intake 2 at the front end
2 flows into the first chamber 6 from the air outlet 30 or 31 of the instrument panel 2.
Flows into. Then, the air in the cabin 5 flows out of the vehicle from the rear ventilation port 37 through the second chamber 7. Therefore,
Ventilation in the passenger compartment 5 is performed. The air volume at this time is adjusted by the opening degree of the outside air introduction damper 23 that opens and closes the outside air intake 22. When the automobile 1 is stopped or running at a low speed, the indoor electric fan 11 controls the outside air intake 2.
Outside air is taken in from 2 and the outside air is supplied into the vehicle interior 5. Then, the air in the cabin 5 is discharged by that amount. Therefore, ventilation in the passenger compartment 5 is performed. The air volume at this time is adjusted by the rotation speed of the electric fan 11.

In this case, since the inside air inlet 24 of the first chamber 6 is closed by the inside air circulation damper 25, the vehicle room 5 and the third room 8, which is the accommodation room of the compressor 14, communicate with each other. However, at this time, since the compressor 14 is stopped, the temperature in the third chamber 8 does not become high, so that the temperature in the passenger compartment 5 is not affected. In a case where the compressor 14 immediately shifts to the ventilation mode after a long-time driving,
What is necessary is just to keep the cooling air intake port 40 and the heat exhaust port 41 of the chamber 8 in an open state. The battery 9 and the like installed in the second room 7 are cooled by the air in the vehicle room 5 discharged from the air outlet 33 to the outside through the second room 7.

D) Dehumidification When the humidity in the vehicle compartment 5 rises and the windshield or the like becomes cloudy, the operation is performed in the dehumidification mode. The dehumidification mode has two operating states. One of them is the operation state of the weak cooling mode. That is, as shown in FIG.
The four-way valve 18 switches so that the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 14 flows toward the outdoor heat exchanger 12. Then, the inside air inlet 24 of the first chamber 6, the outside air inlet 36 and the air outlet 33 of the second chamber 7, and the cooling air inlet 40 and the heat exhaust port 41 of the third chamber 8 are opened. At this time, the air outlet 30 on the upper surface of the instrument panel 2 is opened. In this state, the compressor 14 and the electric fan 1
1, 13 and 15 are driven at low speed. Then, the air in the cabin 5 is guided to the first chamber 6, and the air is cooled by the indoor heat exchanger 10, as in the cooling of the internal air circulation. Then, the water in the air is condensed by the cooling. Therefore, the air blown into the vehicle compartment 5 from the air outlet 30 on the upper surface of the instrument panel 2 is relatively dry air. Thus, the wind is blown against the windshield, thereby removing the fogging of the windshield.

However, in the dehumidification mode, the air supplied into the cabin 5 is cooled to some extent. Therefore, when it is not preferable for the cool air to be blown into the passenger compartment 5, the vehicle is driven as shown in FIG. That is, the four-way valve 18 is switched so that the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 14 flows toward the indoor heat exchanger 10, and the heat pump cycle is set to the heating mode. Then, the outside air intake port 22 of the first chamber 6 and the air discharge port 33 of the second chamber 7 are half-opened, and the ventilation port 37 between the cabin 5 and the second chamber 7 is opened. Further, the cooling air intake port 40 and the heat exhaust port 41 of the third chamber 8 are opened. On the other hand, the outside air inlet 36 of the second chamber 7 is kept closed. In this state, compressor 1
4 and the electric fans 11, 13, 15 are driven at a low speed. Then, after the outside air introduced from the outside air intake 22 of the first chamber 6 is heated by the indoor heat exchanger 10, the outside air is introduced from the air outlet 30 on the upper surface of the instrument panel 2 to the vehicle compartment 5.
Flows into. Therefore, the humidity of the air near the windshield becomes relatively low, and the fogging of the windshield is removed. On the other hand, the highly humid air in the cabin 5 is discharged from the ventilation port 37 to the outside of the vehicle through the air discharge port 33 of the second chamber 7.

E) Thawing Heating is performed when the outside air temperature is low. And
As described above, the heat is absorbed in the outdoor heat exchanger 12 during the operation in the heating mode. That is, when the refrigerant is vaporized, heat is taken from the air blown to the heat exchanger 12. Therefore, when only outside air is introduced into the second chamber 7 as in the case of the inside air circulation type heating, the temperature around the outdoor heat exchanger 12 becomes lower than the outside air temperature, and ice may form in the heat exchanger 12. is there. Also, even during heating while ventilating, the amount of ventilation cannot be increased so much to maintain the heating efficiency. That is, even if high-temperature air in the passenger compartment 5 is blown to the outdoor heat exchanger 12, the amount of air cannot be increased.
Therefore, even during such heating, icing may occur in the outdoor heat exchanger 12. When the ice adheres to the heat exchanger 12, the efficiency of the heat exchanger 12 is significantly reduced. Therefore, in such a case, the operation is performed 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 18 is kept set so that the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 14 flows toward the indoor heat exchanger 10. Also, an opening 2 at the front between the first chamber 6 and the third chamber 8.
8 and the air outlet 32 at the lower part of the instrument panel 2 are kept open. On the other hand, the outside air inlet 36 and the air outlet 33 of the second chamber 7 are both closed, and the ventilation port 37 between the second chamber 7 and the cabin 5 is also closed. At this time, the on-off valve 21 provided in the bypass pipe 20 is opened. In this state, the indoor electric fan 11 is rotated at a low speed. Then, since the amount of air that exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 10 is reduced, the refrigerant is maintained at a relatively high temperature even after passing through the heat exchanger 10. Then, the refrigerant flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 12 through the bypass pipe 20 that bypasses the expansion valve 19. Therefore, a relatively high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant is guided to the outdoor heat exchanger 12. As a result, the ice adhered to the outdoor heat exchanger 12 is melted. During this time, since the second chamber 7 is sealed, air is circulated in the second chamber 7 by driving the outdoor electric fan 13. The air is heated by the heat generated by the battery 9 and the like. Therefore, the temperature of the air blown to the outdoor heat exchanger 12 does not become extremely low, and ice is prevented from newly attaching to the heat exchanger 12. At this time, the indoor heat exchanger 10
The air blown to the compressor 1
It is heated by passing through a third chamber 8 in which 4 is installed. In addition, the air is at least heated by the heat exchanger 10 although the amount is small because the rotation speed of the indoor electric fan 11 is low. Then, the heated air is supplied into the passenger compartment 5. Therefore, even if the interior of the passenger compartment 5 is not heated, at least a decrease in the temperature is prevented. In this way, the ice in the outdoor heat exchanger 12 is thawed while maintaining the temperature in the cabin 5.

If the outdoor heat exchanger 12 cannot be thawed even in this mode, as shown in FIG. 10, the four-way valve 18 is switched to operate the heat pump cycle in the cooling mode. In this case, in order to prevent the air cooled by the indoor heat exchanger 10 from flowing out into the passenger compartment 5, the air outlets 30, 31, which blow air from the first chamber 6 into the passenger compartment 5. 32 are all closed, and the opening 27 on the vehicle compartment 5 side provided in the partition wall 4 forming the bottom wall of the first compartment 6 is opened. Then, the damper 2 opens and closes the opening 27.
6, the first chamber 6 and the third chamber 8 are shut off from the cabin 5 side. Then, the air that has passed through the indoor heat exchanger 10 flows out of the opening 27 into the third chamber 8, and then flows out of the front opening 2.
8 and is returned to the first chamber 6 again. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occupant from feeling cold. By operating in the cooling mode as described above, the refrigerant radiates heat in the outdoor heat exchanger 12, so that the temperature around the heat exchanger 12 becomes high. Also at this time, the second chamber 7 in which the heat source such as the battery 9 is housed is sealed, and the air is circulated in the second chamber 7. The wind will be blown. As a result, the ice adhered to the outdoor heat exchanger 12 is rapidly melted. In this way, even when icing occurs in the outdoor heat exchanger 12, the heat pump cycle is activated,
By utilizing the exhaust heat of the battery 9, the compressor 14, and the like, the ice can be removed.

In the above embodiment, the four-way valve 18 has been described as the switching means for switching the flow direction of the refrigerant.
If a reversible valve is used as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 55-8588, such a four-way valve 18 and the like can be omitted. Further, as a pressure reducing means for reducing the pressure of the refrigerant,
In addition to the single expansion valve 19 composed of a capillary tube as in the above-described embodiment, it is also possible to use a separate expansion valve that operates in a cooling cycle and an expansion valve that operates in a heating cycle. Further, in the above embodiment, the third chamber 8 in which the compressor 14 is installed is arranged below the first chamber 6, but the third chamber 8 is arranged, for example, below the vehicle compartment 5. You can also In addition, a heat source such as a battery 9 may be provided in the third chamber 8.

[0033]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, since the outdoor heat exchanger is arranged behind the vehicle compartment, the outdoor heat exchanger can be used at the time of ventilation during cooling or heating in the vehicle compartment. Energy in the air discharged from the passenger compartment can be recovered. Therefore, a highly efficient air conditioner can be provided, and it can be applied to an electric vehicle. In addition, the compressor is arranged in the first room where the indoor heat exchanger is arranged, the second room where the outdoor heat exchanger is arranged, and further in the independent third room separated from the vehicle room. Therefore, the indoor heat exchanger, the outdoor heat exchanger, and the compressor are no longer thermally affected by each other, and especially during cooling, the effect of radiant heat from a heat source such as a compressor on the outdoor heat exchanger. Is prevented, the efficiency of the outdoor heat exchanger is improved. Therefore, the size of the outdoor heat exchanger can be reduced.
Further, since the cooling air is introduced into the third chamber, the compressor disposed in the third chamber is efficiently cooled. Therefore, the efficiency of the compressor can be improved. In addition, since the amount of heat radiation of the outdoor heat exchanger during cooling can be reduced thereby, the size of the outdoor heat exchanger can be further reduced. By allowing the first chamber, the second chamber, and the third chamber, as well as the outside and the interior of the vehicle to communicate and shut off as appropriate, and by performing a heat pump cycle, It is possible to operate in various modes such as dehumidification and deicing as well as cooling and heating and ventilation, and it is possible to always maintain a comfortable environment in the vehicle interior.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

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

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

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

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing one mode of a de-icing mode in the air conditioner.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing a different mode of the ice-free mode in the air conditioner.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Automobile 2 Instrument panel 3 Rear partition 4 Horizontal partition 5 Car room 6 1st room 7 2nd room 8 3rd room 9 Battery (power source) 10 Indoor heat exchanger 11 Indoor electric fan 12 Outdoor heat exchanger 13 Outdoor electric Fan 14 Compressor 15 Electric fan 16, 17 Refrigerant pipe 18 Four-way valve (switching means) 19 Expansion valve (Decompression means) 20 Bypass pipe 21 Open / close valve 22 Outside air intake 23 Outside air introduction damper 24 Inside air introduction port 25 Inside air circulation damper 26 Damper ( (Shielding means) 27 Opening (circulation path) 28 Opening (communication path, circulation path) 29 Damper 30, 31, 32 Air outlet 33 Air outlet 34 Exhaust damper 35 Outside air introduction damper 36 Outside air introduction port 37 Ventilation port 38 Ventilation damper 39 Outside air introduction damper 40 Cooling air intake 41 Heat exhaust port 42 Heat exhaust damper

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. An indoor heat exchanger which is arranged in a first room having an outside air intake for taking in air from outside of a vehicle and an air outlet for blowing air into the vehicle, and exchanging heat with air introduced into the first room. An outdoor heat exchanger arranged in a second room having an outside air inlet for taking in air from outside the vehicle and an air outlet for discharging air outside the vehicle, and performing heat exchange with air introduced into the second room. A compressor provided on one of two refrigerant pipes for circulating a refrigerant between the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger and compressing the refrigerant; and a compressor provided on the other of the refrigerant pipes and And a pressure reducing means for reducing the pressure of the refrigerant flowing between the heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger. The first room in which the indoor heat exchanger is disposed is provided in front of the vehicle compartment. Together with the outdoor heat exchange A second room in which the heat exchanger is disposed is provided behind the vehicle room, and the second room and the vehicle room can communicate with each other by an openable and closable ventilation port. The outside air intake of the first room The outside air introduction port and the air discharge port of the second chamber are each openable and closable, and the compressor is disposed in a third chamber separated from any of the first chamber, the second chamber, and the passenger compartment. The third chamber is provided with an openable / closable cooling air intake port for taking in compressor cooling air from outside the vehicle, and an openable / closable heat exhaust port for discharging air heated in the third chamber outside the vehicle. An air conditioner for a vehicle, characterized in that: 2. The reversible type pressure reducing means is capable of reducing the pressure of a refrigerant flowing in any direction, and a switching means for switching a flow direction of the refrigerant is provided in a refrigerant pipe provided with the compressor. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein 3. An indoor heat exchanger in a first room between a first room in which the indoor heat exchanger is arranged and a third room in which the compressor is arranged, wherein the air heated in the third room is provided in the first room. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein a communication path that can be shut off leading to the vehicle is provided. 4. A refrigerant pipe provided with the pressure reducing means,
The automotive air conditioner according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a bypass pipe having an on-off valve for bypassing the pressure reducing means is connected. 5. A shielding means for shutting off a first chamber in which the indoor heat exchanger is disposed from the vehicle compartment, and a third chamber in which the first chamber and the compressor are disposed. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising a shutoff circuit that circulates air in the third room through an indoor heat exchanger in the first room. 6. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein a power source of the vehicle is disposed upstream of an outdoor heat exchanger disposed in the second room.