Air conditioning apparatus for automobile

Claim 2

An air conditioning apparatus for an automobile having a cabin, comprising: a duct having a first end for intaking air and a second end for discharging the air flow to the cabin; an air inlet switching means for switching between an outside air inlet mode where an air outside the cabin is introduced into the duct and an inside air inlet mode where the air inside the cabin is introduced into the duct; fan means for generating a forcible flow of air introduced into the duct via said inlet; heat exchanging means for receiving a flow of a heat exchanging medium for obtaining a heat exchange between the medium and said air flow in the duct; heat source switching means for switching between a low temperature source mode where a source of the low temperature medium is connected to the heat exchanging means, and a hot temperature source mode where a source of the high temperature medium is connected to the heat exchanging means, and; means for forcing said air inlet switching means to obtain said outside air inlet mode upon switching to the hot temperature source mode after the execution of the low temperature source mode.

Claim 3

An air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said duct having, at said second end, an upper outlet for discharging the air flow into the cabin at a higher level, and a lower outlet for discharging the air flow into the cabin at a lower level, and wherein it further comprises air outlet switching means for switching between a upper mode where the air flow is discharged from the upper outlet and a lower mode where the air flow is discharged from the lower outlet, and means for forcing said air outlet switching means to obtain said lower air outlet mode when a switching to the hot temperature source mode after the execution of the low temperature source mode.

Claim 4

An air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising timer means for setting the time wherein said air inlet switching means is forced to obtain the outside air inlet mode by said forcing means.

Claim 5

An air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising timer means for measuring the time following the end of the low temperature source mode, and means for preventing the operation of said forcing means for obtaining the forced outside air inlet mode when the measured time is longer than a predetermined value.

Claim 6

An air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising timer means for measuring the time after the commencement of the heating operation following the preceding low temperature source mode, and means for stopping the operation of said forcing means for obtaining the forced outside air inlet mode when the measured time is longer than a predetermined value.

Claim 7

An air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising timer means for measuring the duration time of the preceding low temperature source mode, and means for cancelling the operation of said forcing means for obtaining the forced outside air inlet mode when the measured time is shorter than a predetermined value.

Claim 8

An air conditioning apparatus for an automobile having a cabin, comprising: a duct having an inlet for an intake of air and an outlet for the discharge of an air flow to the cabin; an air inlet switching means for switching between an outside air inlet mode where an air outside the cabin is introduced into the duct and an inside air inlet mode where the air inside the cabin is introduced into the duct; a fan means for generating a forcible flow of the air as introduced into the duct via said inlet; a refrigerating cycle including a circuit for a refrigerant, a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger and a pressure reducer, said first heat exchanger being arranged in the duct for obtaining a heat exchange between the refrigerating medium and the air in the duct, the second exchanger being arranged for obtaining a heat exchange between the refrigerating medium and the air outside the duct; heat source switching means for switching the direction of the flow of the refrigerant in said circuit between a heating mode where the refrigerant from the compressor is, first, directed to the first heat exchanger, and to the pressure reducer and the second heat exchanger, thereby causing the first heat exchanger to operate as a condenser to heat the air in the duct, and a cooling mode where the refrigerant from the compressor is, first, directed to the second heat exchanger, and then to the pressure reducer and the first heat exchanger, thereby causing the first heat exchanger to operate as an evaporator to cool the air in the duct, and; means for forcing said air inlet switching means to obtain said outside air inlet mode when switching to the heating mode after the execution of a cooling or dehumidifying operation in the cooling mode.

Claim 9

An air conditioning apparatus for an automobile having a cabin, comprising: a duct having an inlet for an intake of air and an outlet for the discharge of an air flow to the cabin; an air inlet switching means for switching between an outside air inlet mode where an air outside the cabin is introduced into the duct and an inside air inlet mode where the air inside the cabin is introduced into the duct; a fan means for generating a forcible flow of the air as introduced into the duct via said inlet; a refrigerating cycle including a circuit for a refrigerant, a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger and a pressure reducer, said first heat exchanger being arranged in the duct for obtaining a heat exchange between the refrigerating medium and the air in the duct, the second exchanger being arranged for obtaining a heat exchange between the refrigerating medium and the air outside the duct; heat source switching means for switching the direction of the flow of the refrigerant in said circuit between a heating mode where the refrigerant from the compressor is, first, directed to the first heat exchanger, and to the pressure reducer and the second heat exchanger, thereby causing the first heat exchanger to operate as a condenser to heat the air in the duct, and a cooling mode where the refrigerant from the compressor is, first, directed to the second heat exchanger, and then to the pressure reducer and the first heat exchanger, thereby causing the first heat exchanger to operate as an evaporator to cool the air in the duct, and; means for forcing said air inlet switching means to obtain said outside air inlet mode when switching to the heating mode after the execution of a cooling or dehumidifying operation in the cooling mode.

Claim 10

An air conditioning apparatus according to claim 7, wherein it further comprises a third heat exchanger that is arranged in the duct at a position upstream from the first heat exchanger for obtaining a heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air in the duct; said heat source switching means further having a dehumidifying mode where the refrigerant from the compressor is, first, introduced into the first heat exchanger, and to the pressure reducer and to the third heat exchanger; the first heat exchanger heating the air in the duct, the third heat exchanger cooling the air in the duct, and said forcing means further forcing said air inlet switching means to obtain said outside air inlet mode when switching to the heating mode after the execution of a dehumidifying operation.

Claim 11

An air conditioning apparatus for an automobile having a cabin, comprising: a duct having a first end for the intake of air and a second end for the discharge of an air flow to the cabin; an air inlet switching means for switching between an outside air inlet mode where air outside the cabin is introduced into the duct and an inside air inlet mode where the air inside the cabin is introduced into the duct; a fan means for generating a forcible flow of the air as introduced into the duct via said inlet; heat exchanging means for receiving a flow of a heat exchanging medium for obtaining a heat exchange between the medium and said air flow in the duct; heat source switching means for switching between a low temperature source mode, where a source of the medium having a low temperature is connected to the heat exchanging means, and a hot temperature source mode, where a source of the medium having a high temperature is connected to the heat exchanging means, and; means for notifying a request thereby causing inlet switching means to obtain said outside air inlet mode when switching to the hot temperature source mode following the execution of a cooling or dehumidifying operation in the low temperature source mode.

Claim 12

An air conditioning apparatus for an automobile having a cabin, comprising: a duct having a first end for the intake of air and a second end for the discharge of an air flow to the cabin; an air inlet switching means for switching between an outside air inlet mode where air outside the cabin is introduced into the duct and an inside air inlet mode where the air inside the cabin is introduced into the duct; a fan means for generating a forcible flow of the air as introduced into the duct via said inlet; heat exchanging means for receiving a flow of a heat exchanging medium for obtaining a heat exchange between the medium and said air flow in the duct; heat source switching means for switching between a low temperature source mode, where a source of the medium having a low temperature is connected to the heat exchanging means, and a hot temperature source mode, where a source of the medium having a high temperature is connected to the heat exchanging means, and; means for notifying a request thereby causing inlet switching means to obtain said outside air inlet mode when switching to the hot temperature source mode following the execution of a cooling or dehumidifying operation in the low temperature source mode.

Claim 13

An air conditioning apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said notifying means comprise means for detection of a switching to the heating operation, and means for indicating the request of the switching to the outside air intake mode upon the detection of the switching to the heating operation from the cooling or dehumidifying operation.

Claim 14

An air conditioning apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said indicating means comprises an indicator lamp, and means for turning the lamp ON and OFF upon detection of a switching to the heating operation when the inlet switching means is in its inside air inlet mode.

Claim 15

An air conditioning apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said duct having, at the said second end, an upper outlet for discharging the air flow into the cabin at a higher level, and a lower outlet for discharging the air flow into the cabin at a lower level, and wherein it further comprises air outlet switching means for switching between a upper mode where the air flow is discharged from the upper outlet and a lower mode where the air flow is discharged from the lower outlet, and second means for notifying a request thereby causing said outlet switching means to assume said lower air outlet mode when switching to the hot temperature source mode following the execution of a cooling or dehumidifying operation in the low temperature source mode.

Claim 16

An air conditioning apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said second notifying means comprise means for the detection of a switching to the heating operation, and means for indicating the request of the switching to the lower outlet mode upon detection of a switching to the heating operation from the cooling or dehumidifying operation when the air outlet switching means is in its upper outlet mode.

Claim 17

An air conditioning apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said indicating means comprises an indicator lamp, and means for turning the lamp ON and OFF upon detection of a switching to the heating operation.

Claim 18

An air conditioning apparatus for an automobile having a cabin, comprising: a duct having an inlet for an intake of air and an outlet for the discharge of an air flow to the cabin; an air inlet switching means for switching between an outside air inlet mode, where air outside the cabin is introduced into the duct, and an inside air inlet mode, where the air inside the cabin is introduced into the duct; a fan means for generating a forcible flow of the air as introduced into the duct via said inlet; a refrigerating cycle including a circuit passageway for a refrigerant, a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger and a pressure reducer; said first heat exchanger being arranged in the duct for obtaining a heat exchange between the refrigerating medium and the air in the duct; the second heat exchanger being arranged for obtaining a heat exchange between the refrigerating medium and the air outside the duct; heat source switching means for switching the direction of the flow of the refrigerant in said circuit between a heating mode, where the refrigerant from the compressor is first directed to the first heat exchanger, the pressure reducer and the second heat exchanger, thereby causing the first heat exchanger to operate as a condenser and heat the air in the duct, and a cooling mode where the refrigerant from the compressor is first directed to the second heat exchanger, and then to the pressure reducer and the first heat exchanger, thereby causing the second heat exchanger to operate as an evaporator and cool the air in the duct, and; means for issuing an electric signal to the inlet switching means for switching said air inlet switching means to the outside air inlet mode when switching to the hot temperature source mode following the execution of a cooling or dehumidifying operation in the low temperature source mode.

Claim 19

An air conditioning apparatus for an automobile having a cabin, comprising: a duct having an inlet for an intake of air and an outlet for the discharge of an air flow to the cabin; an air inlet switching means for switching between an outside air inlet mode, where air outside the cabin is introduced into the duct, and an inside air inlet mode, where the air inside the cabin is introduced into the duct; a fan means for generating a forcible flow of the air as introduced into the duct via said inlet; a refrigerating cycle including a circuit passageway for a refrigerant, a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger and a pressure reducer; said first heat exchanger being arranged in the duct for obtaining a heat exchange between the refrigerating medium and the air in the duct; the second heat exchanger being arranged for obtaining a heat exchange between the refrigerating medium and the air outside the duct; heat source switching means for switching the direction of the flow of the refrigerant in said circuit between a heating mode, where the refrigerant from the compressor is first directed to the first heat exchanger, the pressure reducer and the second heat exchanger, thereby causing the first heat exchanger to operate as a condenser and heat the air in the duct, and a cooling mode where the refrigerant from the compressor is first directed to the second heat exchanger, and then to the pressure reducer and the first heat exchanger, thereby causing the second heat exchanger to operate as an evaporator and cool the air in the duct, and; means for issuing an electric signal to the inlet switching means for switching said air inlet switching means to the outside air inlet mode when switching to the hot temperature source mode following the execution of a cooling or dehumidifying operation in the low temperature source mode.

Claim 20

An air conditioning apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising means for the detection of the pressure of the refrigerant issued from the compressor, and means for allowing a switching to the outside air intake mode when the pressure of the refrigerant detected by the sensor is larger than a predetermined value.

Claim 21

An air conditioning apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said duct having, at said second end, an upper outlet for discharging the air flow into the cabin at a higher level, and a lower outlet for discharging the air flow into the cabin at a lower level, and wherein it further comprises air outlet switching means for switching between a upper mode, where the air flow is discharged from the upper outlet, and a lower mode, where the air flow is discharged from the lower outlet, and means for issuing an electric signal to the outlet switching means for switching to the lower outlet mode when switching to the hot temperature source mode following the execution of a cooling or dehumidifying operation in the low temperature source mode when the air outlet switching means is in its upper outlet mode.