Patent US5641016A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5641016A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Air-conditioning apparatus for vehicle use
Assignee: Denso Corp
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Filing: 1994-12-27
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Granted: 1997-06-24
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Expires: 2014-12-27
Abstract
Abstract An air-conditioning apparatus for vehicle use which can obtain sufficient heater capacity even in a cold-climate region, can utilize an existing heater unit, can combine a combustion type heater with a simple assembly operation, and can utilize exhaust heat of a motor for travel use of an automobile for heating a passenger compartment. The air-conditioning apparatus includes a refrigeration cycle connecting a refrigerant compressor, a refrigerant/water heat exchanger, a first pressure-reducer, and an exterior heat exchanger in an annular configuration. Further, a hot-water cycle connects the refrigerant/water heat exchanger, a hot-water heater core, an exhaust-heat cooler, and a water pump in an annular configuration and connects a combustion type heater in parallel with the refrigerant/water heat exchanger. Accordingly, during heat-pump hot-water heating, hot water, with a temperature raised by refrigerant condensation by the refrigerant/water heat exchanger, circulates in the hot-water heater core so as to obtain a required heater capacity. During combustion heater hot-water heating, hot water, with a temperature raised by combustion fuel in the combustion type heater, circulates in the hot-water heater core so as to obtain sufficient heating capacity even in a cold-climate region.
Inventors
- 👤 Akira Isaji
- 👤 Naoto Hotta
- 👤 Yasuo Kondo
- 👤 Yuji Takeo
- 👤 Shizuo Tsuchiya
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 18:47
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60H; B60H1/00; B60H1/02; B60H1/03; B60H1/032; B60H1/00007; B60H1/00642; B60H1/00814; B60H1/00878; B60H1/00899; B60H1/00914; B60H1/00921; B60H1/32; B60H1/3204; B60H1/323; B60L; B60L1/00; B60L1/003; B60L1/02; B60L3/00; B60L3/0023; B60L3/003; B60L3/0061; B60L50/00; B60L50/10; B60L50/16; B60H2001/00949; B60L2210/00; B60L2210/40; B60L2240/00; B60L2240/10; B60L2240/34; B60L2240/36; B60L2240/40; B60L2240/42; B60L2240/421; B60L2240/44; B60L2240/445; B60L2240/60; B60L2240/66; B60L2240/662; B60L2240/665; B60L2250/00; B60L2250/12; B60L2270/00; B60L2270/46; Y; Y02; Y02T; Y02T10/00; Y02T10/60; Y02T10/64; Y02T10/70; Y02T10/7072; Y02T10/72; Y02T90/00; Y02T90/10; Y02T90/16
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
135 words
An air-conditioning apparatus for use in a vehicle having a passenger compartment, said air-conditioning apparatus comprising: a duct for leading air toward said passenger compartment; a blower for moving air within said duct to said passenger compartment; a refrigeration cycle including a refrigerant compressor for compressing and discharging refrigerant, a refrigerant/water heat exchanger for exchanging heat between refrigerant discharged from said refrigerant compressor and hot water in order to heat said hot water, and a refrigerant evaporator for cooling air by means of refrigerant evaporation heat; and a hot-water cycle including a pump for circulating said hot water heated by said refrigerant/water heat exchanger, and a hot-water type heater disposed within said duct for heating air flowing within said duct by means of hot water entering said hot-water type heater from said refrigerant/water heat exchanger.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
135 words
An air-conditioning apparatus for use in a vehicle having a passenger compartment, said air-conditioning apparatus comprising: a duct for leading air toward said passenger compartment; a blower for moving air within said duct to said passenger compartment; a refrigeration cycle including a refrigerant compressor for compressing and discharging refrigerant, a refrigerant/water heat exchanger for exchanging heat between refrigerant discharged from said refrigerant compressor and hot water in order to heat said hot water, and a refrigerant evaporator for cooling air by means of refrigerant evaporation heat; and a hot-water cycle including a pump for circulating said hot water heated by said refrigerant/water heat exchanger, and a hot-water type heater disposed within said duct for heating air flowing within said duct by means of hot water entering said hot-water type heater from said refrigerant/water heat exchanger.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
52 words
An air-conditioning apparatus for use in a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said refrigeration cycle includes an exterior heat exchanger disposed outside said air duct and connected in series with and on a downstream side of said refrigerant compressor as determined by a direction of refrigerant flow from said refrigeration compressor.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
60 words
An air-conditioning apparatus for use in a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said hot-water cycle includes a radiator for exchanging heat between air outside said passenger compartment and said hot water to cool said hot water connected in series with an exhaust-heat cooler for cooling, by means of hot water, vehicle-mounted electrical devices which generate heat when electrically charged.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
44 words
An air-conditioning apparatus for use in a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said vehicle-mounted electrical devices include a motor used when said vehicle travels and an inverter also used when said vehicle travels, said inverter including transistors that generate heat when electrically charged.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
An air-conditioning apparatus for use in a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said hot-water cycle includes a combustion type heater for heating hot water via combustion of fuel connected in series with said hot-water type heater.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
An air-conditioning apparatus for use in a vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising a pressure-reducing means connected between said refrigerant/water heat exchanger and said exterior heat exchanger.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
43 words
An air-conditioning apparatus for use in a vehicle according to claim 1 wherein said hot-water cycle includes an exhaust-heat cooler for cooling via hot water, vehicle-mounted electrical devices, which generate heat when electrically charged, connected in series with said hot-water type heat exchanger.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
44 words
An air-conditioning apparatus for use in a vehicle according to claim 7, wherein said vehicle-mounted electrical devices include a motor used when said vehicle travels and an inverter also used when said vehicle travels, said inverter including transistors that generate heat when electrically charged.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
An air-conditioning apparatus for use in a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said hot-water cycle includes an electrical hot-water heater for heating hot water using an electrical heater connected in series with said hot-water type heater.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
An air-conditioning apparatus for use in a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said refrigeration cycle positions said refrigerant evaporator on an upwind side of said hot-water type heater within said duct.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
33 words
An air-conditioning apparatus for use in a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a rotational speed control means for controlling rotational speed of said refrigerant compressor in order to perform capacity control.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
An air-conditioning apparatus for use in a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said hot-water cycle further includes a bypass passage for allowing hot water to bypass said radiator.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
31 words
An air-conditioning apparatus for use in a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said hot-water type heater includes an air-mix damper for changing the amount of air heated in said duct.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
135 words
An air-conditioning apparatus for use in a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said refrigeration cycle includes an exterior heat exchanger disposed outside said duct and connected in series with and on a downstream side of said refrigeration compressor as determined by a direction of refrigerant flow from said refrigeration compressor, and a pressure-reducing means connected between said refrigerant/water heat exchanger and said exterior heat exchanger; wherein said hot-water cycle includes a combustion type heater for heating hot water via combustion of fuel connected in series with said hot-water type heater; and wherein said air-conditioning apparatus includes a heat-pump hot-water heater and a combustion-heater hot-water heater as said combustion type heater, and said heat-pump hot-water heater and said combustion-heater hot water heater are selectively utilized based on a temperature of air outside said passenger compartment.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
103 words
An air-conditioning apparatus for use in a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a water-cooled type internal combustion engine having a water-cooling portion within which water circulates; and an electrical generator driven by rotation of said water-cooled type internal combustion engine; wherein said refrigerant compressor is an electromotive type refrigerant compressor which receives a supply of electrical power from said electrical generator in order to operate; and wherein said hot-water cycle includes said water-cooling portion connected in series with and on a downstream side of said refrigerant/water heat exchanger as determined by a direction of water flow from said refrigerant/water heat exchanger.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
79 words
An air-conditioning apparatus for use in a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a water-cooled type internal combustion engine having a water-cooling portion within which water circulates; wherein said refrigerant compressor is driven by rotation of said water-cooled type internal combustion engine; and wherein said hot-water cycle includes said water-cooling portion connected in series with and on a downstream side of said refrigerant/water heat exchanger as determined by a direction of water flow from said refrigerant/water heat exchanger.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
59 words
An air-conditioning apparatus for use in a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising an inverter acting a drive power supply; wherein said refrigerant compressor is an electromotive type refrigerant compressor controlled by said inverter; and wherein said hot-water cycle includes an exhaust-heat cooler for cooling said inverter via hot water connected in series with said hot-water type heater.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
An air-conditioning apparatus for use in a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising an integral casing housing at least said refrigerant compressor and said refrigerant/water heat exchanger.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
92 words
An air-conditioning apparatus for use in a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein said combustion type heater is connected in series with and on a downstream side said refrigerant/water heat exchanger as determined by a direction of hot-water flow from said refrigerant/water heat exchanger; wherein said combustion type heat exchanger is connected in series with and on an upstream side of said hot-water type heater as determined by a direction of hot-water flow from said hot-water type heater; and wherein said combustion type heat exchanger is operated simultaneously with said refrigerant compressor.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
66 words
An air-conditioning apparatus for use in a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said exterior heat exchanger functions as a condenser for condensing refrigerant during cooler operation and functions as an evaporator for evaporating refrigerant during heater operation; and wherein refrigerant flows in a first direction in said exterior heat exchanger during cooler operation and in a second direction opposite said first direction during heater operation.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
19 words
An air-conditioning apparatus for use in a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle is an electric vehicle.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
191 words
An air-conditioning apparatus for use in a vehicle having a passenger compartment, said air-conditioning apparatus comprising: a duct for leading air toward said passenger compartment; a blower for moving air within said duct to said passenger compartment; a first refrigeration cycle including a refrigerant compressor for compressing and discharging a first refrigerant, a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between said first refrigerant discharged from said refrigerant compressor and a second refrigerant in order to heat said first refrigerant water, and a refrigerant evaporator for cooling air by means of refrigerant evaporation heat; and a second refrigeration cycle including a pump for circulating said second refrigerant heated by said heat exchanger, and a heater disposed within said duct for heating air flowing within said duct by means of said second refrigerant entering said heater from said heat exchanger; wherein said heat exchanger is disposed at a downstream of said compressor to lead said first refrigerant discharged from said compressor and elevated to a high degree thereinto, and disposed at a upstream of said heater to lead said second refrigerant which has a lower degree and is heat exchanged with said first refrigerant.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
191 words
An air-conditioning apparatus for use in a vehicle having a passenger compartment, said air-conditioning apparatus comprising: a duct for leading air toward said passenger compartment; a blower for moving air within said duct to said passenger compartment; a first refrigeration cycle including a refrigerant compressor for compressing and discharging a first refrigerant, a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between said first refrigerant discharged from said refrigerant compressor and a second refrigerant in order to heat said first refrigerant water, and a refrigerant evaporator for cooling air by means of refrigerant evaporation heat; and a second refrigeration cycle including a pump for circulating said second refrigerant heated by said heat exchanger, and a heater disposed within said duct for heating air flowing within said duct by means of said second refrigerant entering said heater from said heat exchanger; wherein said heat exchanger is disposed at a downstream of said compressor to lead said first refrigerant discharged from said compressor and elevated to a high degree thereinto, and disposed at a upstream of said heater to lead said second refrigerant which has a lower degree and is heat exchanged with said first refrigerant.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
24 words
An air-conditioning apparatus for use in a vehicle according to claim 22, wherein said first and second refrigerants are freon gas and hot-water, respectively.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-06-23 | 2000-12-23 | 2001-06-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-06-23 | 2004-12-23 | 2005-06-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-06-23 | 2008-12-23 | 2009-06-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |