Patent ID: 11919368
Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  F | IPC B  F

Claim 0:
1. A heat pump, comprising:
a refrigerant loop comprising:
a first heat exchanger;
a first region of a second heat exchanger;
a third heat exchanger;
a fourth heat exchanger;
a first heat exchange fluid;
a compressor having a low-pressure inlet, a mid-pressure inlet, and an outlet;
a vapor generator positioned downstream of the outlet of the compressor and upstream of both the low-pressure inlet and the mid-pressure inlet;
a four-way valve positioned immediately upstream of the first heat exchanger;
a plurality of additional valves, at least one of which is selectively operable as a shutoff valve to prevent compressor-driven flow through a portion of the refrigerant loop, wherein at least one component chosen from the group consisting of the third heat exchanger, the fourth heat exchanger, and the vapor generator is free from compressor-driven flow of the first heat exchange fluid during a predetermined set of heating modes of operation of the heat pump and a predetermined set of cooling modes of operation of the heat pump.