Patent ID: 6516621
Filing Date: 2003-02-11
Classification: B60H,F02N,Y02T,Y10S

Abstract:
An air conditioner for a hybrid vehicle, the hybrid vehicle having an engine for running the vehicle, an electric motor for running the vehicle, and an engine controller for controlling an operation of the engine, the air conditioner comprising:a compressor for compressing and discharging refrigerant, the compressor being driven by the engine; a cooling heat exchanger for cooling and dehumidifying air to be blown into a passenger compartment of the vehicle, by an operation of the compressor; and a control unit for controlling the operation of the compressor, wherein: the control unit outputs an air-conditioning preference signal to the engine controller for requiring driving of the engine in a defrosting control where air cooled and dehumidified by the cooling heat exchanger is blown toward a windshield of the vehicle, and an engine-driving requirement signal for requiring driving of the engine when air-conditioning operation of the cooling heat exchanger is performed by driving the compressor; and a requiring degree of the air-conditioning preference signal for driving the engine is larger than a requiring degree of the engine-driving requirement signal for driving the engine.