Patent ID: 6430951
Filing Date: 2002-08-13
Classification: B60H,F25B

Abstract:
An air conditioner for a vehicle having a passenger compartment, comprising:a duct for defining an air passage through which air flows; a blower for blowing air into the passenger compartment through said air passage; an evaporator, disposed in said duct, for cooling air flowing through said air passage by evaporating refrigerant flowing therethrough; a condenser for heating air passing therethrough by condensing refrigerant flowing therein, said condenser being disposed in said duct at a downstream air side of said evaporator; a compressor for compressing and discharging refrigerant; a decompressing unit for decompressing and expanding refrigerant; an outside heat exchanger disposed outside said duct, for performing heat-exchange between refrigerant flowing therethrough and outside air outside the passenger compartment; and a control unit for controlling a flow direction of refrigerant and capacity of said compressor, wherein: said control unit includes a temperature detection member being disposed to detect air temperature at least at one of an air outlet side of said evaporator and an air outlet side of said condenser, and controls the capacity of said compressor based on the air temperature detected by said temperature detection member; and said control unit controls a flow direction of refrigerant in such a manner that; during cooling operation for cooling the passenger compartment, refrigerant flows in the order of said compressor, said outside heat exchanger, said decompressing unit and said evaporator; during heating operation for heating the passenger compartment, refrigerant flows in the order of said compressor, said condenser, said decompressing unit and said outside heat exchanger; during dehumidifying operation for dehumidifying the passenger compartment, refrigerant flows in the order of said compressor, said condenser, said decompressing unit and said evaporator; and in each operation of said cooling operation, said heating operation and said dehumidifying operation, said control unit controls the capacity of said compressor based on the air temperature detected by said temperature detection member.