Patent ID: 7140427
Filing Date: 2006-11-28
Classification: B60H,F25B

Abstract:
1. An air conditioner for a vehicle, comprising: a heater core for heating air to be blown into a passenger compartment by performing a heat-exchange between the air and a fluid supplied into the heater core, the fluid having recovered exhaust heat generated in the vehicle; a heat pump cycle including an interior heat exchanger for performing a heat-exchange between a refrigerant and the air to be blown into the passenger compartment, and an exterior heat exchanger for performing a heat-exchange between the refrigerant and outside air; and a control unit for controlling operation of the heat pump cycle to switch to one of a heating assist operation where the interior heat exchanger radiates heat to heat the air together with the heater core, and a defrosting operation where the exterior heat exchanger is defrosted using heat radiated from the exterior heat exchanger while the interior heat exchanger absorbs heat from the air, wherein: the control unit sets a predetermined heating degree to maintain a desired temperature in the passenger compartment; the control unit sets an increased heating degree of the heater core which is higher than the predetermined heating degree when the operation of the heat pump cycle is switched to the heating assist operation from the defrosting operation; the fluid supplied into the heater core is cooling water for cooling an engine mounted on the vehicle; and when the operation of the heat pump cycle is switched to the heating assist operation from the defrosting operation, the increased heating degree of the heater core is set by increasing a rotational speed of the engine.