Patent ID: 7287583

Claim:
A vehicle air-conditioning apparatus for use in a vehicle in which an engine for driving the vehicle is stopped when the vehicle comes to a temporary halt from a running state, the apparatus comprising: a cooling unit for cooling air by a refrigerating cycle comprising an engine driven compressor, a condenser, an expanding device and an evaporator; a heating unit for heating the air by using, as a heat source, cooling water for the engine circulated by an engine driven mechanical pump; an electric compressor-pump including an electric motor capable of switching rotating directions, a compression unit operatively connected with the motor for compressing a refrigerant in the refrigerating cycle as a substitute for the compressor, and a pump unit operatively connected with the motor for circulating the cooling water as a substitute for the mechanical pump; and a control unit for controlling the rotating directions of the motor so that the motor rotates in the first direction when the engine is stopped during operating the cooling unit, and rotates in the second direction when the engine is stopped during operating the heating unit, wherein the electric compressor-pump includes: means, provided as a mechanical structure to enable or disable the compression unit and the pump in response to the rotating direction of the motor alone, for enabling the compression unit to compress the refrigerant when the motor rotates in the first direction, for disenabling the compression unit when the motor rotates in the second direction, and for enabling the pump unit to circulate the cooling water at least when the motor rotates in the second direction.