Patent ID: 7063137

Claim:
A heater and air-conditioning assembly for a vehicle comprising; a compressor ( 12 ) for compressing a refrigerant, a front end condenser ( 14 ) in fluid communication with said compressor for condensing fluid from said compressor ( 12 ), a chiller-condenser ( 16 ) disposed downstream of and in fluid communication with said condenser ( 14 ), a chiller-evaporator ( 18 ) disposed downstream of and in fluid communication with said chiller-condenser ( 16 ), a main three-way valve ( 20 ) disposed between said compressor ( 12 ) and said condenser ( 14 ) for directing flow from said compressor ( 12 ) to said condenser ( 14 ) in an air-conditioning mode and for directing flow from said compressor ( 12 ) through a by-pass line ( 22 ) to said chiller-condenser ( 16 ) in a heat pump mode, a heat pump expansion device ( 24 ) for expanding and exchanging heat with the refrigerant in said heat pump mode, and an by-pass valve ( 26 ) disposed between said chiller-condenser ( 16 ) and said chiller-evaporator ( 18 ) for directing flow from said chiller-condenser ( 16 ) through said heat pump expansion device ( 24 ) and to said chiller-evaporator ( 18 ) in said heat pump mode, a cabin heat exchanger ( 36 ), a coolant feed line ( 34 ) for conducting coolant flow from said chiller-condenser ( 16 ) to said cabin heat exchanger ( 36 ), a coolant exit line ( 38 ) for conducting coolant from said cabin heat exchanger ( 36 ) to said chiller-evaporator ( 18 ), an interconnect line ( 40 ) for conducting coolant from said chiller-evaporator ( 18 ) to said chiller-condenser ( 16 ), and a coolant three-way valve ( 44 ) in said exit line ( 38 ) for directing coolant from said cabin heat exchanger ( 36 ) to an engine coolant circuit in said heat pump mode.