Vehicle air conditioner and control method thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner, and more particularly, to a vehicle air conditioner that supplies condensed water and air, which have been blown by means of a supply portion and passed through an evaporator, to a variable heat exchanger so as to enable improvement in subcooling and overall performance of the variable heat exchanger during cooling, thereby further improving cooling performance, and that can use air and condensed water as a heat absorption heat source during heating so as to further improve the amount of heat absorption of the variable heat exchanger, so that heating performance can be further improved, and thus overall power consumption for air conditioning can be reduced, and improvement in heat pump system performance can be facilitated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner and a control method thereof, and more particularly to a vehicle air conditioner that can supply air and condensed water that have passed through an evaporator and are blown by a supply portion to a heat exchanger to improve supercooling and overall performance of the heat exchanger during air cooling, thereby further improving its cooling performance, and that can use air and condensed water as heat absorption sources during air heating to further improve the amount of heat absorbed by the heat exchanger, thereby further improving its heating performance, reducing overall power consumption for air conditioning, and promoting performance improvement of a heat pump system. Background Art

[0002] A typical vehicle air conditioner system may include the following items connected by refrigerant pipes: a compressor that compresses and delivers refrigerant, a condenser that condenses the high-pressure refrigerant delivered from the compressor, an expansion device that throttles the refrigerant condensed and liquefied by the condenser, and an evaporator that evaporates the low-pressure liquid refrigerant throttled by the expansion device by exchanging heat with air blown into the vehicle interior to cool the air discharged to the vehicle interior by absorbing heat using latent heat released when the refrigerant is evaporated, etc.

[0003] The evaporator may be installed in an air conditioner housing that is installed in a vehicle interior and is used to cool the interior. That is, when air blown by a blower is cooled by latent heat released when liquid refrigerant circulating in the evaporator is evaporated while passing through the evaporator, the vehicle interior can be cooled.

[0004] In addition, the vehicle interior may be heated using a heater core installed in the air-conditioning case and through which engine coolant circulates, or an electrothermal heater installed in the air-conditioning case.

[0005] Meanwhile, a condenser may be mounted on the front of the vehicle to dissipate heat while exchanging heat with the air.

[0006] Recently, heat pump systems have been developed that perform both air cooling and heating using only a refrigeration cycle. Figure 1 As shown, the heat pump system may include a cold air duct 11 and a hot air duct 12 separated in one air conditioning housing 10, an evaporator 4 for air cooling installed in the cold air duct 11, and a condenser 2 for air heating installed in the hot air duct 12. Here, an air outlet 15 for supplying air to the interior of the vehicle and an air discharge port 16 for discharging air to the outside of the vehicle may be positioned at the outlet of the air conditioning housing 10. In addition, independently operated blowers 20 may be installed at the inlets of the cold air duct 11 and the hot air duct 12, respectively.

[0007] Therefore, in the air cooling mode, the cold air cooled by passing through the evaporator 4 of the cold air passage 11 can be discharged into the vehicle interior through the air outlet 15 to cool the interior. Here, the hot air heated by passing through the condenser 2 of the hot air passage 12 can be discharged to the outside of the vehicle through the air discharge port 16.

[0008] In the air heating mode, the hot air heated when passing through the condenser 2 of the hot air passage 12 can be discharged into the vehicle interior through the air outlet 15 to heat the interior. Here, the cold air cooled when passing through the evaporator 4 of the cold air passage 11 can be discharged to the outside of the vehicle through the air discharge port 16.

[0009] However, in the prior art, the blower 20 can be positioned in the cold air passage 11 and the hot air passage 12, respectively. Depending on the air cooling or heating setting, it may be necessary to discharge the air passing through the condenser 2 or the evaporator 4 through the air discharge port. Therefore, the air discharge port 16 equipped with a control door may inevitably be positioned in each of the two locations. Therefore, the heat pump system may inevitably have an increased overall size.

[0010] In addition, the condenser 2 installed in the air-conditioning housing may have low condensing performance due to its inevitable small size. Therefore, the heat pump system may have problems in its cooling performance.

[0011] Related technical literature

[0012] Patent Literature

[0013] Patent Document 1: Korean Patent No. 10-1251206 (titled "AIR-CONDITIONER WITHOUT STARTING THE ENGINE FOR VEHICLE") Summary of the Invention

[0014] Technical issues

[0015] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle air conditioner that can supply air and condensed water passed through an evaporator and blown by a supply portion to a heat exchanger to reduce overall power consumption for air conditioning and promote performance improvement of a heat pump system.

[0016] In more detail, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle air conditioner that can improve the supercooling and overall performance of a heat exchanger during air cooling, thereby further improving its cooling performance, and that can use air and condensed water as heat absorption sources during air heating to further increase the amount of heat absorbed by the heat exchanger, thereby further improving its heating performance.

[0017] Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle air conditioner and a control method thereof, wherein the vehicle air conditioner can selectively supply air that has passed through an internal heat exchanger to a variable heat exchanger by means of a supply portion to use the air as a heat absorbing heat source during air heating, and prevent the variable heat exchanger from being attached to the air conditioner, thereby reducing overall power consumption for air conditioning and promoting performance improvement of a heat pump system.

[0018] Technical Solution

[0019] In one general aspect, a vehicle air conditioner as an air conditioner has an internal heat exchanger 120 for air heating, a variable heat exchanger 140 for condensing refrigerant during air cooling and evaporating the refrigerant during air heating, and an evaporator 130 for air cooling built into the air conditioner, in a refrigerant circuit constructed by a compressor 200, the internal heat exchanger 120, a first expansion device 300, the variable heat exchanger 140, a second expansion device 150 and the evaporator 130, the air conditioner includes a supply portion 500 for supplying air passing through the evaporator 130 and condensed water generated in the evaporator 130 to the variable heat exchanger 140.

[0020] In addition, in the vehicle air conditioner 100 , a lower region of the variable heat exchanger 140 may be positioned below the evaporator 130 in a height direction.

[0021] In addition, in the vehicle air conditioner 100 , condensed water and air may be supplied to the side of the variable heat exchanger 140 from which the refrigerant is discharged, by means of the supply part 500 .

[0022] In addition, the vehicle air conditioner 100 may include a variable heat exchanger module A1 and an air conditioning module A2 assembled and fixed to each other, the variable heat exchanger module A1 including a first air conditioning shell 110a, the variable heat exchanger 140 positioned in the first air conditioning shell 110a, and a fan assembly 161 installed in the first air conditioning shell 110a to convey wind, and the air conditioning module A2 includes: a second air conditioning shell 110b, the second air conditioning shell is connected to the interior of the vehicle, and the wind for regulating the internal air flows in the second air conditioning shell; a blower part 162 positioned in the second air conditioning shell 110b to convey wind; the evaporator 130; and the internal heat exchanger 120.

[0023] In addition, in the first air-conditioning case 110 a , a drain portion through which condensed water is drained may be positioned at a lower side of the variable heat exchanger 140 .

[0024] In addition, in the vehicle air conditioner 100 , the region where the blower portion 162 of the air conditioning module A2 is located and the variable heat exchanger module A1 may be installed in the engine room so as to be parallel to each other in the vehicle width direction.

[0025] In addition, the supply portion 500 may include: an extension portion 510, which extends from the second air-conditioning housing 110b, and the condensed water and air are transported to the extension portion; and a first fastening portion 521 and a second fastening portion 522, which are respectively positioned in the first air-conditioning housing 110a and the extension portion 510 to fasten to each other.

[0026] In addition, the extension portion 510 may include: an inclined surface 511, which extends from the second air-conditioning housing 110b below the evaporator 130 and is inclined downward in the vehicle height direction; a support portion 512, which protrudes from the inclined surface 511 to support the lower side of the evaporator 130; and a first inclined portion 513 and a second inclined portion 514, which respectively connect the support portion 512 and the inclined surface 511 to each other obliquely on both sides of the support portion 512 in the vehicle width direction.

[0027] In addition, in the supply portion 500 , the first fastening portion 521 may have a certain through area, and the second fastening portion 522 may protrude from the extending portion 510 to be inserted and fixed to the variable heat exchanger module A1 through the first fastening portion 521 .

[0028] In addition, the plurality of first fastening portions 521 and the plurality of second fastening portions 522 may be spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction, respectively.

[0029] In addition, a first external air inlet 116, an engine room air inlet 117 and a first control door 191 are positioned in the variable heat exchanger module A1, and external air is introduced into the first air-conditioning casing 110a through the first external air inlet. The engine room air inlet is connected to the engine room, and the first control door controls the opening and closing of the first external air inlet 116 and the engine room air inlet 117.

[0030] In addition, a second external air inlet 114, an internal air inlet 115, and a second control door 192 are positioned in the air-conditioning module A2, and external air is introduced into the second air-conditioning housing 110b through the second external air inlet, and internal air is introduced through the internal air inlet, and the second control door controls the opening and closing of the second external air inlet 114 and the internal air inlet 115.

[0031] In addition, the air conditioning module A2 may further include a filter 180 positioned downstream of the second control door 192 in the air flow direction.

[0032] In addition, the air conditioning module A2 may further include an auxiliary heating heat exchanger 170 , which is positioned downstream of the internal heat exchanger 120 in the air flow direction.

[0033] In addition, the supply part 500 may selectively supply the air passing through the internal heat exchanger 120 to the variable heat exchanger 140 .

[0034] In addition, in the vehicle air conditioner 100 , during air heating or when the variable heat exchanger 140 is attached to the air conditioner, the air passing through the interior heat exchanger 120 may be supplied by means of the supply portion 500 to be used as a heat absorbing heat source.

[0035] In addition, the vehicle air conditioner 100 may include a variable heat exchanger module A1 and an air conditioning module A2 that are assembled and fixed to each other, the variable heat exchanger module A1 including a first air conditioning housing 110a, the variable heat exchanger 140 positioned in the first air conditioning housing 110a, and a fan assembly 161 installed in the first air conditioning housing 110a to convey air, and the air conditioning module A2 includes: a second air conditioning housing 110b, the second air conditioning housing being in communication with the interior of the vehicle and through which air for conditioning the interior air flows; and a fan assembly 161 positioned in the second air conditioning housing. The blower section 162 for conveying air in the air-conditioning shell 110b; the evaporator 130; and the internal heat exchanger 120, and the supply section 500 includes a through hole 515 as a specific through-area of ​​the second air-conditioning shell 110b, a third control door 540 for controlling the opening and closing of the through hole 515, a connecting section 516 that communicates with the through hole 515 and conveys air passing through the internal heat exchanger 120, and a first fastening section 521 and a second fastening section 522 that are respectively positioned in the first air-conditioning shell 110a and the connecting section 516 to be fastened to each other.

[0036] In another general aspect, a control method for a vehicle air conditioner 100 includes: determining whether the third control door 540 needs to be opened ( S10 ); and opening the third control door 540 ( S20 ).

[0037] In addition, in the determining ( S10 ), when the air heating setting is confirmed, it may be determined that the third control door 540 needs to be opened.

[0038] In addition, in the determination (S10), whether the third control door 540 needs to be opened can be determined by including the following steps: checking whether the external temperature is within a specific temperature range (S11); and checking whether the measured humidity is equal to or greater than a specific humidity (S12).

[0039] Beneficial effects

[0040] As described above, the vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention can supply the heat exchanger with air and condensed water passed through the evaporator and blown by the supply portion to reduce overall power consumption for air conditioning and promote performance improvement of the heat pump system.

[0041] In more detail, the vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention can improve the supercooling and overall performance of the heat exchanger during air cooling, thereby further improving its cooling performance, and use air and condensed water as heat absorption sources during air heating to further increase the heat absorption amount of the heat exchanger, thereby further improving its heating performance.

[0042] In particular, the vehicle air conditioner of the present invention can cause supercooling during air cooling by supplying condensed water and air to the lower side of the heat exchanger with the aid of a supply portion, where the refrigerant passing through the heat exchanger is discharged, and a plurality of fastening portions are spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction to uniformly supply condensed water and air to the lower area of ​​the heat exchanger, thereby promoting improvement of the heat pump system.

[0043] Furthermore, in the vehicle air conditioner of the present invention, by assembling the heat exchanger module and the air conditioning module to each other, the fastening portions can be easily assembled to each other.

[0044] In addition, the vehicle air conditioner and control method thereof according to the present invention can selectively supply air passing through the internal heat exchanger to the variable heat exchanger with the aid of a supply portion, so as to use the air as a heat absorbing heat source during air heating and prevent adhesion of the variable heat exchanger, thereby reducing the overall power consumption for air conditioning and promoting performance improvement of the heat pump system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] Figure 1 1 is a diagram showing a conventional vehicle heat pump system.

[0046] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a vehicle air conditioner according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Figures 3 to 5 1 is an exploded perspective view of a vehicle air conditioner according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention in different directions.

[0048] Figure 6 and Figure 7 Along Figure 2 The cross-sectional views are taken along directions AA' and BB'.

[0049] Figure 8 is a partially cutaway perspective view illustrating a supply portion of a vehicle air conditioner according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] Figure 9a and Figure 9b are diagrams each showing a heat exchanger of a vehicle air conditioner according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of a heat pump system to which the vehicle air conditioner according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention is applied.

[0052] Figure 11a 、 Figure 11b and Figure 12 are diagrams each showing an air cooling mode of the vehicle air conditioner according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] Figure 13 and Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating an air heating mode of the vehicle air conditioner according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] Figure 15 A vehicle air conditioner according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention is provided. Figure 2 A cross-sectional view in the direction AA' is shown.

[0055] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram showing a vehicle air conditioner according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] Figure 17 is a diagram illustrating an air cooling mode of a vehicle air conditioner according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0057] Figure 18 is a diagram illustrating an air heating mode of a vehicle air conditioner according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] Figure 19 and Figure 20 are diagrams each showing a control method for a vehicle air conditioner according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] Hereinafter, the vehicle air conditioner 100 having the configuration described above will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0060] <First Exemplary Embodiment>

[0061] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a vehicle air conditioner according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figures 3 to 5 is an exploded perspective view of a vehicle air conditioner according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention in different directions; Figure 6 and Figure 7 Along Figure 2 The cross-sectional views taken along the directions AA' and BB' are shown; Figure 8 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing a supply portion of a vehicle air conditioner according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9a and Figure 9b are diagrams each showing a heat exchanger of a vehicle air conditioner according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of a heat pump system to which the vehicle air conditioner according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention is applied.

[0062] The vehicle air conditioner 100 of the present invention may include a variable heat exchanger 140 , an evaporator 130 , an internal heat exchanger 120 , and a supply portion 500 .

[0063] The variable heat exchanger 140 can condense the refrigerant based on an air cooling setting, or evaporate the refrigerant based on an air heating setting. That is, the variable heat exchanger 140 may not cool or heat the air used for actual air cooling or heating, but may condense the refrigerant supplied to the evaporator 130 based on an air cooling setting, or evaporate the refrigerant supplied to the internal heat exchanger 120 based on an air heating setting. The following description again describes the flow of the refrigerant based on the actual air cooling or heating setting of the heat pump system, and the changes in the refrigerant as it passes through each component.

[0064] Evaporator 130 can cool the air discharged into the vehicle interior. Here, when performing air cooling, a low-temperature, low-pressure, moist refrigerant can be supplied to evaporator 130, and the air can be cooled while passing through evaporator 130 before being discharged into the vehicle interior. On the other hand, when performing air heating, refrigerant may not be supplied to evaporator 130, so that even if the air passes through evaporator 130, the interior temperature may not change.

[0065] The interior heat exchanger 120 may be positioned at the rear of the evaporator 130 in the direction of the flow of conditioned air for conditioning the interior air, to heat the air discharged into the vehicle interior. That is, the interior heat exchanger 120 may be a component for performing air heating, and air cooling or heating may be controlled by controlling the flow of conditioned air passing through the interior heat exchanger 120 using the temperature door 110d.

[0066] The variable heat exchanger 140, the evaporator 130, and the internal heat exchanger 120 may be positioned in an air conditioning case for configuring the vehicle air conditioner 100. Specifically, the present invention may include first and second air conditioning cases 110a and 110b, and a detailed description thereof is given below.

[0067] The supply portion 500 may be a component for supplying air and condensed water that have passed through the evaporator 130 to the variable heat exchanger 140. Here, the variable heat exchanger 140 may have a "U"-shaped flow, and the supply portion 500 may be placed at a location where the air and condensed water that have passed through the evaporator 130 are supplied to a lower region of the lower side of the variable heat exchanger 140. In other words, the air and condensed water may be supplied to the lower side of the variable heat exchanger 140 where the refrigerant is discharged via the supply portion 500 and may exchange heat with the refrigerant before being discharged, which may increase the heat exchange effect and, in particular, allow for higher supercooling during air cooling.

[0068] Figure 9a and Figure 9b is a diagram showing an example of the variable heat exchanger 140 . Figure 9a An example of a variable heat exchanger is shown, which includes a pair of header tanks 143 positioned at the upper and lower sides of the figure and separated from each other by a certain distance, a plurality of tubes 145 connecting the header tanks to each other, and fins 146 inserted between the tubes, wherein the refrigerant introduced through the upper inlet tube 141 moves downward through the plurality of tubes 145 and is discharged through the lower outlet tube 142. Figure 9b Another example of a variable heat exchanger is shown, comprising a pair of header tanks 143 positioned on the left and right sides of the diagram, spaced apart from each other. Here, the right header tank 143, equipped with an inlet pipe 141 and an outlet pipe 142, can be divided in its height by a baffle 144. Refrigerant introduced into the upper region of the right header tank 143 via inlet pipe 141 can move toward the left header tank 143 via some of the tubes 145, and return to the lower region of the right header tank 143 via the remaining tubes 145 before being discharged through outlet pipe 142. Figure 9a and Figure 9b Reference numeral A140 in FIG. 5 may denote a supply area to which the air and condensed water passing through the evaporator 130 are supplied by means of the supply part 500, and the supply area A140 of the supply part 500 may be positioned in the lower side of the variable heat exchanger 140. Here, the supply area of ​​the supply part 500 may be positioned within a range of zero (0) to 35% of the entire variable heat exchanger 140 in a height direction.

[0069] As described above, the vehicle air conditioner 100 of the present invention utilizes condensed water generated by the evaporator 130 and discharged to the outside. The air and condensed water passing through the evaporator 130 are then transferred to the variable heat exchanger 140 via the supply unit 500, thereby improving the efficiency of the entire heat pump system. In particular, in air cooling mode, the low-temperature condensed water and air supplied to the variable heat exchanger 140 can be used to increase the variable heat exchanger 140's degree of subcooling, thereby increasing its cooling performance and thus reducing cooling power consumption. In fact, the condensed water and air supplied via the supply unit 500 in air cooling mode can be 10°C or lower and 5°C or lower, respectively.

[0070] In addition, in the air heating mode, air and condensed water having a high temperature (higher than the outside temperature) supplied to the variable heat exchanger 140 can be used as a heat source for absorbing heat from the variable heat exchanger 140. Here, when the air passing through the evaporator 130 is supplied with (interior) air passing through the interior of the vehicle, the air passing through the evaporator 130 can typically be 10°C or higher higher than the outside temperature. This heat can be used to increase the amount of heat absorbed by the variable heat exchanger 140, thereby improving heating performance.

[0071] The vehicle air conditioner 100 of the present invention is not limited to any specific type and can be variously modified as long as the air passing through the evaporator 130 and the condensed water generated in the evaporator 130 are supplied to the variable heat exchanger 140 by means of the supply portion 500. The following description describes an example in which the entire vehicle air conditioner 100 is formed by including a variable heat exchanger module A1 and an air conditioning module A2 assembled with each other.

[0072] First, the variable heat exchanger module A1 may include a first air-conditioning case 110 a , a heat exchanger 140 , and a fan assembly 161 .

[0073] First air conditioning housing 110a may be the main body of variable heat exchanger module A1, variable heat exchanger 140 may be positioned within this first air conditioning housing, and fan assembly 161 may be mounted on one side of this first air conditioning housing. First air conditioning housing 110a may include a first outside air inlet 116 communicating with the vehicle exterior, an engine compartment air inlet 117 communicating with the engine compartment, and a first control door 191 that controls the opening and closing of first outside air inlet 116 and engine compartment air inlet 117. First control door 191 controls airflow through variable heat exchanger 140 by controlling the opening and closing of first outside air inlet 116 and engine compartment air inlet 117 based on air cooling or heating settings. In particular, during winter months when the outside temperature is low, the interior of the engine compartment can be heated by the operation of various electronic components and maintained at a temperature higher than the outside temperature. During maximum heating, the variable heat exchanger module A1 of the present invention can supply air in the engine room to the first air-conditioning casing 110a through the operation of the first control door 191 to improve the evaporation performance (or heat absorption) of the variable heat exchanger 140, thereby further improving the air heating performance of the internal heat exchanger 120.

[0074] In addition, in the first air-conditioning case 110 a , a discharge part through which condensed water is discharged may be positioned at a lower side of a region where the variable heat exchanger 140 is located to discharge condensed water supplied to the variable heat exchanger 140 by the supply part 500 .

[0075] The fan assembly 161 may be positioned in the first air conditioning case 110a and rotate based on air cooling or heating settings to form airflow through the variable heat exchanger 140, and may include a fan portion having rotor blades and a motor controlling operation of the fan portion.

[0076] The air-conditioning module A2 may include a second air-conditioning case 110 b , a blower unit 162 , an evaporator 130 , and an internal heat exchanger 120 .

[0077] The second air conditioning housing 110b may be assembled with the first air conditioning housing 110a to form the main body of the vehicle air conditioner 100, and may have a blower unit 162, an evaporator 130, and an internal heat exchanger 120 built therein. Here, the second air conditioning housing 110b may include a second external air inlet 114 for introducing external air, an internal air inlet 115 for introducing internal air, and a second control door 192 for controlling the opening and closing of the second external air inlet 114 and the internal air inlet 115.

[0078] In addition, a temperature door 110d for allowing the air passing through the evaporator 130 to be mixed by passing through the internal heat exchanger 120 based on the temperature setting may be positioned in the second air conditioning housing 110b, and vents 111, 112, and 113 for discharging air into the vehicle interior may each be positioned on one side of the second air conditioning housing, through which the air is discharged into the vehicle interior. More specifically, the vents 111, 112, and 113, each positioned on this side, through which the air is discharged, may be face vents 111, defroster vents 112, and floor vents 113, the opening degrees of which are controlled by the corresponding doors 111d, 112d, and 113d.

[0079] In the vehicle air conditioner 100 of the present invention, the area where the blower unit 162 of the air conditioning module A2 is located and the variable heat exchanger module A1 can be installed in the engine compartment so as to be parallel to each other in the vehicle width direction. In other words, the area where air flows through the blower unit 162 located in the air conditioning module A2 (i.e., the area where the second outside air inlet 114 and the inside air inlet 115 are located) can be located parallel to the variable heat exchanger module A1 in the engine compartment.

[0080] The blower portion 162 may be positioned in the second air-conditioning case 110 b and may blow air for conditioning the vehicle interior air.

[0081] In addition, in the vehicle air conditioner 100 of the present invention, the filter 180 may be further positioned at the rear of the second control door 192 in the air flow direction, and the filter may be replaceable.

[0082] In addition, in the vehicle air conditioner 100 of the present invention, the auxiliary heating heat exchanger 170 may be further positioned at the rear of the interior heat exchanger 120 in the air flow direction. The auxiliary heating heat exchanger 170 may perform air heating together with the interior heat exchanger 120 and use various types including a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heating device.

[0083] The supply part 500 may include an extension part 510, a first fastening part 521, and a second fastening part 522 to be easily manufactured by assembling the first air-conditioning case 110a of the variable heat exchanger module A1 and the second air-conditioning case 110b of the air-conditioning module A2 to each other.

[0084] The extension portion 510 and the second fastening portion 522 may be positioned in the second air conditioning housing 110b, and the first fastening portion 521 may be positioned in the first air conditioning housing 110a. First, the extension portion 510 may be a portion extending from the lower side of the second air conditioning housing 110b, to which the air and condensed water passing through the evaporator 130 are conveyed.

[0085] The first fastening portion 521 may be positioned in the first air conditioning case 110 a , the second fastening portion 522 may be positioned in the extension portion 510 of the second air conditioning case 110 b , and the fastening portions may be fastened to each other to supply condensed water and air conveyed through the extension portion 510 to the variable heat exchanger 140 .

[0086] Here, the first fastening portion 521 may be a specific through-area of ​​the first air-conditioning housing 110a, and the second fastening portion 522 may protrude longer from the extension portion 510 and be inserted and fixed to the first air-conditioning housing 110a through the first fastening portion 521. By assembling the first air-conditioning housing 110a and the second air-conditioning housing 110b to each other, the supply unit 500 may be easily manufactured.

[0087] In addition, the extension portion 510 may include: an inclined surface 511, which extends from the second air-conditioning casing 110b below the evaporator 130 while being inclined downward in the vehicle height direction; a support portion 512, which protrudes from the inclined surface 511 in the vehicle width direction to support the lower side of the evaporator 130; and a first inclined portion 513 and a second inclined portion 514, which respectively connect the support portion 512 and the inclined surface 511 to each other obliquely on both sides of the support portion 512 in the vehicle width direction, so as to easily supply condensed water and air to the variable heat exchanger 140 while supporting the evaporator 130.

[0088] The inclined surface 511 is a portion extending below the evaporator 130 and is inclined downward in a direction in which the variable heat exchanger 140 is located, and is inclined downward in a vehicle height direction.

[0089] The support portion 512 may protrude from the inclined surface 511 to support the evaporator 130 , and a plurality of the support portions 512 may be provided in the vehicle width direction.

[0090] The first and second inclined portions 513 and 514 may respectively support both sides of the support portion 512 in the vehicle width direction, obliquely connect the support portion 512 and the inclined surface 511 to each other, and transfer condensed water generated in the evaporator 130 to the variable heat exchanger 140 .

[0091] The plurality of first fastening portions 521 and the plurality of second fastening portions 522 may be provided in the vehicle width direction based on the number of the provided support portions 512. Therefore, the condensed water and air passing through the evaporator 130 may be easily supplied to the entire area in the lower side of the variable heat exchanger 140 in the vehicle width direction.

[0092] Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of a heat pump system to which the vehicle air conditioner according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention is applied.

[0093] The heat pump system may include the compressor 200 , the first expansion device 300 , and the second expansion device 150 , as well as the internal heat exchanger 120 , the evaporator 130 , the variable heat exchanger 140 , the fan assembly 161 , and the blower section 162 , as described above.

[0094] First, the compressor 200 may be installed in a refrigerant circulation line L1 in which refrigerant circulates to compress and discharge the refrigerant.

[0095] The internal heat exchanger 120 can be installed in the second air-conditioning housing 110b to exchange heat between the air in the air-conditioning housing 110 (i.e., air-conditioning wind) and the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 200, and thus can perform air heating by supplying the air-conditioning wind heated due to condensation to the interior.

[0096] The evaporator 130 may be installed in the second air-conditioning case 110b to exchange heat between the air in the second air-conditioning case 110b and the refrigerant supplied to the compressor 200 and thus may perform air cooling by heating the air supplied to the inside by evaporating the low-pressure liquid refrigerant.

[0097] The variable heat exchanger 140 may be installed in the first air-conditioning case 110a to exchange heat between air and refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circulation line L1. The variable heat exchanger 140 may condense the refrigerant in air cooling or evaporate the refrigerant in air heating.

[0098] The first expansion device 300 may be installed in the refrigerant circulation line L1 at the outlet side of the internal heat exchanger 120 to selectively expand the refrigerant discharged from the internal heat exchanger 120. During air heating, the refrigerant may condense in the internal heat exchanger 120, evaporate in the variable heat exchanger 140, and be throttled at a low temperature and low pressure. Furthermore, during air cooling, the first expansion device 300 may bypass the refrigerant without throttling.

[0099] The second expansion device 150 may be installed in the refrigerant circulation line L1 at the inlet side of the evaporator 130 to expand the refrigerant supplied to the evaporator 130. During air cooling, the second expansion device 150 may supply the refrigerant condensed while passing through the variable heat exchanger 140 to the evaporator 130 by throttling the refrigerant in a low-temperature and low-pressure state. In addition, during air heating, the second expansion device 150 may bypass the refrigerant without throttling.

[0100] The vehicle heat pump system may also include a water-cooled condenser 400, which is installed outside the first and second air conditioning housings 110a, 110b, in refrigerant circulation line L1, on the inlet side of the first expansion device 300. This condenser exchanges heat with cooling water to cool the battery. During air cooling, the cooling water flows along the cooling water circulation line L2, exchanging heat. The condenser, along with the internal heat exchanger 120 and the variable heat exchanger 140, condenses the refrigerant supplied to the evaporator 130 based on the air cooling setting. Located in the cooling water circulation line L2 are a radiator 3000 for cooling water, a cooling water pump (not shown) for circulating the cooling water, and a cooling fan 4000, located adjacent to the radiator 3000 and blowing air into the radiator 3000. The condenser 400 may include a gas-liquid separator 410. In this case, the refrigerant may be condensed by the water-cooled condenser 400 , and the liquid refrigerant separated by the gas-liquid separator 410 may be supercooled by the variable heat exchanger 140 , thereby improving condensation performance to further improve air cooling performance of the evaporator 130 .

[0101] Furthermore, in the vehicle heat pump system, a bypass line L3 may be positioned on the refrigerant circulation line L1 to bypass the second expansion device 150 and the evaporator 130, and a check valve "V" for preventing refrigerant backflow may be further positioned on the bypass line L3. During air heating, the bypass line L3 allows the refrigerant that has passed through the variable heat exchanger 140 to be supplied to the compressor 200 without passing through the second expansion device 150 or the evaporator 130. In other words, by omitting unnecessary components (e.g., the second expansion device 150 and the evaporator 130), unnecessary flow reduction and pressure drops during air heating can be prevented.

[0102] Figure 11a 、 Figure 11b and Figure 12 1 and 2 are diagrams each showing an air cooling mode and a mode of a heat pump system of a vehicle air conditioner according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0103] First, during maximum cooling, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 200 may pass through the interior heat exchanger 120 without exchanging heat with the air (because the temperature door 110d blocks airflow through the interior heat exchanger 120), and the high-pressure refrigerant delivered from the compressor 200 may be condensed while passing through the water-cooled condenser 400 and the variable heat exchanger 140. Here, the first expansion device 300 may bypass the refrigerant. The condensed refrigerant may be throttled by the second expansion device 150 and supplied to the evaporator 130, and then heat may be exchanged between the air and the throttled low-pressure liquid refrigerant in the evaporator 130. As a result, the air discharged into the interior may be cooled by absorbing heat through the latent heat released when the refrigerant evaporates.

[0104] Figure 13 and Figure 14 1 is a diagram illustrating an air heating mode of the vehicle air conditioner 100 and a mode of a heat pump system according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0105] First, during maximum heating, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 200 may pass through the interior heat exchanger 120 to exchange heat with air passing through the second air conditioning housing 110b, thereby heating the air discharged into the interior through heat dissipation through condensation. Simultaneously, the temperature door 110d may operate, causing the air introduced into the second air conditioning housing 110b to pass through the evaporator 130 and then pass entirely through the interior heat exchanger 120. Here, when refrigerant is not supplied to the evaporator 130, the air may pass through the evaporator 130 without exchanging heat with the evaporator 130. Similarly, in the water-cooled condenser 400, the cooling water may not flow along the cooling water circulation line L2. The refrigerant may move unchanged, be throttled in the first expansion device 300, and be supplied to the variable heat exchanger 140 for evaporation. The refrigerant evaporated while passing through the variable heat exchanger 140 may be supplied to the compressor 200 via the bypass line L3 without passing through the second expansion device 150 or the evaporator 130.

[0106] In summary, the vehicle air conditioner 100 of the present invention can be a heat pump system, that is, an air conditioner 100 used in an air conditioning system that can perform both air cooling and heating using a single refrigerant line. The high-temperature refrigerant compressed by the compressor 200 can be used to heat the air, and the evaporation of the refrigerant can be used to cool the air. Here, a long-standing problem with heat pump systems, namely, poor condensing performance during air cooling, can be solved by the variable heat exchanger 140, which condenses the refrigerant together with the internal heat exchanger 120. The variable heat exchanger 140 can be installed in the first air conditioning housing 110a.

[0107] <Second Exemplary Embodiment>

[0108] Figure 15 A vehicle air conditioner according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention is provided. Figure 2 The cross-sectional view in the direction AA' is shown. In addition, Figure 16 is a schematic diagram showing a vehicle air conditioner according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In addition, the perspective view, exploded perspective view, schematic view and cross-sectional view of the variable heat exchanger according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention and the example of applying the heat pump system can be compared with those of the first exemplary embodiment. Figures 2 to 5 and Figures 7 to 10 The same as those shown in .

[0109] The vehicle air conditioner according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a variable heat exchanger 140 , an evaporator 130 , an internal heat exchanger 120 , and a supply portion 500 .

[0110] The variable heat exchanger 140 can condense the refrigerant based on an air cooling setting, or evaporate the refrigerant based on an air heating setting. That is, the variable heat exchanger 140 may not cool or heat the air used for actual air cooling or heating, but may condense the refrigerant supplied to the evaporator 130 based on an air cooling setting, or evaporate the refrigerant supplied to the internal heat exchanger 120 based on an air heating setting. The following description again describes the flow of the refrigerant based on the actual air cooling or heating setting of the heat pump system, and the changes in the refrigerant as it passes through each component.

[0111] Evaporator 130 can cool the air discharged into the vehicle interior. Here, when performing air cooling, a low-temperature, low-pressure, moist refrigerant may be supplied to evaporator 130, and the air may be cooled while passing through evaporator 130 before being discharged into the vehicle interior. On the other hand, when performing air heating, refrigerant may not be supplied to evaporator 130, so that even if the air passes through evaporator 130, the interior temperature may not change.

[0112] The interior heat exchanger 120 may be positioned at the rear of the evaporator 130 in the direction of the flow of conditioned air for conditioning the interior air, to heat the air discharged into the vehicle interior. That is, the interior heat exchanger 120 may be a component for performing air heating, and control air cooling or heating by controlling the flow of conditioned air passing through the interior heat exchanger 120 using the temperature door 110d.

[0113] The variable heat exchanger 140, the evaporator 130, and the internal heat exchanger 120 may be positioned in an air conditioning case for configuring the vehicle air conditioner 100. Specifically, the present invention may include a first air conditioning case 110a and a second air conditioning case 110b, and a detailed description thereof is given below.

[0114] The supply portion 500 may be a component for selectively supplying air that has passed through the internal heat exchanger 120 to the variable heat exchanger 140. The variable heat exchanger 140 may have a "U"-shaped flow, and the supply portion 500 may be positioned at a lower region of the lower side of the variable heat exchanger 140 where the air that has passed through the internal heat exchanger 120 is supplied. In other words, the air may be supplied to the lower side of the variable heat exchanger 140 where the refrigerant is discharged, via the supply portion 500, and may exchange heat with the refrigerant before being discharged, which may enhance the heat exchange effect.

[0115] For example, the variable heat exchanger 140 may include a pair of header tanks 143 positioned at the upper and lower sides of the diagram and spaced apart from each other, a plurality of tubes 145 connecting the header tanks, and fins 146 interposed between the tubes. Refrigerant introduced through an upper inlet tube 141 moves downward through the plurality of tubes 145 and is discharged through a lower outlet tube 142. For another example, the variable heat exchanger 140 may include a pair of header tanks 143 positioned on the left and right sides of the diagram and spaced apart from each other. Here, the right header tank 143, equipped with the inlet tube 141 and the outlet tube 142, may be divided in its height by a baffle 144. Refrigerant introduced into the upper region of the right header tank 143 through the inlet tube 141 moves toward the left header tank 143 through some of the tubes 145 and returns to the lower region of the right header tank 143 through the remaining tubes 145 before being discharged through the outlet tube 142. Reference numeral A140 may denote a supply area to which the air passing through the internal heat exchanger 120 is supplied by means of the supply part 500, and the supply area A140 of the supply part 500 may be positioned in the lower side of the variable heat exchanger 140. Here, the supply area of ​​the supply part 500 may be positioned within a range of zero (0) to 35% of the entire variable heat exchanger 140 in a height direction.

[0116] As described above, the vehicle air conditioner according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention can supply air having a high temperature (higher than the outside temperature) to the variable heat exchanger 140, so that the air can be used as a heat source for absorbing heat from the variable heat exchanger 140 during the air heating mode, or in the case where the variable heat exchanger 140 can be attached to the air conditioner. Here, when the air passing through the interior heat exchanger 120 is supplied with (interior) air passing through the vehicle interior, the air passing through the interior heat exchanger 120 can typically be 10°C or higher higher than the outside temperature. This heat can be used to increase the amount of heat absorbed by the variable heat exchanger 140, thereby improving its heating performance.

[0117] The vehicle air conditioner of the present invention is not limited to any specific type and can be variously modified as long as the air passing through the internal heat exchanger 120 is supplied to the variable heat exchanger 140 by means of the supply portion 500. The following description describes an example in which the entire vehicle air conditioner 100 includes the variable heat exchanger module A1 and the air conditioning module A2 assembled with each other.

[0118] First, the variable heat exchanger module A1 may include a first air-conditioning case 110 a , a variable heat exchanger 140 , and a fan assembly 161 .

[0119] First air conditioning housing 110a may be the main body of variable heat exchanger module A1, variable heat exchanger 140 may be positioned within this first air conditioning housing, and fan assembly 161 may be mounted on one side of this first air conditioning housing. First air conditioning housing 110a may include a first outside air inlet 116 communicating with the vehicle exterior, an engine compartment air inlet 117 communicating with the engine compartment, and a first control door 191 that controls the opening and closing of first outside air inlet 116 and engine compartment air inlet 117. First control door 191 controls airflow through variable heat exchanger 140 by controlling the opening and closing of first outside air inlet 116 and engine compartment air inlet 117 based on air cooling or heating settings. In particular, during winter months when the outside temperature is low, the interior of the engine compartment can be heated by the operation of various electronic components and maintained at a temperature higher than the outside temperature. During maximum heating, the variable heat exchanger module A1 of the present invention can supply air in the engine room to the first air-conditioning casing 110a through the operation of the first control door 191 to improve the evaporation performance (or heat absorption) of the variable heat exchanger 140, thereby further improving the air heating performance of the internal heat exchanger 120.

[0120] The fan assembly 161 may be positioned in the first air conditioning case 110a and rotate based on air cooling or heating settings to form airflow through the variable heat exchanger 140, and may include a fan portion having rotor blades and a motor controlling operation of the fan portion.

[0121] The air-conditioning module A2 may include a second air-conditioning case 110 b , a blower unit 162 , an evaporator 130 , and an internal heat exchanger 120 .

[0122] The second air conditioning housing 110b may be assembled with the first air conditioning housing 110a to form the main body of the vehicle air conditioner 100, and may have a blower unit 162, an evaporator 130, and an internal heat exchanger 120 built therein. Here, the second air conditioning housing 110b may include a second external air inlet 114 for introducing external air, an internal air inlet 115 for introducing internal air, and a second control door 192 for controlling the opening and closing of the second external air inlet 114 and the internal air inlet 115.

[0123] In addition, a temperature door 110d for allowing the air passing through the evaporator 130 to be mixed by passing through the internal heat exchanger 120 based on the temperature setting may be positioned in the second air conditioning housing 110b, and vents 111, 112, and 113 for discharging air into the vehicle interior may each be positioned on one side of the second air conditioning housing, through which the air is discharged into the vehicle interior. More specifically, the vents 111, 112, and 113, each positioned on this side, through which the air is discharged, may be face vents 111, defroster vents 112, and floor vents 113, the opening degrees of which are controlled by the corresponding doors 111d, 112d, and 113d.

[0124] In the vehicle air conditioner of the present invention, the area where the blower unit 162 of the air conditioning module A2 is located and the variable heat exchanger module A1 can be installed in the engine compartment so as to be parallel to each other in the vehicle width direction. In other words, the area where air flows through the blower unit 162 located in the air conditioning module A2 (i.e., the area where the second outside air inlet 114 and the inside air inlet 115 are located) can be located parallel to the variable heat exchanger module A1 in the engine compartment.

[0125] The blower portion 162 may be positioned in the second air-conditioning case 110 b and may blow air for conditioning the vehicle interior air.

[0126] In addition, in the vehicle air conditioner of the present invention, the filter 180 may be further positioned at the rear of the second control door 192 in the air flow direction, and the filter may be replaceable.

[0127] In addition, in the vehicle air conditioner of the present invention, the auxiliary heating heat exchanger 170 may be further positioned at the rear of the interior heat exchanger 120 in the air flow direction. The auxiliary heating heat exchanger 170 may perform air heating together with the interior heat exchanger 120 and use various types including a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heating device.

[0128] The supply part 500 may include a through hole 515, a third control door 540, a communication part 516, a first fastening part 521 and a second fastening part 522 to be easily manufactured by assembling the first air-conditioning case 110a of the variable heat exchanger module A1 and the second air-conditioning case 110b of the air-conditioning module A2 to each other.

[0129] The through hole 515, the third control door 540, the communication portion 516, and the second fastening portion 522 may be located in the second air conditioning housing 110b, and the first fastening portion 521 may be located in the first air conditioning housing 110a. First, the through hole 515 may be a specific through-area of ​​the second air conditioning housing 110b located at the rear of the internal heat exchanger 120, the third control door 540 may be located in the through hole 515 to control the opening and closing of the through hole 515, and the communication portion 516 may be a portion extending from the lower side of the second air conditioning housing 110b, and the air passing through the internal heat exchanger 120 is delivered to this extension.

[0130] The first fastening portion 521 may be positioned in the first air conditioning case 110a, the second fastening portion 522 may be positioned in the extension portion 510 of the second air conditioning case 110b, and the fastening portions may be fastened to each other to supply the variable heat exchanger 140 with air delivered through the through hole 515 and the extension portion.

[0131] Here, the first fastening portion 521 may be a specific through-area of ​​the first air-conditioning housing 110a, and the second fastening portion 522 may protrude longer from the communicating portion 516 and be inserted and fixed to the first air-conditioning housing 110a through the first fastening portion 521. By assembling the first air-conditioning housing 110a and the second air-conditioning housing 110b to each other, the supply unit 500 may be easily manufactured.

[0132] A plurality of first fastening portions 521 and a plurality of second fastening portions 522 may be provided in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, air passing through the interior heat exchanger 120 may be easily supplied to the entire area in the lower side of the variable heat exchanger 140 in the vehicle width direction.

[0133] In addition, the vehicle air conditioner 100 according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a vehicle heat pump system, and the heat pump system may include the compressor 200, the first expansion device 300 and the second expansion device 150, as well as the internal heat exchanger 120, the evaporator 130, the variable heat exchanger 140, the fan assembly 161 and the blower part 162, as described above.

[0134] First, the compressor 200 may be installed in a refrigerant circulation line L1 in which refrigerant circulates to compress and discharge the refrigerant.

[0135] The internal heat exchanger 120 can be installed in the second air-conditioning housing 110b to exchange heat between the air in the air-conditioning housing 110 (i.e., air-conditioning wind) and the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 200, and thus can perform air heating by supplying the air-conditioning wind heated due to condensation to the interior.

[0136] The evaporator 130 may be installed in the second air-conditioning case 110b to exchange heat between the air in the second air-conditioning case 110b and the refrigerant supplied to the compressor 200 and thus may perform air cooling by heating the air supplied to the inside by evaporating the low-pressure liquid refrigerant.

[0137] The variable heat exchanger 140 may be installed in the first air-conditioning case 110a to exchange heat between air and refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circulation line L1. The variable heat exchanger 140 may condense the refrigerant in air cooling or evaporate the refrigerant in air heating.

[0138] The first expansion device 300 may be installed in the refrigerant circulation line L1 at the outlet side of the internal heat exchanger 120 to selectively expand the refrigerant discharged from the internal heat exchanger 120. During air heating, the refrigerant may condense in the internal heat exchanger 120, evaporate in the variable heat exchanger 140, and be throttled at a low temperature and low pressure. Furthermore, during air cooling, the first expansion device 300 may bypass the refrigerant without throttling.

[0139] The second expansion device 150 may be installed in the refrigerant circulation line L1 at the inlet side of the evaporator 130 to expand the refrigerant supplied to the evaporator 130. During air cooling, the second expansion device 150 may supply the refrigerant condensed while passing through the variable heat exchanger 140 to the evaporator 130 by throttling the refrigerant in a low-temperature and low-pressure state. In addition, during air heating, the second expansion device 150 may bypass the refrigerant without throttling.

[0140] The vehicle heat pump system may also include a water-cooled condenser 400, which is installed outside the first and second air conditioning housings 110a, 110b, in refrigerant circulation line L1 on the inlet side of the first expansion device 300. This condenser exchanges heat with cooling water to cool the battery. During air cooling, cooling water flows along the cooling water circulation line L2 to perform heat exchange. This condenser, along with the internal heat exchanger 120 and the variable heat exchanger 140, condenses the refrigerant supplied to the evaporator 130 based on the air cooling setting. Located in the cooling water circulation line L2 are a radiator 3000 for cooling the cooling water, a cooling water pump (not shown) for circulating the cooling water, and a cooling fan 4000, located adjacent to the radiator 3000 and blowing air into the radiator 3000. The water-cooled condenser 400 may include a gas-liquid separator 410. In this case, the refrigerant may be condensed by the water-cooled condenser 400 , and the liquid refrigerant separated by the gas-liquid separator 410 may be supercooled by the variable heat exchanger 140 , thereby improving condensation performance to further improve air cooling performance of the evaporator 130 .

[0141] Furthermore, in the vehicle heat pump system, a bypass line L3 may be positioned on the refrigerant circulation line L1 to bypass the second expansion device 150 and the evaporator 130, and a check valve "V" for preventing refrigerant backflow may be further positioned on the bypass line L3. During air heating, the bypass line L3 allows the refrigerant that has passed through the variable heat exchanger 140 to be supplied to the compressor 200 without passing through the second expansion device 150 or the evaporator 130. In other words, by omitting unnecessary components (e.g., the second expansion device 150 and the evaporator 130), unnecessary flow reduction and pressure drops during air heating can be prevented.

[0142] Figure 17 2 is a diagram illustrating an air cooling mode and a mode of a heat pump system of a vehicle air conditioner according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0143] First, during maximum cooling, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 200 may pass through the interior heat exchanger 120 without exchanging heat with the air (because the temperature door 110d blocks airflow through the interior heat exchanger 120), and the high-pressure refrigerant delivered from the compressor 200 may be condensed while passing through the water-cooled condenser 400 and the variable heat exchanger 140. Here, the first expansion device 300 may bypass the refrigerant. The condensed refrigerant may be throttled by the second expansion device 150 and supplied to the evaporator 130, and then heat may be exchanged between the air and the throttled low-pressure liquid refrigerant in the evaporator 130. As a result, the air discharged into the interior may be cooled by absorbing heat through the latent heat released when the refrigerant evaporates.

[0144] Here, the description shows an example in which the temperature door 110d is controlled to be positioned to block air from moving toward the interior heat exchanger 120, and the third control door 540 is opened. However, the third control door 540 may be closed during air cooling.

[0145] Figure 18 1 is a diagram illustrating an air heating mode of the vehicle air conditioner 100 and a mode of a heat pump system according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0146] First, during maximum heating, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 200 may pass through the interior heat exchanger 120 to exchange heat with air passing through the second air conditioning housing 110b, thereby heating the air discharged into the interior through heat dissipation through condensation. Simultaneously, the temperature door 110d may operate, causing the air introduced into the second air conditioning housing 110b to pass through the evaporator 130 and then pass entirely through the interior heat exchanger 120. Here, when refrigerant is not supplied to the evaporator 130, the air may pass through the evaporator 130 without exchanging heat with the evaporator 130. Similarly, in the water-cooled condenser 400, the cooling water may not flow along the cooling water circulation line L2. The refrigerant may move unchanged, be throttled in the first expansion device 300, and be supplied to the variable heat exchanger 140 for evaporation. The refrigerant evaporated while passing through the variable heat exchanger 140 may be supplied to the compressor 200 via the bypass line L3 without passing through the second expansion device 150 or the evaporator 130.

[0147] In summary, the vehicle air conditioner 100 of the present invention can be a heat pump system, that is, an air conditioner 100 used in an air conditioning system that can perform both air cooling and heating using a single refrigerant line. The high-temperature refrigerant compressed by the compressor 200 can be used to heat the air, and the evaporation of the refrigerant can be used to cool the air. Here, a long-standing problem with heat pump systems, namely, poor condensing performance during air cooling, can be solved by the variable heat exchanger 140, which condenses the refrigerant together with the internal heat exchanger 120. The variable heat exchanger 140 can be installed in the first air conditioning housing 110a.

[0148] Figure 19 and Figure 20 1 and 2 are diagrams each illustrating a control method for a vehicle air conditioner according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The control method for a vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention may have the features of the vehicle air conditioner described above, and includes determining whether the third control door 540 needs to be opened (S10); and opening the third control door 540 (S20).

[0149] First, in Figure 19 In the case shown, in the determining step, when the air heating setting is confirmed, it can be determined that the third control door 540 needs to be opened. That is, in the control method for the vehicle air conditioner of the present invention, the air passing through the interior heat exchanger 120 can be selectively supplied to the variable heat exchanger 140 to be used as a heat absorbing heat source during air heating.

[0150] In addition, Figure 20In the illustrated case, the possibility of adhesion of the variable heat exchanger 140 can be determined, thereby preventing adhesion of the variable heat exchanger 140 caused by the heat source supplied by the supply unit 500. More specifically, the step of determining the possibility of adhesion of the variable heat exchanger 140 can include: checking whether the external temperature is within a specific temperature range (S11); and checking whether the measured humidity is equal to or greater than a specific humidity (S12). The specific temperature range can be a predetermined temperature range, for example, T1 = -5°C and T2 = 5°C, and the specific humidity can also be a predetermined humidity range.

[0151] That is, the description describes an example in which Figure 20 The control method for a vehicle air conditioner of the present invention shown, when it is determined that adhesion of the variable heat exchanger may occur, can prevent adhesion of the variable heat exchanger 140 by using air passing through the interior heat exchanger 120 by opening the third control door 530 .

[0152] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be applied in various ways. In addition, the present invention can be variously modified by those skilled in the art without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the claims.

[0153] [Description of Reference Signs]

[0154] 100: Vehicle air conditioner

[0155] A1: variable heat exchanger module, A2: air conditioning module,

[0156] 110a: first air-conditioning housing, 110b: second air-conditioning housing,

[0157] 110d: Temperature door, 111: Face vents, 111d: Face ventilation door,

[0158] 112: Defrost vent, 112d: Defrost vent door,

[0159] 113: Floor vents, 113d: Floor ventilation doors,

[0160] 114: Second external air inlet, 115: Internal air inlet, 116: First external air inlet,

[0161] 117: Engine room air inlet, 120: Internal heat exchanger, 130: Evaporator,

[0162] 140: variable heat exchanger, 141: inlet pipe, 142: outlet pipe,

[0163] 143: water collecting tank, 144: baffle, 145: tube, 146: fin,

[0164] A140: supply area of ​​the supply unit, 150: second expansion device,

[0165] 161: Fan assembly, 162: Blower unit, 170: Auxiliary heating heat exchanger,

[0166] 180: filter, 191: first control gate, 192: second control gate,

[0167] 200: compressor, 300: first expansion device, 400: water-cooled condenser,

[0168] 410: gas-liquid separator, 500: supply unit, 510: extension unit,

[0169] 511: inclined surface, 512: support portion, 513: first inclined portion,

[0170] 514: second inclined portion, 515: through hole, 516: connecting portion,

[0171] 521: first fastening part, 522: second fastening part, 530: discharge part,

[0172] 540: Third control door, 3000: Radiator, 4000: Cooling fan.

Claims

1. A vehicle air conditioner as an air conditioner, the air conditioner having an internal heat exchanger (120) for heating air, a variable heat exchanger (140) for condensing a refrigerant during air cooling and evaporating the refrigerant during air heating, and an evaporator (130) for cooling air built into the air conditioner, wherein the air conditioner includes a supply portion (500) for supplying air passing through the evaporator (130) and condensed water generated in the evaporator (130) to the variable heat exchanger (140), in a refrigerant circuit constructed by a compressor (200), the internal heat exchanger (120), a first expansion device (300), a variable heat exchanger (140), a second expansion device (150), and the evaporator (130), in, The vehicle air conditioner (100) includes a variable heat exchanger module (A1) and an air conditioning module (A2) assembled and fixed to each other. The variable heat exchanger module (A1) includes a first air-conditioning housing (110a), the variable heat exchanger (140) positioned in the first air-conditioning housing (110a), and a fan assembly (161) installed in the first air-conditioning housing (110a) to convey wind, and The air conditioning module (A2) includes: a second air conditioning housing (110b) that is in communication with the interior of the vehicle and in which wind for conditioning the interior air flows; a blower unit (162) positioned in the second air conditioning housing (110b) to convey the wind; the evaporator (130); and the internal heat exchanger (120).

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein In the vehicle air conditioner (100), a lower side region of the variable heat exchanger (140) is positioned below the evaporator (130) in a height direction.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein In the vehicle air conditioner (100), condensed water and air are supplied to the side of the variable heat exchanger (140) from which the refrigerant is discharged, by means of the supply portion (500).

4. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein In the first air-conditioning case (110a), a drain portion is positioned at a lower side of the variable heat exchanger (140), and condensed water is drained through the drain portion.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein In the vehicle air conditioner (100), the region where the blower portion (162) of the air conditioning module (A2) is located and the variable heat exchanger module (A1) are installed in an engine room so as to be parallel to each other in a vehicle width direction. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein: The supply unit (500) includes: an extension portion (510) extending from the second air-conditioning housing (110b) to which condensed water and air are conveyed, and A first fastening portion (521) and a second fastening portion (522), the first fastening portion (521) and the second fastening portion (522) are respectively positioned in the first air-conditioning case (110a) and the extending portion (510) to be fastened to each other.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 6, wherein The extension portion (510) comprises: an inclined surface (511) extending from the second air-conditioning case (110b) below the evaporator (130) while being inclined downward in the vehicle height direction, a support portion (512) protruding from the inclined surface (511) to support the lower side of the evaporator (130), and A first inclined portion (513) and a second inclined portion (514) are provided on both sides of the support portion (512) in the vehicle width direction, respectively, to connect the support portion (512) and the inclined surface (511) to each other at an inclination.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 6, wherein In the supply portion (500), the first fastening portion (521) has a through area, and the second fastening portion (522) protrudes from the extending portion (510) to be inserted and fixed into the variable heat exchanger module (A1) through the first fastening portion (521).

9. The air conditioner according to claim 8, wherein The plurality of first fastening portions (521) and the plurality of second fastening portions (522) are respectively spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction.

10. The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein A first external air inlet (116), an engine room air inlet (117), and a first control door (191) are positioned in the variable heat exchanger module (A1). External air is introduced into the first air conditioning housing (110a) through the first external air inlet. The engine room air inlet is connected to the engine room. The first control door controls the opening and closing of the first external air inlet (116) and the engine room air inlet (117).

11. The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein A second external air inlet (114), an internal air inlet (115) and a second control door (192) are positioned in the air conditioning module (A2), external air is introduced into the second air conditioning housing (110b) through the second external air inlet, internal air is introduced through the internal air inlet, and the second control door controls the opening and closing of the second external air inlet (114) and the internal air inlet (115).

12. The air conditioner according to claim 11, wherein The air conditioning module (A2) further includes a filter (180) positioned downstream of the second control door (192) in the direction of air flow.

13. The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein The air conditioning module (A2) further includes an auxiliary heating heat exchanger (170) positioned downstream of the internal heat exchanger (120) in the direction of air flow.

14. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein The supply part (500) selectively supplies the air passing through the internal heat exchanger (120) to the variable heat exchanger (140).

15. The air conditioner according to claim 14, wherein In the vehicle air conditioner (100), during air heating or when the variable heat exchanger (140) is attached to the air conditioner, air passing through the internal heat exchanger (120) is supplied by means of the supply portion (500) to be used as an absorbing heat source.

16. A vehicle air conditioner as an air conditioner, the air conditioner having an internal heat exchanger (120) for heating air, a variable heat exchanger (140) for condensing a refrigerant during air cooling and evaporating the refrigerant during air heating, and an evaporator (130) for air cooling built into the air conditioner, wherein the air conditioner includes a supply portion (500) for supplying air passing through the evaporator (130) and condensed water generated in the evaporator (130) to the variable heat exchanger (140), in a refrigerant circuit constructed by a compressor (200), the internal heat exchanger (120), a first expansion device (300), a variable heat exchanger (140), a second expansion device (150), and the evaporator (130), in, The supply part (500) selectively supplies the air passing through the internal heat exchanger (120) to the variable heat exchanger (140). The vehicle air conditioner (100) includes a variable heat exchanger module (A1) and an air conditioning module (A2) that are assembled and fixed to each other. The variable heat exchanger module (A1) includes a first air-conditioning housing (110a), the variable heat exchanger (140) positioned in the first air-conditioning housing (110a), and a fan assembly (161) installed in the first air-conditioning housing (110a) to convey wind, and The air conditioning module (A2) includes: a second air conditioning housing (110b) that communicates with the interior of the vehicle and in which wind for conditioning the interior air flows; a blower unit (162) positioned in the second air conditioning housing (110b) to deliver the wind; the evaporator (130); and the internal heat exchanger (120), and The supply portion (500) includes a through hole (515) serving as a through area of ​​the second air-conditioning housing (110b), a third control door (540) for controlling the opening and closing of the through hole (515), a communication portion (516) communicating with the through hole (515) and conveying air passing through the internal heat exchanger (120), and a first fastening portion (521) and a second fastening portion (522) respectively positioned in the first air-conditioning housing (110a) and the communication portion (516) to be fastened to each other.

17. A method for controlling a vehicle air conditioner (100) according to any one of claims 14 to 16, the method comprising the following steps: Determining step (S10), determining whether the third control door (540) needs to be opened; as well as In the opening step (S20), the third control door (540) is opened.

18. The control method of the vehicle air conditioner (100) according to claim 17, wherein: In the determining step (S10), when the air heating setting is confirmed, it is determined that the third control door (540) needs to be opened.

19. The control method of the vehicle air conditioner (100) according to claim 17, wherein: In the determining step (S10), it is determined whether the third control door (540) needs to be opened by the following steps: checking whether the external temperature is within a predetermined temperature range (S11); and It is checked whether the measured humidity is equal to or greater than a predetermined humidity (S12).

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