compressor assembly

Abstract

A compressor assembly for a heat pump cycle device (1, 1a, 1b) includes a compressor (11), a passage forming component (101, 111, 121, 131), and a cover component (102, 122, 132). Multiple internal refrigerant passages for refrigerant flow are formed in the passage forming component. The cover component and the passage forming component together form a housing space (103, 113, 123, 133) for housing the compressor. Inside the housing space are compressor-side inlets (101b, 111b, 121b, 131b) connected to the compressor's outlet side and communicating with the internal refrigerant passages, and compressor-side outlets (101a, 111a, 121a, 131a) connected to the compressor's suction side. An outer connection port (101c~101h, 111g, 111h, 121c~121h, 131c~131h) is formed outside the containment space to connect with the inflow and outflow sides of the external equipment (14, 16, 18).

Description

[0001] Cross-reference of related applications

[0002] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-138006, filed on August 26, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a compressor assembly that integrates a heat pump cycle device containing a compressor into a constituent device. Background Technology

[0004] Previously, Patent Document 1 disclosed a compressor assembly that integrates a compressor, manifold, and other components that are constituent parts of a heat pump cycle device. The manifold is a passage forming component or passage connecting component that internally forms refrigerant piping and heat medium piping. This type of compressor assembly is effective in improving the productivity of heat pump cycle devices.

[0005] Furthermore, in Patent Document 1, noise from the compressor assembly is suppressed by covering the integrated compressor, manifold, etc. with a noise suppression cover component.

[0006] Existing technical documents

[0007] Patent documents

[0008] Patent Document 1: U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0039440

[0009] However, as shown in Patent Document 1, simply covering the compressor, manifold, etc., with a cover component is insufficient to suppress the noise of the compressor assembly. The reason is that in order to remove the refrigerant piping and heat medium piping connected to the manifold to the outside of the cover component, through holes or similar openings must be formed in the cover component. Therefore, compressor noise leaks to the outside of the cover component through the gaps between the through holes and the piping.

[0010] In contrast, to effectively suppress the noise of the compressor components, a method was considered to seal the gap between the through-hole and the piping using sound-insulating sealing components. However, sealing the gap between the through-hole and the piping with sealing components became a cause of deterioration in the productivity of the heat pump cycle unit. Summary of the Invention

[0011] In view of the above points, the object of the present invention is to provide a compressor assembly that can sufficiently suppress noise without causing a deterioration in the productivity of the heat pump cycle device.

[0012] To achieve the above objectives, one aspect of the present invention provides a compressor assembly applied to a heat pump cycle device, comprising a compressor, a passage forming component, and a shroud component.

[0013] The compressor draws in, compresses, and discharges refrigerant. The passage forming component internally creates multiple internal refrigerant passages for refrigerant flow. The cover component, together with the passage forming component, forms a housing space that accommodates the compressor.

[0014] Inside the containment space, there are compressor-side inlet and compressor-side outlet that communicate with the internal refrigerant passage. Outside the containment space, there is an external connection port that communicates with the internal refrigerant passage.

[0015] The compressor-side inlet is connected to the compressor's outlet side. The compressor-side outlet is connected to the compressor's suction inlet side. The outer connection port is connected to the inflow / outflow side of the external component of the heat pump cycle unit, which is located outside the housing space.

[0016] This allows refrigerant discharged from the compressor to flow out to the external component side via the internal refrigerant passage. Similarly, it allows refrigerant flowing out from the external component to be drawn into the compressor via the internal refrigerant passage.

[0017] Therefore, there is no need to form through holes or similar openings in the passage forming components or cover components to allow piping connecting the compressor and external components to pass through. Consequently, compressor noise will not leak to the outside of the housing space through the gap between the through holes and the piping. Furthermore, it is not necessary to seal the gap between the through holes and the piping using sound-insulating sealing components or the like.

[0018] As a result, the compressor assembly according to one aspect of the invention can effectively suppress noise without causing a deterioration in the productivity of the heat pump cycle device. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The above-mentioned and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the following detailed description.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic overall structural diagram of the vehicle air conditioning unit according to the first embodiment.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the compressor assembly of the first embodiment with the cover component removed.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the compressor assembly according to the first embodiment.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a block diagram showing the electrical control section of the vehicle air conditioning unit according to the first embodiment.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic overall structural diagram showing the flow of refrigerant in the hot air heating mode of the vehicle air conditioning unit according to the first embodiment.

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic overall structural diagram of the vehicle air conditioning unit according to the second embodiment.

[0026] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the compressor assembly of the second embodiment with the cover component removed.

[0027] Figure 8 This is a schematic overall structural diagram of the vehicle air conditioning unit according to the third embodiment.

[0028] Figure 9 This is a perspective view of the compressor assembly of the third embodiment with the cover component removed.

[0029] Figure 10 From Figure 9 A three-dimensional view of the compressor assembly viewed from the X-axis.

[0030] Figure 11 This is a schematic overall structural diagram of the vehicle air conditioning unit according to the fourth embodiment.

[0031] Figure 12 This is a schematic overall structural diagram of the vehicle air conditioning unit according to the fifth embodiment.

[0032] Figure 13 This is a perspective view of the compressor assembly of the fifth embodiment with the cover component removed.

[0033] Figure 14 This is a perspective view of the compressor assembly according to the fifth embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0034] Hereinafter, several embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each embodiment, there are cases where the same reference numerals are used to mark parts corresponding to matters described in previous embodiments, and repeated descriptions are omitted. In cases where only a part of the structure is described in each embodiment, other previously described embodiments can be applied to the other parts of the structure. Not only can the parts that can be combined be specifically indicated in each embodiment, but embodiments can also be partially combined with each other even without indication, as long as it does not particularly hinder the combination.

[0035] (First Implementation)

[0036] use Figures 1-5A first embodiment of the compressor assembly according to the present invention will be described. The compressor assembly 100 of this embodiment is applied to a vehicle air conditioning unit 1 installed in an electric vehicle. An electric vehicle is a vehicle that obtains driving power from an electric motor. The vehicle air conditioning unit 1 is a heat pump circulation device that performs air conditioning on the interior space (the space to be conditioned) and temperature regulation on in-vehicle equipment. Therefore, the vehicle air conditioning unit 1 can be referred to as an air conditioning unit with in-vehicle equipment temperature regulation function or an in-vehicle equipment temperature regulation device with air conditioning function.

[0037] In the vehicle air conditioning system 1, the temperature of the battery 80 is specifically regulated as an on-board device. The battery 80 is a secondary battery that stores electricity supplied to multiple on-board devices that operate by electricity. The battery 80 is a battery pack formed by connecting multiple battery cells in series or parallel in a stacked configuration. In this embodiment, the battery cells are lithium-ion batteries.

[0038] The battery 80 generates heat during operation (i.e., during charging and discharging). The battery 80 exhibits characteristics where its output tends to decrease at low temperatures and degradation easily progresses at high temperatures. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain the temperature of the battery 80 within a suitable temperature range (in this embodiment, 15°C or higher and 55°C or lower). Therefore, in the electric vehicle of this embodiment, the temperature of the battery 80 is regulated using a vehicle air conditioning unit 1.

[0039] The vehicle air conditioning unit 1 includes a heat pump cycle 10, a low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30, an indoor air conditioning unit 50, and a control device 60. The compressor assembly 100 is mainly a component that integrates multiple constituent devices constituting the heat pump cycle 10. In the compressor assembly 100 of this embodiment, [the following is a list of components]... Figure 1 The components, such as the equipment surrounded by the dotted line, are integrated.

[0040] More specifically, in the compressor assembly 100 of this embodiment, the compressor 11, muffler 12, heating expansion valve 15a, cooling expansion valve 15b, cooling expansion valve 15c, hot gas flow regulating valve 15d, evaporation pressure regulating valve 19, chiller 20, liquid receiver 21, dehumidification on / off valve 23a, heating on / off valve 23b, etc., of the heat pump cycle 10 are integrated.

[0041] Among these components, the compressor 11, heating expansion valve 15a, cooling expansion valve 15b, cooling expansion valve 15c, hot gas flow regulating valve 15d, evaporating pressure regulating valve 19, chiller 20, dehumidification on / off valve 23a, and heating on / off valve 23b are integrated by means of a flow path box 101 mounted on the compressor assembly 100 described later. Furthermore, the silencer section 12 and the liquid receiver section 21 are integrally formed in the flow path box 101.

[0042] Therefore, the flow path box 101 is a mounting component for mounting multiple constituent devices. Furthermore, the flow path box 101 is a passage forming component that forms multiple internal refrigerant passages through which the refrigerant of the heat pump cycle 10 flows and multiple internal heat medium passages through which the low-temperature side heat medium of the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 flows. The detailed structure of the compressor assembly 100 will be described below.

[0043] First, the heat pump cycle 10 will be described. The heat pump cycle 10 is a vapor compression refrigeration cycle device that regulates the temperature of the air blown into the vehicle interior and the temperature of the low-temperature heat medium circulating in the low-temperature heat medium circuit 30. The heat pump cycle 10 is configured to switch the refrigerant circuit according to various operating modes described later, in order to perform air conditioning in the vehicle interior and cooling of on-board equipment.

[0044] In heat pump cycle 10, an HFO-based refrigerant (specifically, R1234yf) is used as the refrigerant. Heat pump cycle 10 constitutes a subcritical refrigeration cycle where the pressure of the refrigerant on the high-pressure side does not exceed the critical pressure of the refrigerant. Refrigeration oil for lubricating compressor 11 is mixed into the refrigerant. The refrigeration oil is a PAG oil that is miscible with the liquid-phase refrigerant. A portion of the refrigeration oil circulates in the cycle along with the refrigerant.

[0045] The compressor 11 draws in, compresses, and discharges refrigerant in the heat pump cycle 10. The compressor 11 is an electric compressor with a fixed-capacity compressor mechanism driven by an electric motor, providing a fixed discharge capacity. The rotational speed of the compressor 11 (i.e., the refrigerant discharge capacity) is controlled by a control signal output from the control device 60, described later. Therefore, the compressor 11 is an electric device operated by electricity.

[0046] The outlet of compressor 11 is connected to the compressor-side inlet 101b formed in flow path box 101 via high-pressure hose 11b. High-pressure hose 11b has a multi-layered refrigerant hose portion. The outer peripheral layer of the multi-layered refrigerant hose portion is formed of a thermoplastic elastic material (hereinafter referred to as thermoplastic elastic material) embedded in a base fabric, and the inner peripheral layer is formed of a resin that inhibits refrigerant permeation.

[0047] Here, "thermoplastic" means that it can be elastically deformed, and has the property that the degree of elastic deformation increases with the degree of heating. Therefore, the refrigerant hose portion of the high-pressure hose 11b is flexible and can be elastically deformed.

[0048] The compressor-side inlet 101b is connected to the inlet of the silencer section 12 formed in the flow box 101 via an internal refrigerant passage. The silencer section 12 allows refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 to flow in, forming a buffer space for reducing pressure pulsations in the discharged refrigerant. Therefore, the silencer section 12 is a high-pressure side refrigerant device that allows high-pressure side refrigerant to flow in.

[0049] The outlet of the muffler section 12 is connected to the inlet of the first internal three-way connector section 13a via an internal refrigerant passage. The first internal three-way connector section 13a is a part with a three-way connector structure formed by connecting multiple internal refrigerant passages formed inside the flow path box 101 to each other.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the flow box 101 has a second internal tee connector 13b to a sixth internal tee connector 13f. The basic structure of the second internal tee connector 13b to the sixth internal tee connector 13f, as well as the internal tee connectors described in the following embodiments, is the same as that of the first internal tee connector 13a.

[0051] These internal tee joints, when one of the three inlet and outlet joints is used as an inlet and the other two as outlet joints, become branch sections for the flow of refrigerant flowing in from one inlet. In addition, when two of the three inlet and outlet joints are used as inlets and the other one as an outlet joint, they become confluence sections for the flow of refrigerant flowing in from the two inlets.

[0052] Therefore, the first internal tee connector 13a becomes the discharge side branch of the flow branch of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11.

[0053] One outlet of the first internal tee connector 13a is connected to the condenser-side outlet 101c formed in the flow box 101. The other outlet of the first internal tee connector 13a is connected to one inlet of the fourth internal tee connector 13d via an internal refrigerant passage. The internal refrigerant passage from the other outlet of the first internal tee connector 13a to the inlet of one of the fourth internal tee connector 13d is a hot gas passage 22a.

[0054] A hot gas flow regulating valve 15d is provided in the hot gas passage 22a. The hot gas flow regulating valve 15d is an electrically operated variable throttling mechanism that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing in the hot gas passage 22a and regulates the flow rate (mass flow rate) of the refrigerant flowing downstream, in the hot gas heating mode described later.

[0055] The operation of the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d is controlled by a control signal (specifically, a control pulse) output from the control device 60. Therefore, the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d is an electrically powered device. Furthermore, the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d has a fully closed function that closes the refrigerant passage by fully closing the throttling passage.

[0056] The condenser-side outlet 101c is connected to the refrigerant inlet side of the indoor condenser 14. The indoor condenser 14 is disposed within the air conditioning housing 51 of the indoor air conditioning unit 50. The indoor condenser 14 is a heat exchange section that allows the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 to exchange heat with the supply air. In the indoor condenser 14, the heat of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 is dissipated to the supply air, which is the fluid to be heated, thereby heating the supply air.

[0057] Therefore, the indoor condenser 14 is a heating unit that uses the refrigerant branched through the first internal three-way connector 13a as a heat source to heat the supply air, which is the fluid to be heated.

[0058] The refrigerant outlet of the indoor condenser 14 is connected to the condenser-side inlet 101d formed in the flow path box 101. The condenser-side inlet 101d is connected to the inlet of the second internal tee connector 13b via an internal refrigerant passage.

[0059] One outlet of the second internal tee connector 13b is connected to the outdoor unit side outlet 101e formed in the flow box 101 via an internal refrigerant passage. The other outlet of the second internal tee connector 13b is connected to one inlet of the internal four-way connector 13x via an internal refrigerant passage. The internal refrigerant passage from the other outlet of the second internal tee connector 13b to the inlet of one of the internal four-way connectors 13x is a dehumidification passage 22b.

[0060] A dehumidification on / off valve 23a is provided in the dehumidification passage 22b. The dehumidification on / off valve 23a is an on / off valve that opens and closes the dehumidification passage 22b. The dehumidification on / off valve 23a is a solenoid valve whose opening and closing action is controlled by a control voltage output from the control device 60. Therefore, the dehumidification on / off valve 23a is an electrically operated device.

[0061] The internal four-way connector 13x is a part formed by connecting multiple internal refrigerant passages formed inside the flow path box 101 to each other. The internal four-way connector can also be formed by combining multiple internal three-way connectors.

[0062] A heating expansion valve 15a is provided in the internal refrigerant passage from one outlet of the second internal tee connector 13b to the outdoor unit outlet 101e. The heating expansion valve 15a is an outdoor unit pressure reducing unit that, in heating mode (described later), reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing out of one outlet of the second internal tee connector 13b and regulates the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing downstream.

[0063] The basic structure of the heating expansion valve 15a is the same as that of the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d. Therefore, the heating expansion valve 15a is an electrically operated device. Furthermore, the heating expansion valve 15a has a fully open function that functions simply as a refrigerant passage by fully opening the throttling passage without exerting any flow regulation or refrigerant pressure reduction effects.

[0064] The outdoor unit side outlet 101e is connected to the refrigerant inlet side of the outdoor heat exchanger 16. The outdoor heat exchanger 16 is a heat exchange unit that allows the refrigerant flowing out from the heating expansion valve 15a to exchange heat with the outside air blown by a cooling fan (not shown). The outdoor heat exchanger 16 is located on the front side of the drive unit room.

[0065] The drive unit compartment is formed at the front of the vehicle compartment, and forms at least a portion of the space where equipment for generating driving force (such as an electric generator) is arranged. Therefore, when the vehicle is in motion, the driving air flowing into the drive unit compartment through the grille or the like can be blown to the outdoor heat exchanger 16.

[0066] The refrigerant outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger 16 is connected to the outdoor unit side inlet 101f formed in the flow path box 101. The outdoor unit side inlet 101f is connected to the inlet of the third internal tee connector 13c via an internal refrigerant passage.

[0067] The outlet of one side of the third internal tee connector 13c is connected to the inlet of the other side of the internal four-way connector 13x via an internal refrigerant passage. A first check valve 17a is provided in the internal refrigerant passage from the outlet of one side of the third internal tee connector 13c to the inlet of the other side of the internal four-way connector 13x.

[0068] The first check valve 17a allows refrigerant to flow from the third internal tee joint 13c side to the internal four-way joint 13x side, and prohibits refrigerant from flowing from the internal four-way joint 13x side to the third internal tee joint 13c side.

[0069] The outlet on the other side of the third internal tee connector 13c is connected to the inlet on one side of the sixth internal tee connector 13f via an internal refrigerant passage. The internal refrigerant passage from the outlet on the other side of the third internal tee connector 13c to the inlet on one side of the sixth internal tee connector 13f is a heating passage 22c.

[0070] A heating on / off valve 23b and a second check valve 17b are configured in the heating passage 22c. The heating on / off valve 23b is an on / off valve that opens and closes the heating passage 22c. The basic structure of the heating on / off valve 23b is the same as that of the dehumidification on / off valve 23a. Therefore, the heating on / off valve 23b is an electrically powered device.

[0071] Here, the dehumidification valve 23a and the heating valve 23b can switch the refrigerant circuit by opening and closing the internal refrigerant passage. Therefore, the dehumidification valve 23a and the heating valve 23b are refrigerant circuit switching parts.

[0072] In addition, the second check valve 17b allows refrigerant to flow from the heating on / off valve 23b side to the sixth internal tee joint 13f side, and prohibits refrigerant from flowing from the sixth internal tee joint 13f side to the heating on / off valve 23b side.

[0073] One outlet of the internal four-way connector 13x is connected to the evaporator-side outlet 101g formed in the flow path box 101 via an internal refrigerant passage. The other outlet of the internal four-way connector 13x is connected to the other inlet of the fourth internal three-way connector 13d via an internal refrigerant passage. The outlet of the fourth internal three-way connector 13d is connected to the chiller-side outlet 101i formed in the flow path box 101 via an internal refrigerant passage.

[0074] An expansion valve 15b for refrigerant is provided in the internal refrigerant passage from one outlet of the internal four-way connector 13x to the evaporator-side outlet 101g. The expansion valve 15b for refrigerant is a pressure-reducing part for the evaporator that, in the refrigeration mode described later, reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing out from one outlet of the internal four-way connector 13x and regulates the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing downstream.

[0075] The basic structure of the refrigeration expansion valve 15b is the same as that of the heating expansion valve 15a. Therefore, the refrigeration expansion valve 15b is an electrically powered device.

[0076] The evaporator-side outlet 101g is connected to the refrigerant inlet side of the indoor evaporator 18. The indoor evaporator 18 is disposed within the air conditioning housing 51 of the indoor air conditioning unit 50. The indoor evaporator 18 is a heat exchange section that allows the low-pressure refrigerant, after being depressurized by the refrigerant expansion valve 15b, to exchange heat with the supply air blown into the vehicle interior. In the indoor evaporator 18, the supply air is cooled by evaporating the low-pressure refrigerant and absorbing heat.

[0077] The refrigerant outlet of the indoor evaporator 18 is connected to the evaporator-side inlet 101h formed in the flow path box 101. The evaporator-side inlet 101h is connected to one of the inlets of the fifth internal tee joint 13e via an internal refrigerant passage.

[0078] An evaporation pressure regulating valve 19 is provided in the internal refrigerant passage from the evaporator side inlet 101h to the fifth internal tee joint 13e.

[0079] The evaporator pressure regulating valve 19 is an electrically operated variable throttling mechanism that changes the valve opening to suppress frosting on the indoor evaporator 18 by maintaining the refrigerant evaporation pressure in the indoor evaporator 18 at or above a preset set pressure (in this embodiment, the saturation pressure at 1°C). The basic structure of the evaporator pressure regulating valve 19 is the same as that of the heating expansion valve 15a. Therefore, the evaporator pressure regulating valve 19 is an electrically operated device.

[0080] A cooling expansion valve 15c is provided in the internal refrigerant passage from the outlet on the other side of the internal four-way connector 13x to the inlet on the other side of the fourth internal three-way connector 13d. The cooling expansion valve 15c is a pressure reducing unit for the refrigeration unit that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing out of the outlet on the other side of the internal four-way connector 13x and regulates the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing downstream, in the standby cooling mode described later.

[0081] The basic structure of the cooling expansion valve 15c is the same as that of the refrigeration expansion valve 15b. Therefore, the cooling expansion valve 15c is an electrically powered device.

[0082] Here, the heating expansion valve 15a, the cooling expansion valve 15b, the cooling expansion valve 15c, and the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d all have a fully closed function. These electrically operated variable throttling mechanisms can switch the refrigerant circuit by utilizing the fully closed function. Therefore, the cooling expansion valve 15b, the cooling expansion valve 15c, and the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d also function as refrigerant circuit switching units.

[0083] The chiller-side outlet 101i is directly connected to the refrigerant inlet of the chiller 20. The chiller 20 is a heat exchange unit that allows the low-pressure side refrigerant, after being depressurized by the cooling expansion valve 15c, to exchange heat with the low-temperature side heat medium circulating in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30. In the chiller 20, the low-pressure side heat medium is cooled by evaporating the low-pressure side refrigerant and absorbing heat.

[0084] The refrigerant outlet of the chiller 20 is directly connected to the chiller-side inlet 101j formed in the flow path box 101. The chiller-side inlet 101j is connected to the inlet on the other side of the fifth internal tee connector 13e. The outlet of the fifth internal tee connector 13e is connected to the inlet on the other side of the sixth internal tee connector 13f via an internal refrigerant passage.

[0085] The outlet of the sixth internal three-way connector 13f is connected to the inlet side of the receiver section 21 via an internal refrigerant passage. The receiver section 21 is a low-pressure side gas-liquid separator that separates the gas and liquid phases of the refrigerant flowing into it and stores the remaining liquid phase refrigerant in the cycle. The outlet of the receiver section 21 is connected to the compressor-side outlet 101a formed in the flow path box 101 via an internal refrigerant passage.

[0086] The compressor-side outlet 101a is connected to the suction port of the compressor 11 via a low-pressure hose 11a. The basic structure of the low-pressure hose 11a is the same as that of the high-pressure hose 11b. Therefore, the refrigerant hose portion of the low-pressure hose 11a is flexible and can be elastically deformed.

[0087] Next, use Figure 2 , Figure 3 The detailed structure of the compressor assembly 100 is described below. For example... Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the compressor assembly 100 includes a flow path box 101 and a cover component 102. The flow path box 101 is formed of metal (aluminum alloy in this embodiment). The cover component 102 is formed of a resin (polypropylene in this embodiment) that has better sound insulation properties than metal.

[0088] The cover component 102 is installed in the flow path box 101 by means of bolts or other fastening methods. With the cover component 102 installed in the flow path box 101, as follows... Figure 3 As shown, the compressor assembly 100 has a cuboid shape. Three of the six outer surfaces of the cuboid shape of the compressor assembly 100 are formed by the flow path box 101. The remaining three surfaces are formed by the cover member 102.

[0089] The cover component 102 is installed on the flow path box 101, and together with the flow path box 101, forms a receiving space 103 inside the compressor assembly 100 that houses the compressor 11 and the like. A sealing component (not shown) is sandwiched at the contact portion between the flow path box 101 and the cover component 102. Therefore, the receiving space 103 is formed as a sealed space where air cannot flow in from the outside or out from the outside.

[0090] A heat insulation element 104 is disposed on the outer surface of the compressor assembly 100, covering almost the entire area. The heat insulation element 104 is a heat-insulating part that suppresses heat transfer between the air inside the housing space 103 and the outside air. As the heat insulation element 104, fiber-based heat insulation materials such as glass wool and foam-based heat insulation materials such as polyurethane foam can be used.

[0091] The housing space 103 houses a compressor 11, a heating expansion valve 15a, a cooling expansion valve 15b, a cooling expansion valve 15c, a hot gas flow regulating valve 15d, an evaporation pressure regulating valve 19, a chiller 20, a dehumidification on / off valve 23a, a heating on / off valve 23b, etc.

[0092] Therefore, compressor-side outlet 101a, compressor-side inlet 101b, chiller-side outlet 101i, and chiller-side inlet 101j are formed inside the receiving space 103. More specifically, compressor-side outlet 101a and compressor-side inlet 101b are formed on the inner side of the flow path box 101 on the receiving space 103 side, thereby forming inside the receiving space 103.

[0093] Furthermore, the indoor condenser 14, the outdoor heat exchanger 16, and the indoor evaporator 18 are disposed outside the housing space 103. Therefore, in this embodiment, the indoor condenser 14, the outdoor heat exchanger 16, and the indoor evaporator 18 are external structural devices.

[0094] The condenser-side outlet 101c, condenser-side inlet 101d, outdoor unit-side outlet 101e, outdoor unit-side inlet 101f, evaporator-side outlet 101g, and evaporator-side inlet 101h are formed on the outer side of the flow path box 101, thereby forming outside the receiving space 103.

[0095] Therefore, the condenser-side outlet 101c, condenser-side inlet 101d, outdoor unit-side outlet 101e, outdoor unit-side inlet 101f, evaporator-side outlet 101g, and evaporator-side inlet 101h in this embodiment are external connection ports that connect to the inflow and outflow sides of external constituent equipment.

[0096] Furthermore, a plurality of (four in this embodiment) fixing portions 101s for fixing the compressor 11 are formed on the bottom surface of the forming receiving space 103 of the flow path box 101. The compressor 11 is fixed to the fixing portions 101s via anti-vibration rubber 11c. The anti-vibration rubber 11c is an anti-vibration component that suppresses the transmission of vibration of the compressor 11 to the flow path box 101.

[0097] More specifically, the vibration damping rubber 11c is formed by bonding bolt-like fastening components made of metal with excellent heat transfer properties to both ends of a generally cylindrical thermoplastic elastic material. Therefore, when the fastening components of the vibration damping rubber 11c are fastened to the compressor 11, heat from the compressor 11 can be transferred to the vibration damping rubber 11c, thereby heating the vibration damping rubber 11c. In other words, the vibration damping rubber 11c is configured to be heated by the heat generated by the compressor 11.

[0098] In addition, such as Figure 2 As shown, the low-pressure hose 11a and the high-pressure hose 11b are installed on the compressor 11 and the flow box 101 in a bent state.

[0099] In addition, the heating expansion valve 15a, the cooling expansion valve 15b, the cooling expansion valve 15c, the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d, the evaporation pressure regulating valve 19, and the dehumidification on / off valve 23a and the heating on / off valve 23b are fixed to the mounting holes formed in the flow path box 101 by means of threaded fastening, pressing, etc. The mounting holes are connected to the internal refrigerant passage.

[0100] In addition, the chiller 20 is fixed to the flow path box 101 by embedding the refrigerant inlet and outlet and the heat medium inlet and outlet formed to the outside into the refrigerant inlet and outlet (i.e., chiller side inlet and outlet 101i, chiller side inlet and outlet 101j) and the heat medium inlet and outlet formed in the flow path box 101, respectively.

[0101] Furthermore, the muffler section 12 is shaped to protrude towards the receiving space 103 in order to form a buffer space. In this embodiment, the muffler section 12 is disposed on the side of the flow path box 101.

[0102] In addition, the electrical equipment housed in the housing space 103 is connected to the control device 60 located outside the housing space 103 via a sealed terminal (so-called airtight sealed terminal) not shown.

[0103] Next, the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 will be described. The low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 is a heat medium circuit for circulating the low-temperature side heat medium. In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30, an aqueous solution of ethylene glycol is used as the low-temperature side heat medium. Figure 1 As shown, the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 is connected to the low-temperature side pump 31, the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80, and the heat medium passage of the chiller 20 of the compressor assembly 100.

[0104] The cryogenic side pump 31 is a cryogenic side heat medium pressurization section that draws in and pressurizes cryogenic side heat medium. The cryogenic side pump 31 pressurizes the cryogenic side heat medium flowing out from the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80 to the cryogenic side heat medium inlet 101m side of the flow path box 101 formed in the compressor assembly 100. The cryogenic side pump 31 is an electric water pump whose speed (i.e., pressurization capacity) is controlled by the control voltage output from the control device 60, and is included in the electric equipment.

[0105] The low-temperature side heat medium inlet 101m is connected to the inlet of the heat medium passage of the chiller 20 via an internal heat medium passage. The outlet of the heat medium passage of the chiller 20 is connected to the low-temperature side heat medium outlet 101n formed in the flow box 101 via an internal heat medium passage.

[0106] The cryogenic heat transfer medium outlet 101n is connected to the inlet side of the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80. The cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80 is formed inside a dedicated battery housing, which houses multiple battery cells arranged in a stacked configuration. The passage structure of the cooling water passage 80a is a passage structure in which multiple passages are connected in parallel inside the dedicated battery housing. Thus, all battery cells can be cooled evenly in the cooling water passage 80a. The outlet of the cooling water passage 80a is connected to the suction port side of the cryogenic pump 31.

[0107] Next, the interior air conditioning unit 50 will be described. The interior air conditioning unit 50 is a unit that integrates multiple components to blow air conditioned to an appropriate temperature into appropriate parts of the vehicle interior. The interior air conditioning unit 50 is located inside the instrument panel (instrument panel) at the front of the vehicle interior.

[0108] like Figure 1 As shown, the indoor air conditioning unit 50 is formed by housing an indoor fan 52, an indoor evaporator 18, an indoor condenser 14, etc., within an air conditioning housing 51 that forms an air passage for supplying air. The air conditioning housing 51 is molded from a resin (e.g., polypropylene) that has a certain degree of elasticity and excellent strength.

[0109] An indoor / outdoor air switching device 53 is disposed on the upstream side of the air supply airflow of the air conditioning housing 51. The indoor / outdoor air switching device 53 switches the introduction of indoor air (i.e., air inside the vehicle) and outdoor air (i.e., air outside the vehicle) into the air conditioning housing 51. The operation of the indoor / outdoor air switching device 53 is controlled by a control signal output from the control device 60.

[0110] An indoor air supply fan 52 is disposed downstream of the air supply airflow of the indoor / outdoor air switching device 53. The indoor air supply fan 52 blows the air drawn in through the indoor / outdoor air switching device 53 into the vehicle interior. The rotational speed (i.e., air supply capacity) of the indoor air supply fan 52 is controlled by a control voltage output from the control device 60.

[0111] An indoor evaporator 18 and an indoor condenser 14 are disposed downstream of the supply airflow of the indoor fan 52. The indoor evaporator 18 is disposed upstream of the supply airflow compared to the indoor condenser 14. A cold air bypass passage 55 is formed within the air conditioning housing 51, allowing the supply air after passing through the indoor evaporator 18 to flow around the indoor condenser 14.

[0112] An air mixing door 54 is provided on the downstream side of the supply air flow of the indoor evaporator 18 and the upstream side of the supply air flow of the indoor condenser 14 and the cold air bypass passage 55 within the air conditioner housing 51.

[0113] The air mixing door 54 adjusts the airflow ratio between the supply air passing through the indoor evaporator 18 and the supply air passing through the cold air bypass passage 55. The operation of the actuator for driving the air mixing door 54 is controlled by a control signal output from the control device 60.

[0114] A mixing space 56 is provided downstream of the supply air flow of the indoor condenser 14 and the cold air bypass passage 55. The mixing space 56 is a space for mixing the supply air heated by the indoor condenser 14 and the unheated supply air that passes through the cold air bypass passage 55.

[0115] Therefore, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50, the temperature of the air supplied to the vehicle interior (i.e., the air conditioning air) that is mixed in the mixing space 56 and blown into the vehicle interior can be adjusted by adjusting the opening of the air mixing door 54.

[0116] Multiple openings (not shown) are formed at the downstream end of the air supply airflow of the air conditioning housing 51 to direct the air conditioning airflow to various parts of the vehicle interior. A blowout mode door (not shown) is provided at each of the multiple openings to open and close the respective openings. The operation of the actuator for driving the blowout mode door is controlled by a control signal output from the control device 60.

[0117] Therefore, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50, by switching the opening and closing of the door of the blow-out mode, air conditioning air adjusted to an appropriate temperature can be blown to the appropriate part of the vehicle interior.

[0118] Next, the electronic control unit of this embodiment will be described. The control device 60 is composed of a well-known microcomputer including a CPU, ROM, and RAM, and its peripheral circuitry. The control device 60 performs various calculations and processes based on the control program stored in the ROM. Furthermore, the control device 60 controls the operation of various controllable devices 11, 15a-15d, 19, 23a, 23b, 31, 52, 53, etc., connected to the output side of the control device 60 based on the calculation and processing results.

[0119] like Figure 4 As shown in the block diagram, the input side of the control device 60 is connected to an indoor air temperature sensor 61a, an outdoor air temperature sensor 61b, a sunlight sensor 61c, a refrigerant discharge temperature and pressure sensor 62a, a high-pressure side refrigerant temperature and pressure sensor 62b, an outdoor unit side refrigerant temperature and pressure sensor 62c, an evaporator side refrigerant temperature and pressure sensor 62d, a chiller side refrigerant temperature and pressure sensor 62e, a low-temperature side heat medium temperature sensor 63a, a battery temperature sensor 64, and an air conditioning fan temperature sensor 65, etc.

[0120] The control device 60 receives detection signals from these control sensor groups. These sensors are included in the constituent equipment of the heat pump cycle unit 1. Since these sensors output electrical signals, they are all included in the electrical equipment.

[0121] Interior air temperature sensor 61a is an interior air temperature detection unit that detects the interior temperature (interior air temperature) Tr. Outside air temperature sensor 61b is an outside air temperature detection unit that detects the outside temperature (outside air temperature) Tam. Sunlight sensor 61c is a sunlight intensity detection unit that detects the amount of sunlight As shining into the vehicle interior.

[0122] The discharge refrigerant temperature and pressure sensor 62a is a discharge refrigerant temperature and pressure detection unit that detects the discharge refrigerant temperature Td and discharge refrigerant pressure Pd of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11. In this embodiment, the discharge refrigerant temperature and pressure sensor 62a is installed in the housing portion that forms the housing of the compressor 11. Therefore, the discharge refrigerant temperature and pressure sensor 62a is disposed within the housing space 103 of the compressor assembly 100.

[0123] The high-pressure side refrigerant temperature and pressure sensor 62b is a high-pressure side refrigerant temperature and pressure detection unit that detects the high-pressure side refrigerant temperature T1 and high-pressure side refrigerant pressure P1 of the refrigerant flowing out of the indoor condenser 14. The outdoor unit side refrigerant temperature and pressure sensor 62c detects the outdoor unit side refrigerant temperature T2 and outdoor unit side refrigerant pressure P2 of the refrigerant flowing out of the outdoor heat exchanger 16.

[0124] The evaporator-side refrigerant temperature and pressure sensor 62d is an evaporator-side refrigerant temperature and pressure detection unit that detects the evaporator-side refrigerant temperature Te and evaporator-side refrigerant pressure Pe of the refrigerant flowing out of the indoor evaporator 18. The chiller-side refrigerant temperature and pressure sensor 62e is a chiller-side refrigerant temperature and pressure detection unit that detects the chiller-side refrigerant temperature Tc and chiller-side refrigerant pressure Pc of the refrigerant flowing out of the refrigerant passage of the chiller 20.

[0125] The refrigerant temperature and pressure sensor 62a (discharge side), refrigerant temperature and pressure sensor 62b (high-pressure side), refrigerant temperature and pressure sensor 62c (outdoor unit side), refrigerant temperature and pressure sensor 62d (evaporator side), and refrigerant temperature and pressure sensor 62e (cooler side) are installed in the flow path box 101 of the compressor assembly 100. Furthermore, the sensors disposed in the housing space 103, like the compressor 11, are connected to the control device 60 via sealed terminals (not shown).

[0126] In addition, in this embodiment, a detection unit that integrates the pressure detection unit and the temperature detection unit is used as the refrigerant temperature and pressure sensor. Of course, pressure detection units and temperature detection units that are separately constructed can also be used.

[0127] The low-temperature side heat medium temperature sensor 63a is a low-temperature side heat medium temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the low-temperature side heat medium flowing into the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80, i.e., the low-temperature side heat medium temperature TWL.

[0128] The battery temperature sensor 64 is a battery temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the battery 80, i.e., the battery temperature TB. The battery temperature sensor 64 has multiple temperature sensors that detect the temperature of multiple parts of the battery 80. Therefore, the control device 60 can detect the temperature difference and temperature distribution of each individual cell forming the battery 80. Furthermore, the battery temperature TB is calculated as the average value of the detection values ​​from the multiple temperature sensors.

[0129] The air conditioning air temperature sensor 65 is an air conditioning air temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the air supplied from the mixing space 56 to the vehicle interior (TAV).

[0130] Furthermore, such as Figure 4 As shown, an operation panel 70 located near the instrument panel at the front of the vehicle interior is connected to the input side of the control device 60. The control device 60 receives operation signals from various operation switches provided on the operation panel 70.

[0131] The various operating switches set on the control panel 70 include, specifically, automatic switches, air conditioning switches, fan speed setting switches, temperature setting switches, etc.

[0132] The automatic switch is an operating switch that sets or deactivates the automatic control operation of the vehicle's air conditioning unit 1. The air conditioning switch is an operating switch that requires air cooling in the indoor evaporator 18. The fan speed setting switch is an operating switch that manually sets the fan speed of the indoor air supply fan 52. The temperature setting switch is an operating switch that sets the set temperature Tset inside the vehicle.

[0133] Furthermore, the control device 60 of this embodiment is integrally configured with a control unit for controlling various controllable devices connected to the output side of the control device 60. Therefore, the structure (hardware and software) for controlling the operation of each controllable device constitutes the control unit for controlling the operation of each controllable device. For example, the structure in the control device 60 that controls the refrigerant discharge capacity (specifically, the rotational speed) of the compressor 11 constitutes the discharge capacity control unit 60a.

[0134] Next, the operation of the vehicle air conditioning unit 1 of this embodiment in the above-described structure will be explained. In the vehicle air conditioning unit 1 of this embodiment, various operating modes are switched in order to regulate the air inside the vehicle and the temperature of the battery 80. The switching of operating modes is performed by executing a control program pre-stored in the control device 60.

[0135] The control program is executed not only when the so-called IG switch is turned on (ON) and the vehicle system is started, but also when the battery 80 is charged from an external power source. In the control program, detection signals from the aforementioned sensor group and operation signals from the operation switches on the operation panel 70 are read at predetermined intervals. Then, the operating mode is switched based on the read detection and operation signals.

[0136] Furthermore, in the control program of this embodiment, when the automatic switch of the operation panel 70 is turned on and the automatic control operation of the vehicle interior air conditioner is set, the target temperature of the air blown into the vehicle interior, namely the target blowing temperature TAO, is calculated based on the read detection signal and operation signal.

[0137] The target blowout temperature (TAO) is calculated using the following mathematical formula F1.

[0138] TAO=Kset×Tset-Kr×Tr-Kam×Tam-Ks×As+C…(F1)

[0139] In addition, Tset is the set temperature inside the vehicle, set by the temperature setting switch on the control panel 70. Tr is the interior air temperature detected by the interior air temperature sensor 61a. Tam is the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor 61b. As is the amount of sunlight detected by the sunlight sensor 61c. Kset, Kr, Kam, and Ks are control gains, and C is a constant used for correction. The detailed operation of each operating mode is explained below.

[0140] (a) Cooling mode

[0141] The cooling mode is an operation mode that cools the vehicle interior by blowing cooled air into the vehicle cabin. In the control program of this embodiment, the cooling mode is mainly executed when the outside air temperature Tam is high, such as in summer.

[0142] The cooling modes include a separate cooling mode that cools the vehicle interior without cooling the battery 80, and a cooling mode that cools both the battery 80 and the vehicle interior. In the control program of this embodiment, when the battery temperature TB is above a preset reference upper limit temperature KTBH, an operation mode that cools the battery 80, which is an on-board device, is executed.

[0143] (a-1) Standalone cooling mode

[0144] In the heat pump cycle 10 in standalone cooling mode, the control device 60 sets the heating expansion valve 15a to the fully open state, the cooling expansion valve 15b to the throttling state to exert pressure on the refrigerant, the cooling expansion valve 15c to the fully closed state, and the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d to the fully closed state. Additionally, the control device 60 closes the dehumidification on / off valve 23a and the heating on / off valve 23b.

[0145] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of the standalone cooling mode, the refrigerant circuit is switched to the following order: the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the following sequence: muffler 12, indoor condenser 14, heating expansion valve 15a which is in the fully open state, outdoor heat exchanger 16, cooling expansion valve 15b which is in the throttling state, indoor evaporator 18, evaporation pressure regulating valve 19, liquid receiver 21, and the suction port of the compressor 11.

[0146] Furthermore, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in standalone cooling mode, the opening of the air mixing door 54 is controlled to ensure that the supply air temperature (TAV) detected by the air conditioning air temperature sensor 65 is close to the target outlet temperature (TAO). Additionally, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in standalone cooling mode, the operation of the indoor / outdoor air switching device 53 and the outlet mode door is controlled based on the target outlet temperature (TAO). Furthermore, the control device 60 appropriately controls the operation of other controlled equipment.

[0147] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of the standalone cooling mode, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle is configured in which the indoor condenser 14 and the outdoor heat exchanger 16 function as condensers that condense the refrigerant by dissipating heat, and the indoor evaporator 18 functions as an evaporator that evaporates the refrigerant.

[0148] In the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in standalone cooling mode, the supply air blown from the indoor fan 52 is cooled by the indoor evaporator 18. The supply air cooled by the indoor evaporator 18 is then reheated by the indoor condenser 14 at a near-target outlet temperature (TAO) depending on the opening of the air mixing door 54. Furthermore, cooling of the vehicle interior is achieved by blowing the temperature-regulated supply air into the vehicle interior.

[0149] (a-2) Cooling and refrigeration mode

[0150] In the heat pump cycle 10 of the cooling mode, the control device 60 sets the cooling expansion valve 15c to a throttling state, relative to the stand-alone cooling mode.

[0151] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of the cooling mode, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the same manner as in the standalone cooling mode. Simultaneously, the refrigerant circuit is switched to circulate in the following order: muffler section 12, indoor condenser 14, heating expansion valve 15a (fully open), outdoor heat exchanger 16, cooling expansion valve 15c (throttling), chiller 20, receiver 21, and compressor 11 suction inlet. That is, the refrigerant circuit is switched so that the indoor evaporator 18 and chiller 20 are connected in parallel with respect to the refrigerant flow.

[0152] In addition, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the cooling and refrigeration mode, the control device 60 activates the low-temperature side pump 31 to achieve a preset reference pressure delivery capacity. Therefore, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30, the low-temperature side heat medium pressurized from the low-temperature side pump 31 circulates in the order of the heat medium passage of the chiller 20, the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80, and the suction port of the low-temperature side pump 31.

[0153] In addition, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 in cooling mode, the opening degree of the air mixing door 54, the operation of the indoor / outdoor air switching device 53, and the operation of the blow-out mode door are controlled in the same way as in the standalone cooling mode. Furthermore, the control device 60 appropriately controls the operation of other controlled equipment.

[0154] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of the cooling mode, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle is formed in which the indoor condenser 14 and the outdoor heat exchanger 16 function as condensers and the indoor evaporator 18 and the chiller 20 function as evaporators.

[0155] In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the cooling mode, the low-temperature side heat medium, pressurized by the low-temperature side pump 31, flows into the chiller 20 and is cooled. Then, the low-temperature side heat medium cooled by the chiller 20 flows through the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80, thereby cooling the battery 80.

[0156] In the indoor air conditioning unit 50 in cooling mode, similar to the standalone cooling mode, the interior of the vehicle is cooled by blowing temperature-regulated air into the interior.

[0157] (b) Series dehumidification and heating mode

[0158] The series dehumidification and heating mode is an operation mode that dehumidifies and heats the vehicle interior by reheating the cooled and dehumidified supply air and blowing it into the vehicle interior. In the control program of this embodiment, the dehumidification and heating operation mode is executed when the outside air temperature Tam is in an intermediate temperature range where it is difficult to select the cooling mode or the heating mode.

[0159] The series dehumidification and heating modes include a standalone series dehumidification and heating mode that dehumidifies and heats the vehicle interior without cooling the battery 80, and a cooling series dehumidification and heating mode that cools the battery 80 and dehumidifies and heats the vehicle interior.

[0160] (b-1) Individual series dehumidification and heating mode

[0161] In the heat pump cycle 10 of the standalone series dehumidification and heating mode, the control device 60 sets the heating expansion valve 15a to a throttling state, the cooling expansion valve 15b to a throttling state, the cooling expansion valve 15c to a fully closed state, and the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d to a fully closed state. Additionally, the control device 60 closes the dehumidification on / off valve 23a and the heating on / off valve 23b.

[0162] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of the standalone series dehumidification and heating mode, the refrigerant circuit is switched to the following order: the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the following sequence: muffler 12, indoor condenser 14, heating expansion valve 15a in throttling state, outdoor heat exchanger 16, cooling expansion valve 15b in throttling state, indoor evaporator 18, evaporation pressure regulating valve 19, liquid receiver 21, and the suction port of the compressor 11.

[0163] In addition, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in a separate series dehumidification and heating mode, the opening degree of the air mixing door 54, the operation of the indoor / outdoor air switching device 53, and the operation of the blow-out mode door are controlled in the same way as in the separate cooling mode. Furthermore, the control device 60 appropriately controls the operation of other controlled devices.

[0164] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of the standalone series dehumidification and heating mode, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle is formed in which the indoor condenser 14 functions as a condenser and the indoor evaporator 18 functions as an evaporator.

[0165] Furthermore, in the standalone series dehumidification and heating mode, when the saturation temperature of the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 16 is higher than the outside air temperature Tam, the outdoor heat exchanger 16 functions as a condenser. Conversely, when the saturation temperature of the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 16 is lower than the outside air temperature Tam, the outdoor heat exchanger 16 functions as an evaporator.

[0166] In the indoor air conditioning unit 50 with a separate series dehumidification and heating mode, the supply air blown from the indoor fan 52 is cooled and dehumidified by the indoor evaporator 18. The supply air cooled and dehumidified by the indoor evaporator 18 is then reheated by the indoor condenser 14 at a near-target outlet temperature (TAO) depending on the opening of the air mixing door 54. Furthermore, dehumidification and heating of the vehicle interior are achieved by blowing the temperature-regulated supply air into the vehicle interior.

[0167] (b-2) Cooling series dehumidification heating mode

[0168] In the heat pump cycle 10 of the cooling series dehumidification heating mode, compared with the individual series dehumidification heating mode, the control device 60 sets the cooling expansion valve 15c to a throttling state.

[0169] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of the cooling series dehumidification heating mode, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the same manner as in the individual series dehumidification heating mode. Simultaneously, the refrigerant circuit is switched to circulate in the following order: the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates through the muffler section 12, the indoor condenser 14, the heating expansion valve 15a in a throttling state, the outdoor heat exchanger 16, the cooling expansion valve 15c in a throttling state, the chiller 20, the receiver 21, and the suction inlet of the compressor 11. That is, the refrigerant circuit is switched so that the indoor evaporator 18 and the chiller 20 are connected in parallel with respect to the refrigerant flow.

[0170] Furthermore, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the cooling series dehumidification heating mode, the operation of the low-temperature side pump 31 is controlled in the same way as in the cooling and refrigeration mode. Therefore, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the cooling series dehumidification heating mode, the low-temperature side heat medium circulates in the same way as in the cooling and refrigeration mode.

[0171] In addition, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in cooling series dehumidification and heating mode, the opening degree of the air mixing door 54, the operation of the indoor / outdoor air switching device 53, and the operation of the blow-out mode door are controlled in the same way as in the standalone cooling mode. Furthermore, the control device 60 appropriately controls the operation of other controlled equipment.

[0172] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of the cooling series dehumidification heating mode, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle is formed in which the indoor condenser 14 functions as a condenser and the indoor evaporator 18 and the chiller 20 function as evaporators.

[0173] Furthermore, in the cooling series dehumidification heating mode, similar to the single series dehumidification heating mode, when the saturation temperature of the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 16 is higher than the outside air temperature Tam, the outdoor heat exchanger 16 functions as a condenser. Conversely, when the saturation temperature of the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 16 is lower than the outside air temperature Tam, the outdoor heat exchanger 16 functions as an evaporator.

[0174] In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the cooling series dehumidification heating mode, the battery 80 is cooled by the low-temperature side heat medium cooled by the chiller 20 flowing through the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80.

[0175] In the indoor air conditioning unit 50 with cooling series dehumidification and heating mode, dehumidification and heating of the vehicle interior are achieved by blowing temperature-regulated supply air into the vehicle interior, just like in the individual series dehumidification and heating mode.

[0176] (c) Parallel dehumidification and heating mode

[0177] Parallel dehumidification and heating mode is a mode in which the cooled and dehumidified air is reheated with a higher heating capacity than that of series dehumidification and heating mode, and then blown into the vehicle interior to perform dehumidification and heating in the vehicle interior.

[0178] The parallel dehumidification and heating modes include a separate parallel dehumidification and heating mode that dehumidifies and heats the vehicle interior without cooling the battery 80, and a cooling parallel dehumidification and heating mode that cools the battery 80 and dehumidifies and heats the vehicle interior.

[0179] (c-1) Individual parallel dehumidification and heating mode

[0180] In the heat pump cycle 10 operating in a standalone parallel dehumidification and heating mode, the control device 60 sets the heating expansion valve 15a to a throttling state, the cooling expansion valve 15b to a throttling state, the cooling expansion valve 15c to a fully closed state, and the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d to a fully closed state. Additionally, the control device 60 opens the dehumidification on / off valve 23a and the heating on / off valve 23b.

[0181] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of the stand-alone parallel dehumidification and heating mode, the refrigerant circuit is switched to the following sequence: the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the order of muffler section 12, indoor condenser 14, heating expansion valve 15a in a throttling state, outdoor heat exchanger 16, heating passage 22c, receiver 21, and compressor 11 suction inlet. Simultaneously, the refrigerant circuit is switched to the following sequence: the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the order of muffler section 12, indoor condenser 14, dehumidification passage 22b, cooling expansion valve 15b in a throttling state, indoor evaporator 18, evaporation pressure regulating valve 19, receiver 21, and compressor 11 suction inlet. That is, the refrigerant circuit is switched to a parallel connection between the outdoor heat exchanger 16 and the indoor evaporator 18 relative to the refrigerant flow.

[0182] In addition, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in cooling parallel dehumidification and heating mode, the opening degree of the air mixing door 54, the operation of the indoor / outdoor air switching device 53, and the operation of the blowing mode door are controlled in the same way as in the standalone cooling mode. Furthermore, the control device 60 appropriately controls the operation of other controlled equipment.

[0183] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of the cooling parallel dehumidification heating mode, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle is formed in which the indoor condenser 14 functions as a condenser and the outdoor heat exchanger 16 and the indoor evaporator 18 function as evaporators.

[0184] In the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in a separate parallel dehumidification and heating mode, the supply air blown from the indoor fan 52 is cooled and dehumidified by the indoor evaporator 18. The supply air, cooled and dehumidified by the indoor evaporator 18, is then reheated by the indoor condenser 14 at a near-target outlet temperature (TAO) depending on the opening of the air mixing door 54. Furthermore, by blowing the temperature-regulated supply air into the vehicle interior, dehumidification and heating of the vehicle interior are achieved.

[0185] Furthermore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of the stand-alone parallel dehumidification and heating mode, the throttling opening of the heating expansion valve 15a can be reduced compared to the throttling opening of the cooling expansion valve 15b. As a result, the refrigerant evaporation temperature in the outdoor heat exchanger 16 can be lowered to a temperature lower than the refrigerant evaporation temperature in the indoor evaporator 18.

[0186] Therefore, in the parallel dehumidification and heating mode, compared to the series dehumidification and heating mode, the amount of heat absorbed by the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 16 from the outside air increases, thereby increasing the amount of heat dissipated by the refrigerant in the indoor condenser 14 to the supply air. As a result, in the parallel dehumidification and heating mode, the heating capacity of the supply air in the indoor condenser 14 is improved compared to the series dehumidification and heating mode.

[0187] (c-2) Cooling Parallel Dehumidification and Heating Mode

[0188] In the heat pump cycle 10 of the cooling parallel dehumidification heating mode, the control device 60 sets the cooling expansion valve 15c to a throttling state, relative to the single parallel dehumidification heating mode.

[0189] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of the cooling parallel dehumidification heating mode, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the same manner as in the standalone parallel dehumidification heating mode. Simultaneously, the refrigerant circuit is switched to circulate in the following order: the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates through the muffler section 12, the indoor condenser 14, the dehumidification passage 22b, the cooling expansion valve 15c in a throttling state, the chiller 20, the receiver 21, and the suction inlet of the compressor 11. That is, the refrigerant circuit is switched so that the outdoor heat exchanger 16, the indoor evaporator 18, and the chiller 20 are connected in parallel with respect to the refrigerant flow.

[0190] Furthermore, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the cooling parallel dehumidification heating mode, the operation of the low-temperature side pump 31 is controlled in the same way as in the cooling and refrigeration mode. Therefore, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the cooling parallel dehumidification heating mode, the low-temperature side heat medium circulates in the same way as in the cooling and refrigeration mode.

[0191] In addition, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in cooling parallel dehumidification and heating mode, the opening degree of the air mixing door 54, the operation of the indoor / outdoor air switching device 53, and the operation of the blowing mode door are controlled in the same way as in the standalone cooling mode. Furthermore, the control device 60 appropriately controls the operation of other controlled equipment.

[0192] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of the cooling parallel dehumidification heating mode, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle is formed in which the indoor condenser 14 functions as a condenser and the outdoor heat exchanger 16, indoor evaporator 18 and chiller 20 function as evaporators.

[0193] In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the cooling parallel dehumidification heating mode, the battery 80 is cooled by the low-temperature side heat medium cooled by the chiller 20 flowing through the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80.

[0194] In the indoor air conditioning unit 50 of the cooling parallel dehumidification and heating mode, similar to the single parallel dehumidification and heating mode, dehumidification and heating of the vehicle interior are achieved by blowing temperature-regulated supply air into the vehicle interior.

[0195] (d) Heating mode

[0196] The heating mode is an operation mode that heats the vehicle interior by blowing heated air into the interior. In the control program of this embodiment, the operation mode for heating the vehicle interior is mainly executed when the outside air temperature Tam is low, such as in winter.

[0197] The heating modes include a standalone heating mode that heats the vehicle interior without cooling the battery 80, and a cooling heating mode that cools the battery 80 and heats the vehicle interior.

[0198] (d-1) Standalone heating mode

[0199] In the heat pump cycle 10 in the standalone heating mode, the control device 60 sets the heating expansion valve 15a to a throttling state, the cooling expansion valve 15b to a fully closed state, the cooling expansion valve 15c to a fully closed state, and the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d to a fully closed state. Additionally, the control device 60 closes the dehumidification on / off valve 23a and opens the heating on / off valve 23b.

[0200] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of the stand-alone heating mode, the refrigerant circuit is switched to the following order: the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the order of the muffler section 12, the indoor condenser 14, the heating expansion valve 15a which is in a throttling state, the outdoor heat exchanger 16, the heating passage 22c, the liquid receiver section 21, and the suction port of the compressor 11.

[0201] In addition, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in heating mode, the opening degree of the air mixing door 54, the operation of the indoor / outdoor air switching device 53, and the operation of the blow-out mode door are controlled in the same way as in the cooling mode. Furthermore, the control device 60 appropriately controls the operation of other controlled equipment.

[0202] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of the stand-alone heating mode, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle is formed in which the indoor condenser 14 functions as a condenser and the outdoor heat exchanger 16 functions as an evaporator.

[0203] In the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in standalone heating mode, the supply air blown from the indoor fan 52 passes through the indoor evaporator 18. The supply air passing through the indoor evaporator 18 is reheated by the indoor condenser 14 at a near-target outlet temperature (TAO) depending on the opening of the air mixing door 54. Heating of the vehicle interior is achieved by blowing the temperature-regulated supply air into the vehicle interior.

[0204] (d-2) Cooling and heating mode

[0205] In the heat pump cycle 10 in cooling and heating mode, compared to the heating-only mode, the control device 60 sets the cooling expansion valve 15c to a throttling state. Additionally, the control device 60 opens the dehumidification on / off valve 23a.

[0206] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of the cooling / heating mode, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the same manner as in the separate heating mode. Simultaneously, the refrigerant circuit is switched to circulate in the following order: muffler section 12, indoor condenser 14, dehumidification passage 22b, cooling expansion valve 15c in a throttling state, chiller 20, receiver 21, and compressor 11 suction inlet. That is, the refrigerant circuit is switched so that the outdoor heat exchanger 16 and chiller 20 are connected in parallel with respect to the refrigerant flow.

[0207] Furthermore, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the cooling / heating mode, the operation of the low-temperature side pump 31 is controlled in the same way as in the cooling / cooling mode. Therefore, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the cooling / heating mode, the low-temperature side heat medium circulates in the same way as in the cooling / cooling mode.

[0208] In addition, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 in cooling / heating mode, the opening degree of the air mixing door 54, the operation of the indoor / outdoor air switching device 53, and the operation of the air outlet mode door are controlled in the same way as in the standalone cooling mode. Furthermore, the control device 60 appropriately controls the operation of other controlled equipment.

[0209] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of the cooling and heating mode, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle is formed in which the indoor condenser 14 functions as a condenser and the outdoor heat exchanger 16 and the chiller 20 function as evaporators.

[0210] In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the cooling and heating mode, the battery 80 is cooled by the low-temperature side heat medium cooled by the chiller 20 flowing through the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80.

[0211] In the indoor air conditioning unit 50 in cooling and heating mode, heating of the vehicle interior is achieved by blowing temperature-regulated air into the vehicle interior, just like in the standalone heating mode.

[0212] (e-1) Hot gas heating mode

[0213] The hot air heating mode is an operating mode that is executed to suppress the reduction of the heating capacity inside the vehicle when the outside air temperature Tam is extremely low (e.g., below -20°C).

[0214] In hot gas heating mode, control device 60 sets heating expansion valve 15a to fully closed, cooling expansion valve 15b to fully closed, cooling expansion valve 15c to throttling mode, and hot gas flow regulating valve 15d to throttling mode. Additionally, control device 60 opens dehumidification valve 23a and closes heating valve 23b.

[0215] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of the hot gas heating mode, such as Figure 5 As shown by the solid arrow, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the following order: muffler section 12, indoor condenser 14, dehumidification passage 22b, cooling expansion valve 15c in throttling mode, chiller 20, receiver 21, and compressor 11 suction inlet. Simultaneously, the refrigerant circuit is switched to the following order: the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the following order: muffler section 12, hot gas flow regulating valve 15d in throttling mode of hot gas passage 22a, chiller 20, receiver 21, and compressor 11 suction inlet.

[0216] Additionally, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the hot gas heating mode, the low-temperature side pump 31 is stopped. Furthermore, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 of the hot gas heating mode, the operation of the air mixing door 54, the indoor / outdoor air switching device 53, and the blow-out mode door are controlled in the same manner as in the standalone cooling mode. Additionally, the control device 60 appropriately controls the operation of other controlled equipment.

[0217] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of the hot gas heating mode, the flow of refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 is branched through the first internal tee joint 13a.

[0218] Refrigerant branching off from the first internal tee connector 13a flows into the indoor condenser 14, dissipating heat to the supply air. This heats the supply air. Refrigerant flowing out of the indoor condenser 14 flows through the dehumidification passage 22b into the cooling expansion valve 15c, where it is depressurized. The refrigerant with lower enthalpy after being depressurized by the cooling expansion valve 15c flows into the chiller 20 through the fourth internal tee connector 13d.

[0219] On the other hand, the refrigerant branching off from the first internal tee joint 13a is regulated and depressurized by the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d. The refrigerant with higher enthalpy after being depressurized by the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d flows into the chiller 20 via the fourth internal tee joint 13d.

[0220] In the chiller 20, the refrigerant, after being depressurized by the cooling expansion valve 15c, mixes with the refrigerant after being depressurized by the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d. At this time, since the cryogenic side pump 31 stops, the refrigerant and the cryogenic side heat medium do not exchange heat in the chiller 20. The refrigerant flowing out of the chiller 20 flows into the liquid receiver section 21 and is separated into gas and liquid phases. The gaseous refrigerant separated from the liquid receiver section 21 is drawn into the compressor 11 and compressed again.

[0221] In the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in hot air heating mode, the supply air blown from the indoor fan 52 passes through the indoor evaporator 18. The supply air after passing through the indoor evaporator 18 is heated by the indoor condenser 14 according to the opening degree of the air mixing door 54. Furthermore, heating of the vehicle interior is achieved by blowing the supply air heated by the indoor condenser 14 into the vehicle interior.

[0222] More specifically, since the hot air heating mode is an operating mode performed at extremely low outside temperatures, when the refrigerant flowing from the indoor condenser 14 flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 16, the refrigerant dissipates heat to the outside air, raising concerns about a decrease in the refrigerant's enthalpy. Therefore, when the refrigerant flowing from the indoor condenser 14 flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 16, the enthalpy of the refrigerant flowing into the chiller 20 is also prone to decrease.

[0223] Furthermore, when the refrigerant dissipates heat to the outside air through the outdoor heat exchanger 16, the amount of heat dissipated by the refrigerant to the supply air through the indoor condenser 14 is reduced, thus potentially reducing the heating capacity of the supply air.

[0224] In contrast, in hot gas heating mode, the refrigerant flowing from the indoor condenser 14 is not allowed to flow into the outdoor heat exchanger 16, but instead flows into the cooling expansion valve 15c. Furthermore, the low-temperature side pump 31 is stopped, and heat exchange between the refrigerant and the low-temperature side heat medium is not conducted through the chiller 20. Instead, the refrigerant depressurized by the cooling expansion valve 15c and the refrigerant depressurized by the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d are mixed through the chiller 20.

[0225] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 in the hot gas heating mode, even if the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11 is increased compared to the heating mode, the suction-side refrigerant flowing from the chiller 20 to the suction port side of the compressor 11 can become a superheated gaseous refrigerant. Furthermore, by increasing the compression workload of the compressor 11, the reduction in heat dissipation from the refrigerant to the supply air in the indoor condenser 14 can be suppressed.

[0226] As a result, in hot air heating mode, the reduction in the heating capacity of the supplied air can be suppressed and heating of the vehicle interior can be achieved.

[0227] Here, since the hot air heating mode is an operating mode executed at extremely low outside temperatures, cooling the battery 80 is not required. In contrast, preheating of the battery 80 is sometimes necessary at low outside temperatures. Therefore, in the vehicle air conditioning unit 1 of this embodiment, a preheating hot air heating mode for preheating the battery 80, which is an on-board device, can be executed.

[0228] More specifically, in the vehicle air conditioning unit 1 of this embodiment, during the execution of the hot air heating mode, if the battery temperature TB detected by the battery temperature sensor 64 is below the preset lower limit temperature KTBL, the preheating hot air heating mode is executed.

[0229] (e-2) Preheating hot gas heating mode

[0230] In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the preheating hot gas heating mode, the control device 60 activates the low-temperature side pump 31 to achieve a pre-set reference pressure delivery capacity. Therefore, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30, the low-temperature side heat medium pumped from the low-temperature side pump 31 circulates in the order of the heat medium passage of the chiller 20 and the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80. Other operations are the same as in the hot gas heating mode.

[0231] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of the preheating hot gas heating mode, the refrigerant flowing into the chiller 20 dissipates heat to the low-temperature side heat medium. As a result, the low-temperature side heat medium is heated. In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the preheating hot gas heating mode, the low-temperature side heat medium heated by the chiller 20 flows through the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80. As a result, the battery 80 is preheated.

[0232] (f) Individual cooling mode

[0233] The standalone cooling mode is an operating mode that cools the battery 80 without regulating the air inside the vehicle.

[0234] In the heat pump cycle 10 in standalone cooling mode, the control device 60 sets the heating expansion valve 15a to fully open, the cooling expansion valve 15b to fully closed, the cooling expansion valve 15c to throttling mode, and the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d to fully closed. Additionally, the control device 60 closes the dehumidification on / off valve 23a and the heating on / off valve 23b.

[0235] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of the stand-alone cooling mode, the refrigerant circuit is switched to the following sequence: the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the order of muffler section 12, indoor condenser 14, heating expansion valve 15a which is in the fully open state, outdoor heat exchanger 16, cooling expansion valve 15c which is in the throttling state, chiller 20, liquid receiver section 21, and the suction port of compressor 11.

[0236] In addition, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the separate cooling mode, the low-temperature side heat medium pumped by the low-temperature side pump 31 circulates in the same manner as in the cooling mode. Furthermore, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 of the separate cooling mode, the indoor fan 52 is stopped.

[0237] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of the standalone cooling mode, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle is formed in which the outdoor heat exchanger 16 functions as a condenser and the chiller 20 functions as an evaporator.

[0238] In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the separate cooling mode, the battery 80 is cooled by the low-temperature side heat medium cooled by the chiller 20 flowing through the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80.

[0239] As described above, in the vehicle air conditioning unit 1 of this embodiment, by switching the operating mode, it is possible to perform comfortable air conditioning inside the vehicle and appropriate temperature conditioning of the battery 80, which is an on-board device.

[0240] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the compressor assembly 100 is used, the productivity of the vehicle air conditioning unit 1, which is a heat pump cycle device, is not deteriorated, and the noise of the compressor 11 can be sufficiently suppressed.

[0241] More specifically, in the compressor assembly 100, refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 can flow through the internal refrigerant passage of the flow path box 101 to the side of external components such as the indoor condenser 14, the outdoor heat exchanger 16, and the indoor evaporator 18. Similarly, refrigerant flowing out from the external components can be drawn into the compressor 11 through the internal refrigerant passage of the flow path box 101.

[0242] Therefore, it is unnecessary to form through holes or the like in the flow box 101 or the cover member 102 for the piping connecting the compressor 11 and external components to pass through. Therefore, noise from the compressor 11 will not leak to the outside of the housing space 103 through the gap between the through hole and the piping. Furthermore, it is not necessary to seal the gap between the through hole and the piping using sound-insulating sealing members or the like.

[0243] As a result, the productivity of the heat pump cycle device 1 is not deteriorated, and noise is sufficiently suppressed. Furthermore, in the compressor assembly 100 of this embodiment, since the housing space 103 is formed as a sealed space, the noise of the compressor 11 will not leak to the outside of the housing space 103 through other gaps.

[0244] Furthermore, the low-pressure hose 11a and high-pressure hose 11b of the compressor assembly 100 in this embodiment have refrigerant hose portions that are flexible and capable of elastic deformation. Moreover, the low-pressure hose 11a and high-pressure hose 11b are installed on the compressor 11 and the flow path box 101 in a bent state.

[0245] Therefore, the transmission of vibration from the compressor 11 to the flow path box 101 and the cover component 102 via the low-pressure hose 11a and the high-pressure hose 11b can be suppressed. Thus, noise generated in the flow path box 101 and the cover component 102 due to vibration transmitted from the compressor 11 can be suppressed.

[0246] Furthermore, in the compressor assembly 100 of this embodiment, a thermoplastic anti-vibration rubber 11c is disposed between the compressor 11 and the fixing portion 101s of the flow path box 101. This allows heat from the compressor 11 to be transferred to the anti-vibration rubber 11c, thereby heating the anti-vibration rubber 11c.

[0247] Therefore, even at low ambient temperatures, the heat from the compressor 11 is transferred to the anti-vibration rubber 11c, heating the anti-vibration rubber 11c and thus suppressing the decrease in elasticity of the anti-vibration rubber 11c. Therefore, it is possible to effectively suppress the transmission of vibration from the compressor 11 to the flow path box 101 and the cover component 102, thereby preventing noise from the flow path box 101 and the cover component 102.

[0248] Furthermore, the compressor assembly 100 in this embodiment includes a heat insulation member 104. This prevents unnecessary heat loss from the outer surface of the compressor assembly 100, even at low outside temperatures. This is effective for heat pump cycle devices that need to operate even at extremely low outside temperatures. Moreover, the heat insulation member 104 also provides further sound insulation.

[0249] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a heat insulation member 104 is disposed on the outer surface of the compressor assembly 100. Therefore, for example, by attaching the heat insulation member, which is formed in the form of a sheet, to the outer surface of the compressor assembly 100, the heat insulation member 104 can be easily installed on the compressor assembly 100.

[0250] In addition, in the heat pump cycle device 1 of this embodiment, in the hot gas heating mode, the refrigerant circuit of the heat pump cycle 10 is switched to make the refrigerant flowing out of the indoor condenser 14 and the refrigerant branching through the first internal tee connector 13a merge and be drawn into the refrigerant circuit of the compressor 11.

[0251] Since the hot gas heating mode is an operating mode performed at extremely low outside temperatures, the refrigerant discharge capacity (i.e., speed) of the compressor 11 increases compared to the heating mode. Consequently, the noise of the compressor 11 also tends to increase. Therefore, using the compressor assembly 100 in a heat pump cycle device capable of performing the hot gas heating mode is extremely effective in suppressing noise.

[0252] (Second Implementation)

[0253] In this embodiment, the compressor assembly 110 according to the present invention is applied to... Figure 6 The example of a vehicle air conditioning unit 1a shown in the overall structural diagram will be explained. The vehicle air conditioning unit 1a, like the vehicle air conditioning unit 1 described in the first embodiment, is a heat pump circulation device that regulates the air inside the vehicle and the temperature of the vehicle's equipment. Furthermore, in Figure 6 For clarity of illustration, the indoor air conditioning unit 50 has been omitted.

[0254] In addition to heat pump circulation 10a, low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30a, and indoor air conditioning unit 50, vehicle air conditioning unit 1a also has high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40.

[0255] In the heat pump cycle 10a of this embodiment, compared with the heat pump cycle 10 described in the first embodiment, the muffler 12, indoor condenser 14, heating expansion valve 15a, outdoor heat exchanger 16, dehumidification passage 22b, heating passage 22c, dehumidification on / off valve 23a, heating on / off valve 23b, etc. are eliminated.

[0256] The compressor assembly 110 is primarily a component that integrates multiple constituent devices constituting the heat pump cycle 10a. In the compressor assembly 110 of this embodiment, [the components are composed of...]. Figure 6 The components, such as the equipment surrounded by the dotted line, are integrated.

[0257] More specifically, in the compressor assembly 110 of this embodiment, the compressor 11, water refrigerant heat exchanger 141, refrigeration expansion valve 15b, cooling expansion valve 15c, hot gas flow regulating valve 15d, evaporation pressure regulating valve 19, chiller 20, etc., which are components of the heat pump cycle 10, are integrated.

[0258] These components are integrated via a flow path box 111 mounted on the compressor assembly 110. Additionally, the receiving portion 141b of the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141 is integrally formed with the flow path box 111. The flow path box 111 is the same mounting component as the flow path box 101 described in the first embodiment, and is a passage forming component.

[0259] Similar to the first embodiment, the outlet of the compressor 11 of the heat pump cycle 10a is connected to the compressor-side inlet 111b formed in the flow path box 111 via a high-pressure hose 11b. The compressor-side inlet 111b is connected to the inlet of the first internal tee connector 13a via an internal refrigerant passage.

[0260] One outlet of the first internal tee connector 13a is connected to the condenser-side outlet 111c formed in the flow box 111 via an internal refrigerant passage. The other outlet of the first internal tee connector 13a is connected to one inlet of the fourth internal tee connector 13d via a hot gas passage 22a. Similar to the first embodiment, a hot gas flow regulating valve 15d is provided in the hot gas passage 22a.

[0261] The condenser-side outlet 111c is directly connected to the inlet of the refrigerant passage of the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141. More specifically, it is directly connected to the inlet of the condenser section 141a of the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141. The water refrigerant heat exchanger 141 is a heat exchange section that allows the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 to exchange heat with the high-temperature heat medium circulating in the high-temperature heat medium circuit 40.

[0262] In the heat pump cycle 10a, a so-called subcooling type heat exchanger is used as the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141. Therefore, the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141 has a condenser section 141a, a receiving section 141b, and a subcooling section 141c.

[0263] The condenser section 141a is a heat exchange section for condensation, which allows the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 to exchange heat with the high-pressure side heat medium, thereby condensing the high-pressure side refrigerant. The refrigerant outlet of the condenser section 141a is connected to the inlet of the receiving section 141b formed in the flow path box 111.

[0264] The receiving section 141b is a high-pressure side gas-liquid separation section that separates the refrigerant flowing out of the condenser section 141a into gas and liquid phases, and stores the separated liquid phase refrigerant as residual refrigerant for circulation. The outlet of the receiving section 141b, which is formed in the flow path box 111, is connected to the refrigerant inlet of the subcooling section 141c.

[0265] The subcooling section 141c is a heat exchange section for subcooling the liquid refrigerant flowing out from the receiving section 141b by exchanging heat with the high-pressure side heat medium. Therefore, the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141, which includes the receiving section 141b, is a high-pressure side refrigerant device.

[0266] The outlet of the subcooling section 141c of the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141 is directly connected to the condenser-side inlet 111d formed in the flow path box 111. The condenser-side inlet 111d is connected to the inlet of the seventh internal tee connector 13g via an internal refrigerant passage.

[0267] One outlet of the seventh internal tee connector 13g is connected to the evaporator-side outlet 111g formed in the flow box 111 via an internal refrigerant passage. A refrigeration expansion valve 15b is provided in the internal refrigerant passage from one outlet of the seventh internal tee connector 13g to the evaporator-side outlet 111g.

[0268] The evaporator-side outlet 111g is connected to the refrigerant inlet side of the indoor evaporator 18. The refrigerant outlet of the indoor evaporator 18 is connected to the evaporator-side inlet 111h formed in the flow path box 111.

[0269] The outlet of the seventh internal tee connector 13g is connected to the inlet of the fourth internal tee connector 13d via an internal refrigerant passage. A cooling expansion valve 15c is provided in the internal refrigerant passage from the outlet of the seventh internal tee connector 13g to the inlet of the fourth internal tee connector 13d.

[0270] The outlet of the fourth internal tee connector 13d is connected to the chiller-side outlet 111i formed in the flow path box 111. The chiller-side outlet 111i is directly connected to the refrigerant inlet of the chiller 20. The refrigerant outlet of the chiller 20 is directly connected to the chiller-side inlet 111j formed in the flow path box 111. The structure of the other heat pump cycles 10a is the same as that of the heat pump cycle 10 described in the first embodiment.

[0271] Next, use Figure 7 The detailed structure of compressor assembly 110 will be described below. The basic structure of compressor assembly 110 is the same as that of compressor assembly 100 described in the first embodiment. Compressor assembly 110 has a metal flow box 111. In addition, compressor assembly 110 has a resin cover component (not shown).

[0272] The cover component, similar to that in the first embodiment, is installed in the flow path box 111 to form a sealed space, namely the housing space 113, inside the compressor assembly 110 to house the compressor 11 and the like. The compressor assembly 110 also has a rectangular shape, similar to that in the first embodiment. Furthermore, a heat insulation member (not shown) is provided on the outer surface of the compressor assembly 110, similar to that in the first embodiment.

[0273] Inside the housing space 113, in addition to the compressor 11, there are also a water refrigerant heat exchanger 141, a refrigeration expansion valve 15b, a cooling expansion valve 15c, a hot gas flow regulating valve 15d, an evaporation pressure regulating valve 19, and a chiller 20.

[0274] Therefore, compressor-side outlet 111a, compressor-side inlet 111b, condenser-side outlet 111c, condenser-side inlet 111d, chiller-side outlet 111i, and chiller-side inlet 111j are formed inside the receiving space 113. More specifically, compressor-side outlet 111a and compressor-side inlet 111b are formed on the inner side of the flow path box 111 on the receiving space 113 side, thereby forming inside the receiving space 113.

[0275] Furthermore, the indoor evaporator 18 is disposed outside the housing space 113. Therefore, the indoor evaporator 18 in this embodiment is an externally configured device. The evaporator-side outlet 111g and the evaporator-side inlet 111h are formed on the outer surface of the outer periphery of the flow path box 111, thereby forming outside the housing space 113. Therefore, the evaporator-side outlet 111g and the evaporator-side inlet 111h in this embodiment are external connection ports.

[0276] In addition, similar to the first embodiment, the compressor 11 is fixed to a plurality of (four in this embodiment) fixing parts 111s formed on the bottom surface of the receiving space 113 forming the flow path box 111 via anti-vibration rubber 11c.

[0277] In addition, the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141 is fixed to the flow path box 111 by embedding the refrigerant inlet and outlet and the heat medium inlet and outlet, which are formed to protrude to the outside, into the refrigerant inlet and outlet (i.e., condenser side outlet 111c, condenser side inlet 111d, etc.) and the heat medium inlet and outlet formed in the flow path box 111, respectively.

[0278] Furthermore, the receiving portion 141b is shaped to protrude towards the receiving space 113 in order to form a liquid storage space. The receiving portion 141b is arranged on the bottom surface of the flow path box 111 in such a way that it is surrounded by a plurality of fixing portions 111s. In other words, the plurality of fixing portions 111s are arranged around the portion where the receiving portion 141b is formed.

[0279] Therefore, in the compressor assembly 110, the heat from the high-pressure refrigerant in the receiving section 141b can be transferred to the anti-vibration rubber 11c, thereby heating the anti-vibration rubber 11c. In other words, the anti-vibration rubber 11c is configured to be heated by the heat from the high-pressure refrigerant in the receiving section 141b. The fixing and electrical connections of other components are the same as in the first embodiment.

[0280] Next, the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30a will be described. The low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 is configured to switch the heat medium circuit according to various operating modes described later. In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30, an aqueous solution of ethylene glycol is used as the low-temperature side heat medium. Figure 6As shown, the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30a is connected to the low-temperature side pump 31, the low-temperature side flow regulating valve 32, the low-temperature side radiator 34, the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80, and the heat medium passage of the chiller 20 of the compressor assembly 110.

[0281] In this embodiment, the cryogenic side pump 31 pressurizes the cryogenic side heat medium flowing out from the cryogenic side tee connector 33 to the cryogenic side heat medium inlet 111m side of the flow path box 111 formed in the compressor assembly 110. The cryogenic side tee connector 33 is a tee connector for cryogenic side heat medium with three interconnected inlet and outlet ports.

[0282] The low-temperature side heat medium inlet 111m is connected to the inlet of the heat medium passage of the chiller 20 via an internal heat medium passage. The outlet of the heat medium passage of the chiller 20 is connected to the low-temperature side heat medium outlet 111n formed in the flow box 111 via an internal heat medium passage.

[0283] The low-temperature side heat medium outlet 111n is connected to the inlet of the low-temperature side flow regulating valve 32. One outlet of the low-temperature side flow regulating valve 32 is connected to the inlet side of the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80. The other outlet of the low-temperature side flow regulating valve 32 is connected to the heat medium inlet side of the low-temperature side radiator 34.

[0284] The low-temperature side flow regulating valve 32 is a three-way low-temperature side heat medium flow regulating unit capable of continuously adjusting the flow rate ratio of the low-temperature side heat medium flowing from the low-temperature side heat medium outlet 111n to the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80 and to the low-temperature side radiator 34. The operation of the low-temperature side flow regulating valve 32 is controlled by a control signal output from the control device 60. The low-temperature side flow regulating valve 32 is included in an electric device.

[0285] The low-temperature side flow regulating valve 32, by adjusting the flow ratio, enables the low-temperature side heat medium to flow out only to either the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80 or the low-temperature side radiator 34. Therefore, the low-temperature side flow regulating valve 32 is a low-temperature side heat medium circuit switching unit that switches the circuit structure of the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30a.

[0286] The low-temperature side radiator 34 is a heat exchange unit that allows heat exchange between the low-temperature side heat medium and the outside air. The low-temperature side radiator 34, along with the high-temperature side radiator 44 (described later), is disposed in the drive unit chamber. The heat medium outlet of the low-temperature side radiator 34 is connected to one inlet of the low-temperature side tee connector 33. Furthermore, the outlet of the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80 is connected to the other inlet of the low-temperature side tee connector 33.

[0287] Next, the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 will be described. The high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 is a heat medium circuit for circulating high-temperature side heat medium. In the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40, the same type of fluid as the low-temperature side heat medium is used as the high-temperature side heat medium. The high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 is configured to allow switching of the heat medium circuit according to various operating modes described later.

[0288] like Figure 6 As shown, the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 is connected to the high-temperature side pump 41, the high-temperature side flow regulating valve 42, the high-temperature side radiator 44, the heater core 45, the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141 of the compressor assembly 110, and the heat medium passage.

[0289] The high-temperature side pump 41 is a high-temperature side heat medium pressurization section that draws in and pressurizes the high-temperature side heat medium. The high-temperature side pump 41 pressurizes the high-temperature side heat medium flowing from the outlet of the high-temperature side three-way connector 43 to the high-temperature side heat medium inlet 111p side of the flow path box 111 formed in the compressor assembly 110. The basic structure of the high-temperature side pump 41 is the same as that of the low-temperature side pump 31. The basic structure of the high-temperature side three-way connector 43 is the same as that of the low-temperature side three-way connector 33.

[0290] The high-temperature side heat medium inlet 111p is connected to the inlet of the heat medium passage of the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141 via an internal heat medium passage. The outlet of the heat medium passage of the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141 is connected to the high-temperature side heat medium outlet 111q formed in the flow box 111 via an internal heat medium passage.

[0291] The high-temperature side heat medium outlet 111q is connected to the inlet of the high-temperature side flow regulating valve 42. One outlet of the high-temperature side flow regulating valve 42 is connected to the heat medium inlet side of the high-temperature side radiator 44. The other outlet of the high-temperature side flow regulating valve 42 is connected to the heat medium inlet side of the heater core 45.

[0292] The high-temperature side flow regulating valve 42 is a three-way high-temperature side heat medium flow regulating unit capable of continuously regulating the flow ratio of the high-temperature side heat medium flowing out of the high-temperature side heat medium outlet 111q to the high-temperature side radiator 44 and the flow rate flowing out to the heater core 45. The basic structure of the high-temperature side flow regulating valve 42 is the same as that of the low-temperature side flow regulating valve 32.

[0293] The high-temperature side flow regulating valve 42, by adjusting the flow ratio, enables the high-temperature side heat medium to flow out only to either the high-temperature side radiator 44 or the heater core 45. Therefore, the high-temperature side flow regulating valve 42 is a high-temperature side heat medium circuit switching part that switches the circuit structure of the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40.

[0294] The high-temperature side radiator 44 is a heat exchange unit that allows heat exchange between the high-temperature side heat medium and the outside air. The high-temperature side radiator 44 is disposed together with the low-temperature side radiator 34 in the drive unit chamber. The high-temperature side radiator 44 is positioned upstream of the outside airflow from the low-temperature side radiator 34 within the drive unit chamber. Therefore, in the low-temperature side radiator 34, heat exchange occurs between the low-temperature side heat medium and the outside air after passing through the high-temperature side radiator 44.

[0295] The heater core 45 is disposed within the air conditioning housing 51 of the indoor air conditioning unit 50 in the same manner as the indoor condenser 14 described in the first embodiment. The heater core 45 is a heat exchange section that allows the high-temperature side heat medium heated by the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141 to exchange heat with the supply air. In the heater core 45, the heat of the high-temperature side heat medium is dissipated to the supply air, thereby heating the supply air.

[0296] Therefore, in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40, the high-pressure side refrigerant and the high-temperature side heat medium can exchange heat through the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141, thereby heating the high-temperature side heat medium. Furthermore, the high-temperature side heat medium and the supply air can exchange heat through the heater core 45, thereby heating the supply air. Therefore, in this embodiment, each component of the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141 and the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 becomes a heating unit that uses the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 as a heat source to heat the air.

[0297] In addition, a high-temperature side heat medium temperature sensor 63b is connected to the input side of the control device 60 in this embodiment. The high-temperature side heat medium temperature sensor 63b is a high-temperature side heat medium temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the high-temperature side heat medium flowing into the heater core 45, i.e., the high-temperature side heat medium temperature TWH.

[0298] The structure of other vehicle air conditioning units 1a is the same as that of the vehicle air conditioning unit 1 described in the first embodiment.

[0299] Next, the operation of the vehicle air conditioning unit 1a in this embodiment of the above structure will be described. In the vehicle air conditioning unit 1a, similar to the vehicle air conditioning unit 1 described in the first embodiment, various operating modes are switched to regulate the air inside the vehicle and the temperature of the battery 80. The detailed operation of each operating mode will be described below.

[0300] (a-1) Standalone cooling mode

[0301] In the heat pump cycle 10a in the standalone cooling mode, the control device 60 sets the refrigeration expansion valve 15b to a throttling state, the cooling expansion valve 15c to a fully closed state, and the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d to a fully closed state.

[0302] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10a of the standalone cooling mode, the refrigerant circuit is switched to the following sequence: the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the order of water refrigerant heat exchanger 141, refrigeration expansion valve 15b in a throttling state, indoor evaporator 18, evaporation pressure regulating valve 19, and the suction port of the compressor 11.

[0303] Furthermore, in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the separate cooling mode, the high-temperature side pump 41 is activated to achieve a preset reference pressure delivery capacity. Furthermore, the operation of the high-temperature side flow regulating valve 42 is controlled to bring the high-temperature side heat medium temperature TWH close to a preset reference high-temperature side heat medium temperature KTWH.

[0304] Therefore, in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the standalone cooling mode, the low-temperature side heat medium pressurized from the high-temperature side pump 41 circulates in the order of water refrigerant heat exchanger 141, heater core 45, and the suction port of the high-temperature side pump 41. Simultaneously, the circuit structure is switched to the following order: the low-temperature side heat medium pressurized from the high-temperature side pump 41 circulates in the order of water refrigerant heat exchanger 141, high-temperature side radiator 44, and the suction port of the high-temperature side pump 41.

[0305] Here, in the cooling mode that cools the vehicle interior, the amount of heat dissipated from the high-temperature side heat medium to the supply air through the heater core 45 is reduced. Therefore, in the high-temperature side flow regulating valve 42 of the cooling mode, almost all the flow of the high-temperature side heat medium flowing out from the high-temperature side heat medium outlet 111q is directed to the high-temperature side radiator 44.

[0306] Furthermore, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in stand-alone cooling mode, similar to the stand-alone cooling mode in the first embodiment, the opening of the air mixing door 54 is controlled to bring the supply air temperature TAV close to the target outlet temperature TAO. Additionally, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in stand-alone cooling mode, the operation of the indoor / outdoor air switching device 53 and the outlet mode door is controlled based on the target outlet temperature TAO. Furthermore, the control device 60 appropriately controls the operation of other controlled devices.

[0307] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10a of the standalone cooling mode, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle is configured in which the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141 functions as a condenser and the indoor evaporator 18 functions as an evaporator.

[0308] In the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the standalone cooling mode, the high-temperature side heat medium pumped by the high-temperature side pump 41 is heated by the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141. The high-temperature side heat medium, heated by the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141, flows into the high-temperature side radiator 44 and heater core 45 according to the operation of the high-temperature side flow regulating valve 42. The high-temperature side heat medium flowing into the high-temperature side radiator 44 dissipates heat to the outside air and is cooled. The high-temperature side heat medium flowing into the heater core 45 dissipates heat to the supply air.

[0309] In the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in standalone cooling mode, the supply air blown from the indoor fan 52 is cooled by the indoor evaporator 18. The supply air cooled by the indoor evaporator 18 is then reheated by the heater core 45 at a near-target outlet temperature (TAO) depending on the opening of the air mixing door 54. Furthermore, cooling of the vehicle interior is achieved by blowing the temperature-regulated supply air into the vehicle interior.

[0310] (a-2) Cooling and refrigeration mode

[0311] In the heat pump cycle 10a in the cooling mode, the control device 60 sets the cooling expansion valve 15c to a throttling state, relative to the stand-alone cooling mode.

[0312] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10a in cooling mode, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the following order: water refrigerant heat exchanger 141, refrigeration expansion valve 15b in a throttling state, indoor evaporator 18, evaporation pressure regulating valve 19, and the suction port of the compressor 11. Simultaneously, the refrigerant circuit is switched to circulate in the following order: the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the following order: water refrigerant heat exchanger 141, cooling expansion valve 15c in a throttling state, chiller 20, and the suction port of the compressor 11. That is, the refrigerant circuit is switched so that the indoor evaporator 18 and chiller 20 are connected in parallel with respect to the refrigerant flow.

[0313] Furthermore, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30a of the cooling mode, the control device 60 activates the low-temperature side pump 31 to achieve a preset reference pressure delivery capacity. Furthermore, the operation of the low-temperature side flow regulating valve 32 is controlled such that the entire flow rate of the high-temperature side heat medium exiting from the low-temperature side heat medium outlet 111n flows towards the cooling water passage 80a side of the battery 80.

[0314] Therefore, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30a of the cooling and refrigeration mode, the circuit structure is switched to the following: the low-temperature side heat medium pumped from the low-temperature side pump 31 circulates in the order of the chiller 20, the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80, and the suction port of the low-temperature side pump 31.

[0315] In addition, in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the cooling mode, the operation of the high-temperature side pump 41 and the high-temperature side flow regulating valve 42 are controlled in the same way as in the standalone cooling mode.

[0316] In addition, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 in cooling mode, the opening degree of the air mixing door 54, the operation of the indoor / outdoor air switching device 53, and the operation of the blow-out mode door are controlled in the same way as in the standalone cooling mode. Furthermore, the control device 60 appropriately controls the operation of other controlled equipment.

[0317] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10a of the cooling and refrigeration mode, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle is configured in which the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141 functions as a condenser to dissipate heat and condense the refrigerant, and the indoor evaporator 18 and the chiller 20 function as evaporators to evaporate the refrigerant.

[0318] In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30a of the cooling mode, the low-temperature side heat medium, pressurized by the low-temperature side pump 31, flows into the chiller 20 and is cooled. Then, the low-temperature side heat medium cooled by the chiller 20 flows through the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80, thereby cooling the battery 80.

[0319] In the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the cooling mode, similar to the standalone cooling mode, the high-temperature side heat medium flowing into the high-temperature side radiator 44 dissipates heat to the outside air and is cooled. The high-temperature side heat medium flowing into the heater core 45 dissipates heat to the supply air.

[0320] In the indoor air conditioning unit 50 in cooling mode, similar to the standalone cooling mode, the interior of the vehicle is cooled by blowing temperature-regulated air into the interior.

[0321] (b-1) Dehumidification and heating mode

[0322] In the heat pump cycle 10a of the standalone dehumidification and heating mode, the control device 60 sets the refrigeration expansion valve 15b to a throttling state, the cooling expansion valve 15c to a throttling state, and the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d to a fully closed state.

[0323] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10a of the standalone dehumidification and heating mode, the refrigerant circuit is switched in the same way as in the cooling mode. That is, the refrigerant circuit is switched to a parallel connection between the indoor evaporator 18 and the chiller 20 relative to the flow of refrigerant.

[0324] In addition, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30a of the separate dehumidification and heating mode, the control device 60 activates the low-temperature side pump 31 to achieve a preset reference pressure delivery capacity. Furthermore, the operation of the low-temperature side flow regulating valve 32 is controlled such that all the flow rate of the high-temperature side heat medium flowing out from the low-temperature side heat medium outlet 111n flows to the low-temperature side radiator 34.

[0325] Therefore, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30a of the separate dehumidification and heating mode, the circuit structure is switched to the following: the low-temperature side heat medium pumped from the low-temperature side pump 31 circulates in the order of chiller 20, low-temperature side radiator 34, and suction port of low-temperature side pump 31.

[0326] In addition, in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the standalone dehumidification and heating mode, the operation of the high-temperature side pump 41 and the high-temperature side flow regulating valve 42 are controlled in the same way as in the standalone cooling mode.

[0327] In addition, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in separate dehumidification and heating mode, the opening degree of the air mixing door 54, the operation of the indoor / outdoor air switching device 53, and the operation of the blow-out mode door are controlled in the same way as in separate cooling mode. Furthermore, the control device 60 appropriately controls the operation of other controlled devices.

[0328] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10a of the standalone dehumidification and heating mode, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle is formed in which the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141 functions as a condenser and the indoor evaporator 18 and the chiller 20 function as evaporators.

[0329] In the low-temperature side heat medium loop 30a of the standalone dehumidification and heating mode, the low-temperature side heat medium, pressurized by the low-temperature side pump 31, flows into the chiller 20 and is cooled. The low-temperature side heat medium, cooled by the chiller 20, flows into the low-temperature side radiator 34. In the low-temperature side radiator 34, the low-temperature side heat medium exchanges heat with the outside air and absorbs heat from the outside air.

[0330] In the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the standalone dehumidification and heating mode, similar to the standalone cooling mode, the high-temperature side heat medium flowing into the high-temperature side radiator 44 dissipates heat to the outside air and is cooled. The high-temperature side heat medium flowing into the heater core 45 dissipates heat to the supply air.

[0331] In the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in standalone dehumidification and heating mode, the supply air blown from the indoor fan 52 is cooled and dehumidified by the indoor evaporator 18. The supply air, cooled and dehumidified by the indoor evaporator 18, is then reheated by the heater core 45 at a near-target outlet temperature (TAO) depending on the opening of the air mixing door 54. Furthermore, dehumidification and heating of the vehicle interior are achieved by blowing the temperature-regulated supply air into the vehicle interior.

[0332] (b-2) Cooling, dehumidification, and heating mode

[0333] In the heat pump cycle 10a of the cooling, dehumidifying and heating mode, similar to the dehumidifying and heating mode, the control device 60 sets the cooling expansion valve 15b to a throttling state, the cooling expansion valve 15c to a throttling state, and the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d to a fully closed state.

[0334] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10a of the cooling, dehumidifying, and heating mode, the refrigerant circuit is switched in the same way as in the separate dehumidifying and heating mode. That is, the refrigerant circuit is switched to a parallel connection between the indoor evaporator 18 and the chiller 20 relative to the flow of the refrigerant.

[0335] Furthermore, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30a of the cooling, dehumidification, and heating mode, the control device 60 activates the low-temperature side pump 31 to achieve a preset reference pressure delivery capacity. Furthermore, the operation of the low-temperature side flow regulating valve 32 is controlled such that the low-temperature side heat medium temperature TWL detected by the low-temperature side heat medium temperature sensor 63a is close to a preset reference low-temperature side heat medium temperature KTWL.

[0336] In addition, in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the cooling, dehumidification and heating mode, the operation of the high-temperature side pump 41 and the high-temperature side flow regulating valve 42 are controlled in the same way as in the separate cooling mode.

[0337] In addition, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in cooling, dehumidification, and heating mode, the opening degree of the air mixing door 54, the operation of the indoor / outdoor air switching device 53, and the operation of the blow-out mode door are controlled in the same manner as in the standalone cooling mode. Furthermore, the control device 60 appropriately controls the operation of other controlled equipment.

[0338] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10a of the cooling, dehumidifying and heating mode, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle is formed in which the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141 functions as a condenser and the indoor evaporator 18 and the chiller 20 function as evaporators.

[0339] In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30a of the cooling, dehumidification, and heating mode, the low-temperature side heat medium pumped by the low-temperature side pump 31 flows into the chiller 20 and is cooled. The low-temperature side heat medium cooled by the chiller 20 flows into the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80 and the low-temperature side radiator 34 according to the operation of the low-temperature side flow regulating valve 32.

[0340] Then, the low-temperature side heat medium cooled by the chiller 20 flows through the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80, thereby cooling the battery 80. The low-temperature side heat medium flowing into the low-temperature side radiator 34 exchanges heat with the outside air and absorbs heat from the outside air.

[0341] In the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the cooling, dehumidification, and heating mode, similar to the standalone cooling mode, the high-temperature side heat medium flowing into the high-temperature side radiator 44 dissipates heat to the outside air and is thus cooled. The high-temperature side heat medium flowing into the heater core 45 dissipates heat to the supply air.

[0342] In the indoor air conditioning unit 50 in cooling, dehumidifying and heating mode, similar to the standalone dehumidifying and heating mode, dehumidification and heating of the vehicle interior are achieved by blowing temperature-regulated air into the vehicle interior.

[0343] (d-1) Standalone heating mode

[0344] In the heat pump cycle 10a in the stand-alone heating mode, the control device 60 sets the refrigeration expansion valve 15b to the fully closed state, the cooling expansion valve 15c to the throttling state, and the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d to the fully closed state.

[0345] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10a of the stand-alone heating mode, the refrigerant circuit is switched to the following order: the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the order of water refrigerant heat exchanger 141, cooling expansion valve 15c which is in a throttling state, chiller 20, and suction port of compressor 11.

[0346] In addition, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30a of the stand-alone heating mode, the operation of the low-temperature side pump 31 and the low-temperature side flow regulating valve 32 are controlled in the same way as in the stand-alone dehumidification heating mode.

[0347] In addition, in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the stand-alone heating mode, the operation of the high-temperature side pump 41 and the high-temperature side flow regulating valve 42 are controlled in the same way as in the stand-alone cooling mode.

[0348] Here, in the heating mode for heating the vehicle interior, compared to the cooling mode and dehumidifying heating mode, the amount of heat dissipated by the heater core 45 from the high-temperature side heat medium to the supply air is increased. Therefore, in the high-temperature side flow regulating valve 42 of the heating mode, almost all the flow of the high-temperature side heat medium flowing out from the high-temperature side heat medium outlet 111q is directed to the heater core 45 side.

[0349] In addition, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in heating mode, the opening degree of the air mixing door 54, the operation of the indoor / outdoor air switching device 53, and the operation of the blow-out mode door are controlled in the same way as in the cooling mode. Furthermore, the control device 60 appropriately controls the operation of other controlled equipment.

[0350] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10a of the stand-alone heating mode, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle is formed in which the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141 functions as a condenser and the chiller 20 functions as an evaporator.

[0351] In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30a of the standalone heating mode, similar to the standalone dehumidification heating mode, the low-temperature side heat medium cooled by the chiller 20 flows into the low-temperature side radiator 34. In the low-temperature side radiator 34, the low-temperature side heat medium exchanges heat with the outside air and absorbs heat from the outside air.

[0352] In the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the standalone heating mode, similar to the standalone cooling mode, the high-temperature side heat medium flowing into the high-temperature side radiator 44 dissipates heat to the outside air and is cooled. The high-temperature side heat medium flowing into the heater core 45 dissipates heat to the supply air.

[0353] In the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in standalone heating mode, the supply air blown from the indoor fan 52 passes through the indoor evaporator 18. The supply air after passing through the indoor evaporator 18 is reheated by the indoor condenser 14 at a near-target outlet temperature (TAO) depending on the opening of the air mixing door 54. Heating of the vehicle interior is achieved by blowing the temperature-regulated supply air into the vehicle interior.

[0354] (d-2) Cooling and heating mode

[0355] In the heat pump cycle 10a of the cooling and heating mode, the control device 60 sets the refrigeration expansion valve 15b to a fully closed state, the cooling expansion valve 15c to a throttling state, and the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d to a fully closed state.

[0356] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10a of the cooling and heating mode, the refrigerant circuit is switched to the same as that of the heating mode alone.

[0357] In addition, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30a of the cooling and heating mode, the operation of the low-temperature side pump 31 and the low-temperature side flow regulating valve 32 are controlled in the same way as in the cooling and dehumidifying heating mode.

[0358] In addition, in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the cooling and heating mode, the operation of the high-temperature side pump 41 and the high-temperature side flow regulating valve 42 are controlled in the same way as in the separate cooling mode.

[0359] In addition, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 in cooling / heating mode, the opening degree of the air mixing door 54, the operation of the indoor / outdoor air switching device 53, and the operation of the air outlet mode door are controlled in the same way as in the standalone cooling mode. Furthermore, the control device 60 appropriately controls the operation of other controlled equipment.

[0360] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10a of the cooling and heating mode, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle is formed in which the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141 functions as a condenser and the chiller 20 functions as an evaporator.

[0361] In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30a of the cooling and heating mode, similar to the cooling and dehumidifying heating mode, the low-temperature side heat medium cooled by the chiller 20 flows through the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80, thereby cooling the battery 80. The low-temperature side heat medium flowing into the low-temperature side radiator 34 exchanges heat with the outside air and absorbs heat from the outside air.

[0362] In the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the cooling / heating mode, similar to the standalone cooling mode, the high-temperature side heat medium flowing into the high-temperature side radiator 44 dissipates heat to the outside air and is cooled. The high-temperature side heat medium flowing into the heater core 45 dissipates heat to the supply air.

[0363] In the indoor air conditioning unit 50 in cooling and heating mode, heating of the vehicle interior is achieved by blowing temperature-regulated air into the vehicle interior, just like in the standalone heating mode.

[0364] (e-1) Hot gas heating mode

[0365] In the hot gas heating mode, the control device 60 sets the refrigeration expansion valve 15b to the fully closed state, the cooling expansion valve 15c to the throttling state, and the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d to the throttling state.

[0366] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10a of the hot gas heating mode, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the following order: water refrigerant heat exchanger 141, cooling expansion valve 15c in a throttling state, chiller 20, and compressor 11 suction port. At the same time, the refrigerant circuit is switched to the following order: the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the following order: hot gas flow regulating valve 15d in a throttling state of hot gas passage 22a, chiller 20, and compressor 11 suction port.

[0367] Additionally, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30a of the hot gas heating mode, the low-temperature side pump 31 is stopped.

[0368] Furthermore, in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the hot gas heating mode, the control device 60 activates the high-temperature side pump 41 to achieve a preset reference pressure delivery capacity. Furthermore, the operation of the high-temperature side flow regulating valve 42 is controlled such that all the flow rate of the high-temperature side heat medium exiting from the high-temperature side heat medium outlet 111q flows towards the heater core 45.

[0369] Therefore, in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the hot gas heating mode, the circuit structure is switched to the following: the high-temperature side heat medium pumped from the high-temperature side pump 41 circulates in the order of the heat medium passage of the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141, the heater core 45, and the suction port of the high-temperature side pump 41.

[0370] In addition, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in hot air heating mode, the opening degree of the air mixing door 54, the operation of the indoor / outdoor air switching device 53, and the operation of the blow-out mode door are controlled in the same way as in the standalone cooling mode. Furthermore, the control device 60 appropriately controls the operation of other controlled equipment.

[0371] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10a of the hot gas heating mode, the refrigerant flow discharged from the compressor 11 is branched through the first internal tee joint 13a.

[0372] The refrigerant branching off from the first internal tee connector 13a flows into the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141, dissipating heat to the high-temperature side heat medium. As a result, the high-temperature side heat medium is heated. The refrigerant flowing out of the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141 flows into the cooling expansion valve 15c and is depressurized. The refrigerant with lower enthalpy after being depressurized by the cooling expansion valve 15c flows into the chiller 20.

[0373] On the other hand, the refrigerant branching off from the first internal tee connector 13a has its flow rate regulated and its pressure reduced by the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d. The refrigerant with higher enthalpy after being reduced by the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d flows into the chiller 20.

[0374] In the chiller 20, the refrigerant, after being depressurized by the cooling expansion valve 15c, mixes with the refrigerant after being depressurized by the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d. At this time, since the low-temperature side pump 31 stops, there is no heat exchange between the refrigerant and the low-temperature side heat medium in the chiller 20. The refrigerant flowing out of the chiller 20 is drawn into the compressor 11 and compressed again.

[0375] In the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the hot air heating mode, the high-temperature side heat medium flowing into the heater core 45 dissipates heat to the supply air.

[0376] In the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in hot air heating mode, the supply air blown from the indoor fan 52 passes through the indoor evaporator 18. The supply air after passing through the indoor evaporator 18 is heated by the heater core 45 according to the opening degree of the air mixing door 54. Furthermore, heating of the vehicle interior is achieved by blowing the supply air heated by the heater core 45 into the vehicle interior.

[0377] (e-2) Preheating hot gas heating mode

[0378] In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30a of the preheating hot gas heating mode, the control device 60 controls the operation of the low-temperature side pump 31 and the low-temperature side flow regulating valve 32 in the same way as in the cooling mode. Therefore, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30a, the circuit structure is switched to the following: the low-temperature side heat medium pressurized from the low-temperature side pump 31 circulates in the order of the chiller 20, the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80, and the suction port of the low-temperature side pump 31. Other operations are the same as in the hot gas heating mode.

[0379] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10a of the preheating hot gas heating mode, the refrigerant flowing into the chiller 20 dissipates heat to the low-temperature side heat medium. As a result, the low-temperature side heat medium is heated. In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30a of the preheating hot gas heating mode, the low-temperature side heat medium heated by the chiller 20 flows through the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80. As a result, the battery 80 is preheated.

[0380] (f) Individual cooling mode

[0381] In the heat pump cycle 10a in the standalone cooling mode, the control device 60 sets the refrigeration expansion valve 15b to the fully closed state, the cooling expansion valve 15c to the throttling state, and the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d to the fully closed state.

[0382] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10a in the stand-alone cooling mode, the refrigerant circuit is switched to the same state as in the stand-alone heating mode as follows: the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the order of water refrigerant heat exchanger 141, cooling expansion valve 15c in a throttling state, chiller 20, and suction port of compressor 11.

[0383] In addition, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30a of the separate cooling mode, the operation of the low-temperature side pump 31 and the low-temperature side flow regulating valve 32 are controlled in the same way as in the cooling and refrigeration mode.

[0384] Therefore, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30a of the separate cooling mode, the control device 60 switches to a circuit structure in which the low-temperature side heat medium pumped from the low-temperature side pump 31 circulates in the order of the cooler 20, the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80, and the suction port of the low-temperature side pump 31.

[0385] Additionally, in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the separate cooling mode, the high-temperature side pump 41 is activated to achieve a preset reference pressure delivery capacity. Furthermore, the operation of the high-temperature side flow regulating valve 42 is controlled such that all the flow rate of the high-temperature side heat medium flowing out from the high-temperature side heat medium outlet 111q flows to the high-temperature side radiator 44.

[0386] Therefore, in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the separate cooling mode, the circuit structure is switched to the following: the high-temperature side heat medium pumped from the high-temperature side pump 41 circulates in the order of water refrigerant heat exchanger 141, high-temperature side radiator 44, and the suction port of the high-temperature side pump 41.

[0387] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10a of the single cooling mode, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle is formed in which the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141 functions as a condenser and the chiller 20 functions as an evaporator.

[0388] In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30a of the separate cooling mode, the battery 80 is cooled by the low-temperature side heat medium cooled by the chiller 20 flowing through the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80.

[0389] In the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the separate cooling mode, the high-temperature side heat medium pressurized by the high-temperature side pump 41 is heated by the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141. The high-temperature side heat medium heated by the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141 flows into the high-temperature side radiator 44. The high-temperature side heat medium flowing into the high-temperature side radiator 44 dissipates heat to the outside air and is cooled.

[0390] As described above, in the vehicle air conditioning unit 1a of this embodiment, by switching the operating mode, it is possible to perform comfortable air conditioning inside the vehicle and appropriate temperature conditioning of the battery 80, which is an on-board device.

[0391] Furthermore, in the heat pump cycle 10a of this embodiment, a subcooled type heat exchanger is used as the water refrigerant heat exchanger 141. This allows the refrigerant flowing out from the heat exchanger, which functions as an evaporator, to be a subcooled refrigerant. As a result, the heat absorption in the heat exchanger, which functions as an evaporator, can be increased, thus improving the cycle's coefficient of performance (COP).

[0392] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the compressor assembly 110 is used, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained. That is, the productivity of the vehicle air conditioning unit 1a, which is a heat pump cycle device, is not deteriorated, and the noise of the compressor 11 can be sufficiently suppressed.

[0393] In addition, in the compressor assembly 110 of this embodiment, the heat transfer of the high-pressure side refrigerant in the receiving section 141b, which is a high-pressure side refrigerant device, to the anti-vibration rubber 11c can be achieved, thereby heating the anti-vibration rubber 11c.

[0394] Therefore, even at low ambient temperatures, heating the anti-vibration rubber 11c can suppress the decrease in its elasticity. This effectively prevents the vibration of the compressor 11 from being transmitted to the flow path box 101 and the cover component, thus suppressing noise generated in the flow path box 101 and the cover component 102.

[0395] (Third implementation method)

[0396] In this embodiment, the compressor assembly 120 according to the present invention is applied to... Figure 8 The example of vehicle air conditioning unit 1b shown in the overall structural diagram will be described. Vehicle air conditioning unit 1b is the same as vehicle air conditioning unit 1 described in the first embodiment, which is a heat pump circulation device for regulating the air inside the vehicle and the temperature of the vehicle equipment.

[0397] The vehicle air conditioning unit 1b includes a heat pump cycle 10b, a low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30, and an indoor air conditioning unit 50.

[0398] In the heat pump cycle 10b of this embodiment, compared with the heat pump cycle 10 described in the first embodiment, the muffler section 12, the evaporation pressure regulating valve 19, the liquid receiver section 21, the dehumidification passage 22b, and the dehumidification on / off valve 23a are eliminated. Furthermore, the heat pump cycle 10b employs a receiving section 24, an internal heat exchange section 26, and a temperature-type expansion valve 27.

[0399] The compressor assembly 120 is primarily a component that integrates multiple constituent devices constituting the heat pump cycle 10b. In the compressor assembly 120 of this embodiment, [the components are composed of...]. Figure 8 The components, such as the equipment surrounded by the dotted line, are integrated.

[0400] More specifically, in the compressor assembly 120 of this embodiment, the compressor 11, heating expansion valve 15a, cooling expansion valve 15c, hot gas flow regulating valve 15d, outdoor unit pressure regulating valve 19b, chiller 20, first on / off valve 23c, second on / off valve 23d, receiving unit 24, first fixed throttling element 25a, second fixed throttling element 25b, internal heat exchange unit 26, etc., of the heat pump cycle 10 are integrated.

[0401] The compressor 11, heating expansion valve 15a, cooling expansion valve 15c, hot gas flow regulating valve 15d, outdoor unit pressure regulating valve 19b, chiller 20, first on / off valve 23c, and second on / off valve 23d in these components are integrated by means of a flow path box 121 installed in the compressor assembly 120.

[0402] Furthermore, the receiving section 24, the first fixed throttling element 25a, the second fixed throttling element 25b, the internal heat exchange section 26, and the flow path box 121 are integrally formed. The flow path box 121 is the same mounting component as the flow path box 101 described in the first embodiment, and is a passage forming component.

[0403] Similar to the first embodiment, the outlet of the compressor 11 of the heat pump cycle 10b is connected to the compressor-side inlet 121b formed in the flow path box 121 via a high-pressure hose 11b. The compressor-side inlet 121b is connected to the inlet of the first internal tee connector 13a via an internal refrigerant passage.

[0404] One outlet of the first internal tee connector 13a is connected to the condenser-side outlet 121c formed in the flow box 121 via an internal refrigerant passage. The other outlet of the first internal tee connector 13a is connected to one inlet of the fourth internal tee connector 13d via a hot gas passage 22a. Similar to the first embodiment, a hot gas flow regulating valve 15d is provided in the hot gas passage 22a.

[0405] The refrigerant outlet of the indoor condenser 14 of the heat pump cycle 10b is connected to the condenser-side inlet 121d formed in the flow path box 121. The condenser-side inlet 121d is connected to the inlet of the eighth internal tee joint 13h via an internal refrigerant passage.

[0406] One outlet of the eighth internal tee joint 13h is connected to one inlet of the ninth internal tee joint 13i via an internal refrigerant passage. The other outlet of the eighth internal tee joint 13h is connected to one inlet of the tenth internal tee joint 13j via an internal refrigerant passage. The internal heat medium passage from the other outlet of the eighth internal tee joint 13h to the inlet of the receiving section 24 is the inlet-side passage 22d.

[0407] A first on / off valve 23c and a first fixed throttling element 25a are arranged in the inlet-side passage 22d. The first on / off valve 23c is an on / off valve that opens and closes the inlet-side passage 22d. The basic structure of the first on / off valve 23c is the same as that of the dehumidification on / off valve 23a described in the first embodiment. Therefore, the first on / off valve 23c is an electric device and a refrigerant circuit switching part. The first fixed throttling element 25a is a pressure reducing part that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing into the receiving part 24. The first fixed throttling element 25a can be a throttling orifice, a capillary tube, etc.

[0408] The outlet of the tenth internal tee connector 13j is connected to the inlet of the receiving section 24 formed in the flow path box 121. The receiving section 24 is a high-pressure side gas-liquid separation section that separates the refrigerant flowing out from the heat exchange section which functions as a condenser, and stores the separated liquid refrigerant as residual refrigerant in circulation.

[0409] The outlet of the receiving section 24 is connected to the inlet of the eleventh internal tee connector 13k via an internal refrigerant passage. One outlet of the eleventh internal tee connector 13k is connected to the inlet of the seventh internal tee connector 13g via an internal refrigerant passage. The other outlet of the eleventh internal tee connector 13k is connected to the other inlet of the ninth internal tee connector 13i via an internal refrigerant passage.

[0410] The internal heat medium passage from the outlet of the eleventh internal tee joint 13k to the ninth internal tee joint 13i is the outlet-side passage 22e. A third check valve 17c is provided in the outlet-side passage 22e. The third check valve 17c allows refrigerant to flow from the eleventh internal tee joint 13k side to the ninth internal tee joint 13i side, and prohibits refrigerant from flowing from the ninth internal tee joint 13i side to the eleventh internal tee joint 13k side.

[0411] A second on / off valve 23d is provided in the internal refrigerant passage from the outlet of the eighth internal tee connector 13h to the inlet of the ninth internal tee connector 13i. The second on / off valve 23d is an on / off valve that opens and closes the internal refrigerant passage from the eighth internal tee connector 13h to the ninth internal tee connector 13i. The basic structure of the second on / off valve 23d is the same as that of the first on / off valve 23c. Therefore, the second on / off valve 23d is an electrically operated device and a refrigerant circuit switching unit.

[0412] The outlet of the eighth internal tee connector 13h is connected to the outdoor unit side outlet 121e formed in the flow path box 121 via an internal refrigerant passage. A heating expansion valve 15a is provided in the internal refrigerant passage from the outlet of the eighth internal tee connector 13h to the outdoor unit side outlet 121e.

[0413] The outdoor unit side outlet 121e is connected to the refrigerant inlet side of the outdoor heat exchanger 16. The refrigerant outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger 16 is connected to the outdoor unit side inlet 121f formed in the flow path box 121. The outdoor unit side inlet 121f communicates with the inlet of the third internal tee connector 13c via an internal refrigerant passage.

[0414] The outlet of one side of the third internal tee connector 13c is connected to the inlet of the other side of the tenth internal tee connector 13j via an internal refrigerant passage. The outlet of the other side of the third internal tee connector 13c is connected to the inlet of one side of the sixth internal tee connector 13f via a heating passage 22c.

[0415] The heating passage 22c is equipped with an outdoor unit pressure regulating valve 19b, a twelfth internal tee connector 13m, and a second check valve 17b. The outdoor unit pressure regulating valve 19b is an electrically operated variable throttling mechanism that regulates the refrigerant pressure in the outdoor heat exchanger 16. The basic structure of the outdoor unit pressure regulating valve 19b is the same as that of the cooling expansion valve 15c. Therefore, the cooling expansion valve 15c is an electrically operated device. The cooling expansion valve 15c has a fully closed function.

[0416] In this embodiment, the second check valve 17b allows refrigerant to flow from the twelfth internal tee connector 13m side to the sixth internal tee connector 13f side, and prohibits refrigerant from flowing from the sixth internal tee connector 13f side to the twelfth internal tee connector 13m side.

[0417] One outlet of the seventh internal tee connector 13g is connected via an internal refrigerant passage to the inlet of the high-pressure side passage of the internal heat exchange section 26 formed in the flow path box 121. The internal heat exchange section 26 is a heat exchange section that allows heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing in the high-pressure side passage and the refrigerant flowing in the low-pressure side passage. More specifically, in cooling mode, the internal heat exchange section 26 allows heat exchange between the high-pressure side refrigerant flowing out of the receiving section 24 and the low-pressure side refrigerant flowing out of the indoor evaporator 18.

[0418] The outlet of the high-pressure side passage of the internal heat exchange section 26 is connected to the evaporator-side outlet 121g formed in the flow box 121 via the internal refrigerant passage. The evaporator-side outlet 121g is connected to the inlet side of the temperature-type expansion valve 27. The temperature-type expansion valve 27, like the refrigeration expansion valve 15b described in the first embodiment, is an evaporator pressure-reducing section that, in the refrigeration mode described later, reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing out from one of the outlets of the internal four-way connector 13x and regulates the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing downstream.

[0419] The temperature-type expansion valve 27 is composed of a mechanical mechanism. The temperature-type expansion valve 27 has a temperature sensing part and a valve core part. The temperature sensing part has a deformable component (specifically a diaphragm) that deforms according to the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant on the outlet side of the indoor evaporator 18. The valve core part is displaced according to the deformation of the deformable component, thereby changing the throttling opening.

[0420] In the temperature-controlled expansion valve 27, the throttling opening is changed in such a way that the superheat of the refrigerant on the outlet side of the indoor evaporator 18 is close to a preset reference superheat (5°C in this embodiment). In addition, when the temperature sensing part reaches an extremely low temperature, the deformable member causes the valve core to shift toward the side that closes the throttling passage.

[0421] The outlet of the temperature-type expansion valve 27 is connected to the refrigerant inlet side of the indoor evaporator 18. The refrigerant outlet of the indoor evaporator 18 is connected to the evaporator-side inlet 121h formed in the flow box 121 via the passage of the temperature-type expansion valve 27.

[0422] The evaporator-side inlet 121h is connected to the inlet of the low-pressure side passage of the internal heat exchange section 26 via the internal refrigerant passage. The outlet of the low-pressure side passage of the internal heat exchange section 26 is connected to the inlet on the other side of the twelfth internal tee joint 13m via the internal refrigerant passage.

[0423] The outlet of the seventh internal tee connector 13g is connected to the inlet of the fourth internal tee connector 13d via an internal refrigerant passage. Similar to the first embodiment, a cooling expansion valve 15c is provided in the internal refrigerant passage from the outlet of the seventh internal tee connector 13g to the inlet of the fourth internal tee connector 13d.

[0424] The outlet of the fourth internal tee connector 13d is connected to the chiller-side outlet 121i formed in the flow path box 121. The chiller-side outlet 121i is directly connected to the refrigerant inlet of the chiller 20. The refrigerant outlet of the chiller 20 is directly connected to the chiller-side inlet 121j formed in the flow path box 121. The structure of the other heat pump cycles 10b is the same as that of the heat pump cycle 10 described in the first embodiment.

[0425] Next, use Figure 9 , Figure 10 The detailed structure of compressor assembly 120 will be described below. The basic structure of compressor assembly 120 is the same as that of compressor assembly 100 described in the first embodiment. Figure 9 As shown, the compressor assembly 120 has a metal flow path box 121. Additionally, as... Figure 10 As shown, the compressor assembly 120 has a resin cover component 122.

[0426] The cover component 122, similar to that in the first embodiment, is installed in the flow path box 121 to form a sealed space, namely the housing space 123, inside the compressor assembly 120 to house the compressor 11 and the like. Furthermore, a heat insulation member 124 is disposed on the outer surface of the compressor assembly 110, similar to that in the first embodiment.

[0427] like Figure 9 As shown, a compressor 11 is housed inside the housing space 123. Therefore, a compressor-side outlet 121a and a compressor-side inlet 121b are formed inside the housing space 123. More specifically, the compressor-side outlet 121a and the compressor-side inlet 121b are formed on the inner side of the flow path box 121 on the housing space 123 side, thereby forming inside the housing space 123.

[0428] In addition, such as Figure 10 As shown, the indoor condenser 14, heating expansion valve 15a, cooling expansion valve 15c, hot gas flow regulating valve 15d, outdoor heat exchanger 16, indoor evaporator 18, outdoor unit pressure regulating valve 19b, chiller 20, first on / off valve 23c, and second on / off valve 23d are disposed outside the housing space 123. Therefore, in this embodiment, the indoor condenser 14, outdoor heat exchanger 16, indoor evaporator 18, and chiller 20 are external components.

[0429] Condenser-side outlet 121c, condenser-side inlet 121d, outdoor unit-side outlet 121e, outdoor unit-side inlet 121f, evaporator-side outlet 121g, evaporator-side inlet 121h, chiller-side outlet 121i, and chiller-side outlet 121j are formed on the outer side of the flow path box 101, thereby forming outside the receiving space 123.

[0430] Therefore, in this embodiment, the condenser-side outlet 121c, condenser-side inlet 121d, outdoor unit-side outlet 121e, outdoor unit-side inlet 121f, evaporator-side outlet 121g, evaporator-side inlet 121h, chiller-side outlet 121i, and chiller-side outlet 121j are external connection ports for connecting to the inflow and outflow sides of external constituent equipment.

[0431] In addition, similar to the first embodiment, the compressor 11 is fixed to a plurality of (four in this embodiment) fixing parts 121s formed on the bottom surface of the receiving space 123 forming the flow path box 121 via anti-vibration rubber 11c.

[0432] Additionally, a receiving section 24 is formed on the side of the flow path box 121. An internal heat exchange section 26 is formed on the bottom of the flow path box 121. Specifically, inside the bottom of the flow path box 121, the high-pressure side passage and the low-pressure side passage are arranged close together, allowing the high-pressure side refrigerant and the low-pressure side refrigerant to exchange heat.

[0433] Furthermore, the chiller 20 is fixed to the flow path box 121 by embedding the refrigerant inlet and outlet formed protruding outward into the refrigerant inlet and outlet (i.e., chiller-side outlet 121i, chiller-side inlet 121j, etc.) formed in the flow path box 121. The heat medium inlet and outlet of the chiller 20 are directly connected to the heat medium piping of the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30.

[0434] The structure of the other vehicle air conditioning unit 1b is the same as that of the vehicle air conditioning unit 1 described in the first embodiment.

[0435] Next, the operation of the vehicle air conditioning unit 1b of this embodiment in the above structure will be described. In the vehicle air conditioning unit 1b, similar to the vehicle air conditioning unit 1 described in the first embodiment, various operating modes are switched to regulate the air inside the vehicle and the temperature of the battery 80. The detailed operation of each operating mode will be described below.

[0436] (a-1) Standalone cooling mode

[0437] In the heat pump cycle 10b in standalone cooling mode, the control device 60 sets the heating expansion valve 15a to fully open, the cooling expansion valve 15c to fully closed, the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d to fully closed, and the outdoor unit pressure regulating valve 19b to fully closed. Additionally, the control device 60 closes the first on / off valve 23c and opens the second on / off valve 23d.

[0438] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10a of the standalone cooling mode, the refrigerant circuit is switched to the following sequence: the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the order of indoor condenser 14, heating expansion valve 15a which is in a fully open state, outdoor heat exchanger 16, second fixed throttling device 25b, receiving section 24, high-pressure side passage of internal heat exchange section 26, temperature-type expansion valve 27, indoor evaporator 18, low-pressure side passage of internal heat exchange section 26, and suction port of compressor 11.

[0439] Furthermore, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in stand-alone cooling mode, similar to the stand-alone cooling mode in the first embodiment, the opening of the air mixing door 54 is controlled to bring the supply air temperature TAV close to the target outlet temperature TAO. Additionally, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in stand-alone cooling mode, the operation of the indoor / outdoor air switching device 53 and the outlet mode door is controlled based on the target outlet temperature TAO. Furthermore, the control device 60 appropriately controls the operation of other controlled devices.

[0440] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10b of the standalone cooling mode, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle is configured in which the indoor condenser 14 and the outdoor heat exchanger 16 function as condensers and the indoor evaporator 18 functions as an evaporator.

[0441] In the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in standalone cooling mode, the supply air blown from the indoor fan 52 is cooled by the indoor evaporator 18. The supply air cooled by the indoor evaporator 18 is then reheated by the heater core 45 at a near-target outlet temperature (TAO) depending on the opening of the air mixing door 54. Furthermore, cooling of the vehicle interior is achieved by blowing the temperature-regulated supply air into the vehicle interior.

[0442] (a-2) Cooling and refrigeration mode

[0443] In the heat pump cycle 10b of the cooling mode, the control device 60 sets the cooling expansion valve 15c to a throttling state, relative to the stand-alone cooling mode.

[0444] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10b of the cooling mode, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the following order: indoor condenser 14, heating expansion valve 15a (fully open), outdoor heat exchanger 16, second fixed throttling device 25b, receiving section 24, high-pressure side passage of internal heat exchange section 26, temperature-type expansion valve 27, indoor evaporator 18, low-pressure side passage of internal heat exchange section 26, and compressor 11 suction inlet. Simultaneously, the refrigerant circuit is switched to circulate in the following order: refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the following order: indoor condenser 14, heating expansion valve 15a (fully open), outdoor heat exchanger 16, second fixed throttling device 25b, receiving section 24, cooling expansion valve 15c (throttling), chiller 20, and compressor 11 suction inlet. That is, the refrigerant circuit is switched to a parallel connection between the indoor evaporator 18 and chiller 20 with respect to the refrigerant flow.

[0445] In addition, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the cooling and refrigeration mode, the control device 60 activates the low-temperature side pump 31 to achieve a preset reference pressure delivery capacity. Therefore, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30, the low-temperature side heat medium pressurized from the low-temperature side pump 31 circulates in the order of the heat medium passage of the chiller 20, the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80, and the suction port of the low-temperature side pump 31.

[0446] In addition, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 in cooling mode, the opening degree of the air mixing door 54, the operation of the indoor / outdoor air switching device 53, and the operation of the blow-out mode door are controlled in the same way as in the standalone cooling mode. Furthermore, the control device 60 appropriately controls the operation of other controlled equipment.

[0447] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10b of the cooling mode, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle is formed in which the indoor condenser 14 and the outdoor heat exchanger 16 function as condensers, and the indoor evaporator 18 and the chiller 20 function as evaporators.

[0448] In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the cooling mode, the low-temperature side heat medium, pressurized by the low-temperature side pump 31, flows into the chiller 20 and is cooled. Then, the low-temperature side heat medium cooled by the chiller 20 flows through the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80, thereby cooling the battery 80.

[0449] In the indoor air conditioning unit 50 in cooling mode, similar to the standalone cooling mode, the interior of the vehicle is cooled by blowing temperature-regulated air into the interior.

[0450] (b-1) Individual series dehumidification and heating mode

[0451] In the heat pump cycle 10b of the standalone series dehumidification and heating mode, the control device 60 sets the heating expansion valve 15a to a throttling state, the cooling expansion valve 15c to a fully closed state, the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d to a fully closed state, and the outdoor unit pressure regulating valve 19b to a fully closed state. Additionally, the control device 60 closes the first on / off valve 23c and opens the second on / off valve 23d.

[0452] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10b of the standalone series dehumidification and heating mode, the refrigerant circuit is switched to the following sequence: the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the order of indoor condenser 14, heating expansion valve 15a in throttling state, outdoor heat exchanger 16, second fixed throttling element 25b, receiving section 24, high-pressure side passage of internal heat exchange section 26, temperature-type expansion valve 27, indoor evaporator 18, low-pressure side passage of internal heat exchange section 26, and suction port of compressor 11.

[0453] In addition, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in a separate series dehumidification and heating mode, the opening degree of the air mixing door 54, the operation of the indoor / outdoor air switching device 53, and the operation of the blow-out mode door are controlled in the same way as in the separate cooling mode. Furthermore, the control device 60 appropriately controls the operation of other controlled devices.

[0454] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10b of the standalone series dehumidification and heating mode, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle is formed in which the indoor condenser 14 and the outdoor heat exchanger 16 function as condensers and the indoor evaporator 18 functions as an evaporator.

[0455] In the indoor air conditioning unit 50 with a separate series dehumidification and heating mode, the supply air blown from the indoor fan 52 is cooled and dehumidified by the indoor evaporator 18. The supply air cooled and dehumidified by the indoor evaporator 18 is reheated by the heater core 45 at a near-target outlet temperature (TAO) depending on the opening of the air mixing door 54. Furthermore, dehumidification and heating of the vehicle interior are achieved by blowing the temperature-regulated supply air into the vehicle interior.

[0456] Here, in the vehicle air conditioning unit 1b of this embodiment, since it has a receiving unit 24, the series dehumidification and heating mode is executed in a temperature range where the saturation temperature of the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 16 is higher than the outside air temperature Tam.

[0457] (b-2) Cooling series dehumidification heating mode

[0458] In the heat pump cycle 10b of the cooling series dehumidification heating mode, the control device 60 sets the cooling expansion valve 15c to a throttling state, relative to the individual series dehumidification heating mode.

[0459] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10b of the cooling series dehumidification heating mode, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the same manner as in the individual series dehumidification heating mode. The refrigerant circuit is switched to circulate in the following order: indoor condenser 14, heating expansion valve 15a in a throttling state, outdoor heat exchanger 16, second fixed throttling element 25b, receiving section 24, cooling expansion valve 15c in a throttling state, chiller 20, and compressor 11 suction inlet. That is, the refrigerant circuit is switched to a parallel connection between the indoor evaporator 18 and chiller 20 relative to the refrigerant flow.

[0460] Furthermore, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the cooling series dehumidification heating mode, the operation of the low-temperature side pump 31 is controlled in the same way as in the cooling and refrigeration mode. Therefore, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the cooling series dehumidification heating mode, the low-temperature side heat medium circulates in the same way as in the cooling and refrigeration mode.

[0461] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10b of the cooling, dehumidifying and heating mode, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle is formed in which the indoor condenser 14 and the outdoor heat exchanger 16 function as condensers, and the indoor evaporator 18 and the chiller 20 function as evaporators.

[0462] In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the cooling series dehumidification heating mode, the battery 80 is cooled by the low-temperature side heat medium cooled by the chiller 20 flowing through the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80.

[0463] In the indoor air conditioning unit 50 with cooling series dehumidification and heating mode, dehumidification and heating of the vehicle interior are achieved by blowing temperature-regulated supply air into the vehicle interior, just like in the individual series dehumidification and heating mode.

[0464] (c-1) Individual parallel dehumidification and heating mode

[0465] In the heat pump cycle 10b of the standalone parallel dehumidification and heating mode, the control device 60 sets the heating expansion valve 15a to a throttling state, the cooling expansion valve 15c to a fully closed state, the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d to a fully closed state, and the outdoor unit pressure regulating valve 19b to a fully open or throttling state. Additionally, the control device 60 opens the first on / off valve 23c and closes the second on / off valve 23d.

[0466] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10b of the standalone parallel dehumidification and heating mode, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the following order: indoor condenser 14, inlet side passage 22d, receiving section 24, outlet side passage 22e, heating expansion valve 15a in a throttling state, outdoor heat exchanger 16, outdoor unit pressure regulating valve 19b of heating passage 22c, and compressor 11 suction inlet. Simultaneously, the refrigerant circuit is switched to circulate in the following order: indoor condenser 14, inlet side passage 22d, receiving section 24, high-pressure side passage of internal heat exchanger 26, temperature-type expansion valve 27, indoor evaporator 18, low-pressure side passage of internal heat exchanger 26, and compressor 11 suction inlet. That is, the refrigerant circuit is switched to a parallel connection between the indoor evaporator 18 and the outdoor heat exchanger 16 with respect to the refrigerant flow.

[0467] In addition, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in standalone parallel dehumidification and heating mode, the opening degree of the air mixing door 54, the operation of the indoor / outdoor air switching device 53, and the operation of the blow-out mode door are controlled in the same way as in standalone cooling mode. Furthermore, the control device 60 appropriately controls the operation of other controlled equipment.

[0468] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10b of the stand-alone parallel dehumidification and heating mode, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle is formed in which the indoor condenser 14 functions as a condenser and the outdoor heat exchanger 16 and the indoor evaporator 18 function as evaporators.

[0469] In the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in a separate parallel dehumidification and heating mode, the supply air blown from the indoor fan 52 is cooled and dehumidified by the indoor evaporator 18. The supply air, cooled and dehumidified by the indoor evaporator 18, is then reheated by the indoor condenser 14 at a near-target outlet temperature (TAO) depending on the opening of the air mixing door 54. Furthermore, dehumidification and heating of the vehicle interior are achieved by blowing the temperature-regulated supply air into the vehicle interior.

[0470] (c-2) Cooling Parallel Dehumidification and Heating Mode

[0471] In the heat pump cycle 10b of the cooling parallel dehumidification heating mode, the control device 60 sets the cooling expansion valve 15c to a throttling state, relative to the single parallel dehumidification heating mode.

[0472] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10b of the parallel dehumidification and heating mode, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the same manner as in the standalone parallel dehumidification and heating mode. Simultaneously, the refrigerant circuit is switched to circulate in the following order: indoor condenser 14, inlet-side passage 22d, receiving section 24, cooling expansion valve 15c in a throttling state, chiller 20, and compressor 11 suction inlet. That is, the refrigerant circuit is switched so that the outdoor heat exchanger 16, indoor evaporator 18, and chiller 20 are connected in parallel with respect to the refrigerant flow.

[0473] Furthermore, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the cooling parallel dehumidification heating mode, the operation of the low-temperature side pump 31 is controlled in the same way as in the cooling and refrigeration mode. Therefore, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the cooling parallel dehumidification heating mode, the low-temperature side heat medium circulates in the same way as in the cooling and refrigeration mode.

[0474] In addition, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in cooling parallel dehumidification and heating mode, the opening degree of the air mixing door 54, the operation of the indoor / outdoor air switching device 53, and the operation of the blowing mode door are controlled in the same way as in the standalone cooling mode. Furthermore, the control device 60 appropriately controls the operation of other controlled equipment.

[0475] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10b of the cooling parallel dehumidification heating mode, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle is formed in which the indoor condenser 14 functions as a condenser and the outdoor heat exchanger 16, indoor evaporator 18 and chiller 20 function as evaporators.

[0476] In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the cooling parallel dehumidification heating mode, the battery 80 is cooled by the low-temperature side heat medium cooled by the chiller 20 flowing through the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80.

[0477] In the indoor air conditioning unit 50 of the cooling parallel dehumidification and heating mode, similar to the single parallel dehumidification and heating mode, dehumidification and heating of the vehicle interior are achieved by blowing temperature-regulated supply air into the vehicle interior.

[0478] (d-1) Standalone heating mode

[0479] In the heat pump cycle 10b of the stand-alone heating mode, the control device 60 sets the heating expansion valve 15a to a throttling state, the cooling expansion valve 15c to a fully closed state, the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d to a fully closed state, and the outdoor unit pressure regulating valve 19b to a fully open or throttling state. Additionally, the control device 60 opens the first on / off valve 23c and closes the second on / off valve 23d.

[0480] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10b of the stand-alone heating mode, the refrigerant circuit is switched to the following sequence: the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the order of indoor condenser 14, inlet side passage 22d, receiving section 24, outlet side passage 22e, heating expansion valve 15a in a throttling state, outdoor heat exchanger 16, outdoor unit pressure regulating valve 19b in heating passage 22c, and the suction port of compressor 11.

[0481] In addition, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in heating mode, the opening degree of the air mixing door 54, the operation of the indoor / outdoor air switching device 53, and the operation of the blow-out mode door are controlled in the same way as in the cooling mode. Furthermore, the control device 60 appropriately controls the operation of other controlled equipment.

[0482] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10b of the stand-alone heating mode, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle is formed in which the indoor condenser 14 functions as a condenser and the outdoor heat exchanger 16 functions as an evaporator.

[0483] In the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in standalone heating mode, the supply air blown from the indoor fan 52 passes through the indoor evaporator 18. The supply air after passing through the indoor evaporator 18 is reheated by the indoor condenser 14 at a near-target outlet temperature (TAO) depending on the opening of the air mixing door 54. Heating of the vehicle interior is achieved by blowing the temperature-regulated supply air into the vehicle interior.

[0484] (d-2) Cooling and heating mode

[0485] In the heat pump cycle 10b of the cooling and heating mode, the control device 60 sets the cooling expansion valve 15c to a throttling state, relative to the heating mode alone.

[0486] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of the cooling / heating mode, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the same manner as in the separate heating mode. Simultaneously, the refrigerant circuit is switched to the following sequence: the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 flows through the indoor condenser 14, the inlet-side passage 22d, the receiving section 24, the cooling expansion valve 15c in a throttling state, the chiller 20, and the suction port of the compressor 11. That is, the refrigerant circuit is switched to a parallel connection between the outdoor heat exchanger 16 and the chiller 20 relative to the refrigerant flow.

[0487] Furthermore, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the cooling / heating mode, the operation of the low-temperature side pump 31 is controlled in the same way as in the cooling / cooling mode. Therefore, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the cooling / heating mode, the low-temperature side heat medium circulates in the same way as in the cooling / cooling mode.

[0488] In addition, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 in cooling / heating mode, the opening degree of the air mixing door 54, the operation of the indoor / outdoor air switching device 53, and the operation of the air outlet mode door are controlled in the same way as in the standalone cooling mode. Furthermore, the control device 60 appropriately controls the operation of other controlled equipment.

[0489] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10b of the cooling and heating mode, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle is formed in which the indoor condenser 14 functions as a condenser and the outdoor heat exchanger 16 and the chiller 20 function as evaporators.

[0490] In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the cooling and heating mode, similar to the cooling and dehumidifying heating mode, the low-temperature side heat medium cooled by the chiller 20 flows through the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80, thereby cooling the battery 80.

[0491] In the indoor air conditioning unit 50 in cooling and heating mode, heating of the vehicle interior is achieved by blowing temperature-regulated air into the vehicle interior, just like in the standalone heating mode.

[0492] (e-1) Hot gas heating mode

[0493] In hot gas heating mode, control device 60 sets heating expansion valve 15a to fully closed, cooling expansion valve 15c to throttling mode, hot gas flow regulating valve 15d to throttling mode, and outdoor unit pressure regulating valve 19b to fully closed. Additionally, control device 60 opens the first on / off valve 23c and closes the second on / off valve 23d.

[0494] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10b of the hot gas heating mode, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the following order: indoor condenser 14, inlet side passage 22d, receiving section 24, cooling expansion valve 15c in a throttling state, chiller 20, and compressor 11 suction inlet. Simultaneously, the refrigerant circuit is switched to the following order: the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the following order: hot gas flow regulating valve 15d in hot gas passage 22a in a throttling state, chiller 20, and compressor 11 suction inlet.

[0495] Additionally, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the hot gas heating mode, the low-temperature side pump 31 is stopped. Furthermore, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 of the hot gas heating mode, the operation of the air mixing door 54, the indoor / outdoor air switching device 53, and the blow-out mode door are controlled in the same manner as in the standalone cooling mode. Additionally, the control device 60 appropriately controls the operation of other controlled equipment.

[0496] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10b of the hot gas heating mode, the flow of refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 is branched through the first internal tee joint 13a.

[0497] Refrigerant branching off from the first internal tee connector 13a flows into the indoor condenser 14, dissipating heat to the supply air. This heats the supply air. Refrigerant flowing out of the indoor condenser 14 flows into the receiving section 24 via the inlet-side passage 22d. Refrigerant flowing out of the receiving section 24 flows into the cooling expansion valve 15c and is depressurized.

[0498] The refrigerant with a low enthalpy ratio, after being depressurized by the cooling expansion valve 15c, flows into the chiller 20 via the fourth internal tee joint 13d. Here, the temperature-type expansion valve 27 is fully closed when the external temperature is low. Therefore, the refrigerant will not flow out from the receiving section 24 to the internal heat exchange section 26.

[0499] On the other hand, the refrigerant branching off from the first internal tee connector 13a has its flow rate regulated and pressure reduced at the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d. The refrigerant with higher enthalpy after being reduced in pressure by the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d flows into the chiller 20.

[0500] In the chiller 20, the refrigerant, after being depressurized by the cooling expansion valve 15c, mixes with the refrigerant after being depressurized by the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d. At this time, since the low-temperature side pump 31 stops, there is no heat exchange between the refrigerant and the low-temperature side heat medium in the chiller 20. The refrigerant flowing out of the chiller 20 is drawn into the compressor 11 and compressed again.

[0501] In the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the hot gas heating mode, the high-temperature side heat medium flowing into the heater core 45 dissipates heat to the supply air.

[0502] In the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in hot air heating mode, the supply air blown from the indoor fan 52 passes through the indoor evaporator 18. The supply air after passing through the indoor evaporator 18 is heated by the heater core 45 according to the opening degree of the air mixing door 54. Furthermore, heating of the vehicle interior is achieved by blowing the supply air heated by the heater core 45 into the vehicle interior.

[0503] (e-2) Preheating hot gas heating mode

[0504] In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the preheating hot gas heating mode, the control device 60 activates the low-temperature side pump 31 to achieve a pre-set reference pressure delivery capacity. Therefore, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30, the low-temperature side heat medium pumped from the low-temperature side pump 31 circulates in the order of the heat medium passage of the chiller 20 and the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80. Other operations are the same as in the hot gas heating mode.

[0505] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of the preheating hot gas heating mode, the refrigerant flowing into the chiller 20 dissipates heat to the low-temperature side heat medium. As a result, the low-temperature side heat medium is heated. In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the preheating hot gas heating mode, the low-temperature side heat medium heated by the chiller 20 flows through the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80. As a result, the battery 80 is preheated.

[0506] In the heat pump cycle 10b in stand-alone cooling mode, the control device 60 sets the heating expansion valve 15a to fully open, the cooling expansion valve 15c to throttling mode, the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d to fully close, and the outdoor unit pressure regulating valve 19b to fully close. Additionally, the control device 60 closes the first on / off valve 23c and opens the second on / off valve 23d.

[0507] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of the stand-alone cooling mode, the refrigerant circuit is switched to the following sequence: the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the order of indoor condenser 14, heating expansion valve 15a which is in the fully open state, outdoor heat exchanger 16, second fixed throttling element 25b, receiving unit 24, cooling expansion valve 15c which is in the throttling state, chiller 20, and suction port of compressor 11.

[0508] In addition, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the separate cooling mode, the low-temperature side heat medium pumped by the low-temperature side pump 31 circulates in the same manner as in the cooling mode. Furthermore, in the indoor air conditioning unit 50 of the separate cooling mode, the indoor fan 52 is stopped.

[0509] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of the standalone cooling mode, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle is formed in which the outdoor heat exchanger 16 functions as a condenser and the chiller 20 functions as an evaporator.

[0510] In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the separate cooling mode, the battery 80 is cooled by the low-temperature side heat medium cooled by the chiller 20 flowing through the cooling water passage 80a of the battery 80.

[0511] As described above, in the vehicle air conditioning unit 1b of this embodiment, by switching the operating mode, it is possible to perform comfortable air conditioning inside the vehicle and appropriate temperature conditioning of the battery 80, which is an on-board device.

[0512] Furthermore, in the heat pump cycle 10b of this embodiment, a temperature-type expansion valve 27 is used. As a result, the heat absorption in the indoor evaporator 18 can be increased, thereby improving the cycle's coefficient of performance (COP).

[0513] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the compressor assembly 120 is used, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained. That is, the productivity of the vehicle air conditioning unit 1b, which is a heat pump cycle device, is not deteriorated, and the noise of the compressor 11 can be sufficiently suppressed.

[0514] (Fourth Implementation)

[0515] In this embodiment, a variation of the second embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, as... Figure 11 As shown in the overall structural diagram, a cooling passage 22f is formed as an internal refrigerant passage on the flow path box 111 of the compressor assembly 110. The cooling passage 22f is an internal refrigerant passage from the outlet side of the evaporating pressure regulating valve 19 to one of the inlets of the fifth internal tee connector 13e.

[0516] like Figure 11 As shown, the cooling passage 22f is formed to circulate around the electric components such as the refrigeration expansion valve 15b, the cooling expansion valve 15c, and the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d. Therefore, in the vehicle air conditioning unit 1a, in operating modes such as standalone cooling mode, cooling-cooling mode, standalone dehumidification-heating mode, and cooling-dehumidification-heating mode, when the low-pressure side refrigerant circulates in the cooling passage 22f, the aforementioned electric components can be cooled.

[0517] In other words, the refrigeration expansion valve 15b, the cooling expansion valve 15c, and the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d of this embodiment are configured to utilize the cooling and heat-cooling properties of the low-pressure side refrigerant flowing in the cooling passage 22f.

[0518] The structure of the other vehicle air conditioning unit 1a is the same as that of the second embodiment. Therefore, the vehicle air conditioning unit 1a according to this embodiment can achieve the same effect as the second embodiment. That is, it does not lead to a deterioration in the productivity of the vehicle air conditioning unit 1a as a heat pump cycle device, and it can sufficiently suppress the noise of the compressor 11.

[0519] Furthermore, in the compressor assembly 110 of this embodiment, since a cooling passage 22f is formed, the electric equipment installed in the compressor assembly 110 can be cooled using the low-pressure side refrigerant of the heat pump cycle 10a. Therefore, the operation of the electric equipment installed in the compressor assembly 110 can be stabilized.

[0520] In this embodiment, an example with only cooling passage 22f has been described, but cooling passage 22f can also be added relative to the second embodiment. That is, cooling passage 22f can be provided side by side with respect to the internal refrigerant passage that directly connects the outlet side of the evaporating pressure regulating valve 19 and the inlet of one of the fifth internal tee connectors 13e. As a result, the flow rate of the low-pressure side refrigerant flowing in cooling passage 22f can be appropriately adjusted.

[0521] (Fifth implementation method)

[0522] In this embodiment, such as Figure 12 As shown, an example of applying the compressor assembly 130 to the vehicle air conditioning unit 1 described in the first embodiment will be explained.

[0523] Similar to the first embodiment, in the compressor assembly 130 of this embodiment, the compressor 11, muffler 12, heating expansion valve 15a, cooling expansion valve 15b, cooling expansion valve 15c, hot gas flow regulating valve 15d, evaporation pressure regulating valve 19, chiller 20, liquid receiver 21, dehumidification on / off valve 23a, heating on / off valve 23b, etc., of the heat pump cycle 10 are integrated.

[0524] The basic structure of compressor assembly 130 is the same as that of compressor assembly 100 described in the first embodiment. For example... Figure 13 As shown, the compressor assembly 130 has a metal flow path box 131. Additionally, as... Figure 14 As shown, the compressor assembly 130 has a resin-made cover component 132. Furthermore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of this embodiment, the liquid reservoir 21 is formed from different components relative to the flow path box 131.

[0525] The flow box 131 of this embodiment is formed by combining multiple metal components. Specifically, the flow box 131 of this embodiment has a first box component 1311 and a second box component 1312. Both the first box component 1311 and the second box component 1312 are formed of rectangular plate-shaped components.

[0526] The first housing component 1311 forms the bottom surface of the compressor assembly 130. In the aforementioned heat pump cycle 10, the compressor 11 and the liquid receiver 21 are integrated by being mounted on the first housing component 1311. The muffler unit 12 is integrally formed with the first housing component 1311.

[0527] In addition, the heating expansion valve 15a, the cooling expansion valve 15b, the cooling expansion valve 15c, the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d, the evaporation pressure regulating valve 19, the chiller 20, the dehumidification on / off valve 23a, and the heating on / off valve 23b are integrated by being installed in the second housing component 1312.

[0528] The first box component 1311 and the second box component 1312 are fixed together by means of bolts or the like, such that their flat surfaces are orthogonal to each other. More specifically, the first box component 1311 and the second box component 1312 are fixed together such that one end face of the second box component 1312 abuts against the flat surface of the first box component 1311.

[0529] At least one of an internal refrigerant passage and an internal heat transfer medium passage is formed inside the first housing component 1311 and the second housing component 1312. A sealing member (not shown) is sandwiched between the contact surfaces of the first housing component 1311 and the second housing component 1312. As a result, the refrigerant and the low-temperature heat transfer medium will not leak from the gap at the contact portion between the first housing component 1311 and the second housing component 1312.

[0530] The first housing component 1311 has a plurality of (four in this embodiment) mounting portions 131t for mounting the compressor assembly 130 to the object to be mounted (a vehicle in this embodiment). The mounting portions 131t are formed by portions that protrude from the end of the first housing component 1311 parallel to a flat surface.

[0531] Each mounting portion 131t has a through hole through which a bolt passes. An annular anti-vibration rubber 131u is disposed along the opening edge of each through hole formed in the mounting portion 131t. The anti-vibration rubber 131u is a vibration damping component that suppresses the transmission of vibration from the flow box 131 to the vehicle.

[0532] Similar to the first embodiment, the cover member 132, by being installed in the flow path box 131, forms a sealed space, namely a receiving space 133, inside the compressor assembly 130 to accommodate the compressor 11 and the like. The cover member 132 is formed into a box shape with a cuboid shape and one open side. Therefore, as... Figure 14 As shown, the compressor assembly 130 has a cuboid shape.

[0533] The bottom surface of the six outer surfaces of the cuboid shape of the compressor assembly 130 is formed by the first box component 1311 of the flow path box 131. The remaining five surfaces are formed by the cover component 132. Therefore, in the compressor assembly 130, the second box component 1312 of the flow path box 131 is also disposed within the receiving space 133.

[0534] As in the first embodiment, a heat insulation element 134 is disposed on the inner wall surface of the cover component 132 and the surface on the side of the receiving space 133 of the flow path box 131, i.e. the inner surface on the side of the receiving space 133 of the compressor assembly 130, covering approximately the entire area.

[0535] The housing space 133 houses a compressor 11, a heating expansion valve 15a, a cooling expansion valve 15b, a cooling expansion valve 15c, a hot gas flow regulating valve 15d, an evaporating pressure regulating valve 19, a chiller 20, a liquid receiver 21, a dehumidification on / off valve 23a, and a heating on / off valve 23b. Therefore, a compressor-side outlet 131a, a compressor-side inlet 131b, a chiller-side outlet 131i, and a chiller-side inlet 131j are formed inside the housing space 133.

[0536] More specifically, the compressor-side outlet 131a is formed in the reservoir section 21, which is a constituent device disposed within the containment space 133, and thus forms inside the containment space 133. In addition, the compressor-side inlet 131b is formed on the inner side of the flow path box 131 on the containment space 133 side, and thus forms inside the containment space 133.

[0537] In addition, the indoor condenser 14, the outdoor heat exchanger 16, and the indoor evaporator 18 are external components, just like in the first embodiment.

[0538] Therefore, the condenser-side outlet 131c, the condenser-side inlet 131d, the outdoor unit-side outlet 131e, the outdoor unit-side inlet 131f, the evaporator-side outlet 131g, and the evaporator-side inlet 131h are formed on the outer side of the flow path box 131, thereby forming outside the receiving space 133.

[0539] Therefore, in this embodiment, the condenser-side outlet 131c, condenser-side inlet 131d, outdoor unit-side outlet 131e, outdoor unit-side inlet 131f, evaporator-side outlet 131g, and evaporator-side inlet 131h are external connection ports for connecting to the inflow and outflow sides of external constituent equipment.

[0540] In addition, similar to the first embodiment, the compressor 11 is fixed to a plurality of (four in this embodiment) fixing parts 131s formed on the bottom surface of the receiving space 133 forming the flow path box 131 via anti-vibration rubber 11c.

[0541] In addition, the liquid reservoir 21 is fixed to the fixing part by means of screw fastening, pressing, bonding, etc., and the fixing part is formed on the surface of the receiving space 133 that forms the first box component 1311.

[0542] Furthermore, a muffler section 12 is formed in the first housing component 1311. The muffler section 12 is shaped to protrude towards the receiving space 133 in order to form a buffer space. The muffler section 12 is arranged in the first housing component 1311 such that it is surrounded by a plurality of fixing parts 131s. In other words, the plurality of fixing parts 131s are arranged around the portion where the muffler section 12 is formed.

[0543] Therefore, in the compressor assembly 130, the heat from the high-pressure refrigerant within the muffler section 12 can be transferred to the anti-vibration rubber 11c, thereby heating the anti-vibration rubber 11c. In other words, the anti-vibration rubber 11c is configured to be heated by the heat from the high-pressure refrigerant within the muffler section 12. The fixing and electrical connections of other components are the same as in the first embodiment.

[0544] The structure and operation of the other vehicle air conditioning unit 1 are the same as those of the first embodiment. Therefore, the vehicle air conditioning unit 1 according to this embodiment can achieve the same effects as the first embodiment. That is, it does not lead to a deterioration in the productivity of the vehicle air conditioning unit 1 as a heat pump cycle device, and it can sufficiently suppress the noise of the compressor 11.

[0545] Furthermore, in the compressor assembly 130 of this embodiment, a box-shaped cover member 132 is used. As a result, by arranging a sealing member around the first box member 1311 of the flow path box 131, the receiving space 133 can be easily made into a sealed space without the need for a sealing member with a complex shape.

[0546] Furthermore, in the compressor assembly 130 of this embodiment, heat is transferred from the high-pressure side refrigerant in the muffler section 12, which serves as the high-pressure side refrigerant device, to the anti-vibration rubber 11c, thereby heating the anti-vibration rubber 11c. As a result, similar to the second embodiment, the reduction in elasticity of the anti-vibration rubber 11c can be suppressed, and noise generated by the flow path box 131 and the cover component 132 can be effectively suppressed.

[0547] Furthermore, in the compressor assembly 130 of this embodiment, a heat insulation member 134 is disposed on the inner surface of the receiving space 133. This prevents the heat insulation member 134 from peeling or deteriorating due to water coverage. When disposing of the heat insulation member 134 on the inner surface of the receiving space 133, it can also be disposed by applying it with a spray or similar method.

[0548] Furthermore, the compressor assembly 130 in this embodiment includes a mounting portion 131t equipped with anti-vibration rubber 131u. Therefore, by using the anti-vibration rubber 11c sandwiched between the compressor 11 and the flow path box 131, and the anti-vibration rubber 131u sandwiched between the flow path box 131 and the vehicle, the noise reduction and vibration suppression effects of the compressor assembly 130 can be obtained more effectively.

[0549] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention, as follows.

[0550] In the above embodiments, vehicle air conditioning units 1, 1a, and 1b were described as heat pump circulation devices using the compressor assembly involved in the present invention, but the heat pump circulation devices using the compressor assembly are not limited to vehicle air conditioning units.

[0551] For example, it could also be a stationary air conditioning unit with temperature control function that simultaneously regulates the indoor air and the temperature of the object being regulated (such as a computer, computer server, or other electrical equipment).

[0552] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the example of adjusting the temperature of battery 80 was described as an on-board device that is subject to temperature regulation, but the on-board device is not limited to battery 80. For example, the temperature of inverters, PCUs, transformer shafts, control devices for ADAS, etc., can also be adjusted.

[0553] Inverters supply power to electric generators, etc. The PCU (Power Control Unit) is a power control unit that performs power conversion and distribution. The transformer shaft is a power transmission mechanism that integrates the transmission, differential gears, etc. The control devices used in ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) are control devices used in advanced driver assistance systems.

[0554] The specific structures of the compressor assemblies 100, 110, 120, and 130 involved in this invention are not limited to the structures disclosed in the above embodiments.

[0555] For example, the containment spaces 103, 113, 123, and 133 do not need to be the entire enclosed space containing the compressor 11. As long as the leakage of noise from the compressor 11 to the outside of the containment spaces 103, 113, 123, and 133 can be suppressed, the containment spaces 103, 113, 123, and 133 can also be at least a portion of the enclosed space containing the compressor 11.

[0556] Furthermore, the constituent devices of the heat pump cycle devices 1, 1a, and 1b integrated with the compressor assemblies 100-130 are not limited to the constituent devices disclosed in the above embodiments. As long as the compressor 11 is housed within at least the housing spaces 103, 113, 123, and 133, the other constituent devices may or may not be integrated. Moreover, other structural devices integrated with the compressor assemblies 100-130 may be disposed inside the housing spaces 103-133 or externally.

[0557] Alternatively, as described in the above embodiments, compressor-side outlets 101a, 111a, 121a, 131a and compressor-side inlets 101b, 111b, 121b, 131b may be formed on the inner surfaces of flow path boxes 101, 111, 121, 131, thereby forming inside the receiving spaces 103 to 133.

[0558] Alternatively, the compressor-side outlets 101a to 131a and the compressor-side inlets 101b to 131b can also be formed inside the housing spaces 103 to 133 by forming the constituent equipment of the heat pump circulation devices 1, 1a, and 1b disposed inside the housing spaces 103 to 133.

[0559] Similarly, the outer connection ports 101c to 131h may be formed on the outer side of the flow path boxes 101 to 131 and thus outside the receiving spaces 103 to 133. Alternatively, the outer connection ports 101c to 131h may be formed on the constituent equipment of the heat pump circulation devices 1, 1a, and 1b installed in the flow path boxes 101 to 131 and thus outside the receiving spaces 103 to 133.

[0560] Furthermore, the configuration of the vibration damping rubber 11c is not limited to the examples disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, the vibration damping rubber 11c may also be configured to be heated by the high-pressure side refrigerant within the receiving section 24 described in the third embodiment.

[0561] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, an example of using aluminum alloy as the material for forming the flow path boxes 101-131 was described, but the material of the flow path boxes 101-131 is not limited to aluminum alloy. If iron or stainless steel alloys with a higher specific gravity than aluminum are used, the weight of the compressor assemblies 100-130 as a whole can be increased, thereby improving the vibration resistance of the compressor assemblies.

[0562] Furthermore, although examples of using polypropylene as the material for cover components 102, 122, and 132 have been described, the material for cover components 102 to 132 can be other types of resin or the same metal as the flow path boxes 101 to 131. Regardless of the material used for the flow path boxes 101 to 131 and cover components 102 to 132, it is desirable to form the receiving space 103 to 133 as a sealed space.

[0563] Furthermore, the heat insulation members 104, 124, and 134 can be disposed on the outer surface of the compressor assembly 100-120 as in the first to fourth embodiments, or on the inner surface of the compressor assembly 130 as in the fifth embodiment. Moreover, heat insulation portions can also be disposed on both the outer and inner surfaces of the compressor assembly.

[0564] Alternatively, internal refrigerant passages identical to the cooling passage 22f described in the fourth embodiment can be formed in flow path boxes 101, 121, and 131. Furthermore, mounting portions 131t, equipped with anti-vibration rubber 131u as described in the fifth embodiment, can be formed in compressor assemblies 100, 110, and 120. Moreover, the mounting portions 131t are not limited to being formed in flow path boxes 101-131, but can also be formed in cover members 102-132.

[0565] The specific structure of the heat pump cycle device using the compressor components involved in this invention is not limited to the structure disclosed in the above embodiments.

[0566] For example, the evaporator pressure regulating valve 19 is not limited to an electrically operated variable throttling mechanism. As an evaporator pressure regulating valve, a mechanical variable throttling mechanism in which the valve opening increases as the pressure of the refrigerant on the outlet side of the indoor evaporator 18 rises can also be used.

[0567] For example, the refrigerant for heat pump cycles 10, 10a, and 10b is not limited to R1234yf. Other refrigerants such as R134a, R600a, R410A, R404A, R32, and R407C can also be used. Alternatively, a mixed refrigerant combining several of these refrigerants can also be used.

[0568] For example, the low-temperature side heat medium of the low-temperature side heat medium circuits 30 and 30a and the high-temperature side heat medium of the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 are not limited to aqueous glycol solution. As the low-temperature side heat medium and the high-temperature side heat medium, solutions containing dimethyl polysiloxane or nanofluids, antifreeze, aqueous liquid refrigerants containing alcohols, or liquid media containing oils may also be used.

[0569] The operation mode of the heat pump cycle device using the compressor component involved in this invention is not limited to the mode disclosed in the above embodiments.

[0570] For example, in the vehicle air conditioning unit 1 described in the first embodiment, an external air heat absorption and hot air heating mode can also be executed.

[0571] In the heat pump cycle 10 of the outside air heat absorption and hot gas heating mode, the control device 60 sets the heating expansion valve 15a to a throttling state, the cooling expansion valve 15b to a fully closed state, the cooling expansion valve 15c to a fully open state, and the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d to a throttling state. Additionally, the control device 60 closes the dehumidification on / off valve 23a and the heating on / off valve 23b.

[0572] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10a of the outside air heat absorption and hot gas heating mode, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the following order: muffler section 12, indoor condenser 14, heating expansion valve 15a in a throttling state, outdoor heat exchanger 16, cooling expansion valve 15c in a fully open state, chiller 20, receiver 21, and compressor 11 suction inlet. Simultaneously, the refrigerant circuit is switched to the following order: the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates in the following order: muffler section 12, hot gas flow regulating valve 15d in a throttling state for hot gas passage 22a, chiller 20, receiver 21, and compressor 11 suction inlet.

[0573] In addition, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 30 of the external air heat absorption and hot gas heating mode, the low-temperature side pump 31 is stopped.

[0574] Therefore, in the heat pump cycle 10 of the outside air heat absorption and hot air heating mode, the flow of refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 is branched through the first internal tee joint 13a.

[0575] Refrigerant branching off from the first internal tee joint 13a flows into the indoor condenser 14, dissipating heat to the supply air. This heats the supply air. Refrigerant flowing out of the indoor condenser 14 flows into the heating expansion valve 15a and is depressurized. The depressurized refrigerant from the heating expansion valve 15a flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 16. The refrigerant flowing into the outdoor heat exchanger 16 absorbs heat from the outside air and evaporates. Refrigerant flowing out of the outdoor heat exchanger 16 flows into the chiller 20.

[0576] On the other hand, the refrigerant branching off from the first internal tee joint 13a is regulated and depressurized by the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d. The refrigerant with higher enthalpy after being depressurized by the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d flows into the chiller 20 via the fourth internal tee joint 13d.

[0577] In the chiller 20, the refrigerant, after being depressurized by the cooling expansion valve 15c, mixes with the refrigerant after being depressurized by the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d. At this time, since the cryogenic side pump 31 stops, the refrigerant and the cryogenic side heat medium do not exchange heat in the chiller 20. The refrigerant flowing out of the chiller 20 flows into the liquid receiver section 21 and is separated into gas and liquid phases. The gaseous refrigerant separated from the liquid receiver section 21 is drawn into the compressor 11 and compressed again.

[0578] In the indoor air conditioning unit 50 operating in the hot air heating mode, the supply air blown from the indoor fan 52 passes through the indoor evaporator 18. The supply air after passing through the indoor evaporator 18 is heated by the indoor condenser 14 according to the opening degree of the air mixing door 54. Furthermore, heating of the vehicle interior is achieved by blowing the supply air heated by the indoor condenser 14 into the vehicle interior.

[0579] In the hot gas heating mode, since the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d is set to a throttling state, the refrigerant with a higher enthalpy can flow into the chiller 20 through the fourth internal three-way connector 13d.

[0580] Therefore, in the vehicle air conditioning unit 1 operating in the hot air heating mode of absorbing external air, even if the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11 is increased compared to the parallel dehumidification heating mode, the refrigerant flowing out of the suction side of the compressor 11 can become a superheated gaseous refrigerant. Furthermore, by increasing the compression workload of the compressor 11, the amount of heat dissipated from the refrigerant to the supply air in the indoor condenser 14 can be increased, thereby improving the heating capacity.

[0581] The compressor assembly involved in this invention is effective in suppressing noise in heat pump cycle devices that have an operating mode that increases the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11, such as an external air heat absorption and hot air heating mode.

[0582] In addition, in the above-mentioned vehicle air conditioning units 1, 1a, and 1b, a preheating mode for heating a portion of the constituent equipment and refrigerant can also be executed when the outside temperature is extremely low (for example, when the outside temperature Tam is below -10°C).

[0583] In preheating mode, control device 60 sets heating expansion valve 15a, cooling expansion valve 15b, and cooling expansion valve 15c to a fully closed state, and sets hot gas flow regulating valve 15d to a throttling state. Furthermore, control device 60 closes dehumidification valve 23a, heating valve 23b, first valve 23c, and second valve 23d.

[0584] Therefore, in the heat pump cycles 10, 10a, and 10b of the preheating mode, the refrigerant circuit is switched to the following sequence: the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 circulates through the hot gas flow regulating valve 15d of the hot gas passage 22a, the chiller 20, and the suction side of the compressor 11. This allows for preheating of the components and refrigerant whose temperature drops at extremely low ambient temperatures.

[0585] This invention has been described with reference to embodiments, but it should be understood that the invention is not limited to these embodiments or constructions. The invention also includes various modifications and variations within the same scope. Furthermore, various combinations and methods, and even other combinations and methods containing only one element, or containing more than one element or fewer elements, are all within the scope and spirit of this invention.

Claims

1. A compressor assembly for use in a heat pump cycle apparatus, characterised in that, have: A compressor that draws in, compresses, and discharges refrigerant; A passage forming component having multiple internal refrigerant passages internally for the refrigerant to flow through; as well as The cover component, together with the passage forming component, forms a receiving space for housing the compressor. Inside the containment space, there are a compressor-side inlet and a compressor-side outlet that communicate with the internal refrigerant passage. An external connection port communicating with the internal refrigerant passage is formed on the outside of the containing space. The compressor-side inlet is connected to the compressor-side outlet. The compressor-side outlet is connected to the compressor-side inlet. The outer connection port is connected to the inlet / outlet side of the external component of the heat pump circulation device, which is located outside the receiving space. Both the forming component and the cover component are formed through the passage to form at least a portion of the outer surface.

2. A compressor assembly used in a heat pump cycle device, characterized in that, have: A compressor that draws in, compresses, and discharges refrigerant; A passage forming component having multiple internal refrigerant passages internally for the refrigerant to flow through; as well as The cover component, together with the passage forming component, forms a receiving space for housing the compressor. Inside the containment space, there are a compressor-side inlet and a compressor-side outlet that communicate with the internal refrigerant passage. An external connection port communicating with the internal refrigerant passage is formed on the outside of the containing space. The compressor-side inlet is connected to the compressor-side outlet. The compressor-side outlet is connected to the compressor-side inlet. The outer connection port is connected to the inlet / outlet side of the external component of the heat pump circulation device, which is located outside the receiving space. The compressor is fixed to the passage forming component via a vibration damping component. The passage forming component has a portion forming a high-pressure side refrigerant device in the constituent equipment of the heat pump cycle device, the high-pressure side refrigerant device being supplied with high-pressure side refrigerant from the heat pump cycle device. The vibration damping component is thermoplastic and configured to be heated by the high-pressure side refrigerant within the high-pressure side refrigerant device.

3. The compressor assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The vibration damping component is thermoplastic and configured to be heated by the heat generated by the compressor.

4. A compressor assembly used in a heat pump cycle device, characterized in that, have: A compressor that draws in, compresses, and discharges refrigerant; A passage forming component having multiple internal refrigerant passages internally for the refrigerant to flow through; as well as The cover component, together with the passage forming component, forms a receiving space for housing the compressor. Inside the containment space, there are a compressor-side inlet and a compressor-side outlet that communicate with the internal refrigerant passage. An external connection port communicating with the internal refrigerant passage is formed on the outside of the containing space. The compressor-side inlet is connected to the compressor-side outlet. The compressor-side outlet is connected to the compressor-side inlet. The outer connection port is connected to the inlet / outlet side of the external component of the heat pump circulation device, which is located outside the receiving space. The compressor is fixed to the passage forming component via a vibration damping component. The vibration damping component is thermoplastic and configured to be heated by the heat generated by the compressor.

5. The compressor assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The containment space is a sealed space.

6. The compressor assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, have: A low-pressure hose connects the compressor-side outlet and the suction inlet; A high-pressure hose connects the outlet and the compressor-side inlet. The low-pressure hose and the high-pressure hose are flexible and are installed on the compressor and the passage forming component in a bent state.

7. The compressor assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, An electric device that operates by electricity is fixed to the passage forming component. The electric device is configured to be cooled by the refrigerant on the low-pressure side of the heat pump cycle device, which flows through the internal refrigerant passage.

8. The compressor assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, It includes a heat insulation section that inhibits thermal movement between the air inside and outside the containment space.

9. The compressor assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The heat pump cycle device has a discharge-side branch that branches off the flow of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor, and a heating section that uses the refrigerant flowing through the discharge-side branch as a heat source to heat the fluid to be heated. In the operating mode of heating the fluid to be heated, the refrigerant flowing out from the heating section is combined with the refrigerant branching out from the discharge side and drawn into the compressor.

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