Air conditioning system

Abstract

To provide an air conditioning system which can improve efficiency of a refrigeration cycle when heating air.SOLUTION: An air conditioning system includes a motor compressor for compressing a refrigerant by operation of an electric motor, a first heat exchanger 31 for heating air flowing through an indoor passage 112 for guiding the air indoors, a second heat exchanger 32 for absorbing heat of air flowing through an outdoor passage 111 for guiding the air outdoors, and a bypass passage 15 where an air flow upstream side is arranged on the indoor passage, and an air flow downstream side is arranged on an air flow upstream side of the second heat exchanger of the outdoor passage. The air conditioning system includes a motor compressor for compressing a refrigerant by operation of an electric motor, a first heat exchanger 31 for heating air flowing through an indoor passage for guiding the air indoors, a second heat exchanger 32 for absorbing heat of air flowing through an outdoor passage for guiding the air outdoors, a bypass passage 15 for guiding the air flowing through the outdoor passage to the indoor passage, and a flow rate control part 50 for controlling the flow rate of the air flowing through the bypass passage, and controlling the temperature of the air flowing through the indoor passage.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioning system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an air conditioning system is known that includes a housing having a first air flow path and a second air flow path through which air flows toward a passenger compartment of a vehicle, and a door unit that controls the air flow through the first air flow path and the second air flow path (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This air conditioning system includes a flap member provided between the first air flow path and the second air flow path, a compressor that compresses refrigerant, a first heat exchanger that cools the air flowing through the first air flow path, an expansion valve that expands the refrigerant, and a second heat exchanger that heats the air flowing through the second air flow path. In this air conditioning system, the compressor, the first heat exchanger, the expansion valve, and the second heat exchanger constitute a refrigeration cycle. The first heat exchanger cools and dehumidifies the air flowing through the first air flow path toward the passenger compartment by exchanging heat with the refrigerant. The second heat exchanger heats the air flowing through the second air flow path toward the passenger compartment by exchanging heat with the refrigerant. <00000??>

[0003] Also, this air conditioning system rotates the door unit to blow out the air cooled and dehumidified by the first heat exchanger when flowing through the first air flow path or the air heated by the second heat exchanger when flowing through the second air flow path toward the passenger compartment or the surrounding environment of the passenger compartment. Further, this air conditioning system mixes the air cooled and dehumidified in the first air flow path and the air heated in the second air flow path by opening the flap member, and blows out the heated and dehumidified air toward the passenger compartment or the surrounding environment of the passenger compartment.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Incidentally, the inventors considered improving the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle when the air conditioning system is operating, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the air conditioning system, in relation to an air conditioning system such as that described in Patent Document 1. For example, if the compressor that circulates the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle is an electric compressor operated by the rotation of an electric motor, the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle when the air conditioning system heats the air to obtain the required heating performance is affected by the rotational speed of the electric motor of the electric compressor. Furthermore, the rotational speed of the electric motor of the electric compressor is affected by the temperature and flow rate of the refrigerant and air that the air conditioning system brings into the heat exchanger to obtain the required heating performance.

[0006] For example, assuming that the temperature of the refrigerant and air flowing into the heat exchanger is constant, the higher the required heating performance of the air conditioning system, the greater the flow rate of refrigerant and air per unit time introduced into the heat exchanger. Therefore, one way to meet the required heating performance is to increase the rotational speed of the electric motor of the electric compressor, thereby increasing the flow rate of refrigerant per unit time introduced into the heat exchanger.

[0007] However, the efficiency of an electric compressor tends to decrease as the rotational speed of the electric motor increases. Also, pressure loss occurs when the refrigerant circulates through the refrigerant circuit, and this pressure loss increases as the flow rate of the circulating refrigerant per unit time increases. For this reason, increasing the rotational speed of the electric motor of the electric compressor to increase the flow rate of the refrigerant circulating through the refrigeration cycle per unit time in order for an air conditioning system to meet the required heating performance will result in a decrease in the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle.

[0008] This disclosure aims to provide an air conditioning system capable of improving the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle when heating air. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The invention described in claim 1 is, An air conditioning system that blows out heated air, A casing (10) having air inlets (111a, 111b, 112a, 112b) for introducing air, an indoor passage (112) for guiding the air introduced from the air inlets into the room, and an outdoor passage (111) for guiding the air introduced from the air inlets to the outside, A bypass passage (15) that guides the air flowing through the indoor passage to the outdoor passage, A blower unit (20) that generates airflow in indoor and outdoor passages, The refrigeration cycle comprises an electric compressor (34) that compresses and discharges refrigerant by the operation of an electric motor (341) which is the driving source; a first heat exchanger (31) installed in an indoor passage that heats the air flowing through the indoor passage by exchanging heat between the refrigerant discharged from the electric compressor and the air flowing through the indoor passage; a pressure reducer (35) that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing out of the first heat exchanger; and a second heat exchanger (32) installed in an outdoor passage that heats the air flowing through the outdoor passage by exchanging heat between the refrigerant flowing out of the pressure reducer and the air flowing through the outdoor passage, thereby absorbing heat from the air flowing through the outdoor passage. The bypass passage is positioned with the airflow upstream of the indoor passage and the airflow downstream of the outdoor passage upstream of the location where the second heat exchanger is installed.

[0010] According to this, by guiding the air flowing through the indoor passageway to the upstream side of the airflow from the location where the second heat exchanger is installed in the outdoor passageway via a bypass passage, the airflow rate per unit time introduced into the second heat exchanger can be increased. As a result, the amount of heat absorbed per unit time by the refrigerant introduced into the second heat exchanger from the air can be increased. This causes the temperature of the refrigerant flowing out of the second heat exchanger to rise and the pressure of this refrigerant to increase, thereby increasing the refrigerant flow rate per unit time flowing out of the second heat exchanger.

[0011] Therefore, compared to a configuration without a bypass passage, the rotational speed of the electric motor of the electric compressor when the air conditioning system is operating can be reduced, thereby improving the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle.

[0012] Furthermore, the invention described in claim 4 is, An air conditioning system that blows out heated air, A casing (10) having air inlets (111a, 111b, 112a, 112b) for introducing air, an indoor passage (112) for guiding the air introduced from the air inlets into the room, and an outdoor passage (111) for guiding the air introduced from the air inlets to the outside, The upstream side of the airflow is located in the outdoor passageway, and the downstream side of the airflow is located in the indoor passageway, and there is a bypass passage (15) that guides the air flowing in the outdoor passageway to the indoor passageway, A blower unit (20) that generates airflow in indoor and outdoor passages, A refrigeration cycle comprising: an electric compressor (34) that compresses and discharges refrigerant by the operation of an electric motor (341) which is the driving source; a first heat exchanger (31) installed in an indoor passage that heats the air flowing through the indoor passage by exchanging heat between the refrigerant discharged from the electric compressor and the air flowing through the indoor passage; a pressure reducer (35) that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing out of the first heat exchanger; and a second heat exchanger (32) installed in an outdoor passage that heats the air flowing through the outdoor passage by exchanging heat between the refrigerant flowing out of the pressure reducer and the air flowing through the outdoor passage, thereby absorbing heat from the air flowing through the outdoor passage. It includes a flow rate adjustment unit (50) that adjusts the flow rate of air flowing from the outdoor passage to the indoor passage via a bypass passage, The air blower generates airflow such that the air flowing through the indoor and outdoor passages flows in opposite directions. The bypass passage opens on the upstream side toward the upstream side of the airflow in the outdoor passage and on the downstream side toward the downstream side of the airflow in the indoor passage. The flow rate adjustment unit adjusts the flow rate of air flowing from the outdoor passage to the indoor passage via a bypass passage, thereby adjusting the temperature of the air flowing through the indoor passage. ru.

[0013] According to this, when using air flowing through the outdoor passage and discharged outside to heat the air in the first heat exchanger and then blowing it into the room, the temperature of the air being changed can be adjusted by adjusting the flow rate of the air flowing through the bypass passage using the flow rate adjustment unit.

[0014] By the way, as a method for adjusting the temperature of the air blown into the room, there is a method of providing two heat exchangers in the flow path through which the air blown into the room flows, like the air conditioning system described in Patent Document 1. However, when the refrigerant flows through the heat exchanger, a pressure loss occurs. Therefore, in the air conditioning system of the present invention, when a heat exchanger for adjusting the temperature of the air is further provided separately from the first heat exchanger in the indoor passage, compared with the case where only the first heat exchanger is provided in the indoor passage, it becomes a factor increasing the pressure loss when the refrigerant circulates in the refrigeration cycle.

[0015] [[ID=④]]And when the pressure loss when the refrigerant circulates increases, it becomes difficult for the refrigerant to circulate. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the rotational speed of the electric motor of the electric compressor corresponding to the increase in the pressure loss. For this reason, the increase in the pressure loss when the refrigerant circulates in the refrigeration cycle due to further providing a heat exchanger for adjusting the temperature of the air in the indoor passage separately from the first heat exchanger becomes a factor deteriorating the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle.

[0016] In contrast, the present invention can adjust the temperature of the air heated by the first heat exchanger without providing a heat exchanger different from the first heat exchanger by adjusting the flow rate of the air flowing through the bypass passage by the flow rate adjusting unit. For this reason, since the rotational speed of the electric motor of the electric compressor can be made smaller compared with the configuration in which a heat exchanger for adjusting the temperature of the air is further provided separately from the first heat exchanger in the indoor passage, the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle can be improved.

[0017] The reference numerals with parentheses attached to each component etc. show an example of the correspondence relationship between the component etc. and the specific components etc. described in the embodiments described later.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] It is a schematic configuration diagram of the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a schematic configuration diagram of the refrigeration cycle device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3]It is a diagram showing the air flow when the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment operates in the heating mode. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing the air flow when the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment operates in the cooling mode. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing the air flow when the first modification of the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment operates in the heating mode. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing the air flow when the first modification of the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment operates in the cooling mode. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing the air flow when the second modification of the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment operates in the heating mode. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing the air flow when the second modification of the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment operates in the cooling mode. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing the air flow when the third modification of the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment operates in the heating mode. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing the air flow when the third modification of the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment operates in the cooling mode. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing the air flow when the air conditioning system according to the second embodiment operates in the heating mode. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing the air flow when the air conditioning system according to the second embodiment operates in the cooling mode. [Figure 13] It is a diagram showing the air flow when the first modification of the air conditioning system according to the second embodiment operates in the heating mode. [Figure 14] It is a diagram showing the air flow when the first modification of the air conditioning system according to the second embodiment operates in the cooling mode. [Figure 15] It is a diagram showing the air flow when the second modification of the air conditioning system according to the second embodiment operates in the heating mode. [Figure 16] It is a diagram showing the air flow when the second modification of the air conditioning system according to the second embodiment operates in the cooling mode. [Figure 17] This diagram shows the airflow when a third modified example of the air conditioning system according to the second embodiment is operating in heating mode. [Figure 18] This diagram shows the airflow when a third modified example of the air conditioning system according to the second embodiment is operating in cooling mode. [Figure 19] This diagram shows the airflow when the air conditioning system according to the third embodiment is operating in heating mode. [Figure 20] This diagram shows the airflow when the air conditioning system according to the third embodiment is operating in cooling mode. [Figure 21] This diagram shows the airflow when a first modified example of the air conditioning system according to the third embodiment is operating in heating mode. [Figure 22] This diagram shows the airflow when a first modified example of the air conditioning system according to the third embodiment is operating in cooling mode. [Figure 23] This diagram shows the airflow when a second modified example of the air conditioning system according to the third embodiment is operating in heating mode. [Figure 24] This diagram shows the airflow when a second modified example of the air conditioning system according to the third embodiment is operating in cooling mode. [Figure 25] This diagram shows the airflow when a third modified example of the air conditioning system according to the third embodiment is operating in heating mode. [Figure 26] This diagram shows the airflow when a third modified example of the air conditioning system according to the third embodiment is operating in cooling mode. [Figure 27] This diagram shows the airflow when the air conditioning system according to the fourth embodiment is operating in heating mode. [Figure 28] This diagram shows the airflow when the air conditioning system according to the fourth embodiment is operating in cooling mode. [Figure 29] This diagram shows the airflow when a first modified example of the air conditioning system according to the fourth embodiment is operating in heating mode. [Figure 30] This diagram shows the airflow when a first modified example of the air conditioning system according to the fourth embodiment is operating in cooling mode. [Figure 31] This diagram shows the airflow when a second modified example of the air conditioning system according to the fourth embodiment is operating in heating mode. [Figure 32] This diagram shows the airflow when a second modified example of the air conditioning system according to the fourth embodiment is operating in cooling mode. [Figure 33] This diagram shows the airflow when a third modified example of the air conditioning system according to the fourth embodiment is operating in heating mode. [Figure 34] This diagram shows the airflow when a third modified example of the air conditioning system according to the fourth embodiment is operating in cooling mode. [Figure 35] This diagram shows the airflow when the air conditioning system according to the fifth embodiment is operating in heating mode. [Figure 36] This diagram shows the airflow when the air conditioning system according to the fifth embodiment is operating in cooling mode. [Figure 37] This diagram shows the airflow when a first modified example of the air conditioning system according to the fifth embodiment is operating in heating mode. [Figure 38] This diagram shows the airflow when a first modified example of the air conditioning system according to the fifth embodiment is operating in cooling mode. [Figure 39] This diagram shows the airflow when a second modified example of the air conditioning system according to the fifth embodiment is operating in heating mode. [Figure 40] This diagram shows the airflow when a second modified example of the air conditioning system according to the fifth embodiment is operating in cooling mode. [Figure 41] This diagram shows the airflow when a third modified example of the air conditioning system according to the fifth embodiment is operating in heating mode. [Figure 42] This diagram shows the airflow when a third modified example of the air conditioning system according to the fifth embodiment is operating in cooling mode. [Figure 43] This diagram shows the airflow when the air conditioning system according to the sixth embodiment is operating in heating mode. [Figure 44]This diagram shows the airflow when the air conditioning system according to the sixth embodiment is operating in cooling mode. [Figure 45] This diagram shows the airflow when a first modified example of the air conditioning system according to the sixth embodiment is operating in heating mode. [Figure 46] This diagram shows the airflow when a first modified example of the air conditioning system according to the sixth embodiment is operating in cooling mode. [Figure 47] This diagram shows the airflow when a second modified example of the air conditioning system according to the sixth embodiment is operating in heating mode. [Figure 48] This diagram shows the airflow when a second modified example of the air conditioning system according to the sixth embodiment is operating in cooling mode. [Figure 49] This diagram shows the airflow when a third modified example of the air conditioning system according to the sixth embodiment is operating in heating mode. [Figure 50] This diagram shows the airflow when a third modified example of the air conditioning system according to the sixth embodiment is operating in cooling mode. [Figure 51] This is a schematic diagram of the refrigeration cycle system according to the seventh embodiment. [Figure 52] This is a schematic diagram of the air conditioning system according to the eighth embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0019] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, parts that are the same as or equivalent to those described in the prior embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions may be omitted. Also, if only a part of a component is described in an embodiment, the components described in the prior embodiments can be applied to the other parts of that component. The following embodiments can be partially combined with each other, even if not explicitly stated, as long as it does not impede the combination.

[0020] (First Embodiment) This embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. In this embodiment, an example of applying an air conditioning system 1, which provides air conditioning for the vehicle interior, to a vehicle will be described. As shown in Figure 1, the air conditioning system 1 includes a casing 10, a blower unit 20, a first heat exchanger 31, a second heat exchanger 32, a flow rate adjustment unit 50, a PTC heater 60, a control device 70, etc. Furthermore, the air conditioning system 1 of this embodiment has a vapor compression type refrigeration cycle composed of the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32, etc. The air conditioning system 1 is configured to heat the vehicle interior by blowing out air heated by a refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration cycle, and to cool the vehicle interior by blowing out air cooled by the refrigerant.

[0021] In this embodiment, the arrow DRud shown in Figure 1 and other figures indicates the vertical direction when the air conditioning system 1 is installed in a vehicle, and the arrow DRw indicates the horizontal direction when the air conditioning system 1 is installed in a vehicle. In the following description, the upper side of the vertical direction DRud may be simply referred to as the upper side, and the lower side of the vertical direction DRud may be simply referred to as the lower side. Similarly, the right side of the horizontal direction DRw may be simply referred to as the right side, and the left side of the horizontal direction DRw may be simply referred to as the left side. Note that the installation state of the air conditioning system 1 in this disclosure is not limited to the directions indicated in each figure.

[0022] The casing 10 forms an air passage 11 through which air supplied to the vehicle interior flows. The casing 10 is hollow and made of a material (for example, polypropylene) that has a certain degree of elasticity and excellent strength. The casing 10 houses the air blower 20, the first heat exchanger 31, the second heat exchanger 32, the flow rate adjustment unit 50, the PTC heater 60, etc. The casing 10 also has a passage partition 12 that divides the air passage 11 in the vertical direction DRud. The air passage 11 is divided in the vertical direction DRud by the passage partition 12.

[0023] Specifically, the air passage 11 has an outdoor passage 111 on the upper side of the vertical DRud of the passage partition 12 that guides the air introduced into the casing 10 to the outside of the vehicle, and an indoor passage 112 on the lower side of the vertical DRud that guides the air introduced into the casing 10 into the vehicle interior.

[0024] In other words, the air passage 11 is partitioned by a passage partition 12 such that the upper part of the vertical DRud is composed of an outdoor passage 111 and the lower part is composed of an indoor passage 112. To put it another way, the outdoor passage 111 and the indoor passage 112 are provided side by side in the vertical DRud of the casing 10 via the passage partition 12.

[0025] Furthermore, at the upstream end of the airflow in the outdoor passage 111 of the casing 10, an outdoor air intake 111a for introducing outside air (hereinafter referred to as outside air) into the outdoor passage 111 and an outdoor indoor air intake 111b for introducing inside air (hereinafter referred to as inside air) into the outdoor passage 111 are formed. Then, at the downstream end of the airflow in the outdoor passage 111 of the casing 10, an outdoor opening 111c is formed to guide the air introduced into the outdoor passage 111 from the outdoor air intake 111a and the outdoor indoor air intake 111b to the outside of the outdoor passage 111.

[0026] The outdoor air intake 111a is located outside the vehicle and is configured to draw in outside air. The outdoor interior air intake 111b is located inside the vehicle and is configured to draw in interior air. The outdoor opening 111c is connected to a duct (not shown) that opens into, for example, the drive unit compartment housing the vehicle's drive unit, and is configured to discharge the air that has flowed through the outdoor passage 111 to the outside of the vehicle via the duct.

[0027] Furthermore, inside the casing 10, an outdoor switching device 13 is positioned at the upstream end of the airflow in the outdoor passage 111 to switch between outside air and inside air being introduced into the outdoor passage 111.

[0028] Furthermore, at the upstream end of the airflow in the indoor passage 112 of the casing 10, an indoor outdoor air intake 112a for introducing outside air into the indoor passage 112 and an indoor indoor air intake 112b for introducing inside air into the indoor passage 112 are formed. Then, at the downstream end of the airflow in the indoor passage 112 of the casing 10, an indoor opening 112c is formed to guide the air introduced into the indoor passage 112 from the indoor outdoor air intake 112a and the indoor indoor air intake 112b to the outside of the indoor passage 112.

[0029] The indoor outside air intake 112a is located outside the vehicle and is configured to draw in outside air. The indoor recirculating air intake 112b is located inside the vehicle and is configured to draw in recirculating air. The indoor opening 112c is connected to a duct (not shown) that communicates with an air outlet (not shown) located on the dashboard inside the vehicle, and is configured to blow air that has flowed through the indoor passage 112 into the vehicle interior via the duct.

[0030] The outdoor air intake 111a, the outdoor indoor air intake 111b, the indoor outdoor air intake 112a, and the indoor indoor air intake 112b function as air inlets that introduce air into the interior of the casing 10. Hereinafter, the air introduced into the outdoor passage 111 from the outdoor air intake 111a and the outdoor indoor air intake 111b will be referred to as outdoor discharge air, and the air introduced into the indoor passage 112 from the indoor outdoor air intake 112a and the indoor indoor air intake 112b will be referred to as indoor discharge air.

[0031] Furthermore, inside the casing 10, an indoor switching device 14 is positioned at the upstream end of the airflow in the indoor passage 112 to switch between outside air and inside air being introduced into the indoor passage 112. Also inside the casing 10, a bypass passage 15 is formed to guide the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 to the outdoor passage 111. The bypass passage 15 is equipped with a flow rate adjustment unit 50 that adjusts the flow rate of the air flowing through it. Details of the bypass passage 15 and the flow rate adjustment unit 50 will be described later.

[0032] The outdoor passage 111 is an air passage that guides air introduced from the outdoor air intake 111a and the outdoor indoor air intake 111b to the outside of the vehicle, and is formed along the left-right direction DRw. The upstream side of the outdoor passage 111 is in communication with the outdoor air intake 111a and the outdoor indoor air intake 111b, and the downstream side is in communication with the outdoor opening 111c.

[0033] The interior passage 112 is an air passage that guides air introduced from the interior outside air intake 112a and the interior recirculating air intake 112b into the vehicle interior, and is formed along the left-right direction DRw. The interior passage 112 communicates with the interior outside air intake 112a and the interior recirculating air intake 112b on its upstream side, and with the interior opening 112c on its downstream side.

[0034] The passage partition 12 is a flat plate with a plate surface in the vertical direction DRud and is integrally molded with the casing 10. The passage partition 12 is also formed to extend along the horizontal direction DRw from one end to the other end of the casing 10 in the horizontal direction DRw. The passage partition 12 has a through hole 121 which forms part of the bypass passage 15 described later. The through hole 121 penetrates the passage partition 12 in the vertical direction DRud and connects the outdoor passage 111 and the indoor passage 112.

[0035] The outdoor switching device 13 has a plate-shaped outdoor switching door 131, which switches between the outdoor outside air intake 111a and the outdoor inside air intake 111b. The outdoor switching device 13 switches the air introduced into the outdoor passage 111 between outside air and inside air by rotating the outdoor switching door 131 around one end of the door to switch the air intake that is opened. The outdoor switching door 131 is driven by an electric actuator (not shown) for the outdoor switching door 131. The operation of this electric actuator is controlled by a control signal output from the control device 70.

[0036] The indoor switching device 14 has a plate-shaped indoor switching door 141, and switches between opening an indoor outside air intake port 112a and an indoor inside air intake port 112b using the indoor switching door 141. The indoor switching device 14 switches the air introduced into the indoor passage 112 between outside air and inside air by rotating the indoor switching door 141 around one end of the indoor switching door 141 to switch the opening air intake port. The indoor switching door 141 is driven by an electric actuator (not shown) for the indoor switching door 141. The operation of this electric actuator is controlled by a control signal output from the control device 70.

[0037] Inside the air passage 11 is a blower unit 20 that generates airflow in the air passage 11. Specifically, inside the outdoor passage 111 is an outdoor blower unit 22 that generates airflow in the outdoor passage 111, and inside the indoor passage 112 is an indoor blower unit 21 that generates airflow in the indoor passage 112. Furthermore, inside the outdoor passage 111, downstream of the airflow from the outdoor blower unit 22, is a second heat exchanger 32 that exchanges heat between the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111 and the refrigerant.

[0038] Furthermore, inside the indoor passage 112, downstream of the indoor air supply unit 21, are housed a first heat exchanger 31 that exchanges heat between the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 and the refrigerant, and a PTC heater 60 that heats the air flowing through the indoor passage 112. The outdoor air supply unit 22 is located upstream of the location where the second heat exchanger 32 is installed in the outdoor passage 111. In addition, the outdoor air supply unit 22 is located upstream of the downstream opening 152 in the bypass passage 15, which will be described later.

[0039] Furthermore, the indoor air supply unit 21 is located upstream of the airflow in the indoor passage 112 from the location where the first heat exchanger 31 and the PTC heater 60 are installed. In addition, the indoor air supply unit 21 is located upstream of the airflow from the upstream opening 151 in the bypass passage 15, which will be described later.

[0040] The indoor air blower 21 and the outdoor air blower 22 are blowers that generate airflow in the air passage 11 by drawing in air and blowing out the drawn-in air. In this embodiment, the indoor air blower 21 and the outdoor air blower 22 are composed of, for example, axial flow fans that draw in air in a direction along the fan axis and blow it out in a direction along the fan axis.

[0041] The indoor ventilation unit 21 includes an indoor ventilation fan 211 that rotates to generate airflow and an indoor motor 212 that rotates the indoor ventilation fan 211. The indoor ventilation unit 21 is an electric blower that drives the indoor ventilation fan 211 with the indoor motor 212. The axis of the indoor ventilation fan 211 is arranged along the left-right direction DRw. The indoor ventilation fan 211 rotates due to the driving force transmitted from the indoor motor 212, and blows the indoor air that has been drawn in toward the downstream side of the airflow in the indoor passage 112. The indoor ventilation fan 211 and the indoor motor 212 are located upstream of the airflow in the indoor passage 112 from the location where the first heat exchanger 31 is installed.

[0042] In this embodiment, the indoor ventilation unit 21 is positioned so that air flows from right to left within the indoor passage 112 by the rotation of the indoor ventilation fan 211, which draws in air from the right side of the indoor ventilation fan 211 and pushes it to the left side. Therefore, the indoor ventilation unit 21 generates an airflow so that the indoor discharged air flows from right to left within the indoor passage 112, and the indoor discharged air is blown out from the indoor opening 112c.

[0043] The indoor motor 212 is electrically connected to the control device 70, and its rotational speed (i.e., airflow capacity) is controlled by a control voltage transmitted from the control device 70.

[0044] The outdoor ventilation unit 22 has an outdoor ventilation fan 221 that rotates to generate airflow and an outdoor motor 222 that rotates the outdoor ventilation fan 221. The outdoor ventilation unit 22 is an electric blower that drives the outdoor ventilation fan 221 with the outdoor motor 222. The axis of the outdoor ventilation fan 221 is arranged along the left-right direction DRw. The outdoor ventilation fan 221 rotates due to the driving force transmitted from the outdoor motor 222, and blows out the inhaled outdoor air toward the downstream side of the airflow in the outdoor passage 111. The outdoor ventilation fan 221 and the outdoor motor 222 are located upstream of the area where the second heat exchanger 32 is installed in the outdoor passage 111.

[0045] In this embodiment, the outdoor air blower unit 22 is positioned so that air flows from left to right within the outdoor passage 111 by the rotation of the outdoor air blower fan 221, which draws in air from the left side of the outdoor air blower fan 221 and pushes it to the right side. Therefore, the outdoor air blower unit 22 generates an airflow so that the outdoor air outlet flows from left to right within the outdoor passage 111, and blows the outdoor air out from the outdoor opening 111c.

[0046] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the indoor air blower 21 and the outdoor air blower 22 are arranged such that the direction of air flowing through the indoor passage 112 is opposite to the direction of air flowing through the outdoor passage 111. In other words, the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 and the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111 flow in opposite directions in the left-right direction DRw.

[0047] The outdoor motor 222 is electrically connected to the control device 70, and its rotational speed (i.e., airflow capacity) is controlled by a control voltage transmitted from the control device 70.

[0048] The indoor air blower unit 21 and the outdoor air blower unit 22 operate independently of each other based on control voltages transmitted from the control device 70 to the indoor motor 212 and the outdoor motor 222, respectively. Therefore, the indoor air blower unit 21 and the outdoor air blower unit 22, for example, the indoor air blower fan 211 and the outdoor air blower fan 221, can rotate at different rotational speeds.

[0049] Furthermore, the indoor air blower 21 that generates airflow in the indoor passage 112 and the outdoor air blower 22 that generates airflow in the outdoor passage 111 are not limited to axial flow fans. The indoor air blower 21 and the outdoor air blower 22 may be composed of centrifugal fans or mixed flow fans, for example. Also, the indoor air blower 21 and the outdoor air blower 22 may be composed of fans with different configurations, for example, one being an axial flow fan and the other a centrifugal fan.

[0050] As shown in Figure 2, the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32, together with the refrigerant circuit 33, electric compressor 34, and pressure reducer 35, constitute a vapor compression type refrigeration cycle device 30. In the refrigeration cycle device 30, for example, an HFO-based refrigerant (specifically, R1234yf) is used as the refrigerant, and a vapor compression type subcritical refrigeration cycle is configured in which the pressure of the discharged refrigerant discharged from the electric compressor 34 does not exceed the critical pressure of the refrigerant. Furthermore, the refrigeration cycle device 30 of this embodiment constitutes a heat pump cycle that can switch the direction of flow of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit 33. Note that an HFC-based refrigerant (for example, R134a) or a natural refrigerant (for example, carbon dioxide) may be used as the refrigerant.

[0051] The electric compressor 34 compresses and discharges the refrigerant drawn in by the refrigeration cycle device 30. The electric compressor 34 is an electric compressor having an electric motor 341 as a drive source and a fixed-capacity compression mechanism (not shown) with a fixed discharge capacity driven by the electric motor 341. The rotational speed of the electric motor 341 (i.e., the refrigerant discharge capacity) of the electric compressor 34 is controlled by a control voltage output from the control device 70. Hereinafter, the rotation of the electric motor 341 of the electric compressor 34 may be simply referred to as the rotation of the electric compressor 34.

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the electric compressor 34 is configured so that the rotation direction of the electric motor 341 can be switched between forward and reverse rotation directions by a control voltage output from the control device 70. As a result, in this embodiment, the electric compressor 34 can switch the direction of flow of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit 33 by switching the rotation direction of the electric motor 341. When the air conditioning system 1 operates in heating mode to heat the interior of the vehicle, the electric compressor 34 guides the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant discharged by the electric motor 341 when it rotates forward to the first heat exchanger 31. When the air conditioning system 1 operates in cooling mode to cool the interior of the vehicle, the electric compressor 34 guides the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant discharged by the electric motor 341 when it rotates backward to the second heat exchanger 32.

[0053] The first heat exchanger 31 is located within the indoor passage 112 and is a heat exchange device that exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing inside the first heat exchanger 31 and the air flowing through the indoor passage 112. The first heat exchanger 31 is located downstream of the indoor air supply unit 21 in the indoor passage 112, and air pushed out from the indoor air supply fan 211 is introduced into it. As a result, the first heat exchanger 31 heats and cools the indoor air by exchanging heat between the refrigerant flowing inside the first heat exchanger 31 and the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 from right to left.

[0054] Specifically, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode, the first heat exchanger 31 exchanges heat between the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the electric compressor 34 and the indoor air being blown out, thereby heating the air flowing through the indoor passage 112. Also, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode, the first heat exchanger 31 uses the latent heat of vaporization of the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant before it is introduced into the electric compressor 34 to absorb heat from the indoor air being blown out and cool this air.

[0055] In other words, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode, the first heat exchanger 31 functions as a condenser that condenses the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the electric compressor 34 by exchanging heat with the air flowing through the indoor passage 112. Conversely, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode, the first heat exchanger 31 functions as an evaporator that evaporates the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant before it is introduced into the electric compressor 34 by exchanging heat with the air flowing through the indoor passage 112.

[0056] The first heat exchanger 31 is positioned over almost the entire cross-section of the passage in the indoor passage 112 where the first heat exchanger 31 is located. As a result, the first heat exchanger 31 exchanges heat with almost all of the air flowing through the indoor passage 112. Furthermore, the first heat exchanger 31 is located upstream of the bypass passage 15, which will be described later.

[0057] Furthermore, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in heating mode, a pressure reducer 35 and a second heat exchanger 32 are connected in this order to the downstream side of the refrigerant flow of the first heat exchanger 31 of the refrigeration cycle. That is, a pressure reducer 35 is provided between the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32. Furthermore, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in cooling mode, a pressure reducer 35 is connected to the downstream side of the refrigerant flow of the second heat exchanger 32 of the refrigeration cycle.

[0058] The pressure reducer 35 is an expansion valve that depressurizes and expands the refrigerant flowing out of the first heat exchanger 31 or the second heat exchanger 32. The pressure reducer 35 is electrically connected to the control device 70, and is configured so that the valve opening is controlled by a control signal transmitted from the control device 70. When the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode, the pressure reducer 35 depressurizes and expands the refrigerant supplied from the first heat exchanger 31 to the second heat exchanger 32, supplying it to the second heat exchanger 32 as a low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase state, and also adjusts the refrigerant flow rate. When the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode, the pressure reducer 35 depressurizes and expands the refrigerant supplied from the second heat exchanger 32 to the first heat exchanger 31, supplying it to the first heat exchanger 31 as a low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase state, and also adjusts the refrigerant flow rate. The pressure reducer 35 can be, for example, a capillary tube, an orifice, etc.

[0059] The second heat exchanger 32 is located in the outdoor passage 111 and is a heat exchange device that exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing inside the second heat exchanger 32 and the air flowing in the outdoor passage 111. The second heat exchanger 32 is located downstream of the outdoor air supply unit 22 in the outdoor passage 111, and air pushed out from the outdoor air supply fan 221 is introduced into it. As a result, the second heat exchanger 32 heats and cools the outdoor discharge air by exchanging heat between the refrigerant flowing inside the second heat exchanger 32 and the air flowing from left to right in the outdoor passage 111.

[0060] Specifically, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode, the second heat exchanger 32 absorbs heat from the outdoor air by utilizing the latent heat of vaporization when the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant evaporates before being introduced to the electric compressor 34. Also, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode, the second heat exchanger 32 dissipates heat from the refrigerant by exchanging heat between the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the electric compressor 34 and the outdoor air.

[0061] In other words, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode, the second heat exchanger 32 functions as an evaporator that evaporates the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant before it is introduced into the electric compressor 34 by exchanging heat with the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111. Conversely, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode, the second heat exchanger 32 functions as a condenser that condenses the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the electric compressor 34 by exchanging heat with the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111.

[0062] The second heat exchanger 32 is positioned over almost the entire cross-section of the passage in the outdoor passage 111 where the second heat exchanger 32 is located. As a result, the second heat exchanger 32 exchanges heat with almost all of the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111. Furthermore, the second heat exchanger 32 is located downstream of the bypass passage 15, which will be described later.

[0063] Furthermore, the installation positions of the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32 overlap in the left-right direction DRw. The first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32 are arranged side by side along the vertical direction DRud via the passage partition 12. In other words, the first heat exchanger 31 is located below the second heat exchanger 32 in the vertical direction DRud.

[0064] In the refrigeration cycle device 30 configured as described above, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in heating mode, the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circuit 33 flows in the following order: electric compressor 34, first heat exchanger 31, pressure reducer 35, and second heat exchanger 32. When the air conditioning system 1 operates in cooling mode, the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circuit 33 flows in the following order: electric compressor 34, second heat exchanger 32, pressure reducer 35, and first heat exchanger 31. A PTC heater 60 is provided downstream of the airflow from the first heat exchanger 31 in the indoor passage 112.

[0065] The PTC heater 60 is a heater that generates heat in accordance with the supplied power and heats the air that has passed through the first heat exchanger 31 in the indoor passage 112. The PTC heater 60 heats the air that has passed through the first heat exchanger 31 and also lowers the relative humidity of the air that has passed through the first heat exchanger 31. The operation of the PTC heater 60 is controlled by a control signal output from the control device 70.

[0066] The control device 70 is an air conditioning ECU that controls the operation of the components of the air conditioning system 1. ECU stands for Electronic Control Unit. The control device 70 performs various calculations and processes based on the air conditioning control program stored in the ROM and controls the operation of the components connected to its output side. The ROM and RAM of the control device 70 are composed of non-transitional physical storage media.

[0067] Although not shown in the diagram, the air conditioning system 1 includes a pressure sensor for detecting the pressure of the refrigerant discharged from the electric compressor 34, an intake temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the air introduced into the outdoor passage 111 and the indoor passage 112, and an interior temperature sensor for detecting the temperature inside the vehicle. Also, although not shown in the diagram, the air conditioning system 1 includes a heat exchanger temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the air that has passed through the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32, an exterior temperature sensor for detecting the temperature outside the vehicle, and a solar radiation sensor for detecting the amount of solar radiation. These sensors are electrically connected to the control device 70 and transmit detection signals to the control device 70 according to the detection results.

[0068] The control device 70 controls the rotational speeds of the electric motor 341 of the electric compressor 34, the indoor motor 212 of the indoor air blower 21, and the outdoor motor 222 of the outdoor air blower 22, based on information input from these sensor groups and temperature information set by the operator. The control device 70 controls the rotational speeds of the electric motor 341 of the electric compressor 34, the indoor motor 212 of the indoor air blower 21, and the outdoor motor 222 of the outdoor air blower 22 independently of each other. In addition, the control device 70 controls the operation of the outdoor switching device 13, the indoor switching device 14, the PTC heater 60, and the flow rate adjustment unit 50 based on information input from these sensor groups and temperature information set by the operator.

[0069] When the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode, the control device 70 determines the rotational speed of each of these motors based on temperature information set by the operator. Specifically, the rotational speeds of the electric motor 341, the indoor motor 212, and the outdoor motor 222 are set to the rotational speeds necessary to obtain the required heating performance set by the operator when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode. In addition, the rotational speeds of the electric motor 341, the indoor motor 212, and the outdoor motor 222 are set to the rotational speeds necessary to obtain the required cooling performance set by the operator when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode.

[0070] The control device 70 in this embodiment functions as a motor control device that controls the operation of the electric motor 341, and also functions as a fan control device that controls the operation of the indoor fan unit 21 and the outdoor fan unit 22.

[0071] Next, the bypass passage 15 and the flow rate adjustment section 50 will be described. The bypass passage 15 forms an air passage that guides a portion of the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 to the outdoor passage 111, and is formed in a hollow shape. The bypass passage 15 is integrally molded with the casing 10. A portion of the bypass passage 15 is composed of a passage partition section 12.

[0072] The bypass passage 15 has one side of its airflow path connected to the indoor passage 112, and the other side of its airflow path connected to the outdoor passage 111. Specifically, the upstream side of the airflow path in the bypass passage 15 is located in the indoor passage 112, and the downstream side of the airflow path is located in the outdoor passage 111. The upstream side of the airflow path in the bypass passage 15 is connected to the downstream side of the airflow path through a through-hole 121 formed in the passage partition 12.

[0073] The bypass passage 15 is roughly U-shaped, and its shape is such that the airflow direction introduced into its interior from an opening at one end is reversed and guided to the opening at the other end. The bypass passage 15 has an upstream opening 151 that opens into the indoor passage 112 and introduces air flowing through the indoor passage 112, and a downstream opening 152 that opens into the outdoor passage 111 and blows the air introduced from the upstream opening 151 out to the outdoor passage 111. Furthermore, the bypass passage 15 has an upstream passage section 153 that forms an upstream passage 153a located on the indoor passage 112 side and a downstream passage section 154 that forms a downstream passage 154a located on the outdoor passage 111 side. In addition, the bypass passage 15 has a bypass bottom section 155 that connects the upstream passage section 153 and the downstream passage section 154. The upstream passage section 153, the downstream passage section 154 and the bypass bottom section 155 are integrally molded.

[0074] The upstream passage section 153 is formed in the indoor passage 112, extending parallel to the passage partition section 12 along the left-right direction DRw from a position to the right of the through-hole 121 of the passage partition section 12 to the left end of the through-hole 121. That is, a portion of the upstream passage section 153 overlaps with the passage partition section 12 in the vertical direction DRud, and this overlapping portion faces the lower plate surface of the passage partition section 12.

[0075] The downstream passage section 154 is formed in the outdoor passage 111, extending parallel to the passage partition section 12 along the left-right direction DRw from a position to the right of the through-hole 121 of the passage partition section 12 to the left end of the through-hole 121. That is, a portion of the downstream passage section 154 overlaps with the passage partition section 12 in the vertical direction DRud, and this overlapping portion faces the upper plate surface of the passage partition section 12.

[0076] Furthermore, the upstream passage section 153 and the downstream passage section 154 are formed with equal dimensions in the left-right direction DRw and overlap in the up-down direction DRud. In addition, the left ends of the upstream passage section 153 and the downstream passage section 154 are connected by a bypass bottom 155.

[0077] The bypass bottom 155 extends along the vertical DRud from the left end of the upstream passage section 153 to the left end of the downstream passage section 154. In other words, the bypass bottom 155 extends along the vertical DRud from the indoor passage 112 to the outdoor passage 111.

[0078] The upstream opening 151 is an opening formed by the right end of the upstream passage section 153 and the lower plate surface of the passage partition section 12. The upstream opening 151 opens toward the right in the left-right direction DRw. That is, the upstream opening 151 opens toward the upstream side of the airflow in the indoor passage 112.

[0079] Furthermore, the upstream opening 151 is located downstream of the airflow in the indoor passage 112 from the location where the first heat exchanger 31 is installed. The upstream opening 151 is also opposite the air outlet side of the first heat exchanger 31.

[0080] Furthermore, the upstream opening 151 faces the air outlet side of the indoor ventilation fan 211 via the first heat exchanger 31. In other words, the upstream opening 151 opens toward the air outlet side of the indoor ventilation fan 211 via the first heat exchanger 31.

[0081] The downstream opening 152 is an opening formed by the right end of the downstream passage section 154 and the upper plate surface of the passage partition section 12. The downstream opening 152 opens toward the right in the left-right direction DRw. That is, the downstream opening 152 opens toward the downstream side of the airflow in the outdoor passage 111.

[0082] Furthermore, the downstream opening 152 is located upstream of the airflow in the outdoor passage 111 from the location where the second heat exchanger 32 is installed. The downstream opening 152 is also facing the air intake side of the second heat exchanger 32.

[0083] Furthermore, the downstream opening 152 is located downstream of the outdoor ventilation fan 221 and does not face the outdoor ventilation fan 221. In other words, the downstream opening 152 does not open toward the outdoor ventilation fan 221.

[0084] In the bypass passage 15 formed in this way, air pushed out from the indoor ventilation fan 211 and passed through the first heat exchanger 31 is introduced from the upstream opening 151. The air introduced from the upstream opening 151 flows from right to left in the upstream passage 153a, and the airflow direction is reversed by the bypass bottom 155 and introduced into the downstream passage 154a through the through hole 121 formed in the passage partition 12. The air introduced into the downstream passage 154a then flows from left to right in the downstream passage 154a and is blown out to the outdoor passage 111 from the downstream opening 152.

[0085] As a result, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in heating mode, a portion of the air flowing through the indoor passage 112, which has been heated by the first heat exchanger 31, is guided to the outdoor passage 111 via the bypass passage 15. In other words, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in heating mode, a portion of the air heated by the first heat exchanger 31 flows to the outdoor passage 111.

[0086] Furthermore, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in cooling mode, a portion of the air flowing through the indoor passage 112, which has been cooled by the first heat exchanger 31, is guided to the outdoor passage 111 via the bypass passage 15. In other words, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in cooling mode, a portion of the air cooled by the first heat exchanger 31 flows to the outdoor passage 111.

[0087] The bypass passage 15 is equipped with a flow rate adjustment unit 50 at its upstream opening 151 to adjust the flow rate of air flowing through the bypass passage 15. The flow rate adjustment unit 50 adjusts the flow rate of air introduced into the bypass passage 15 from the upstream opening 151.

[0088] The flow rate adjustment unit 50 includes a flow rate adjustment door 501 that changes the opening area of ​​the upstream opening 151 and an electric actuator 502 that changes the rotation angle of the flow rate adjustment door 501. The flow rate adjustment unit 50 changes the flow rate of air introduced from the upstream opening 151 to the bypass passage 15 by having the flow rate adjustment door 501 continuously change the opening area of ​​the upstream opening 151. The electric actuator 502 is an actuator unit that changes the posture of the flow rate adjustment door 501 and is composed of, for example, an electric motor. The flow rate adjustment door 501 functions as a flow path adjustment unit that changes the flow path area of ​​the uppermost part of the airflow in the bypass passage 15.

[0089] In other words, the flow rate adjustment unit 50 adjusts the flow rate of heated and cooled air introduced from the indoor passage 112 to the outdoor passage 111 via the bypass passage 15 by adjusting the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment door 501. The flow rate adjustment unit 50 is configured to allow the opening degree of the upstream opening 151 to be adjusted from fully closed (i.e., 0%) to fully open (i.e., 100%) by rotating the flow rate adjustment door 501.

[0090] The electric actuator 502, which changes the rotation angle of the flow control door 501, is electrically connected to the control device 70, and its rotation angle is controlled by the control voltage output from the control device 70.

[0091] Next, the operation of the air conditioning system 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. When the indoor air blower fan 211 of the indoor air blower unit 21 rotates in response to a control signal transmitted from the control device 70, air is introduced into the indoor passage 112 from either the indoor outdoor air intake port 112a or the indoor indoor air intake port 112b. The air introduced from the indoor outdoor air intake port 112a and the indoor indoor air intake port 112b and drawn into the indoor air blower fan 211 is pushed out from the indoor air blower fan 211 and flows from right to left downstream of the indoor air blower fan 211 in the indoor passage 112.

[0092] Furthermore, when the outdoor fan 221 of the outdoor ventilation unit 22 rotates in response to a control signal transmitted from the control device 70, air is introduced into the outdoor passage 111 from either the outdoor air intake 111a or the outdoor indoor air intake 111b. The air introduced from the indoor air intake 112a and the indoor air intake 112b and drawn into the outdoor fan 221 is pushed out from the outdoor fan 221 and flows from left to right downstream of the outdoor fan 221 in the outdoor passage 111.

[0093] In this case, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode, the refrigerant flows through the refrigeration cycle device 30 in the following order: electric compressor 34, first heat exchanger 31, pressure reducer 35, and second heat exchanger 32.

[0094] The first heat exchanger 31 then exchanges heat between the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the electric compressor 34 and the air flowing through the indoor passage 112, thereby heating the air. As a result, the air flowing downstream of the first heat exchanger 31 in the indoor passage 112 is heated to a higher temperature than before it enters the first heat exchanger 31, as shown in Figure 3, before passing through the first heat exchanger 31.

[0095] Furthermore, the second heat exchanger 32 absorbs heat from the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111 by utilizing the latent heat of vaporization when the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant evaporates before being introduced to the electric compressor 34. As a result, the air flowing downstream of the second heat exchanger 32 in the outdoor passage 111 is cooled to a lower temperature than before it flows into the second heat exchanger 32, as shown in Figure 3, before passing through the first heat exchanger 31.

[0096] Here, in the diagram showing the operation of the heating mode shown in Figure 3, arrows with hatched diagonal lines indicate the flow of air heated by the first heat exchanger 31. Also, in the diagram showing the operation of the heating mode shown in Figure 3, arrows with hatched dots indicate the flow of air that has absorbed heat by the second heat exchanger 32. Furthermore, in the diagrams showing the operation of the heating mode in the following descriptions of each embodiment, arrows with hatched diagonal lines indicate the flow of air heated by the first heat exchanger 31, and arrows with hatched dots indicate the flow of air that has absorbed heat by the second heat exchanger 32.

[0097] The air cooled by passing through the second heat exchanger 32 flows downstream of the second heat exchanger 32 in the outdoor passage 111 and is discharged outside the vehicle through the outdoor opening 111c.

[0098] Furthermore, when the flow rate adjustment unit 50 is open, the air heated after passing through the first heat exchanger 31 flows downstream of the first heat exchanger 31 in the indoor passage 112, and a portion of it is introduced into the bypass passage 15 from the upstream opening 151.

[0099] In contrast, the air heated after passing through the first heat exchanger 31 that is not introduced into the bypass passage 15 flows downstream of the bypass passage 15. Alternatively, if the flow rate adjustment unit 50 is fully closed, all of the air heated after passing through the first heat exchanger 31 bypasses the bypass passage 15 and flows downstream of the bypass passage 15.

[0100] If the PTC heater 60 is operating, the air that bypasses the bypass passage 15 is further heated and its relative humidity is reduced by the PTC heater 60, and then blown into the vehicle interior through the interior opening 112c. This allows for heating and dehumidification of the vehicle interior, as well as preventing fogging of the windows, by blowing air with a lower relative humidity than the air inside the vehicle interior into the vehicle interior. In contrast, if the PTC heater 60 is not operating, the air that bypasses the bypass passage 15 is blown into the vehicle interior through the interior opening 112c without being heated by the PTC heater 60.

[0101] Furthermore, the air introduced into the bypass passage 15 flows from right to left along the upstream passage 153a, and its airflow direction is reversed by the bypass bottom 155 before being introduced into the downstream passage 154a via the through-hole 121 of the passage partition 12. The air introduced into the downstream passage 154a then flows from left to right along the downstream passage 154a and is blown out from the downstream opening 152 into the airflow downstream of the bypass passage 15 in the outdoor passage 111. The air blown out from the downstream opening 152 into the outdoor passage 111 mixes with the air introduced from the outdoor air intake 111a and the outdoor indoor air intake 111b upstream of the airflow from the second heat exchanger 32 and flows towards the second heat exchanger 32.

[0102] In this way, a portion of the air heated by the first heat exchanger 31 is guided via the bypass passage 15 to the upstream side of the airflow from the second heat exchanger 32 in the outdoor passage 111. Therefore, the flow rate of air introduced into the second heat exchanger 32 increases by the amount introduced from the indoor passage 112 to the outdoor passage 111 via the bypass passage 15.

[0103] Furthermore, the air introduced from the outdoor air intake 111a and the outdoor indoor air intake 111b is mixed with the air heated by the first heat exchanger 31, causing its temperature to rise. Therefore, the temperature of the air introduced into the second heat exchanger 32 rises by an amount of heat corresponding to the flow rate of air introduced from the indoor passage 112 to the outdoor passage 111 via the bypass passage 15.

[0104] The flow rate adjustment unit 50 adjusts the flow rate of air introduced from the indoor passage 112 to the outdoor passage 111 via the bypass passage 15 by adjusting the opening degree of the upstream opening 151 according to the amount of heat absorbed by the refrigerant from the air in the first heat exchanger 31. For example, the flow rate adjustment unit 50 may increase the opening degree of the upstream opening 151 as the amount of heat absorbed by the refrigerant from the air in the first heat exchanger 31 increases. Alternatively, the flow rate adjustment unit 50 may decrease the opening degree of the upstream opening 151 as the amount of heat absorbed by the refrigerant from the air in the first heat exchanger 31 decreases.

[0105] The flow rate adjustment unit 50 then adjusts the flow rate of air flowing from the outdoor passage 111 to the indoor passage 112 via the bypass passage 15, thereby adjusting the temperature of the air introduced into the second heat exchanger 32.

[0106] Furthermore, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in cooling mode, the refrigerant flows through the refrigeration cycle device 30 in the following order: electric compressor 34, second heat exchanger 32, pressure reducer 35, and first heat exchanger 31.

[0107] The second heat exchanger 32 then exchanges heat between the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the electric compressor 34 and the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111, thereby releasing the heat from the refrigerant into the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111. As a result, the air flowing downstream of the second heat exchanger 32 in the outdoor passage 111 is heated compared to before it flows into the second heat exchanger 32, as shown in Figure 4, before passing through the second heat exchanger 32.

[0108] Furthermore, the first heat exchanger 31 utilizes the latent heat of vaporization of the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant before it is introduced to the electric compressor 34 to absorb heat from the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 and cool this air. As a result, the air flowing downstream of the first heat exchanger 31 in the indoor passage 112 is cooled compared to before it flows into the first heat exchanger 31, as shown in Figure 4, before passing through the first heat exchanger 31.

[0109] In the diagram showing the operation of the cooling mode shown in Figure 4, arrows with vertical hatching indicate the flow of air cooled by the first heat exchanger 31. Also, in the diagram showing the operation of the cooling mode shown in Figure 4, arrows with horizontal hatching indicate the flow of air heated by the second heat exchanger 32. Furthermore, in the diagrams showing the operation of the cooling mode in the following descriptions of each embodiment, arrows with vertical hatching indicate the flow of air heated by the first heat exchanger 31, and arrows with horizontal hatching indicate the flow of air that has absorbed heat by the second heat exchanger 32.

[0110] The air heated after passing through the second heat exchanger 32 then flows downstream of the second heat exchanger 32 in the outdoor passage 111 and is discharged outside the vehicle through the outdoor opening 111c.

[0111] Furthermore, when the flow rate adjustment unit 50 is open, the air cooled after passing through the first heat exchanger 31 flows downstream of the first heat exchanger 31 in the indoor passage 112, and a portion of it is introduced into the bypass passage 15 through the upstream opening 151.

[0112] In contrast, the air that has been cooled by passing through the first heat exchanger 31 and is not introduced into the bypass passage 15 flows downstream of the bypass passage 15. Alternatively, if the flow rate adjustment unit 50 is fully closed, all of the air that has been cooled by passing through the first heat exchanger 31 bypasses the bypass passage 15 and flows downstream of the bypass passage 15.

[0113] When the PTC heater 60 is operating, the air that bypasses the bypass passage 15 is heated by the PTC heater 60, which lowers its relative humidity, and then blown into the vehicle interior through the interior opening 112c. This allows for cooling and dehumidification of the vehicle interior, as well as preventing fogging of the windows, by blowing air with a lower relative humidity than the air inside the vehicle interior. In contrast, when the PTC heater 60 is not operating, the air that bypasses the bypass passage 15 is blown into the vehicle interior through the interior opening 112c without being heated by the PTC heater 60.

[0114] Furthermore, the air introduced into the bypass passage 15 flows from right to left along the upstream passage 153a, and its airflow direction is reversed by the bypass bottom 155, where it is introduced into the downstream passage 154a through the through-hole 121 formed in the passage partition 12. The air introduced into the downstream passage 154a then flows from left to right along the downstream passage 154a and is blown out from the downstream opening 152. The air blown out from the downstream opening 152 into the outdoor passage 111 mixes with the air introduced from the outdoor air intake 111a and the outdoor indoor air intake 111b upstream of the second heat exchanger 32 and flows towards the second heat exchanger 32.

[0115] In this way, a portion of the air cooled by the first heat exchanger 31 is guided upstream of the airflow from the second heat exchanger 32 in the outdoor passage 111 via the bypass passage 15. Therefore, the flow rate of air introduced into the second heat exchanger 32 increases by the amount introduced from the indoor passage 112 to the outdoor passage 111 via the bypass passage 15.

[0116] Furthermore, the air introduced from the outdoor air intake 111a and the outdoor indoor air intake 111b is mixed with the air cooled by the first heat exchanger 31, causing its temperature to decrease. Therefore, the temperature of the air introduced into the second heat exchanger 32 decreases by an amount of heat corresponding to the flow rate of air introduced from the indoor passage 112 to the outdoor passage 111 via the bypass passage 15.

[0117] The flow rate adjustment unit 50 adjusts the flow rate of air introduced from the indoor passage 112 to the outdoor passage 111 via the bypass passage 15 by adjusting the opening of the upstream opening 151 according to the amount of heat released from the refrigerant to the air in the first heat exchanger 31. For example, the flow rate adjustment unit 50 may increase the opening of the upstream opening 151 as the amount of heat released from the refrigerant to the air in the first heat exchanger 31 increases. Alternatively, the flow rate adjustment unit 50 may decrease the opening of the upstream opening 151 as the amount of heat released from the refrigerant to the air in the first heat exchanger 31 decreases.

[0118] The flow rate adjustment unit 50 then adjusts the flow rate of air flowing from the outdoor passage 111 to the indoor passage 112 via the bypass passage 15, thereby adjusting the temperature of the air introduced into the second heat exchanger 32.

[0119] Incidentally, the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle when the air conditioning system 1 obtains the required heating and cooling performance is affected by the rotational speed of the electric motor 341 of the electric compressor 34. And the rotational speed of the electric motor 341 is affected by the performance of the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32 when heat exchange is performed in the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32 in order for the air conditioning system 1 to obtain the required heating and cooling performance.

[0120] Here, the performance of the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32 changes depending on the flow rate and temperature of the air and refrigerant flowing into the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32. For example, when the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32 exchange heat with the refrigerant and absorb heat from the air, the higher the temperature of this air, the greater the amount of heat absorbed per unit flow rate, and thus the better the performance of the heat exchange. Also, the performance of the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32 improves as the amount of heat absorbed per unit time increases as the flow rate of air and refrigerant flowing into the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32 per unit time increases.

[0121] Furthermore, when the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32 release heat from the refrigerant to the air, the lower the temperature of this air, the greater the amount of heat released per unit flow rate, thereby improving the performance of heat exchange. In addition, the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32 also improve their performance when the flow rate of air and refrigerant flowing into them per unit time is high, as this increases the amount of heat released per unit time.

[0122] However, to increase the flow rate of refrigerant flowing into the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32, it is necessary to increase the rotational speed of the electric motor 341 of the electric compressor 34. However, the efficiency of the electric compressor 34 tends to deteriorate as the rotational speed of the electric motor 341 increases. In addition, pressure loss occurs when the refrigerant circulates through the refrigerant circuit 33 of the refrigeration cycle device 30, and this pressure loss increases as the flow rate of circulating refrigerant per unit time increases. For this reason, increasing the rotational speed of the electric motor 341 of the electric compressor 34 to increase the flow rate of refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circuit 33 in order for the air conditioning system 1 to meet the required heating and cooling performance will result in a deterioration of the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle.

[0123] Furthermore, to increase the airflow rate into the first heat exchanger 31, it is necessary to increase the rotation speed of the indoor motor 212 of the indoor air supply unit 21. Similarly, to increase the airflow rate into the second heat exchanger 32, it is necessary to increase the rotation speed of the outdoor motor 222 of the outdoor air supply unit 22. However, increasing the rotation speeds of these indoor motors 212 and outdoor motors 222 will increase the energy consumption of the air conditioning system 1.

[0124] In contrast, when the air conditioning system 1 of this embodiment operates in heating mode, it can increase the airflow rate introduced to the second heat exchanger 32 by guiding a portion of the air heated in the indoor passage 112 to the outdoor passage 111 via the bypass passage 15. Furthermore, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in cooling mode, it can also increase the airflow rate introduced to the second heat exchanger 32 by guiding a portion of the air cooled in the indoor passage 112 to the outdoor passage 111 via the bypass passage 15.

[0125] As a result, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in heating mode, the amount of heat absorbed per unit time by the refrigerant from the air in the second heat exchanger 32 increases, thereby improving the performance of the second heat exchanger 32. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 is not flowed to the outdoor passage 111, the temperature of the refrigerant flowing out of the second heat exchanger 32 increases, and the pressure of this refrigerant increases, thus increasing the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing out of the second heat exchanger 32.

[0126] Therefore, the required rotational speed of the electric motor 341 of the electric compressor 34 to obtain the required heating performance when the air conditioning system 1 operates in heating mode can be reduced. Consequently, the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle in the air conditioning system 1 can be improved.

[0127] Furthermore, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in cooling mode, the amount of heat released per unit flow rate by the refrigerant into the air from the second heat exchanger 32 increases, thereby improving the performance of the second heat exchanger 32. As a result, compared to a configuration in which the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 is not flowed to the outdoor passage 111, the temperature of the refrigerant flowing out of the second heat exchanger 32 decreases, and the pressure of this refrigerant decreases. Therefore, the required rotational speed of the electric motor 341 of the electric compressor 34 to obtain the required cooling performance when the air conditioning system 1 operates in cooling mode can be reduced. Consequently, the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle in the air conditioning system 1 can be improved.

[0128] Furthermore, by diverting the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 to the outdoor passage 111 via the bypass passage 15, the airflow rate through the outdoor passage 111 can be increased. Therefore, the rotational speed of the outdoor motor 222 of the outdoor air blower 22 may be reduced in proportion to the increased airflow rate through the outdoor passage 111. This reduces the driving force required to operate the outdoor motor 222 of the outdoor air blower 22, thereby suppressing the energy consumption of the air conditioning system 1.

[0129] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0130] (1) In the above embodiment, the bypass passage 15 is located downstream of the portion of the indoor passage 112 where the first heat exchanger 31 is provided, on the upstream side of the airflow.

[0131] According to this, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in heating mode, the air heated in the first heat exchanger 31 is mixed with the air flowing upstream of the second heat exchanger 32 in the outdoor passage 111, thereby increasing the temperature of the air flowing into the second heat exchanger 32. As a result, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in heating mode, the amount of heat absorbed per unit flow rate by the refrigerant from the air in the second heat exchanger 32 can be increased. Furthermore, the required rotational speed of the electric motor 341 of the electric compressor 34 to obtain the required heating performance when the air conditioning system 1 operates in heating mode can be further reduced. Therefore, the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle in the air conditioning system 1 can be further improved.

[0132] Furthermore, by increasing the temperature of the air flowing into the second heat exchanger 32, the formation of frost when the second heat exchanger 32 exchanges heat with the refrigerant and absorbs heat from the air can be suppressed. Also, even if frost does form on the second heat exchanger 32, it can be removed by increasing the temperature of the air flowing into the second heat exchanger 32.

[0133] Furthermore, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in cooling mode, the air cooled by the first heat exchanger 31 is mixed with the air flowing upstream of the second heat exchanger 32 in the outdoor passage 111, thereby lowering the temperature of the air flowing into the second heat exchanger 32. As a result, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in cooling mode, the amount of heat released per unit flow rate by the refrigerant into the air by the second heat exchanger 32 can be increased. This also reduces the required rotational speed of the electric motor 341 of the electric compressor 34 to obtain the required cooling performance when the air conditioning system 1 operates in cooling mode. Therefore, the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle in the air conditioning system 1 can be further improved.

[0134] (2) In the above embodiment, the air conditioning system 1 includes a flow rate adjustment unit 50 that adjusts the flow rate of air that flows from the indoor passage 112 to the outdoor passage 111 via the bypass passage 15.

[0135] According to this, the airflow rate from the indoor passage 112 to the outdoor passage 111 via the bypass passage 15 can be adjusted according to the operating status of the refrigeration cycle device 30. For example, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode, if the refrigerant can absorb a relatively large amount of heat from the air in the first heat exchanger 31, the airflow rate from the indoor passage 112 to the outdoor passage 111 can be increased, and the excess heat can be used to improve the refrigeration cycle. On the other hand, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode, if the refrigerant cannot absorb a relatively large amount of heat from the air in the first heat exchanger 31, the airflow rate from the indoor passage 112 to the outdoor passage 111 can be reduced to ensure heating inside the vehicle.

[0136] (3) In the above embodiment, the flow rate adjustment unit 50 has a flow rate adjustment door 501 that changes the flow area of ​​the bypass passage 15 and an electric actuator 502 that changes the orientation of the flow rate adjustment door 501.

[0137] According to this, the airflow rate from the indoor passage 112 to the outdoor passage 111 via the bypass passage 15 can be adjusted with a simple configuration. Furthermore, compared to adjusting the airflow rate from the indoor passage 112 to the outdoor passage 111 by rotating the indoor and outdoor air blowers 21 and 22, this method allows for adjustment of the airflow rate without affecting the heat exchange performed in the first and second heat exchangers 31 and 32.

[0138] (4) In the above embodiment, the air conditioning system 1 includes an indoor air blower 21 that generates airflow in the indoor passage 112, an outdoor air blower 22 that generates airflow in the outdoor passage 111, and a control device 70 that independently controls the rotation speeds of the indoor air blower 21 and the outdoor air blower 22.

[0139] According to this, the airflow rates of the indoor passage 112 and the outdoor passage 111 can be adjusted independently of each other. Therefore, even if the required air supply flow rates to the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32 are different, the required air supply flow rates to the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32 can be secured.

[0140] (5) In the above embodiment, the indoor ventilation unit 21 has an indoor ventilation fan 211 that rotates to generate airflow and an indoor motor 212 that rotates the indoor ventilation fan 211. The indoor motor 212 is located upstream of the airflow in the indoor passage 112 from the location where the first heat exchanger 31 is installed.

[0141] According to this, the indoor motor 212 can use the heat generated by its own operation when rotating the indoor blower fan 211 to heat the air flowing upstream of the area in the indoor passage 112 where the first heat exchanger 31 is installed. Therefore, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in heating mode, the temperature of the air introduced into the first heat exchanger 31 can be increased. As a result, the amount of heat absorbed from the refrigerant to the air in the first heat exchanger 31 that the air conditioning system 1 needs to obtain the required heating performance can be reduced, and the required rotational speed of the electric motor 341 of the electric compressor 34 can be reduced. Consequently, the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle can be improved.

[0142] (6) In the above embodiment, the outdoor ventilation unit 22 has an outdoor ventilation fan 221 that rotates to generate airflow and an outdoor motor 222 that rotates the outdoor ventilation fan 221. The outdoor motor 222 is located upstream of the airflow in the outdoor passage 111 from the location where the second heat exchanger 32 is installed.

[0143] According to this, the outdoor motor 222 can use the heat generated by its own operation when rotating the outdoor blower fan 221 to heat the air flowing upstream of the second heat exchanger 32 in the outdoor passage 111. Therefore, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in heating mode, the temperature of the air introduced into the second heat exchanger 32 can be increased. This further increases the amount of heat absorbed per unit flow rate by the refrigerant from the air in the second heat exchanger 32. Consequently, the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle in the air conditioning system 1 can be further improved.

[0144] (7) In the above embodiment, the air conditioning system 1 is equipped with a control device 70 that controls the rotation of the electric motor 341. The refrigeration cycle device 30 is equipped with a refrigerant circuit 33 that circulates the refrigerant. The control device 70 changes the flow direction of the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circuit 33 by switching the rotation direction of the electric motor 341.

[0145] According to this, the refrigeration cycle device 30 is composed of a heat pump cycle that switches the direction of refrigerant flow. Therefore, the air conditioning system 1 can operate in a cooling mode that blows out cooling air, in addition to a heating mode that blows out heated air. Furthermore, since the direction of refrigerant flow can be switched without providing a circuit switching unit that switches the direction of refrigerant flow circulating in the refrigerant circuit 33, the number of components in the refrigeration cycle device 30 can be reduced compared to a configuration that has a circuit switching unit.

[0146] (First modification of the first embodiment) In the first embodiment described above, an example was described in which the indoor air supply unit 21 is located upstream of the location where the first heat exchanger 31 is installed within the indoor passage 112. Then, an example was described in which the outdoor air supply unit 22 is located upstream of the location where the second heat exchanger 32 is installed within the outdoor passage 111. However, the positions in which the indoor air supply unit 21 and the outdoor air supply unit 22 are arranged are not limited to these.

[0147] For example, the indoor ventilation unit 21 may be located downstream of the location where the first heat exchanger 31 is installed within the indoor passage 112, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. Specifically, the indoor ventilation fan 211 and indoor motor 212 in the indoor ventilation unit 21 may be located downstream of the location where the first heat exchanger 31 is installed within the indoor passage 112.

[0148] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the outdoor air supply unit 22 may be located downstream of the area where the second heat exchanger 32 is installed within the outdoor passage 111. Specifically, the outdoor air supply fan 221 and the outdoor motor 222 in the outdoor air supply unit 22 may be located downstream of the area where the second heat exchanger 32 is installed within the outdoor passage 111.

[0149] Figure 5 shows the airflow through the indoor passage 112 and the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode. Figure 6 shows the airflow through the indoor passage 112 and the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode.

[0150] The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment described above. Therefore, the effects and advantages derived from a configuration that is the same as or equivalent to that of the first embodiment can be obtained in the same way as in the first embodiment.

[0151] Incidentally, when the indoor blower fan 211 rotates, the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 is more prone to turbulence downstream of the indoor blower fan 211 compared to upstream of the airflow. Similarly, when the outdoor blower fan 221 rotates, the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111 is more prone to turbulence downstream of the outdoor blower fan 221 compared to upstream of the airflow. These turbulences in airflow can cause uneven heat distribution when the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32 exchange heat between the refrigerant and the air, leading to a decrease in the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle due to this uneven heat distribution.

[0152] In contrast, by installing the indoor blower fan 211 downstream of the airflow at the location where the first heat exchanger 31 is installed in the indoor passage 112, turbulence in the airflow passing through the first heat exchanger 31 can be suppressed. Furthermore, by installing the outdoor blower fan 221 downstream of the airflow at the location where the second heat exchanger 32 is installed in the outdoor passage 111, turbulence in the airflow passing through the second heat exchanger 32 can be suppressed. As a result, the uneven distribution of heat generated when the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32 exchange heat between the refrigerant and the air can be suppressed, and the deterioration of the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle caused by this uneven distribution of heat can be suppressed.

[0153] Furthermore, the outdoor motor 222 is located downstream of the airflow in the outdoor passage 111 where the second heat exchanger 32 is installed. This arrangement prevents the temperature of the air introduced into the second heat exchanger 32 from rising due to the heat generated by the outdoor motor 222's operation when it rotates the outdoor fan 221 during cooling operation of the air conditioning system 1. Therefore, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in cooling mode, it is possible to avoid a decrease in the amount of heat absorbed per unit flow rate by the refrigerant in the second heat exchanger 32 due to the rise in the temperature of the air introduced into the second heat exchanger 32.

[0154] (Second modification of the first embodiment) In the first embodiment described above, an example was described in which the outdoor air supply unit 22 is located upstream of the location where the second heat exchanger 32 is installed within the outdoor passage 111, but the invention is not limited to this.

[0155] In this modified configuration, as shown in the first embodiment described above, the indoor ventilation unit 21 is located upstream of the airflow in the indoor passage 112 from the location where the first heat exchanger 31 is installed. Specifically, the indoor ventilation fan 211 and the indoor motor 212 in the indoor ventilation unit 21 are located upstream of the airflow in the indoor passage 112 from the location where the first heat exchanger 31 is installed.

[0156] In contrast, the outdoor air supply unit 22 may be located downstream of the location where the second heat exchanger 32 is installed within the outdoor passage 111, as shown in Figures 7 and 8. Specifically, the outdoor air supply fan 221 and the outdoor motor 222 in the outdoor air supply unit 22 may be located downstream of the location where the second heat exchanger 32 is installed within the outdoor passage 111.

[0157] Figure 7 shows the airflow through the indoor passage 112 and the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode. Figure 8 shows the airflow through the indoor passage 112 and the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode.

[0158] The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment described above. Therefore, the effects and advantages derived from a configuration that is the same as or equivalent to that of the first embodiment can be obtained in the same way as in the first embodiment.

[0159] Furthermore, by installing the outdoor ventilation fan 221 downstream of the airflow in the outdoor passage 111 where the second heat exchanger 32 is located, turbulence in the airflow passing through the second heat exchanger 32 can be suppressed. This suppresses the uneven distribution of heat that occurs when the second heat exchanger 32 exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the air, thereby suppressing the deterioration of the refrigeration cycle efficiency caused by this uneven distribution.

[0160] Furthermore, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in cooling mode, it is possible to avoid a decrease in the amount of heat absorbed per unit flow rate by the refrigerant in the second heat exchanger 32 due to the rise in the temperature of the air introduced into the second heat exchanger 32.

[0161] (Third modification of the first embodiment) In the first embodiment described above, an example was described in which the indoor air supply unit 21 is located upstream of the location where the first heat exchanger 31 is installed within the indoor passage 112, but the invention is not limited to this.

[0162] In this modified example, the outdoor air blower unit 22 is located upstream of the area where the second heat exchanger 32 is installed within the outdoor passage 111, as shown in the first embodiment described above. Specifically, the outdoor air blower fan 221 and the outdoor motor 222 in the outdoor air blower unit 22 are located upstream of the area where the second heat exchanger 32 is installed and the area where the downstream opening 152 is located within the outdoor passage 111.

[0163] In contrast, the indoor ventilation unit 21 may be located downstream of the location where the first heat exchanger 31 is installed within the indoor passage 112, as shown in Figures 9 and 10. Specifically, the indoor ventilation fan 211 and indoor motor 212 in the indoor ventilation unit 21 may be located downstream of the location where the first heat exchanger 31 is installed and the location where the upstream opening 151 is located within the indoor passage 112.

[0164] Figure 9 shows the airflow through the indoor passage 112 and the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode. Figure 10 shows the airflow through the indoor passage 112 and the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode.

[0165] In this embodiment, the upstream opening 151, which opens toward the upstream side of the airflow in the indoor passage 112, is located upstream of the indoor ventilation fan 211 in the indoor passage 112. The downstream opening 152, which opens toward the downstream side of the airflow in the outdoor passage 111, is located downstream of the outdoor ventilation fan 221 in the outdoor passage 111.

[0166] In this case, if the air pressure on the downstream opening 152 side is higher than the air pressure on the upstream opening 151 side, the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 will have difficulty flowing to the outdoor passage 111 via the bypass passage 15. Therefore, by appropriately adjusting the rotation speeds of the indoor motor 212 and the outdoor motor 222 to make the air pressure on the downstream opening 152 side lower than that on the upstream opening 151 side, the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 will have easier flow to the outdoor passage 111 via the bypass passage 15. As a result, the effects and advantages obtained from a configuration similar to or equal to that of the first embodiment can be obtained in the same way as in the first embodiment.

[0167] Furthermore, by installing the indoor ventilation fan 211 downstream of the airflow in the indoor passage 112 where the first heat exchanger 31 is located, turbulence in the airflow passing through the first heat exchanger 31 can be suppressed. This suppresses the uneven distribution of heat that occurs when the first heat exchanger 31 exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the air, thereby suppressing the deterioration of the refrigeration cycle efficiency caused by this uneven distribution.

[0168] (Second Embodiment) Next, the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. In this embodiment, the position where the first heat exchanger 31 is arranged differs from that of the first embodiment. Otherwise, it is the same as the first embodiment. For this reason, in this embodiment, the parts that differ from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the parts that are the same as the first embodiment may be omitted from the description.

[0169] As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the first heat exchanger 31 in this embodiment is located downstream of the airflow from the location where the indoor air supply unit 21 is provided in the indoor passage 112, and downstream of the airflow from the upstream opening 151 of the bypass passage 15. Therefore, the upstream opening 151 in this embodiment does not face the air outlet side of the first heat exchanger 31. However, the upstream opening 151 opens to the air outlet side of the indoor air supply fan 211. That is, the upstream opening 151 opens toward the upstream side of the airflow in the indoor passage 112.

[0170] Figure 11 shows the airflow through the indoor passage 112 and the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode. Figure 12 shows the airflow through the indoor passage 112 and the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode.

[0171] The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment described above. Therefore, when the air conditioning system 1 of this embodiment operates in heating mode and cooling mode, it can increase the flow rate of air introduced into the second heat exchanger 32 by guiding a portion of the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 to the outdoor passage 111 via the bypass passage 15.

[0172] According to this configuration, the performance of the second heat exchanger 32 can be improved compared to a configuration in which the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 is not flowed to the outdoor passage 111, and the required rotational speed of the electric motor 341 of the electric compressor 34 can be reduced. Therefore, the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle in the air conditioning system 1 can be improved.

[0173] Incidentally, in this embodiment, the first heat exchanger 31 is located downstream of the airflow from the upstream opening 151 of the bypass passage 15 in the indoor passage 112. Therefore, unlike the first embodiment, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in heating mode, the air heated by the first heat exchanger 31 cannot be guided to the outdoor passage 111 via the bypass passage 15. Consequently, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in heating mode, the air heated by the first heat exchanger 31 cannot be used to raise the temperature of the air flowing into the second heat exchanger 32.

[0174] Furthermore, unlike the first embodiment, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in cooling mode, it is not possible to guide the air cooled by the first heat exchanger 31 to the outdoor passage 111 via the bypass passage 15. Therefore, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in cooling mode, it is not possible to lower the temperature of the air flowing into the second heat exchanger 32 using the air cooled by the first heat exchanger 31.

[0175] However, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in heating mode and cooling mode, the air before it is heated and cooled in the first heat exchanger 31 can be guided to the outdoor passage 111 via the bypass passage 15. By mixing the air before it is heated and cooled in the first heat exchanger 31 with the air flowing upstream of the second heat exchanger 32 in the outdoor passage 111, the temperature of the air flowing into the second heat exchanger 32 can be changed.

[0176] Therefore, the control device 70 may control the operation of the flow rate adjustment unit 50 according to the temperature difference between the indoor air discharged and the outdoor air discharged, thereby opening and closing the upstream opening 151 of the bypass passage 15.

[0177] For example, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode, if the temperature of the indoor air is higher than the temperature of the outdoor air, the flow rate adjustment unit 50 may be opened, allowing the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 to flow through the bypass passage 15 to the outdoor passage 111. This allows the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 and the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111 to be mixed when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode, thereby increasing the temperature of the air flowing into the second heat exchanger 32. As a result, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode, the amount of heat absorbed per unit flow rate by the refrigerant from the air in the second heat exchanger 32 can be increased. Furthermore, the required rotational speed of the electric motor 341 of the electric compressor 34 to obtain the required heating performance when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode can be further reduced. Therefore, the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle in the air conditioning system 1 can be improved.

[0178] In contrast, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode, if the temperature of the indoor air is lower than the temperature of the outdoor air, the flow rate adjustment unit 50 may be closed to prevent the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 from flowing into the outdoor passage 111. This prevents a decrease in the temperature of the air flowing into the second heat exchanger 32 due to mixing the air flowing through the indoor passage 112, which is at a lower temperature than the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111, with the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode. Therefore, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode, a decrease in the amount of heat absorbed per unit flow rate by the refrigerant from the air in the second heat exchanger 32 can be avoided.

[0179] Furthermore, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode, if the temperature of the indoor air is lower than the temperature of the outdoor air, the flow rate adjustment unit 50 may be opened, allowing the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 via the bypass passage 15 to flow into the outdoor passage 111. This allows the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 and the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111 to be mixed when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode, thereby lowering the temperature of the air flowing into the second heat exchanger 32. As a result, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode, the amount of heat released per unit flow rate by the refrigerant into the air in the second heat exchanger 32 can be increased. This also allows for a further reduction in the required rotational speed of the electric motor 341 of the electric compressor 34 to obtain the required cooling performance when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode. Therefore, the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle in the air conditioning system 1 can be improved.

[0180] In contrast, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode, if the temperature of the indoor air is higher than the temperature of the outdoor air, the flow rate adjustment unit 50 may be closed to prevent the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 from flowing into the outdoor passage 111. This prevents the temperature of the air flowing into the second heat exchanger 32 from rising due to mixing the air flowing through the indoor passage 112, which is at a higher temperature than the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111, with the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode. Therefore, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode, a decrease in the amount of heat released per unit flow rate by the refrigerant into the air in the second heat exchanger 32 can be avoided.

[0181] Furthermore, the first heat exchanger 31 in this embodiment is located downstream of the airflow from the upstream opening 151 of the bypass passage 15 in the indoor passage 112. Therefore, by diverting the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 via the bypass passage 15 to the outdoor passage 111, the airflow rate introduced into the first heat exchanger 31 decreases. Also, by diverting the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 via the bypass passage 15 to the outdoor passage 111, the amount of air blown into the vehicle interior through the indoor opening 112c decreases. In this case, it is conceivable to increase the rotation speed of the indoor motor 212 by the amount of the decrease in the airflow rate introduced into the first heat exchanger 31 to ensure sufficient airflow to be introduced into the first heat exchanger 31.

[0182] However, for example, if the airflow rate introduced into the first heat exchanger 31 decreases when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode, the amount of heat absorbed per unit time by the air from the refrigerant during heat exchange in the first heat exchanger 31 increases. As a result, the temperature of the air after it has passed through the first heat exchanger 31 and been heated increases compared to a configuration in which a portion of the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 via the bypass passage 15 is not allowed to flow into the outdoor passage 111.

[0183] Therefore, the interior of the vehicle can be sufficiently heated without increasing the rotation speed of the interior ventilation fan 211 in order to ensure sufficient airflow to the first heat exchanger 31.

[0184] Furthermore, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in cooling mode, if the airflow rate introduced into the first heat exchanger 31 decreases, the amount of heat absorbed per unit time by the refrigerant from the air during heat exchange in the first heat exchanger 31 increases. As a result, the temperature of the air after it has passed through the first heat exchanger 31 and been cooled decreases compared to a configuration in which the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 via the bypass passage 15 is not flowed to the outdoor passage 111.

[0185] Therefore, the interior of the vehicle can be sufficiently cooled without increasing the rotation speed of the interior ventilation fan 211 in order to ensure sufficient airflow to the first heat exchanger 31.

[0186] (Modified version of the second embodiment) In the second embodiment described above, the air conditioning system 1 was described in an example where the indoor air supply unit 21 is located upstream of the location where the first heat exchanger 31 is installed within the indoor passage 112. Then, the air conditioning system 1 was described in an example where the outdoor air supply unit 22 is located upstream of the location where the second heat exchanger 32 is installed within the outdoor passage 111. However, the positions in which the indoor air supply unit 21 and the outdoor air supply unit 22 are arranged are not limited to these.

[0187] For example, the air conditioning system 1 may have an indoor air blower 21 and an outdoor air blower 22 positioned as shown in Figures 13 and 14. Specifically, the air conditioning system 1 may have an indoor air blower 21 located downstream of the location of the first heat exchanger 31 in the indoor passage 112, and an outdoor air blower 22 located downstream of the location of the second heat exchanger 32 in the outdoor passage 111.

[0188] Furthermore, the air conditioning system 1 may have an indoor air supply unit 21 and an outdoor air supply unit 22 positioned as shown in Figures 15 and 16. Specifically, the air conditioning system 1 may have an indoor air supply unit 21 located upstream of the location of the first heat exchanger 31 in the indoor passage 112, and an outdoor air supply unit 22 located downstream of the location of the second heat exchanger 32 in the outdoor passage 111.

[0189] Furthermore, the air conditioning system 1 may have an indoor air supply unit 21 and an outdoor air supply unit 22 positioned as shown in Figures 17 and 18. Specifically, the air conditioning system 1 may have an indoor air supply unit 21 located downstream of the location of the first heat exchanger 31 in the indoor passage 112, and an outdoor air supply unit 22 located upstream of the location of the second heat exchanger 32 in the outdoor passage 111.

[0190] Figures 13, 15, and 17 show the airflow through the indoor passage 112 and the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode. Figures 14, 16, and 18 show the airflow through the indoor passage 112 and the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode.

[0191] (Third embodiment) Next, the third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 19 and 20. In this embodiment, the positions of the second heat exchanger 32 and the flow rate adjustment unit 50 differ from those of the first embodiment. In addition, this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the PTC heater 60 is eliminated and the bypass passage 15 is configured to guide the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111 to the indoor passage 112. Other than these differences, it is the same as the first embodiment. For this reason, in this embodiment, we will mainly describe the parts that differ from the first embodiment, and we may omit the description of parts that are the same as the first embodiment.

[0192] As shown in Figures 19 and 20, the second heat exchanger 32 of this embodiment is positioned in the outdoor passage 111 downstream of the area where the outdoor air supply unit 22 is provided, and upstream of the area where the upstream opening 151 of the bypass passage 15 is located.

[0193] Furthermore, the bypass passage 15 in this embodiment is formed such that the upstream side of the airflow path is located in the outdoor passage 111, and the downstream side of the airflow path is located in the indoor passage 112. That is, the bypass passage 15 in this embodiment is formed such that the upstream opening 151 is located in the outdoor passage 111, and the downstream opening 152 is located in the indoor passage 112. The upstream opening 151 is an opening that guides the air flowing in the outdoor passage 111 into the bypass passage 15. The downstream opening 152 is an opening that blows the air introduced from the upstream opening 151 into the indoor passage 112.

[0194] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the bypass passage 15 has an upstream passage section 153 located on the outdoor passage 111 side and a downstream passage section 154 located on the indoor passage 112 side.

[0195] The upstream opening 151 is formed by the left end of the upstream passage section 153 and the upper plate surface of the passage partition section 12. As a result, the upstream opening 151 opens toward the left in the left-right direction DRw. In other words, the upstream opening 151 opens toward the upstream side of the airflow in the outdoor passage 111.

[0196] Furthermore, the upstream opening 151 is located downstream of the area in the outdoor passage 111 where the second heat exchanger 32 is installed. The upstream opening 151 is also facing the air outlet side of the second heat exchanger 32.

[0197] Furthermore, the upstream opening 151 faces the air outlet side of the outdoor ventilation fan 221 via the second heat exchanger 32. In other words, the upstream opening 151 opens toward the air outlet side of the outdoor ventilation fan 221 via the second heat exchanger 32.

[0198] The downstream opening 152 is formed by the left end of the downstream passage section 154 and the lower plate surface of the passage partition section 12. As a result, the downstream opening 152 opens toward the left in the left-right direction DRw. In other words, the downstream opening 152 opens toward the downstream side of the airflow in the indoor passage 112.

[0199] Furthermore, the downstream opening 152 is located downstream of the area in the indoor passage 112 where the first heat exchanger 31 is installed.

[0200] Furthermore, the downstream opening 152 does not face the first heat exchanger 31. Also, the downstream opening 152 is located downstream of the indoor ventilation fan 211 and does not face the indoor ventilation fan 211. In other words, the downstream opening 152 does not open toward the indoor ventilation fan 211.

[0201] Furthermore, the upstream opening 151 located in the outdoor passageway 111 is provided with a flow rate adjustment unit 50 that adjusts the flow rate of air flowing through the bypass passageway 15. The flow rate adjustment unit 50 adjusts the flow rate of air introduced from the outdoor passageway 111 to the bypass passageway 15 via the upstream opening 151.

[0202] The operation of the air conditioning system 1 of this embodiment, configured as described above, will be explained with reference to Figures 19 and 20. Figure 19 shows the airflow through the indoor passage 112 and the airflow through the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode. Figure 20 shows the airflow through the indoor passage 112 and the airflow through the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode.

[0203] When the air conditioning system 1 operates in heating mode, the first heat exchanger 31 heats the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 by exchanging heat between the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the electric compressor 34 and the air. The air heated after passing through the first heat exchanger 31 then flows downstream of the first heat exchanger 31 in the indoor passage 112, as shown in Figure 19.

[0204] The second heat exchanger 32 absorbs heat from the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111 by utilizing the latent heat of vaporization when the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant evaporates before being introduced to the electric compressor 34. As a result, the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111 is cooled as it passes through the second heat exchanger 32 and flows downstream of the second heat exchanger 32 in the outdoor passage 111.

[0205] When the flow rate adjustment unit 50 is open, the cooled air flows downstream of the second heat exchanger 32 in the outdoor passage 111, and a portion of it is introduced into the bypass passage 15 through the upstream opening 151. At this time, the flow rate of the air introduced into the bypass passage 15 is adjusted by the flow rate adjustment unit 50 changing the opening degree of the upstream opening 151.

[0206] The air introduced into the bypass passage 15 flows from left to right along the upstream passage 153a, and its airflow direction is reversed by the bypass bottom 155 before being introduced into the downstream passage 154a through the through-hole 121 of the passage partition 12. The air introduced into the downstream passage 154a then flows from right to left along the downstream passage 154a and is blown out from the downstream opening 152 to the downstream side of the airflow from the bypass passage 15 in the indoor passage 112.

[0207] The air blown out from the downstream opening 152 into the interior passage 112 is mixed with the air heated by the first heat exchanger 31 downstream of the first heat exchanger 31. As a result, the air heated by the first heat exchanger 31 is mixed with air cooled to a lower temperature than the air flowing through the interior passage 112 by the second heat exchanger 32, and cooled to a lower temperature than the air after passing through the first heat exchanger 31. The cooled air mixed with the air cooled by the second heat exchanger 32 is then blown into the vehicle interior through the interior opening 112c.

[0208] Furthermore, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in cooling mode, the first heat exchanger 31 uses the latent heat of vaporization of the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant before it is introduced to the electric compressor 34 to absorb heat from the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 and cool this air. The air that has been cooled after passing through the first heat exchanger 31 then flows downstream of the first heat exchanger 31 in the indoor passage 112, as shown in Figure 20.

[0209] The second heat exchanger 32 exchanges heat between the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the electric compressor 34 and the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111, thereby releasing the heat from the refrigerant into the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111. As a result, the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111 is heated as it passes through the second heat exchanger 32 and flows downstream of the second heat exchanger 32 in the outdoor passage 111.

[0210] When the flow rate adjustment unit 50 is open, the air heated after passing through the second heat exchanger 32 flows downstream of the second heat exchanger 32 in the outdoor passage 111, and a portion of it is introduced into the bypass passage 15 through the upstream opening 151. At this time, the flow rate of the air introduced into the bypass passage 15 is adjusted by the flow rate adjustment unit 50 changing the opening degree of the upstream opening 151.

[0211] The air introduced into the bypass passage 15 flows from left to right along the upstream passage 153a, and its airflow direction is reversed by the bypass bottom 155 before being introduced into the downstream passage 154a through the through-hole 121 of the passage partition 12. The air introduced into the downstream passage 154a then flows from right to left along the downstream passage 154a and is blown out from the downstream opening 152 to the downstream side of the airflow from the bypass passage 15 in the indoor passage 112.

[0212] The air blown out from the downstream opening 152 into the interior passage 112 is mixed with the air cooled by the first heat exchanger 31 downstream of the first heat exchanger 31. As a result, the air cooled by the first heat exchanger 31 is mixed with air heated to a higher temperature than the air flowing through the interior passage 112 by the second heat exchanger 32, and heated to a higher temperature than the air after passing through the first heat exchanger 31. The superheated air mixed with the air heated by the second heat exchanger 32 is then blown into the vehicle interior through the interior opening 112c.

[0213] Thus, the air conditioning system 1 of this embodiment can heat or cool the air blown into the vehicle cabin using the air that is discharged outside the vehicle cabin by releasing heat from the refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration cycle when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode and cooling mode.

[0214] Furthermore, the control device 70 controls the operation of the flow rate adjustment unit 50 based on sensor information input from various sensors provided by the air conditioning system 1. For example, the control device 70 may control the operation of the flow rate adjustment unit 50 based on temperature information of the air that has passed through the first heat exchanger 31, temperature information of the air that has passed through the second heat exchanger 32, pressure information of the refrigerant discharged from the electric compressor 34, etc. Alternatively, the control device 70 may control the operation of the flow rate adjustment unit 50 based on temperature information of the air introduced into the outdoor passage 111 and the indoor passage 112, etc.

[0215] Furthermore, the flow rate adjustment unit 50 changes the opening degree of the upstream opening 151, thereby adjusting the flow rate of air introduced into the bypass passage 15, and thus the temperature of the air blown into the vehicle cabin can be adjusted.

[0216] Incidentally, one method for adjusting the temperature of the air blown into the passenger compartment by cooling the air heated by the first heat exchanger 31 is to add an evaporator downstream of the first heat exchanger 31 in the passenger compartment passage 112. In this case, the refrigeration cycle device 30 will be equipped with a third heat exchanger, which is an evaporator, in addition to the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32.

[0217] Another method for adjusting the temperature of the air blown into the passenger compartment by heating the air cooled by the first heat exchanger 31 is to add a heater core or electric heater downstream of the first heat exchanger 31 in the passenger compartment passage 112. When adding a heater core, the refrigeration cycle device 30 will be equipped with a third heat exchanger, which is a heater core, in addition to the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32.

[0218] However, pressure loss occurs when the refrigerant flows through the evaporator and heater core. Therefore, adding an evaporator and heater core to the refrigeration cycle device 30 to adjust the temperature of the air blown into the passenger compartment increases the pressure loss when the refrigerant circulates through the refrigerant circuit 33. When the pressure loss when the refrigerant circulates through the refrigerant circuit 33 increases, it becomes more difficult for the refrigerant to circulate, so it becomes necessary to take measures such as increasing the rotational speed of the electric motor 341 of the electric compressor 34 to compensate for the increased pressure loss.

[0219] Therefore, adding an evaporator or heater core to the interior passage 112 to adjust the temperature of the air blown into the passenger compartment would worsen the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle. Furthermore, adding an electric heater would increase the energy consumption of the air conditioning system 1.

[0220] In contrast, the air conditioning system 1 of this embodiment can adjust the temperature of the air blown into the vehicle cabin using the air discharged outside the vehicle cabin by adjusting the airflow rate of the air flowing through the bypass passage 15 with the flow rate adjustment unit 50. Therefore, the rotational speed of the electric motor 341 of the electric compressor 34 can be reduced compared to when an evaporator or heater core is added to the interior passage 112. Consequently, the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle in the air conditioning system 1 can be improved. Furthermore, the energy consumption of the air conditioning system 1 can be reduced compared to when an electric heater is added.

[0221] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0222] (1) In the above embodiment, the upstream opening 151, which is on the upstream side of the airflow of the bypass passage 15, is located downstream of the portion of the outdoor passage 111 where the second heat exchanger 32 is provided.

[0223] According to this configuration, the air that has passed through the second heat exchanger 32 can be guided to the indoor passage 112 via the bypass passage 15. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the upstream opening 151 is located upstream of the part of the outdoor passage 111 where the second heat exchanger 32 is installed, a reduction in the flow rate of air flowing into the second heat exchanger 32 can be avoided.

[0224] Here, let's consider the case where the upstream opening 151 is located upstream of the airflow in the outdoor passage 111 from the location where the second heat exchanger 32 is installed. In this case, a portion of the air flowing upstream of the second heat exchanger 32 in the outdoor passage 111 flows to the indoor passage 112 via the bypass passage 15, so the flow rate of air per unit time flowing into the second heat exchanger 32 decreases compared to this embodiment. As a result, when the outdoor air supply unit 22 exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the air, the amount of heat per unit time decreases, and the performance of the second heat exchanger 32 deteriorates. When the performance of the second heat exchanger 32 deteriorates, it becomes necessary to increase the rotational speed of the electric motor 341 of the electric compressor 34 by the amount of the deterioration in the performance of the second heat exchanger 32.

[0225] However, according to this embodiment, since the upstream opening 151 is located downstream of the airflow in the outdoor passage 111 from the location where the second heat exchanger 32 is installed, it is possible to prevent a portion of the air flowing upstream of the second heat exchanger 32 from flowing into the indoor passage 112. Therefore, it is possible to avoid an increase in the rotational speed of the electric motor 341 of the electric compressor 34, which would result from a decrease in the airflow rate into the second heat exchanger 32. Consequently, the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle can be improved compared to a configuration in which the upstream opening 151 is located upstream of the airflow in the outdoor passage 111 from the location where the second heat exchanger 32 is installed.

[0226] (2) In the above embodiment, the downstream opening 152, which is the downstream side of the airflow of the bypass passage 15, is located downstream of the portion of the indoor passage 112 where the first heat exchanger 31 is provided.

[0227] According to this, the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111 can be directed downstream of the location where the first heat exchanger 31 is installed in the indoor passage 112 via the bypass passage 15. This makes it easier to adjust the temperature of the air heated and cooled by the first heat exchanger 31 when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode and cooling mode.

[0228] (Modified version of the third embodiment) In the third embodiment described above, the air conditioning system 1 was described in an example where the indoor air supply unit 21 is located upstream of the location where the first heat exchanger 31 is installed within the indoor passage 112. Then, the air conditioning system 1 was described in an example where the outdoor air supply unit 22 is located upstream of the location where the second heat exchanger 32 is installed within the outdoor passage 111. However, the positions in which the indoor air supply unit 21 and the outdoor air supply unit 22 are arranged are not limited to these.

[0229] For example, the air conditioning system 1 may have an indoor air blower 21 and an outdoor air blower 22 positioned as shown in Figures 21 and 22. Specifically, the air conditioning system 1 may have an indoor air blower 21 located downstream of the location of the first heat exchanger 31 in the indoor passage 112, and an outdoor air blower 22 located downstream of the location of the second heat exchanger 32 in the outdoor passage 111.

[0230] Furthermore, the air conditioning system 1 may have an indoor air supply unit 21 and an outdoor air supply unit 22 positioned as shown in Figures 23 and 24. Specifically, the air conditioning system 1 may have an indoor air supply unit 21 located downstream of the location of the first heat exchanger 31 in the indoor passage 112, and an outdoor air supply unit 22 located upstream of the location of the second heat exchanger 32 in the outdoor passage 111.

[0231] Furthermore, the air conditioning system 1 may have an indoor air supply unit 21 and an outdoor air supply unit 22 positioned as shown in Figures 25 and 26. Specifically, the air conditioning system 1 may have an indoor air supply unit 21 located upstream of the location of the first heat exchanger 31 in the indoor passage 112, and an outdoor air supply unit 22 located downstream of the location of the second heat exchanger 32 in the outdoor passage 111.

[0232] Figures 21, 23, and 25 show the airflow through the indoor passage 112 and the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode. Figures 22, 24, and 26 show the airflow through the indoor passage 112 and the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode.

[0233] By the way, in this embodiment shown in Figures 25 and 26, the upstream opening 151 that opens toward the upstream side of the airflow in the outdoor passage 111 is located upstream of the outdoor ventilation fan 221 in the outdoor passage 111. Also, the downstream opening 152 that opens toward the downstream side of the airflow in the indoor passage 112 is located downstream of the indoor ventilation fan 211 in the indoor passage 112.

[0234] In this case, if the air pressure on the downstream opening 152 side is higher than the air pressure on the upstream opening 151 side, the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111 will have difficulty flowing into the indoor passage 112 via the bypass passage 15. Therefore, by appropriately adjusting the rotation speeds of the indoor motor 212 and the outdoor motor 222 to make the air pressure on the downstream opening 152 side lower than that on the upstream opening 151 side, the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111 will be able to flow more easily into the indoor passage 112 via the bypass passage 15. As a result, the effects and advantages obtained from a configuration similar to or equal to that of the third embodiment can be obtained in the same way as in the first embodiment.

[0235] (Fourth Embodiment) Next, the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 27 and 28. In this embodiment, the positions of the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32 differ from those of the third embodiment. Otherwise, it is the same as the first embodiment. For this reason, in this embodiment, the parts that differ from the third embodiment will be mainly described, and the parts that are the same as the first embodiment may be omitted from the description.

[0236] As shown in Figures 27 and 28, the first heat exchanger 31 of this embodiment is located downstream of the portion of the indoor passage 112 where the indoor air supply unit 21 is provided, and downstream of the downstream opening 152 of the bypass passage 15. Therefore, the downstream opening 152 of this embodiment faces the air intake side of the first heat exchanger 31.

[0237] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 27 and 28, the second heat exchanger 32 in this embodiment is located downstream of the area in the outdoor passage 111 where the outdoor air blower 22 is provided, and downstream of the upstream opening 151 of the bypass passage 15. Therefore, the upstream opening 151 in this embodiment does not face the second heat exchanger 32. In other words, the upstream opening 151 is located upstream of the area in the outdoor passage 111 where the second heat exchanger 32 is provided. Also, the upstream opening 151 faces the air outlet side of the outdoor air blower fan 221.

[0238] Figure 27 shows the airflow through the indoor passage 112 and the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode. Figure 28 shows the airflow through the indoor passage 112 and the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode.

[0239] The other configurations are the same as those of the third embodiment described above. Therefore, the effects and advantages obtained from a configuration that is the same as or equivalent to that of the third embodiment can be obtained in the same way as in the third embodiment.

[0240] Incidentally, the upstream opening 151 in this embodiment is located upstream of the airflow in the outdoor passage 111 from the location where the second heat exchanger 32 is installed. Therefore, unlike the third embodiment, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in heating mode, the air cooled by the second heat exchanger 32 cannot be guided to the indoor passage 112 via the bypass passage 15. Consequently, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in heating mode, it is not possible to adjust the temperature of the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 using the air cooled by the second heat exchanger 32.

[0241] Furthermore, unlike the third embodiment, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in cooling mode, it is not possible to guide the air heated by the second heat exchanger 32 to the indoor passage 112 via the bypass passage 15. Therefore, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in cooling mode, it is not possible to adjust the temperature of the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 using the air heated by the second heat exchanger 32.

[0242] However, when the air conditioning system 1 operates in heating mode and cooling mode, the air before it is heated and cooled in the second heat exchanger 32 can be guided to the indoor passage 112 via the bypass passage 15. By mixing the air before it is heated and cooled in the second heat exchanger 32 with the air flowing upstream of the second heat exchanger 32 in the indoor passage 112, the temperature of the air flowing into the second heat exchanger 32 can be changed.

[0243] Therefore, the opening and closing of the flow rate adjustment unit 50 may be controlled according to the temperature difference between the indoor and outdoor air to open and close the bypass passage 15.

[0244] For example, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode, if the temperature of the outdoor discharged air is higher than the temperature of the indoor discharged air, the flow rate adjustment unit 50 may be opened, allowing the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111 via the bypass passage 15 to flow into the indoor passage 112. This allows the air conditioning system 1 to mix the outdoor discharged air and the indoor discharged air when operating in heating mode, thereby increasing the temperature of the air flowing into the first heat exchanger 31. As a result, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode, the amount of heat absorbed per unit flow rate by the refrigerant from the air in the first heat exchanger 31 can be increased. Furthermore, the required rotational speed of the electric motor 341 of the electric compressor 34 to obtain the required heating performance when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode can be reduced. Consequently, the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle in the air conditioning system 1 can be improved.

[0245] In contrast, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode, if the temperature of the outdoor discharged air is lower than the temperature of the indoor discharged air, the flow rate adjustment unit 50 may be closed to prevent the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111 from flowing into the indoor passage 112. This prevents a decrease in the temperature of the air flowing into the second heat exchanger 32 due to mixing the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111, which is at a lower temperature than the air flowing through the indoor passage 112, with the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode. Therefore, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode, a decrease in the amount of heat absorbed per unit flow rate by the refrigerant from the air in the first heat exchanger 31 can be avoided.

[0246] Furthermore, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode, if the temperature of the outdoor discharged air is lower than the temperature of the indoor discharged air, the flow rate adjustment unit 50 may be opened, allowing the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111 via the bypass passage 15 to flow into the indoor passage 112. This allows the air conditioning system 1 to mix the outdoor discharged air and the indoor discharged air when operating in cooling mode, thereby lowering the temperature of the air flowing into the first heat exchanger 31. As a result, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode, the amount of heat absorbed per unit flow rate by the refrigerant from the air in the first heat exchanger 31 can be increased. This also allows the required rotational speed of the electric motor 341 of the electric compressor 34 to be reduced in order to obtain the required cooling performance when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode. Therefore, the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle in the air conditioning system 1 can be improved.

[0247] In contrast, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode, if the temperature of the outdoor air outlet is higher than the temperature of the indoor air outlet, the flow rate adjustment unit 50 may be closed to prevent the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111 from flowing into the indoor passage 112. This prevents the temperature of the air flowing into the second heat exchanger 32 from rising due to mixing the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111, which is at a higher temperature than the air flowing through the indoor passage 112, with the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode. Therefore, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode, a decrease in the amount of heat absorbed per unit flow rate by the refrigerant from the air in the first heat exchanger 31 can be avoided.

[0248] (Modification of the fourth embodiment) In the fourth embodiment described above, the air conditioning system 1 was described in an example where the indoor air supply unit 21 is located upstream of the location where the first heat exchanger 31 is installed within the indoor passage 112. Then, the air conditioning system 1 was described in an example where the outdoor air supply unit 22 is located upstream of the location where the second heat exchanger 32 is installed within the outdoor passage 111. However, the positions in which the indoor air supply unit 21 and the outdoor air supply unit 22 are arranged are not limited to these.

[0249] For example, in the air conditioning system 1, the indoor air blower 21 and the outdoor air blower 22 may be arranged at the positions shown in FIGS. 29 and 30. Specifically, in the air conditioning system 1, the indoor air blower 21 may be provided on the downstream side of the air flow from the part where the first heat exchanger 31 of the indoor passage 112 is provided, and the outdoor air blower 22 may be provided on the downstream side of the air flow from the part where the second heat exchanger 32 of the outdoor passage 111 is provided.

[0250] Also, in the air conditioning system 1, the indoor air blower 21 and the outdoor air blower 22 may be arranged at the positions shown in FIGS. 31 and 32. Specifically, in the air conditioning system 1, the indoor air blower 21 may be provided on the downstream side of the air flow from the part where the first heat exchanger 31 of the indoor passage 112 is provided, and the outdoor air blower 22 may be provided on the upstream side of the air flow from the part where the second heat exchanger 32 of the outdoor passage 111 is provided.

[0251] Furthermore, in the air conditioning system 1, the indoor air blower 21 and the outdoor air blower 22 may be arranged at the positions shown in FIGS. 33 and 34. Specifically, in the air conditioning system 1, the indoor air blower 21 may be provided on the upstream side of the air flow from the part where the first heat exchanger 31 of the indoor passage 112 is provided, and the outdoor air blower 22 may be provided on the downstream side of the air flow from the part where the second heat exchanger 32 of the outdoor passage 111 is provided.

[0252] Note that FIGS. 29, 31, and 33 show the air flow in the indoor passage 112 and the air flow in the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 operates in the heating mode. Also, FIGS. 30, 32, and 34 show the air flow in the indoor passage 112 and the air flow in the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 operates in the cooling mode.

[0253] (Fifth Embodiment) Next, the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 35 and 36. In this embodiment, the position of the second heat exchanger 32 differs from that of the third embodiment. Otherwise, it is the same as the third embodiment. For this reason, in this embodiment, the parts that differ from the third embodiment will be mainly described, and the parts that are the same as the first embodiment may be omitted from the description.

[0254] As shown in Figures 35 and 36, the second heat exchanger 32 in this embodiment is located downstream of the area in the outdoor passage 111 where the outdoor air supply unit 22 is provided, and downstream of the upstream opening 151 of the bypass passage 15. Therefore, the upstream opening 151 in this embodiment does not face the second heat exchanger 32. In other words, the upstream opening 151 is located upstream of the area in the outdoor passage 111 where the second heat exchanger 32 is provided.

[0255] Figure 35 shows the airflow through the indoor passage 112 and the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode. Figure 36 shows the airflow through the indoor passage 112 and the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode.

[0256] The other configurations are the same as those of the third embodiment described above. Therefore, the effects and advantages obtained from a configuration that is the same as or equivalent to that of the third embodiment can be obtained in the same way as in the third embodiment.

[0257] (Modified version of the fifth embodiment) In the fifth embodiment described above, the air conditioning system 1 was described in an example where the indoor air supply unit 21 is located upstream of the location where the first heat exchanger 31 is installed within the indoor passage 112. Then, the air conditioning system 1 was described in an example where the outdoor air supply unit 22 is located upstream of the location where the second heat exchanger 32 is installed within the outdoor passage 111. However, the positions in which the indoor air supply unit 21 and the outdoor air supply unit 22 are arranged are not limited to these.

[0258] For example, the air conditioning system 1 may have an indoor air blower 21 and an outdoor air blower 22 positioned as shown in Figures 37 and 38. Specifically, the air conditioning system 1 may have an indoor air blower 21 located downstream of the location of the first heat exchanger 31 in the indoor passage 112, and an outdoor air blower 22 located downstream of the location of the second heat exchanger 32 in the outdoor passage 111.

[0259] Furthermore, the air conditioning system 1 may have an indoor air supply unit 21 and an outdoor air supply unit 22 positioned as shown in Figures 39 and 40. Specifically, the air conditioning system 1 may have an indoor air supply unit 21 located downstream of the location of the first heat exchanger 31 in the indoor passage 112, and an outdoor air supply unit 22 located upstream of the location of the second heat exchanger 32 in the outdoor passage 111.

[0260] Furthermore, the air conditioning system 1 may have an indoor air supply unit 21 and an outdoor air supply unit 22 positioned as shown in Figures 41 and 42. Specifically, the air conditioning system 1 may have an indoor air supply unit 21 located upstream of the location of the first heat exchanger 31 in the indoor passage 112, and an outdoor air supply unit 22 located downstream of the location of the second heat exchanger 32 in the outdoor passage 111.

[0261] Figures 37, 39, and 41 show the airflow through the indoor passage 112 and the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode. Figures 38, 40, and 42 show the airflow through the indoor passage 112 and the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode.

[0262] (Sixth Embodiment) Next, the sixth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 43 and 44. In this embodiment, the position where the first heat exchanger 31 is located differs from that of the third embodiment. Otherwise, it is the same as the third embodiment. For this reason, in this embodiment, we will mainly describe the parts that differ from the third embodiment, and we may omit the description of parts that are the same as the first embodiment.

[0263] As shown in Figures 43 and 44, the first heat exchanger 31 of this embodiment is located downstream of the portion of the indoor passage 112 where the indoor air supply unit 21 is provided, and downstream of the downstream opening 152 of the bypass passage 15. Therefore, the downstream opening 152 of this embodiment faces the air intake side of the first heat exchanger 31.

[0264] Figure 43 shows the airflow through the indoor passage 112 and the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode. Figure 44 shows the airflow through the indoor passage 112 and the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode.

[0265] The other configurations are the same as those of the third embodiment described above. Therefore, the effects and advantages obtained from a configuration that is the same as or equivalent to that of the third embodiment can be obtained in the same way as in the third embodiment.

[0266] (Modified version of the sixth embodiment) In the sixth embodiment described above, the air conditioning system 1 was described in an example where the indoor air supply unit 21 is located upstream of the location where the first heat exchanger 31 is installed within the indoor passage 112. Then, the air conditioning system 1 was described in an example where the outdoor air supply unit 22 is located upstream of the location where the second heat exchanger 32 is installed within the outdoor passage 111. However, the positions in which the indoor air supply unit 21 and the outdoor air supply unit 22 are arranged are not limited to these.

[0267] For example, the air conditioning system 1 may have an indoor air blower 21 and an outdoor air blower 22 positioned as shown in Figures 45 and 46. Specifically, the air conditioning system 1 may have an indoor air blower 21 located downstream of the location of the first heat exchanger 31 in the indoor passage 112, and an outdoor air blower 22 located downstream of the location of the second heat exchanger 32 in the outdoor passage 111.

[0268] In addition, in the air conditioning system 1, the indoor air blowing unit 21 and the outdoor air blowing unit 22 may be arranged at the positions shown in FIGS. 47 and 48. Specifically, in the air conditioning system 1, the indoor air blowing unit 21 may be provided on the downstream side of the air flow from the portion where the first heat exchanger 31 of the indoor passage 112 is provided, and the outdoor air blowing unit 22 may be provided on the upstream side of the air flow from the portion where the second heat exchanger 32 of the outdoor passage 111 is provided.

[0269] Furthermore, in the air conditioning system 1, the indoor air blowing unit 21 and the outdoor air blowing unit 22 may be arranged at the positions shown in FIGS. 49 and 50. Specifically, in the air conditioning system 1, the indoor air blowing unit 21 may be provided on the upstream side of the air flow from the portion where the first heat exchanger 31 of the indoor passage 112 is provided, and the outdoor air blowing unit 22 may be provided on the downstream side of the air flow from the portion where the second heat exchanger 32 of the outdoor passage 111 is provided.

[0270] Note that FIGS. 45, 47, and 49 show the air flow through the indoor passage 112 and the air flow through the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 operates in the heating mode. FIGS. 46, 48, and 50 show the air flow through the indoor passage 112 and the air flow through the outdoor passage 111 when the air conditioning system 1 operates in the cooling mode.

[0271] (Seventh Embodiment) Next, the seventh embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 51. In this embodiment, the difference from the first to seventh embodiments is that the refrigeration cycle device 30 includes a switching valve 36 for switching the flow direction of the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circuit 33. Other than this, it is the same as the first to seventh embodiments. Therefore, in this embodiment, mainly the parts different from the first embodiment will be described, and the description of the parts the same as the first embodiment may be omitted.

[0272] As shown in FIG. 51, the refrigeration cycle device 30 of this embodiment includes a switching valve 36 in addition to the first heat exchanger 31, the second heat exchanger 32, the refrigerant circuit 33, the electric compressor 34, and the decompressor 35.

[0273] <0The switching valve 36 is an electrically operated four-way valve whose operation is controlled, for example, by a control signal transmitted from the control device 70. The switching valve 36 is connected to the refrigerant discharge side of the electric compressor 34, the refrigerant intake side of the electric compressor 34, the first heat exchanger 31, and the second heat exchanger 32. The switching valve 36 switches the flow path of the refrigerant circuit 33 between a flow path connecting the refrigerant discharge side of the electric compressor 34 and the first heat exchanger 31, and a flow path connecting the refrigerant discharge side of the electric compressor 34 and the second heat exchanger 32, according to the operating mode of the air conditioning system 1.

[0274] In other words, the switching valve 36 directs the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the electric compressor 34 to either the first heat exchanger 31 or the second heat exchanger 32 by switching the flow path of the refrigerant through the refrigerant circuit 33. Specifically, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode, the switching valve 36 directs the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the electric compressor 34 to the first heat exchanger 31. Also, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode, the switching valve 36 directs the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the electric compressor 34 to the second heat exchanger 32.

[0275] In a refrigeration cycle device 30 having such a switching valve 36, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in heating mode, the refrigerant flows in the following order: electric compressor 34, switching valve 36, first heat exchanger 31, pressure reducer 35, and second heat exchanger 32. Also, in the refrigeration cycle device 30, when the air conditioning system 1 is operating in cooling mode, the refrigerant flows in the following order: electric compressor 34, switching valve 36, second heat exchanger 32, pressure reducer 35, and first heat exchanger 31. Thus, in this embodiment, the refrigeration cycle device 30 can switch the refrigerant circuit 33 by the switching valve 36, eliminating the need to switch the refrigerant circuit 33 by switching the rotation direction of the electric motor 341 of the electric compressor 34. In other words, the electric compressor 34 does not need to be configured so that the rotation direction of the electric motor 341 can be both forward and reverse; it is sufficient if it can be rotated in either forward or reverse direction only.

[0276] The other configurations are the same as those of the first to seventh embodiments described above. Therefore, the effects and advantages derived from configurations that are the same as or equivalent to those of the first to seventh embodiments can be obtained in the same way as those of the first to seventh embodiments.

[0277] Furthermore, the configuration of the refrigeration cycle device 30 having a switching valve 36 allows for switching the flow direction of the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circuit 33 with a simpler configuration compared to a configuration that includes an electric compressor 34 in which the rotation direction of the electric motor 341 can be rotated in both forward and reverse directions.

[0278] (Eighth embodiment) Next, the eighth embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 52. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the air conditioning system 1 includes a heat exchange housing section 40 that houses the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32. Otherwise, it is the same as the first embodiment. For this reason, in this embodiment, the parts that differ from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the parts that are the same as the first embodiment may be omitted from the description.

[0279] The heat exchange housing section 40 is a housing case that accommodates the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32, which are located inside the casing 10. The heat exchange housing section 40 is located inside the casing 10 and houses the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32. The heat exchange housing section 40 is arranged across the outdoor passage 111 and the indoor passage 112, with the second heat exchanger 32 housed in the section located in the outdoor passage 111 and the first heat exchanger 31 housed in the section located in the indoor passage 112. The first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32 are arranged side by side within the heat exchange housing section 40 along the vertical direction DRud.

[0280] Furthermore, the heat exchange housing section 40 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and has a surface located on the left side of the left-right direction DRw and a surface located on the right side of the left-right direction DRw. The heat exchange housing section 40 has openings on both the left-side surface and the right-side surface of the left-right direction DRw that allow air to pass through.

[0281] In an air conditioning system 1 having such a heat exchange housing 40, when the indoor fan 211 of the indoor air supply unit 21 rotates, indoor air flowing through the indoor passage 112 flows into the heat exchange housing 40. The indoor air that flows into the heat exchange housing 40 then exchanges heat with the refrigerant by the first heat exchanger 31 and is discharged from the heat exchange housing 40. Also, when the outdoor fan 221 of the outdoor air supply unit 22 rotates, outside air flowing through the outdoor passage 111 flows into the heat exchange housing 40. The outside air that flows into the heat exchange housing 40 then exchanges heat with the refrigerant by the second heat exchanger 32 and is discharged from the heat exchange housing 40.

[0282] The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment described above. Therefore, the effects and advantages derived from a configuration that is the same as or equivalent to that of the first embodiment can be obtained in the same way as in the first embodiment.

[0283] Furthermore, by housing the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32 within the heat exchange housing section 40, the installation positions of the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32 can be brought closer together. This makes it easier to shorten the flow path of the refrigerant between the first heat exchanger 31 and the second heat exchanger 32. Consequently, pressure loss that occurs when the refrigerant flows can be suppressed, and the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle can be improved.

[0284] (Other embodiments) While typical embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be modified in various ways, for example, as follows.

[0285] In the first and second embodiments described above, examples were given in which the air conditioning system 1 includes a flow rate adjustment unit 50, but the system is not limited thereto. For example, the air conditioning system 1 may be configured without a flow rate adjustment unit 50.

[0286] The first and second embodiments described above describe examples in which the air conditioning system 1 includes a PTC heater 60, but are not limited thereto. For example, the air conditioning system 1 may be configured without a PTC heater 60.

[0287] In the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the flow rate adjustment unit 50 has a flow rate adjustment door 501 that changes the opening area of ​​the upstream opening 151 and an electric actuator 502 that changes the rotation angle of the flow rate adjustment door 501, but the system is not limited to this. For example, the indoor ventilation unit 21 and the outdoor ventilation unit 22 may be configured to adjust the flow rate of air flowing from the indoor passage 112 to the outdoor passage 111 via the bypass passage 15 by adjusting the rotation speed of the indoor ventilation fan 211 and the outdoor ventilation fan 221. In this case, the indoor ventilation unit 21 and the outdoor ventilation unit 22 function as the flow rate adjustment unit 50.

[0288] Furthermore, the flow rate adjustment unit 50 is a blower that adjusts the flow rate of air flowing from the indoor passage 112 to the outdoor passage 111 via the bypass passage 15, and the blower may be installed in the bypass passage 15.

[0289] In the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the air blower 20 has an indoor air blower 21 that generates airflow in the indoor passage 112 and an outdoor air blower 22 that generates airflow in the outdoor passage 111. Furthermore, an example was described in which the control device 70 independently controls the rotation speeds of the indoor air blower 21 and the outdoor air blower 22, but the invention is not limited to this.

[0290] For example, the air blower unit 20 may consist of a single blower that generates airflow in the indoor passageway 112 and the outdoor passageway 111.

[0291] In the embodiments described above, an example was described in which the indoor ventilation unit 21 has an indoor ventilation fan 211 that rotates to generate airflow and an indoor motor 212 that rotates the indoor ventilation fan 211. An example was also described in which the outdoor ventilation unit 22 has an outdoor ventilation fan 221 that rotates to generate airflow and an outdoor motor 222 that rotates the outdoor ventilation fan 221. However, the configurations of the indoor ventilation unit 21 and the outdoor ventilation unit 22 are not limited to these.

[0292] For example, the indoor air blower unit 21 and the outdoor air blower unit 22 may be operated by a common motor that rotates the indoor air blower fan 211 and the outdoor air blower fan 221.

[0293] In the above-described embodiment, an example was given in which the control device 70 functions as a blower control device that controls the operation of the blower unit 20 and a motor control device that controls the rotation of the electric motor 341, but the system is not limited to this. For example, the air conditioning system 1 may consist of a separate blower control device that controls the operation of the blower unit 20 and a motor control device that controls the rotation of the electric motor 341.

[0294] In the above-described embodiment, an example was explained in which the indoor air blower 21 and the outdoor air blower 22 are arranged so that the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 and the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111 flow in opposite directions to each other, but the embodiment is not limited to this.

[0295] For example, the indoor air blower 21 and the outdoor air blower 22 may be arranged so that the air flowing through the indoor passage 112 and the air flowing through the outdoor passage 111 flow in the same direction to each other.

[0296] In the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the bypass passage 15 is located inside the casing 10 and is formed by penetrating the passage partition 12, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the bypass passage 15 may be located outside the casing 10, with one side connected to the outdoor passage 111 and the other side connected to the indoor passage 112.

[0297] In the above-described embodiment, an example was given in which the flow rate adjustment unit 50 is provided at the upstream opening 151 of the bypass passage 15, but the invention is not limited to this. The flow rate adjustment unit 50 may also be provided at the downstream opening 152, or inside the upstream passage 153a, or inside the downstream passage 154a.

[0298] In the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the air conditioning system 1 is equipped with an outdoor switching device 13 inside the casing 10 that switches the air introduced into the outdoor passage 111 between outside air and inside air, but the system is not limited to this. For example, the air conditioning system 1 may be configured without an outdoor switching device 13. In this case, the air conditioning system 1 may be configured in which either outside air or inside air is introduced into the outdoor passage 111.

[0299] In the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the air conditioning system 1 is equipped with an indoor switching device 14 inside the casing 10 that switches between outside air and inside air being introduced into the indoor passage 112, but the system is not limited to this. For example, the air conditioning system 1 may be configured without an indoor switching device 14. In this case, the air conditioning system 1 may be configured in which either outside air or inside air is introduced into the indoor passage 112.

[0300] In the above-described embodiment, an example was explained in which the air conditioning system 1 includes an outdoor temperature sensor for detecting the temperature outside the vehicle, a solar radiation sensor for detecting the amount of solar radiation, and so on. However, it is also possible to eliminate these sensors and receive external environmental information from a server or cloud outside the vehicle. Alternatively, it is also possible to eliminate these sensors and obtain related information related to the external environmental information from a server or cloud outside the vehicle, and estimate the external environmental information from the obtained related information.

[0301] In the embodiments described above, it goes without saying that the elements constituting the embodiments are not necessarily essential, except in cases where they are explicitly stated to be essential or where they are clearly considered essential in principle.

[0302] In the embodiments described above, if numerical values ​​such as the number, numerical values, quantities, or ranges of the components of the embodiment are mentioned, the embodiment is not limited to those specific numbers unless explicitly stated as particularly essential or clearly limited to a specific number in principle.

[0303] In the embodiments described above, when referring to the shape, positional relationships, etc. of the components, the definition is not limited to those shapes, positional relationships, etc., unless otherwise specifically stated or when the definition is fundamentally limited to a particular shape, positional relationship, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0304] 10 Casing 15 Bypass passage 20 Air blower 31 1st heat exchanger 32 Second heat exchanger 111 Outdoor passage 112 Indoor passage 111a, 111b, 112a, 112b Air inlet

Claims

1. An air conditioning system that blows out heated air, A casing (10) having air inlets (111a, 111b, 112a, 112b) for introducing air, an indoor passage (112) for guiding the air introduced from the air inlets into the room, and an outdoor passage (111) for guiding the air introduced from the air inlets to the outside, A bypass passage (15) that guides the air flowing through the indoor passage to the outdoor passage, A blower unit (20) that generates airflow in the indoor passage and the outdoor passage, The refrigeration cycle comprises an electric compressor (34) that compresses and discharges refrigerant by the operation of an electric motor (341) which is a driving source; a first heat exchanger (31) provided in the indoor passage that heats the air flowing through the indoor passage by exchanging heat between the refrigerant discharged from the electric compressor and the air flowing through the indoor passage; a pressure reducer (35) that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing out of the first heat exchanger; and a second heat exchanger (32) provided in the outdoor passage that heats the air flowing through the outdoor passage by exchanging heat between the refrigerant flowing out of the pressure reducer and the air flowing through the outdoor passage, thereby absorbing heat from the air flowing through the outdoor passage. The aforementioned bypass passage is an air conditioning system in which the upstream side of the airflow is located in the indoor passage and the downstream side of the airflow is located upstream of the portion of the outdoor passage where the second heat exchanger is provided.

2. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the bypass passage is positioned downstream of the portion of the indoor passage where the first heat exchanger is provided, on the upstream side of the airflow.

3. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a flow rate adjustment unit (50) that adjusts the flow rate of air flowing from the indoor passage to the outdoor passage via the bypass passage.

4. An air conditioning system that blows out heated air, A casing (10) having air inlets (111a, 111b, 112a, 112b) for introducing air, an indoor passage (112) for guiding the air introduced from the air inlets into the room, and an outdoor passage (111) for guiding the air introduced from the air inlets to the outside, The airflow upstream side is located in the outdoor passage, and the airflow downstream side is located in the indoor passage, and there is a bypass passage (15) that guides the air flowing in the outdoor passage to the indoor passage, A blower unit (20) that generates airflow in the indoor passage and the outdoor passage, A refrigeration cycle comprising: an electric compressor (34) that compresses and discharges refrigerant by the operation of an electric motor (341) which is a driving source; a first heat exchanger (31) provided in the indoor passage that heats the air flowing through the indoor passage by exchanging heat between the refrigerant discharged from the electric compressor and the air flowing through the indoor passage; a pressure reducer (35) that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing out of the first heat exchanger; and a second heat exchanger (32) provided in the outdoor passage that heats the air flowing through the outdoor passage by exchanging heat between the refrigerant flowing out of the pressure reducer and the air flowing through the outdoor passage, thereby absorbing heat from the air flowing through the outdoor passage. The system includes a flow rate adjustment unit (50) that adjusts the flow rate of air flowing from the outdoor passage to the indoor passage via the bypass passage, The air blower generates airflow such that the air flowing through the indoor passage and the outdoor passage flows in opposite directions. The bypass passage has an upstream opening toward the upstream side of the airflow in the outdoor passage and a downstream opening toward the downstream side of the airflow in the indoor passage. The aforementioned flow rate adjustment unit is an air conditioning system that adjusts the temperature of the air flowing through the indoor passage by adjusting the flow rate of air flowing from the outdoor passage to the indoor passage via the bypass passage.

5. The air conditioning system according to claim 4, wherein the bypass passage is positioned downstream of the portion of the outdoor passage where the second heat exchanger is provided, on the upstream side of the airflow.

6. The air conditioning system according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the bypass passage is located downstream of the portion of the indoor passage where the first heat exchanger is provided, on the downstream side of the airflow.

7. The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the flow rate adjustment unit comprises a flow path adjustment unit (501) that changes the flow path area of ​​the bypass passage and an actuator unit (502) that changes the orientation of the flow rate adjustment unit.

8. The system includes a blower control device (70) that controls the operation of the blower unit, The aforementioned air blowing unit includes an indoor air blowing unit (21) provided in the indoor passageway and generating airflow in the indoor passageway, and an outdoor air blowing unit (22) provided in the outdoor passageway and generating airflow in the outdoor passageway. The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the air blower control device independently controls the rotation speed of the indoor air blower and the outdoor air blower.

9. The indoor ventilation unit includes an indoor ventilation fan (211) that rotates to generate airflow and an indoor motor (212) that rotates the indoor ventilation fan. The air conditioning system according to claim 8, wherein the indoor motor is provided in the indoor passage on the upstream side of the airflow from the location where the first heat exchanger is provided.

10. The indoor ventilation unit has an indoor ventilation fan (211) that rotates to generate airflow, The air conditioning system according to claim 8, wherein the indoor ventilation fan is provided in the indoor passageway downstream of the location where the first heat exchanger is provided.

11. The outdoor ventilation unit includes an outdoor ventilation fan (221) that rotates to generate airflow and an outdoor motor (222) that rotates the outdoor ventilation fan. The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the outdoor motor is provided in the outdoor passage on the upstream side of the airflow from the location where the second heat exchanger is provided.

12. The outdoor ventilation unit has an outdoor ventilation fan (221) that rotates to generate airflow, The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the outdoor ventilation fan is provided in the outdoor passageway downstream of the location where the second heat exchanger is provided.

13. The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising a heat exchange housing section (40) housing the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger.

14. A motor control device (60) that controls the rotation of the electric motor, It comprises a refrigerant circuit (33) for circulating the refrigerant, The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the motor control device changes the flow direction of the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circuit by switching the rotation direction of the electric motor.

15. A refrigerant circuit (33) for circulating the refrigerant, A switching valve (36) that switches the flow direction of the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circuit, The motor control device (70) controls the operation of the switching valve, The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the motor control device controls the operation of the switching valve to change the flow direction of the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circuit.

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