JP2001001750A - Air conditioner for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioner for a vehicle, capable of air-conditioning during idling stop. SOLUTION: This air conditioner for vehicle comprises an air-conditioning unit 1 provided with an evaporator 31 on the upstream side of a heater core 42, a coolant system 2 for supplying a liquid coolant to the evaporator 31, a heating source system 3 for introducing a part of engine cooling water from an engine cooling water system to the heater core 42, and a controlling section 4 for operation control. An air-conditioning circulation passage is formed in the engine cooling water system to interconnect the upstream side and downstream side of the heater core 42. Further, an air-conditioning circuit 60 during vehicle stoppage is provided, comprising in the air-conditioning circulation passage a regenerator tank 64 for storing a predetermined amount of engine cooling water, a circulating pump 65 for circulating the engine cooling water, and check valves 62, 63 for connecting or disconnecting the air-conditioning circulation passage and engine cooling water system.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner for a vehicle, which is installed in a vehicle such as an automobile and performs air conditioning such as cooling and heating in a passenger compartment. The present invention relates to a technique suitable for use in air conditioning when stopping.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a vehicle such as an automobile is provided with a vehicle air conditioner capable of providing a comfortable cabin environment to occupants in the cabin. Hereinafter, the configuration of a conventional vehicle air conditioner will be briefly described with reference to FIG. The vehicle air conditioner includes an air conditioning unit 1 that performs air conditioning such as cooling and heating, a refrigerant system 2 that supplies a refrigerant to the air conditioning unit 1 during a cooling operation, and an engine that serves as a heat source to the air conditioning unit 1 during a heating operation. It comprises a heating source system 3 for supplying cooling water and a control unit 4 for controlling the operation of the entire apparatus.

[0003] The air conditioning unit 1 includes an inside / outside air box 10, a blower unit 20, a cooler unit 30, and a heater unit 40 which are integrally connected. In the case of a general sedan type passenger car, a dashboard on the passenger seat side is provided. It is located below. The first inside / outside air box 10 is the air conditioning unit 1
Has a function of selecting the outside air or inside air by operating the inside / outside air switching damper 12. A blower unit 20 is provided connected to the downstream side of the inside / outside air box 10. The blower fan 21 operates to suck in the introduced air and blow it to a cooler unit 30 described later. In addition,
The blower fan 21 uses an electric motor 22 as a drive source.

[0004] The cooler unit 30 has a function of cooling and dehumidifying the introduced air, and includes an evaporator 31 as a heat exchanger and a cooler unit case 32 for storing the evaporator 31. The evaporator 31 receives the supply of the low-temperature and low-pressure liquid refrigerant from the refrigerant system 2 described later during the cooling operation, and performs heat exchange between the introduced air and the liquid refrigerant passing therethrough, so that the introduced air is cooled and dehumidified into cold air. . This cold air is guided to a heater unit 40 described later.

[0005] The heater unit 40 has a function of selectively heating the introduced air and blowing out conditioned air from a blow-off port that is opened according to the operation mode.
The heater unit 40 includes a heater unit case 41
And an air mix damper 43 for adjusting the flow rate of introduced air passing through the heater core 42.
And dampers 44a, 45a,
The air outlets 44, 45, and 46 provided with 46a. In the figure, reference numeral 44 denotes a defroster outlet, 45 denotes a face outlet, and 46 denotes a foot outlet. Dampers attached to each outlet are a defroster damper 44a, a face damper 45a, and a foot damper 46a, respectively. is called. Heater core 42
Is a heat exchanger for receiving a supply of high-temperature engine cooling water from a heating source system 3 described later during heating operation and heating the introduced air. The heater units 40 are classified into those in which the introduced air passes through the heater core 42 and those in which the heater air bypasses the heater core 42 according to the opening degree of the air mix damper 43.

The refrigerant system 2 supplies a low-temperature and low-pressure liquid refrigerant to the evaporator 31 and includes a compressor 51, a condenser 52, a receiver 53, and an expansion valve 54. The compressor 51 compresses the low-temperature and low-pressure gas refrigerant vaporized by the evaporator 31 and sends it to the condenser 52 as a high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant. In the case of an air conditioner for an automobile, the compressor 51 normally uses a belt and clutch from the engine E. Drive force is received through. The heating source system 3 supplies high-temperature engine cooling water serving as a heat source to the heater core 42, and partly controls the flow rate of the engine cooling water system circulating between the engine E and the radiator 55 by the water valve 56. To be introduced into the air conditioner. Reference numeral 57 in the figure denotes a cooling water pump for circulating cooling water driven by the engine E by belt, 58 denotes a thermostat, and 59 denotes a bypass flow passage.

Finally, the configuration of the control section 4 will be briefly described. The control unit 4 controls the operation of the air conditioning unit 1, the refrigerant system 2, and the heating source system 3 constituting the air conditioner. Usually, a control circuit is provided on an operation panel on which an occupant performs various settings. It is installed and installed in the center of the instrument panel. In the control unit 4, a switching operation of the inside / outside air switching damper 12, selection switching of various operation modes by opening / closing operations of dampers, a blower fan 21.
And the desired temperature setting operation can be performed.

[0008]

In recent years, due to environmental considerations such as reduction of the amount of exhaust gas, idles that stop the idling of the engine even during a short stop (for example, about one minute on average), for example, when waiting for a traffic light, etc. Stop requests are coming. When such an idle stop is performed, the operation of the compressor 51 of the refrigerant system 2 and the operation of the cooling water pump 57 of the heating source system 3 that obtain driving force from the engine E via a belt or the like are also stopped. For this reason, when the cooling operation or the heating operation is performed in the air conditioner, the supply of the refrigerant or the heat source is stopped, and as a result, the air conditioning operation cannot be performed and a comfortable vehicle interior environment may be impaired. Conceivable. From such a background, it is desired that the air-conditioning operation can be performed even at the time of idling stop, and a comfortable vehicle interior environment is maintained.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner for a vehicle which enables an air-conditioning operation at an idle stop.

[0010]

The present invention employs the following means in order to solve the above-mentioned problems. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein an inside / outside air box including an inside / outside air switching damper which opens the inside air intake port and the outside air intake port and selectively switches the introduced air to either inside air or outside air,
A blower unit provided with a blower fan for sucking the introduced air and blowing it to the downstream side, a cooler unit including an evaporator for exchanging heat between a refrigerant and the introduced air passing therethrough, and a heater unit installed in the heater unit case. A heater core for heating the introduced air passing therethrough, an air mix damper for adjusting a flow rate of the introduced air passing through the heater core, and a plurality of outlets opened to the heater unit case and each provided with a damper. An air conditioning unit having a configuration in which the evaporator is disposed upstream of the heater core, a compressor that compresses a gaseous refrigerant, and heat-exchanges a high-pressure gas refrigerant with outside air. A condenser for converting the high-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant into a low-temperature and low-pressure liquid refrigerant. A low-temperature low-pressure liquid refrigerant to the heater, a heating source system for introducing a part of engine cooling water from the engine cooling water system to the heater core, and an operation control of the air conditioning unit, the refrigerant system, and the heating source system. And a control unit for performing an air-conditioning circulating flow path that connects an upstream side and a downstream side of the heater core to the engine cooling water system. A heat storage tank that stores a predetermined amount of the engine cooling water and a circulation pump that circulates the engine cooling water are installed in the road, and connect or disconnect between the air conditioning circulation passage and the engine cooling water system. The air conditioner is provided with a vehicle stoppage air-conditioning circuit provided with a flow path switching means for performing the operation.

In such an air conditioner for a vehicle, the air conditioner circuit at the time of cooling operation operates the flow path switching means to cut off the air conditioning circulation flow path from the engine cooling water system. By operating the circulation pump to circulate the engine cooling water in the circuit in the air-conditioning circulation flow path, while running, the engine cooling water in the heater core is cooled by cold air supplied from the evaporator and stored, and when the vehicle is stopped, It is preferable to cool the engine by cooling it from the engine cooling water flowing through the heater core. in this case,
The cold storage and the cooling are preferably performed at the time of setting the maximum cooling operation, and at the time of setting the maximum cooling operation, the air mix damper is configured so that the entire amount of the cool air passing through the evaporator passes through the heater core. It is good to operate the position.

Further, in such an air conditioner for a vehicle, the air conditioning circuit at the time of a stop operation during the heating operation supplies the engine cooling water during traveling to the heat storage tank to store the heat. After operating and shutting off the air conditioning circulation flow path from the engine cooling water system, the circulation pump is operated to circulate the engine cooling water in the circuit in the air conditioning circulation flow path, radiate heat from the heater core and heat. It is preferable to configure as follows. In this case, the heat storage and heat dissipation are preferably performed at the time of setting the maximum heating operation, and at the time of setting the maximum heating operation, so that the entire amount of air introduced into the air conditioning unit passes through the heater core. Preferably, the position of the air mix damper is operated.

The flow path switching means may be an on-off valve provided at the inlet / outlet portion of the air conditioning circulation flow path of the engine cooling water system, or the air conditioning circulation flow path of the engine cooling water system. May be a four-way valve provided at a connection portion with the valve.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a system diagram showing the second embodiment.

First, a first embodiment of a vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The air conditioner for a vehicle mainly includes an air conditioning unit 1 that performs air conditioning such as cooling and heating, a refrigerant system 2 that supplies a refrigerant to the air conditioning unit 1 during a cooling operation, and a heat source to the air conditioning unit 1 during a heating operation. A heating source system 3 for supplying engine cooling water and a control unit 4 for controlling the operation of the entire apparatus.

The air-conditioning unit 1 has an inside / outside air box 10, a blower unit 20, a cooler unit 30, and a heater unit 40 integrally connected. In the case of a general sedan-type passenger car, the air-conditioning unit 1 is located on the left side of the passenger seat as viewed from the passenger compartment and at the rear of the engine room located below the dashboard 5, as in the case of the conventional structure. Are located. Hereinafter, the air conditioning unit 1 will be described in the order of air flow.

The first inside / outside air box 10 is a portion having a function of selectively switching the air introduced into the air conditioning unit 1 to either the outside air (air outside the vehicle compartment) a or the inside air (air inside the vehicle compartment) b. is there. Here, an outside air introduction port 11a communicating with the outside of the vehicle compartment and an inside air introduction port 11b communicating with the inside of the vehicle interior are shown.
One of the inlets 11a and 11b is closed by the inside / outside air switching damper 12, and the air to be introduced (hereinafter, referred to as introduced air) is selected.

The blower unit 20 is connected downstream of the inner / outer air box 10 and selectively sucks the outside air a or the inside air b by the operation of a blower fan 21 installed in the casing to cool the cooler unit 30 described later. It has a function to blow air to The blower fan 21 includes the electric motor 2
2 is a driving source, and in general, a plurality of air flow rates can be switched in addition to the stop position. When the outside air a is introduced while the vehicle is traveling, the outside air a, which is the traveling wind, is supplied to the cooler unit 3 even when the blower fan 21 is stopped.
Can flow to zero.

The cooler unit 30 includes the blower unit 2
It has a function of cooling and dehumidifying the introduced air blown from zero. The cooler unit 30 includes an evaporator 31 that is a heat exchanger, and a cooler unit case 32 that stores the evaporator 31. The evaporator 31 receives supply of a low-temperature and low-pressure liquid refrigerant from a refrigerant system 2 described later during cooling operation, and exchanges heat between the introduced air that is blown from the blower unit 20 and passes through the evaporator 31 and the liquid refrigerant. As a result,
The introduced air is deprived of heat by the refrigerant and becomes cooled and dehumidified cold air, which is guided to a heater unit 40 described later. The cooler unit case 32 has an upstream end connected to the blower unit 20 and a downstream end connected to the heater unit 40 to form a part of an air conditioning duct AD serving as a flow path for the introduced air. The cooler unit case 32 has a structure that can be vertically divided into two parts in order to easily incorporate the evaporator 31. In addition, a drain pan for collecting and discharging condensed water generated on the surface of the evaporator 31 is formed on the lower surface of the cooler unit case 32.

The heater unit 40 includes the cooler unit 3
It has a function of selectively heating the introduced air sent from 0 and blowing out the conditioned air from the outlet corresponding to the operation mode. This heater unit 4
Reference numeral 0 denotes a heater core 42 installed inside the heater unit case 41, an air mix damper 43 for adjusting the flow rate of the introduced air passing through the heater core 42, and a damper which is open to the heater unit case 41 and can be opened and closed. Outlet 4 provided with 44a, 45a, 46a
4, 45, and 46.

The upstream end of the heater unit case 41 is connected to the cooler unit 30 and forms a part of the air conditioning duct AD. In the heater unit case 41, a defroster outlet 44, a face outlet 45, and a foot outlet 46 are provided.
Defroster damper 44a and face damper 45 respectively
a and a foot damper 46a are attached. The heater core 42 receives a supply of high-temperature engine cooling water from a heating source system 3 described later during the heating operation, and
It is a heat exchanger that heats the introduced air blown from. The introduced air sent to the heater unit 40 is classified into one that passes through the heater core 42 and one that does not pass through the heater core 42 according to the opening degree of the air mix damper 43.

The above-described defroster outlet 44 is used to remove hot wind and dehumidified wind that directly hits the inner surface of the windshield or the like in order to remove defrost on the windshield before running in winter and remove fogging of the windshield during rainy weather. This air-conditioning operation mode is called a “defroster blowing mode”. The face outlet 45 blows cold air toward the upper body of the occupant mainly during the cooling operation in summer, and such an air-conditioning operation mode is called a “face blowout mode”.
The foot outlet 46 blows warm air to the feet of the occupant mainly during a heating operation in winter, and is referred to as a “foot outlet mode”. Note that there is also an air-conditioning operation mode called “bi-level blowing mode” that is mainly used in the middle period of spring or autumn and that blows air-conditioned air from both the face outlet 45 and the foot outlet 46. In general, the wind blown out from the outlet 45 is head cold foot heat whose temperature is lower than that of the foot outlet 46.

Next, the configuration of the refrigerant system 2 will be described. The refrigerant system 2 supplies a low-temperature and low-pressure liquid refrigerant to the evaporator 31, and includes a compressor 51, a condenser 52, a receiver 53, and an expansion valve 54. When the cooling / dehumidifying function is not required, installation of the refrigerant system 2 is omitted together with the evaporator 31 described above. The compressor 51 compresses the vaporized low-temperature and low-pressure gas refrigerant by removing heat in the vehicle interior by the evaporator 31 and sends it to the condenser 52 as a high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant. In the case of an air conditioner for a vehicle, the compressor 51 receives a driving force from the engine E via a belt and a clutch. The condenser 52 is disposed in the front of the engine room, cools the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant supplied from the compressor 51 with outside air, and condenses and liquefies the gaseous refrigerant. The refrigerant liquefied in this way is sent to the receiver 53 where gas-liquid separation is performed, and then sent to the expansion valve 54 as a high-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant. The expansion valve 54 decompresses and expands the high-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant into a low-temperature and low-pressure liquid (mist) refrigerant and supplies the refrigerant to the evaporator 31 of the air conditioning unit 1. The expansion valve 54 is generally installed at an appropriate position in the cooler unit 30 together with the evaporator 31.

Next, the configuration of the heating source system 3 will be briefly described. The heating source system 3 supplies high-temperature engine cooling water serving as a heat source to the heater core 42, and a part of the heat from the engine cooling water system circulating between the engine E and the radiator 55 is controlled by a water valve 56. And introduce it into the air conditioner. Note that reference numeral 5 in FIG.
7 is a cooling water pump for cooling water circulation, 58 is a thermostat, and 59 is a bypass flow path.

Next, the configuration of the control section 4 will be briefly described.
The control unit 4 controls the operation of the air conditioning unit 1, the refrigerant system 2, the heating source system 3, and the stationary air conditioning circuit 60, which constitute the air conditioning apparatus. A control circuit is incorporated in the operation panel for performing the operation, and the control circuit is installed in the center of the instrument panel. The control section 4 performs a switching operation of the inside / outside air switching damper 12, a selection switching of various operation modes by opening and closing operations of dampers, a switching of an air volume of the blower fan 21, a desired temperature setting operation, and the like. 62,6
3 and the operation control of the circulation pump 65 can be performed.

Further, in the present invention, a stationary air conditioning circuit 60 is provided so that the air conditioning operation can be performed even when the engine E is at the idle stop. The stationary air conditioning circuit 60 includes an air conditioning bypass passage 61 that connects the upstream side and the downstream side of the heater core 42 to the heating source system 3 that introduces a part of the engine cooling water from the engine cooling water system to the heater core 42. On / off valves 62 and 63 are provided at the entrance and exit of the engine cooling water system, respectively.
, An air-conditioning circulation flow path (closed circuit) for engine cooling water passing therethrough is formed, and a heat storage tank 64 and a circulation pump 65 are installed in the air-conditioning circulation flow path. It is needless to say that the non-illustrated check valve and open / close valve provided in a general pump system can be appropriately arranged in the stationary air conditioning circuit 60.

The on-off valves 62 and 63 have a function of shutting off the air-conditioning circulation passage provided in the heating source system 2 from the engine cooling water system as required. In this case, the on-off valves 62 and 63 are operated by selecting either one of fully open or both fully open.

The heat storage tank 64 is an engine cooling water storage container whose periphery is covered with a heat insulating material. This heat storage tank 64
Although the heat storage amount can be increased as the capacity is increased, a large installation space is required. Therefore, it is said that idling stop due to signal waiting is about 1 minute on average. To maintain air conditioning during this period, the temperature difference between the engine cooling water before and after cooling or heat radiation is 10 ° C and the temperature difference is about 50 kcal. Equivalent, 5
Preferably, the heat storage tank 64 has a capacity of about 1 liter. With such a heat storage tank 64, it can be relatively easily installed in the engine room.

The circulation pump 65 is a dedicated pump for circulating the engine cooling water in the stationary air conditioning circuit 60 in the air conditioning circuit 60, and its driving source is such that it can be operated even during idle stop. Electric motor 6
6 is used. During the cooling operation, the circulation pump 65 is operated in a state where the on-off valves 62 and 63 are closed and the air-conditioning circulation flow path is shut off from the engine cooling water system during both normal engine operation and idle stop. Also,
During the heating operation, the on-off valves 62 and 63 are open during normal engine operation, and the circulation pump 65 is stopped. Then, when the engine is in the idle stop state, the operation is started after the on-off valves 62 and 63 are closed and the air-conditioning circulation channel is cut off from the engine cooling water system.

In the air conditioner for a vehicle configured as described above, by driving the blower fan 21 during normal operation, the outside air a or the inside air b is changed to the outside air inlet 11 a or the inside air inlet 11 of the inside / outside air box 10. 11b is introduced into the air conditioning duct AD, and the introduced air is supplied to the blower unit 2
0, and is sent to the cooler unit 30 on the downstream side in the air conditioning duct AD. The introduced air flowing through the cooler unit 30 passes through the evaporator 31. Here, during the cooling operation in which the low-temperature and low-pressure liquid refrigerant is supplied from the refrigerant system 2, the refrigerant exchanges heat with the refrigerant to be cooled and dehumidified. It flows to the unit 40.

On the other hand, the introduced air cooled and dehumidified and sent to the heater unit 40 is supplied to the air mix damper 4.
3 completely covers the passage on the heater core 42 side, the entire amount of the introduced air goes to the outlets 44, 45 and 46 without passing through the heater core 42, and the cold air flows into the vehicle cabin from the outlet with the damper opened. Is blown out. Further, when the air mix damper 43 fully opens the passage on the heater core 42 side, all of the introduced air passes through the heater core 42 and is heated, so that warm air is blown into the vehicle interior from the outlet with the damper open. . Furthermore, when the air mix damper 43 is at the intermediate position, the cool air that does not pass through the heater core 42 and the warm air that has passed through the heater core 42 are mixed downstream of the air mix damper 43 in accordance with the degree of opening thereof. The air conditioned to the temperature is blown into the vehicle compartment from the outlet with the damper open according to the operation mode.

Now, in the air conditioner of the present invention,
When the engine E is idle-stopped, short-time air conditioning can be performed as described below. First, the cooling operation during idle stop (hereinafter, referred to as idle stop cooling operation) will be described. Such an idling stop cooling operation is performed when the air mix damper 43 completely covers the passage on the heater core 42 side and the maximum cooling operation which does not require the temperature adjustment with the hot air is set. The control unit 4 may automatically perform the idle stop cooling operation in response to the setting of the maximum cooling operation, or a manual switch (not shown) operated by the occupant. May be provided so that the idle-stop cooling operation is performed under the AND condition of the setting of the maximum cooling operation and the manual switch.

When performing the idle stop cooling operation, the on-off valves 62 and 63 are always closed to shut off the air conditioning circulation passage from the engine cooling water system. Then, the water valve 5
4 and the operation of the circulation pump 65 is started. As a result, the engine cooling water in the vehicle stoppage air conditioning circuit 60 is circulated in the air conditioning circulation channel by the circulation pump 65 in the order of the water valve 54, the heater core 42, the heat storage tank 64, and the air conditioning bypass channel 61.

In the air mixing damper 43, the flow passage leading to the heater core 42 is generally fully closed in the normal maximum cooling operation.
That is, the operation is performed such that the entire amount of the introduced air that has been cooled after passing through the evaporator 31 is at a position that passes through the heater core 42. The position of such an air mix damper 43 is the same as in the normal maximum heating operation. At this time, since high-temperature engine cooling water is not supplied to the heater core 42 from the engine cooling water system, the introduced air is not heated even when the heater core 42 passes through the heater core 42.

When the vehicle stops and the air conditioning circuit 60 is in the above-described state, and the engine E is operated to run the vehicle, the compressor 51 is driven by the engine E in the refrigerant system 2 to continue supplying the refrigerant to the evaporator 31. I have. Accordingly, the introduced air is cooled by passing through the evaporator, and the introduced air, which has become cold air, passes through the heater core 42 and cools the engine cooling water in the circulation circuit flowing inside the heater core 42. As a result, the temperature of the circulating engine cooling water gradually decreases, and is cooled in the heat storage tank 64 and the air conditioning circulation flow path. Then, when the vehicle stops at a red light or the like and idle stop is performed, the compressor 51 also stops due to the stop of the engine E, so that the supply of the refrigerant to the evaporator 31 also stops. However, since the blower fan 21 operated by the electric motor 22 and the circulating pump 65 operated by the electric motor 66 continue to operate by receiving power supply from the battery, the introduced air is cooled by the heater core 42 through which the stored engine cooling water flows. The cold air is blown into the passenger compartment. Due to such heat exchange in the heater core 42, the circulating engine cooling water gradually rises in temperature, but has cooling heat capacity corresponding to the capacity and temperature difference of the engine cooling water stored in the heat storage tank 64. Therefore, the cooling operation can be continued for a desired time (for example, when the temperature difference is 10 ° C., about 1 minute in a heat storage tank having a capacity of 5 liters).

Thereafter, when the idle stop is released and the engine E starts operating, the operation returns to the normal operation, and the refrigerant is supplied from the compressor 51 to the evaporator 31.
The cooling of the introduced air is restarted. Therefore, the circulating engine cooling water is cooled by the cool air in the heater core 42 and is stored again. Thereafter, by repeating such cold storage at the time of running (when the engine E is operating) and cooling at the time of stopping (at the time of idle stop), a relatively short cooling operation at the time of idle stop can be performed.

Next, the heating operation during idle stop (hereinafter referred to as idle stop heating operation) will be described. Such an idle stop heating operation is performed at the time of setting the maximum heating operation in which the air mix damper 43 fully opens the passage on the heater core 42 side and the entire amount of the introduced air passes through the heater core 42. The control unit 4 may automatically perform the idle stop heating operation in response to the setting of the maximum heating operation, or a manual switch (not shown) operated by the occupant.
May be provided so that the idle stop heating operation is performed under the AND condition of the setting of the maximum heating operation and the manual switch.

When the idle stop heating operation is performed, the operation of the engine E is basically the same as the normal maximum heating operation. That is, the on-off valves 62 and 63 and the water valve 56 are in the open state, and the circulation pump 65
Has stopped. In such a state, high-temperature engine cooling water is supplied to the heater core 42 to heat the introduced air, so that warm air is blown into the vehicle interior. The high-temperature engine coolant passing through the heater core 42 accumulates heat by gradually increasing the temperatures of the engine coolant in the heat storage tank 64 and the air conditioning circuit.

In this manner, in the vehicle stop air conditioning circuit 60 in which the engine E is driven and heat is stored during traveling, when the engine E is stopped due to idle stop, the driving of the cooling water pump 57 is stopped.
For 2, the supply of high-temperature engine cooling water as a heating source is also stopped. Therefore, first, the on-off valves 62 and 63 are closed to shut off the air-conditioning circulation flow path from the engine cooling water system.
The operation of the circulation pump 65 is started with the water valve 54 kept open. As a result, the engine cooling water in the vehicle stoppage air conditioning circuit 60 is circulated in the air conditioning circulation channel by the circulation pump 65 in the order of the water valve 54, the heater core 42, the heat storage tank 64, and the air conditioning bypass channel 61. Since the high-temperature engine cooling water directly supplied from the engine E is always circulated and stored in the heat storage tank 64, the engine cooling water in the air-conditioning circulation path is higher in temperature than the engine cooling water system flowing through the radiator 55. Further, the air mix damper 43 maintains the position where the total amount of the introduced air, that is, the total amount of the introduced air that has been cooled after passing through the evaporator 31 passes through the heater core 42, as in the normal maximum heating operation. Operation (maintenance).

On the other hand, the blower fan 21 operated by the electric motor 22 and the circulation pump 65 operated by the electric motor 66
Will continue to operate with power from the battery,
The introduced air becomes hot air heated by the heater core 42 through which the stored high-temperature engine cooling water flows, and is blown out into the vehicle interior. By such heat exchange in the heater core 42, the temperature of the circulating engine cooling water gradually decreases,
Since the heat storage tank 64 has a heat radiation amount corresponding to the capacity and the temperature difference of the engine cooling water stored in the heat storage tank 64, it can be used for a desired time (for example, when the temperature difference is 10 ° C., the heat storage tank having a capacity of 5 liters is 1 minute Degree) Heating operation can be continued.

Thereafter, when the idle stop is released and the engine E starts operating, the operation returns to the normal operation and the operation of the cooling water pump 57 is restarted.
Is opened to receive the supply of engine cooling water as a heating source from the engine cooling water system, and the heating of the introduced air by the heater core 42 is restarted. Therefore, the circulating engine cooling water heats the introduced air by the heater core 42 and stores heat again. Thereafter, during such traveling (engine E
By repeating the heat storage at the time of operation) and the heat radiation at the time of stop (at the time of idle stop), it is possible to perform the heating operation for a relatively short time at the time of idle stop.

Next, a second embodiment of the vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is a passage switching means for cutting off the air-conditioning circulation passage from the engine cooling water system. That is, in the first embodiment, the air-conditioning bypass flow path 61 is provided to form the air-conditioning circulation flow path, and the opening / closing valves 62 and 63 are provided at the respective entrances and exits. However, in the second embodiment, A four-way valve 67 is provided at the connection between the air conditioning circulation passage and the engine cooling system. The four-way valve 67 can be switched between a normal operation indicated by a broken line in FIG. 2 and an idle stop indicated by a solid line.

Therefore, during the idle stop cooling operation,
With the four-way valve 67 in the state shown by the solid line, the air-conditioning circulation flow path is shut off from the engine cooling water system, and the circulation pump 65
Is operated to perform cold storage and cool-down as in the first embodiment. Also, during the idling stop heating operation, when driving the engine E,
As in the case of normal heating, heat is stored in a state in which the four-way valve 67 is positioned at the broken line and the air conditioning circulation passage is connected to the engine cooling water system. Then, at the time of the idle stop for stopping the engine E, the four-way valve 67 is switched to the solid line position to shut off the air-conditioning circulation passage from the engine cooling water system, circulate the engine cooling water in the stored heat circuit, and Dissipate heat. In the idle stop cooling operation and the idle stop heating operation described above, it goes without saying that the operation timing of the circulation pump 65 and the opening operation of the water valve 56 are the same as in the first embodiment.

[0044]

According to the vehicle air conditioner of the present invention,
Even when the engine is stopped, it is possible to carry out cooling operation by using the cooling water stored during operation of the engine using the engine cooling water in the circuit as a medium, and to perform heating operation by using the heat stored during operation of the engine. Become. Therefore, even when the idle stop is performed for a relatively short time, it is possible to maintain a comfortable vehicle interior environment or to minimize a temperature change, thereby contributing to a reduction in exhaust gas. This has the effect of improving the merchantability. In addition, since air conditioning at idle stop can be achieved with a small number of components, it is advantageous to mount it on a vehicle with limited space, and it is also possible to minimize increases in vehicle weight and cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing a first embodiment of a vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a system diagram showing a second embodiment of the vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a system diagram showing a configuration example of a conventional vehicle air conditioner.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air conditioning unit 2 Refrigerant system 3 Heat source system 4 Control part 10 Inner / outer air box 20 Blower unit 30 Cooler unit 31 Evaporator 40 Heater unit 42 Heater core 43 Air mix damper 51 Compressor 52 Condenser 55 Radiator 56 Water valve 57 Cooling water pump 58 Thermostat Reference Signs List 60 Air conditioning circuit at stoppage 61 Air conditioning bypass flow path 62, 63 Open / close valve (flow path switching means) 64 Heat storage tank 65 Circulation pump 67 4-way valve (flow path switching means)

Claims (9)

[Claims] An inside / outside air box having an inside / outside air switching damper for opening and closing an inside air intake port and an outside air intake port to selectively switch introduced air to either inside air or outside air; A blower unit provided with a blower fan for blowing air, a cooler unit provided with an evaporator for exchanging heat between a refrigerant and the passing introduced air, and a heater unit installed in a heater unit case to heat the passing introduced air. A heater core, an air mix damper for adjusting a flow rate of the introduced air passing through the heater core, and a heater unit having a plurality of outlets each having an opening in the heater unit case and having a damper are connected. An air conditioning unit having the evaporator disposed upstream of the heater core, and compressing a gaseous refrigerant. A compressor, a condenser for exchanging heat of a high-pressure gas refrigerant with the outside air and condensing the same, and an expansion valve for converting a high-temperature high-pressure liquid refrigerant to a low-temperature low-pressure liquid refrigerant, and supplying the low-temperature low-pressure liquid refrigerant to the evaporator. A coolant system, a heating source system that adjusts a flow rate from an engine cooling water system by a water valve to introduce a part of the engine cooling water into the heater core, and a control that performs operation control of the air conditioning unit, the coolant system, and the heating source system. A vehicle air conditioner comprising: an air conditioning circulation path formed by connecting an upstream side and a downstream side of the heater core to the engine cooling water system; and A heat storage tank that stores a predetermined amount of the engine cooling water, a circulation pump that circulates the engine cooling water, and the air conditioning circulation flow path and the engine cooling water system, An air conditioner for a vehicle, comprising a stationary air conditioning circuit provided with a flow path switching means for connecting or disconnecting between the air conditioners. 2. The vehicle stop air conditioning circuit during cooling operation operates the flow path switching means to cut off the air conditioning circulation flow path from the engine cooling water system, and then opens the water valve and activates the circulation pump. Driving and circulating the engine cooling water in the circuit in the air-conditioning circulation flow path, cooling the engine cooling water in the heater core with cold air supplied from the evaporator during traveling and storing the cold water, and turning off the heater core when the vehicle is stopped. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein cooling is performed by cooling from flowing engine cooling water. 3. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the cold storage and the cooling are performed when a maximum cooling operation is set. 4. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein when the maximum cooling operation is set, the position of the air mix damper is operated such that the entire amount of the cool air that has passed through the evaporator passes through the heater core. Air conditioner. 5. The vehicle stoppage air conditioning circuit during a heating operation, the engine cooling water during running is caused to flow through the heat storage tank to store heat,
When the vehicle is stopped, the air conditioning circulation flow path is disconnected from the engine cooling water system by operating the flow path switching means, and then the circulation pump is operated with the water valve open to drive the engine cooling water in the circuit to the air conditioning circulation. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioner is configured to circulate in a flow path and radiate heat from the heater core to heat the heater core. 6. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 5, wherein the heat storage and heat radiation are performed when a maximum heating operation is set. 7. The air mixing damper according to claim 6, wherein, when the maximum heating operation is set, the position of the air mix damper is operated such that the entire amount of air introduced into the air conditioning unit passes through the heater core. Air conditioner for vehicles. 8. The air according to claim 1, wherein the passage switching means is an on-off valve provided at each of the air conditioning circulation passage entrance and exit of the engine cooling water system. Harmony equipment. 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the flow path switching means is a four-way valve provided at a connection of the engine cooling water system to the air conditioning circulation flow path. Air conditioner.