The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 13, 1998
Filed:
Jul. 19, 1996
Minoru Fukumoto, Nara, JP;
Norio Yoshida, Moriyama, JP;
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
A first heat exchanger implements heat exchange between refrigerant and atmosphere. A second heat exchanger implements heat exchange between the refrigerant and air directed to an interior of the vehicle. A third heat exchanger downstream of the second heat exchanger implements heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air directed to the interior of the vehicle. A four-way valve connected among a refrigerant flow restricting device, the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger, and the third heat exchanger for changing a flow path of the refrigerant. A bypass device allows the refrigerant to selectively flow through the second heat exchanger and bypass the second heat exchanger. During a first mode of operation, the refrigerant is circulated sequentially through a compressor, the third heat exchanger, the four-way valve, the first heat exchanger, the refrigerant flow restricting device, the four-way valve, the second heat exchanger, and the compressor. During a second mode of operation, the refrigerant is circulated sequentially through the compressor, the third heat exchanger, the four-way valve, the refrigerant flow restricting device, the first heat exchanger, the four-way valve, the second heat exchanger, and the compressor. During a third mode of operation, the refrigerant is circulated sequentially through the compressor, the third heat exchanger, the four-way valve, the refrigerant flow restricting device, the first heat exchanger, the four-way valve, and the compressor while being allowed by the bypass device to bypass the second heat exchanger.