Refrigerating cycle and component assembly for the same

Abstract

A refrigerating cycle has a compressor, a high pressure heat exchanger, a decompressing device, a low pressure heat exchanger and a low pressure refrigerant passage part that defines a passage through which a low pressure refrigerant after being decompressed by the decompressing device flows. The low pressure refrigerant passage part is disposed at a position upstream of the high pressure heat exchanger with respect to a flow of cooling fluid such that the cooling fluid is introduced toward the high pressure heat exchanger after being cooled by the low pressure refrigerant passage part. For example, the low pressure refrigerant passage part includes an internal heat exchanger and a metal portion of a hose that introduces the low pressure refrigerant toward the compressor. Also, the internal heat exchanger and the high pressure heat exchanger are integrated into a unit as a component assembly before being mounted to an object.

1 . A refrigerating cycle comprising:
 a compressor for sucking and compressing a refrigerant;   a high pressure heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between a high pressure refrigerant compressed in the compressor and a cooling fluid flowing outside of the high pressure heat exchanger;   a decompressing device for decompressing the high pressure refrigerant into a low pressure refrigerant;   a low pressure heat exchanger for evaporating the low pressure refrigerant; and   a low pressure refrigerant passage part for defining a passage through which the low pressure refrigerant flows, wherein   the low pressure refrigerant passage part is disposed at a position upstream of the high pressure heat exchanger with respect to a flow of the cooling fluid such that the cooling fluid is cooled by the low pressure refrigerant passage part before being introduced toward the high pressure heat exchanger.   
   
   
       2 . The refrigerating cycle according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the low pressure refrigerant passage part is provided at a position adjacent to a last path of a flow of the high pressure refrigerant in the high pressure heat exchanger.   
   
   
       3 . The refrigerant cycle according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the low pressure refrigerant passage part includes an internal heat exchanger that has a high pressure refrigerant passage for allowing the high pressure refrigerant to flow and a low pressure refrigerant passage for allowing the low pressure refrigerant to flow,   the low pressure refrigerant passage is disposed on an outer side of the high pressure refrigerant passage within the internal heat exchanger.   
   
   
       4 . The refrigerating cycle according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the low pressure refrigerant passage part includes a metal portion of a refrigerant hose for introducing the low pressure refrigerant toward the compressor.   
   
   
       5 . The refrigerating cycle according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the low pressure refrigerant passage part includes at least a portion of a second metallic refrigerant pipe for introducing the low pressure refrigerant decompressed in the decompressing device toward the low pressure heat exchanger.   
   
   
       6 . The refrigerating cycle according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a gas-liquid separator for separating the low pressure refrigerant into a gas-phase refrigerant and a liquid-phase refrigerant, accumulating the liquid-phase refrigerant therein, and discharging the gas-phase refrigerant, wherein   the low pressure refrigerant passage part includes at least a portion of a third metallic refrigerant pipe for introducing the low pressure refrigerant discharged from the low pressure heat exchanger toward the gas-liquid separator.   
   
   
       7 . The refrigerating cycle according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a gas-liquid separator for separating the low pressure refrigerant into a gas-phase refrigerant and a liquid-phase refrigerant, accumulating the liquid-phase refrigerant therein, and discharging the gas-phase refrigerant; and   an internal heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between the high pressure refrigerant and the low pressure refrigerant, wherein   the low pressure refrigerant passage part includes at least a portion of a fourth metallic refrigerant pipe for introducing the low pressure refrigerant discharged from the gas-liquid separator toward the internal heat exchanger.   
   
   
       8 . The refrigerating cycle according to  claim 7 , wherein the internal heat exchanger is included in the low pressure refrigerant passage part. 
   
   
       9 . The refrigerating cycle according to  claim 1 , wherein the high pressure refrigerant has a pressure equal to or higher than a critical pressure. 
   
   
       10 . The refrigerating cycle according to  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant is carbon dioxide. 
   
   
       11 . The refrigerating cycle according to  claim 1 , wherein the low pressure refrigerant passage part and the high pressure heat exchanger are integrated into a unit as a component assembly before being mounted to an object. 
   
   
       12 . A component assembly for a refrigerating cycle, comprising:
 a high pressure heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between a high pressure refrigerant and a cooling fluid flowing outside of the high pressure heat exchanger; and   an internal heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between the high pressure refrigerant and a low pressure refrigerant that has a pressure lower than a pressure of the high pressure refrigerant, wherein   the internal heat exchanger is integrated with the high pressure heat exchanger on a first side of the high pressure heat exchanger, the first side corresponding to an upstream side with respect to a flow of the cooling fluid.   
   
   
       13 . The component assembly according to  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a first refrigerant pipe for introducing the high pressure refrigerant discharged from the high pressure heat exchanger toward the internal heat exchanger, wherein   the first refrigerant pipe is integrated with the high pressure heat exchanger and the internal heat exchanger.   
   
   
       14 . The component assembly according to  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a decompressing device for decompressing the high pressure refrigerant, wherein   the decompressing device is integrated with at least one of the high pressure heat exchanger and the internal heat exchanger.   
   
   
       15 . The component assembly according to  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a bracket to be fixed to an object, wherein   the bracket is integrated with at least one of the high pressure heat exchanger and the internal heat exchanger such that the high pressure heat exchanger and the internal heat exchanger share the bracket to be fixed to the object.   
   
   
       16 . The component assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein
 the internal heat exchanger has a high pressure refrigerant inlet portion and a high pressure refrigerant outlet portion, and   the internal heat exchanger is constructed such that the high pressure refrigerant inlet portion and the high pressure refrigerant outlet portion are located adjacent to each other.   
   
   
       17 . The component assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein
 the decompressing device includes a capillary-type expansion valve having a main body and a temperature sensing part outside of the main body, and   the temperature sensing part is disposed in contact with the first refrigerant pipe.   
   
   
       18 . The component assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein
 the decompressing device includes a box-type expansion valve that has a main body defining a first passageway and a second passageway therein and a temperature sensing part in the first passageway,   the box-type expansion valve is disposed such that the high pressure refrigerant that is discharged from the high pressure heat exchanger and flows toward the internal heat exchanger flows through the first passageway.