Heat pump system for vehicle

Abstract

A heat pump system for a vehicle may include an outdoor condenser, an expansion valve, an evaporator, a compressor, and an indoor condenser that primarily condenses the refrigerant compressed through the compressor and is connected with the outdoor condenser, in which the outdoor condenser, the expansion valve, the evaporator, the compressor, and the indoor condenser are connected through refrigerant pipes, a first valve disposed in the refrigerant pipe between the outdoor condenser and the expansion valve; a chiller connected with the first valve through the refrigerant pipe, between the evaporator and the compressor, and controls the temperature of the refrigerant by exchanging heat; a connection pipe selectively allowing some of the refrigerant flowing into the chiller in a dehumidifying mode; and a second valve disposed in the connection pipe.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat pump system for an electric vehicle which controls cooling/heating of an interior of the electric vehicle by circulating a refrigerant in accordance a heating mode and a cooling mode, the heat pump system comprising
 an outdoor condenser that condenses the refrigerant;   an expansion valve that is fluidly-connected to the outdoor condenser and expands the refrigerant condensing through the outdoor condenser;   an evaporator that is fluidly-connected to the expansion valve and evaporates the refrigerant expanding through the expansion valve;   a compressor that is fluidly-connected to the evaporator and compresses the refrigerant evaporating through the evaporator;   an indoor condenser that primarily condenses the refrigerant compressed through the compressor, wherein the indoor condenser is connected with the outdoor condenser, the expansion valve, the evaporator, the compressor, and the indoor condenser through refrigerant pipes;   a first valve disposed in a first refrigerant pipe of the refrigerant pipes between the outdoor condenser and the expansion valve;   a chiller connected with the first valve through a second refrigerant pipe, between the evaporator and the compressor, and controls a temperature of the refrigerant by exchanging heat;   a connection pipe selectively allowing some of the refrigerant flowing into the chiller in a dehumidifying mode; and   a second valve disposed in the connection pipe.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the connection pipe connects the second refrigerant pipe disposed between the first valve and the chiller with a third refrigerant pipe disposed between the expansion valve and the evaporator. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the chiller is connected with an accumulator disposed between the evaporator and the compressor, through the third refrigerant pipe, wherein the third refrigerant pipe connects the evaporator, the accumulator, the compressor, and the indoor condenser. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second valve is a check valve that prevents the refrigerant from flowing back into the chiller from the evaporator through the connection pipe. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first valve is a 3-Way valve. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a fourth refrigerant pipe of the refrigerant pipes further has an orifice between the outdoor condenser and the indoor condenser, wherein the fourth refrigerant pipe connects the outdoor condenser and the indoor condenser. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein;
 in the heating mode, the refrigerant from the outdoor condenser is sent not into the expansion valve and the evaporator, but into the chiller by an operation of the first valve, and is then sent, with the temperature increased, into the compressor, and   when the dehumidifying mode is required during the heating mode, some of the refrigerant flowing into the chiller is sent into the evaporator through the connection pipe by opening the second valve, with the heating mode keeping operated.   
     
     
         8 . A heat pump system for an electric vehicle which controls cooling/heating of an interior of the electric vehicle in accordance with a heating mode and a cooling mode, the heat pump system comprising:
 an outdoor condenser that condenses a refrigerant;   an expansion valve that is fluidly connected to the outdoor condenser and expands the refrigerant condensing through the outdoor condenser;   an evaporator that is fluidly connected to the expansion valve and evaporates the refrigerant expanding through the expansion valve;   a compressor that that is fluidly connected to the evaporator and compresses the refrigerant evaporating through the evaporator;   an indoor condenser that primarily condenses the refrigerant compressed through the compressor, wherein the indoor condenser is connected with the outdoor condenser, the expansion valve, the evaporator, the compressor, and the indoor condenser, through refrigerant pipes;   a first valve disposed in a first refrigerant pipe of the refrigerant pipes between the outdoor condenser and the expansion valve;   a chiller connected with an accumulator between the evaporator and the compressor, disposed between the first valve and the accumulator, and controlling a temperature of the refrigerant by exchanging heat;   a connection pipe connected to a second refrigerant pipe of the refrigerant pipes disposed between the expansion valve and the evaporator, to a third refrigerant pipe of the refrigerant pipes disposed between the outdoor condenser and the indoor condenser to selectively send some of the refrigerant flowing into the outdoor condenser to the evaporator in the dehumidifying mode; and   a second valve disposed in the connection pipe.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the second valve is a check valve that prevents the refrigerant in the connection pipe from flowing back into the chiller from the evaporator. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the first valve is a 3-Way valve. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the third refrigerant pipe includes an orifice between the outdoor condenser and the indoor condenser and the connection pipe is connected with the third refrigerant pipe between the orifice and the outdoor condenser. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein;
 in the heating mode, the refrigerant from the outdoor condenser is sent not into the expansion valve and the evaporator, but into the chiller by an operation of the first valve, and is then sent, with the temperature increased, into the compressor, and   when the dehumidifying mode is required during the heating mode, some of the refrigerant flowing into the chiller is sent into the evaporator through the connection pipe by opening the second valve, with the heating mode keeping operated.