Heating/cooling system

{
  "publication_number": "US7228700B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Heating/cooling system",
  "abstract": "An object is to provide a heating/cooling system capable of achieving reduction of power consumption, and enhancement of performance in a heating/cooling system usable in such a manner as to be switched to be hot/cold. The heating/cooling system having a storage chamber usable in such a manner as to be switched to be hot/cold, comprises: a refrigerant circuit comprising a compressor, a gas cooler, a pressure reducing device, an evaporator and the like, containing carbon dioxide sealed as a refrigerant therein, and having a supercritical pressure on a high-pressure side; a radiator through which the refrigerant flowing out of the gas cooler flows before entering the pressure reducing device; and an air blower which sends air through the gas cooler, the inside of the storage chamber is heated by the radiator, the inside of the storage chamber is cooled by the evaporator, and the air blower is stopped in a case where the inside of the storage chamber is heated by the radiator.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A heating/cooling system having a storage chamber usable in such a manner as to be switched to be hot/cold, comprising: a refrigerant circuit comprising a compressor, a gas cooler, a pressure reducing device, an evaporator and the like, containing carbon dioxide sealed as a refrigerant therein, and having a supercritical pressure on a high-pressure side; a radiator through which the refrigerant flowing out of the gas cooler flows before entering the pressure reducing device; and an air blower which sends air through the gas cooler, the inside of the storage chamber being heated by the radiator, the inside of the storage chamber being cooled by the evaporator, and the air blower being stopped in a case where the inside of the storage chamber is heated by the radiator.",
    "2. The heating/cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the compressor comprises: first and second compression elements, the refrigerant compressed by the first compression element being compressed by the second compression element; and an intermediate cooling circuit comprising a heat exchanger for cooling the refrigerant compressed by the first compression element, and allowing the second compression element to suck the refrigerant, and the heat exchanger is integrally disposed in the gas cooler.",
    "3. The heating/cooling system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: an internal heat exchanger for exchanging the heat between the refrigerant which has flown out of the gas cooler and the refrigerant which has flown out of the evaporator, the refrigerant being passed through the radiator before reaching the internal heat exchanger.",
    "4. The heating/cooling system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: channel control means for controlling refrigerant circulation into the radiator and the evaporator; and an evaporator separately disposed for passing the refrigerant through the radiator, and evaporating the refrigerant in a case where the refrigerant circulation into the evaporator is interrupted.",
    "5. A heating/cooling system having a storage chamber usable in such a manner as to be switched to be hot/cold, comprising: a refrigerant circuit comprising a compressor, a radiator, a pressure reducing device, an evaporator and the like, containing carbon dioxide sealed as a refrigerant therein, and having a supercritical pressure on a high-pressure side; and a partition member capable of dividing the storage chamber in an insulated manner so that the inside of the storage chamber is heated by the radiator, and cooled by the evaporator, the partition member dividing the storage chamber in such a manner that one chamber is heated by the radiator, and the other chamber is cooled by the evaporator.",
    "6. The heating/cooling system according to claim 5, a gas cooler for radiating heat from the refrigerant; a separate evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant; and channel control means for controlling refrigerant circulation with respect to the radiator, the gas cooler, and both the evaporators.",
    "7. The heating/cooling system according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the compressor comprises: first and second compression elements; and an intermediate cooling circuit for cooling the refrigerant compressed by the first compression element of the compressor, and thereafter allowing the second compression element to suck the refrigerant, and the cooling of the refrigerant in the intermediate cooling circuit is substantially invalidated in a case where the inside of the storage chamber is heated by the radiator."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a heating/cooling system having a storage chamber usable in a switched hot/cold state. 2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 17, this type of heating/cooling system has heretofore comprised a storage chamber 101 partitioned into a cooling chamber 102 and a heating chamber 103 by an insulated wall, and a machine chamber 109 disposed under the storage chamber 101. Moreover, the machine chamber 109 contains a compressor 111, a gas cooler 112, a capillary tube 116 which is pressure reduction means and the like, and constitutes a refrigerant circuit 110 together with an evaporator 117. An electric heater 180 is disposed in the heating chamber 103, and air heated by the electric heater 180 is sent into the heating chamber 103 by a fan 128 to thereby heat the heating chamber 103. Here, an operation of a conventional heating/cooling system 400 will be described with reference to FIG. 17. When an operation of the fan 128 is started by a control device (not shown), and electric power is supplied to the electric heater 180, the air heated by the electric heater 180 is circulated in the heating chamber 103 by the fan 128. Accordingly, the inside of the heating chamber 103 is heated.\n\nMoreover, the control device starts the operation of a fan 127, and starts a driving element (not shown) of the compressor 111. Accordingly, a low-pressure refrigerant gas is sucked and compressed in a cylinder of a compression element (not shown) of the compressor 111 to constitute a high-temperature/pressure refrigerant gas, and the gas is discharged to the gas cooler 112.",
  "cpc": [
    "F25D 11/02",
    "F16B 39/30",
    "F25B 1/10",
    "F25B 2309/061",
    "F25B 2400/22",
    "F25B 29/003",
    "F25B 40/00",
    "F25B 41/24",
    "F25B 5/02",
    "F25B 6/04",
    "F25B 9/008",
    "F25D 23/069"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "F25B 1/10",
    "F25B 15/00",
    "F25B 29/00",
    "F25B 40/00",
    "F25B 41/04",
    "F25B 5/02",
    "F25B 6/04",
    "F25B 9/00",
    "F25D 11/02",
    "F25D 23/06"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "SANYO ELECTRIC CO"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "MATSUMOTO KENZO",
    "WATABE YOSHIO",
    "NISHIKAWA HIROSHI"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2005-02-11",
  "publication_date": "2007-06-12",
  "grant_date": "2007-06-12",
  "priority_date": "2004-02-12",
  "application_number": "US-5507205-A",
  "family_id": "34840191",
  "citations": [
    "JPH0618156A",
    "US2004020230A1",
    "US2004134225A1",
    "US6343486B1"
  ]
}