Abstract: A swirl space forming member that forms a swirl space in which a refrigerant flowing into a nozzle portion of an ejector swirls around an axis of the nozzle portion. In this way, even when the refrigerant flowing out of a first evaporator is a gas-phase refrigerant, pressure of the refrigerant on a swirling center axis side in the swirl space is reduced to be able to start condensation by swirling the refrigerant, and a gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant in which a condensation nucleus is generated can flow into the nozzle portion. Thus, occurrence of a condensation delay in the refrigerant in the nozzle portion can be restricted.

Abstract: A swirling space in which a refrigerant is swirled into a gas-liquid mixing state includes an upstream swirling space in which the refrigerant flowing from an external is swirled, and a downstream swirling space in which the refrigerant flowing from the upstream swirling space is introduced into a nozzle passage while swirling. Further, a cross-sectional shape of an outlet part of the upstream swirling space is formed into an annular shape along an outer peripheral shape of the upstream swirling space.

Abstract: An interior of a nozzle in an ejector is formed with a swirling space in which a refrigerant swirls, and a refrigerant passage in which the refrigerant that has flowed from the swirling space is depressurized. The refrigerant passage includes a minimum passage area part most reduced in the refrigerant passage area, and a divergent part that gradually enlarges in the refrigerant passage area from the minimum passage area part toward a refrigerant ejection port. Plate members, which reduce a velocity component of the refrigerant flowing into the minimum passage area part in a swirling direction, are disposed within the refrigerant passage.

Abstract: A refrigerant distributor includes a body portion defining a swirl space, a refrigerant inflow port, and first and second refrigerant outflow ports which causes refrigerant in the swirl space to flow out and distributes the refrigerant to components of a refrigeration cycle device. When a line connecting swirl centers of refrigerant swirling in the swirl space is taken as a swirl center line, the refrigerant swirls in the swirl space such at a velocity of a swirl flow that more vapor-phase refrigerant exists on an inner radius side than on an outer radius side and the velocity of swirl flow at the swirl center line on both end sides are different from each other. The first refrigerant outflow port is arranged at the one end side, and the second refrigerant outflow port is arranged at the other end side, on an extended line of the swirl center line.

Abstract: A body of an ejector includes a diffuser passage, in which an ejection refrigerant jetted from a nozzle passage and a suction refrigerant drawn from a suction passage are mixed together and pressurized by arranging a passage formation member, and a gas-liquid separation space, in which the refrigerant flowing out of the diffuser passage is separated into gas and liquid by the action of a centrifugal force. An inlet part of an oil return passage that is open in the gas-liquid separation space is arranged at a position closer to an outer peripheral side than to an axis center of the passage formation member.

Abstract: An ejector includes a body having a nozzle passage that depressurizes a refrigerant flowing out of a swirling space in which the refrigerant is swirled, a suction passage that draws a refrigerant from an external, and a diffuser passage that mixes an ejection refrigerant jetted from the nozzle passage and a suction refrigerant drawn from the suction passage together and pressurizes the mixed refrigerant. The body also has a gas-liquid separation space that separates the refrigerant flowing out of the diffuser passage into gas and liquid by an action of a centrifugal force, and multiple liquid-phase refrigerant outflow passages through which the liquid-phase refrigerant separated by the gas-liquid separation space flows out to the multiple evaporators.

Abstract: An ejector includes a body part having a depressurizing space in which a refrigerant flowing out of a swirling space is depressurized, a suction passage that draws a refrigerant from an external, and a pressurizing space in which the refrigerant from the depressurizing space is mixed with the refrigerant from the suction passage, a conical passage formation member that is arranged in the body part, and a driving device that displaces a nozzle body of the body part forming the depressurizing space. A nozzle passage is defined on an outer peripheral side of the passage formation member in the depressurizing space, a diffuser passage is formed on an outer peripheral side of the passage formation member in the pressurizing space, and an actuating bar that couples the driving device with the nozzle body is arranged without crossing the diffuser passage.

Abstract: An ejector includes (i) a body part including a depressurizing space in which a refrigerant flowing out of a swirling space is depressurized, a suction passage that draws a refrigerant from an external, and a pressurizing space in which a jet refrigerant jetted from the depressurizing space and a suction refrigerant drawn from the suction passage are mixed with each other to be pressurized, (ii) a conical passage formation member which is arranged inside the body part, and (iii) a swirling promotion part. A nozzle passage is provided in the depressurizing space on an outer peripheral surface of the passage formation member, and a diffuser passage is provided in the pressurizing space on the outer peripheral surface of the passage formation member. The swirling promotion part includes a flow regulation plate that promotes a swirling flow of the refrigerant flowing in the diffuser passage.

Abstract: A mixing portion that mixes an injection refrigerant and a suction refrigerant is formed in a range of an internal space of a heating-side body portion of a heating-side ejector from a refrigerant injection port of a heating-side nozzle portion to an inlet of a heating-side diffuser. Further, the mixing portion is formed in a shape that gradually decreases a refrigerant passage area toward a downstream side of a refrigerant flow, and a refrigerant passage area of the inlet of the heating-side diffuser is set smaller than that of the refrigerant injection port. Thus, the flow velocity of the mixed refrigerant is decelerated to a value lower than a two phase sound velocity within the mixing portion, thereby suppressing occurrence of shock wave in the heating-side diffuser and stabilizing the pressure increasing performance in the heating-side diffuser.

Abstract: In a dehumidification-air heating mode, a refrigerant circuit is configured such that a refrigerant outlet side of an exterior heat exchanger communicates with a heating side refrigerant suction port of a heating side ejector as a refrigerant decompression means, and that a refrigerant inlet side of an interior evaporator communicates with an outlet side of a heating side diffuser of the heating side ejector. A refrigerant evaporation temperature in the exterior heat exchanger is set lower than that of the interior evaporator by a pressurizing effect of the heating side ejector. Thus, the amount of heat absorption by the refrigerant at the exterior heat exchanger is increased to improve the heating capacity of the air in an interior condenser.

Abstract: A body part of a decompression device is provided with a swirling space that allows a refrigerant from a refrigerant inlet to swirl, a throttle space that depressurizes the refrigerant that has flowed out of the swirling space, and a downstream-side space that is disposed on the downstream side of the throttle space in a refrigerant flow and is formed so that the pressure of a refrigerant present in the downstream-side space becomes uniform.

Abstract: In an air cooling mode of cooling air as a fluid to be heat-exchanged, a refrigeration cycle device is provided to perform switching to a refrigerant circuit in which a high-pressure refrigerant exchanging heat with outside air in an exterior heat exchanger and dissipating heat therefrom flows into an accumulator serving as a gas-liquid separator. In an air heating mode of heating the air, the refrigeration cycle device also performs switching to another refrigerant circuit that allows a low-pressure refrigerant decompressed by a first expansion valve to flow into the accumulator. Thus, even in any operation mode, a difference between a refrigerant temperature in the accumulator and the outside air temperature is reduced to thereby suppress the degradation of performance of the refrigeration cycle device due to the unnecessary transfer of heat between the refrigerant in the accumulator and the outside air.

Abstract: In a heating mode, a refrigerant circuit is switched in which a refrigerant is decompressed by an ejector to flow into a gas-liquid separator, and a separated gas phase refrigerant is introduced into an intermediate-pressure suction port of a compressor and at the same time a separated liquid phase refrigerant flows to at least a second variable throttle valve, an interior evaporator, and a suction port of the compressor, in this order. In a cooling mode, a refrigerant circuit is switched in which the refrigerant flowing out of the interior condenser is decompressed by a first variable throttle valve through an exterior heat exchanger to flow into the gas-liquid separator, and a separated gas phase refrigerant is introduced into the intermediate-pressure suction port of the compressor, and at the same time a separated liquid phase refrigerant flows to the second variable throttle valve, the interior evaporator, and the suction port of the compressor, in this order.

Abstract: A refrigerant passage formed between an inner peripheral surface of a decompression space formed within a body part and an outer peripheral surface of a valve body that changes a refrigerant passage area of a minimum area part functions as a nozzle, and a refrigerant passage formed between an inner peripheral surface of a pressure increase space formed within the body part and an outer peripheral surface of a passage formation member functions as a diffuser to configure an ejector. Further, the valve body and the passage formation member are provided as separated members, and a load of the refrigerant on the valve body is reduced, thereby being capable of downsizing a drive device that displaces the valve body.

Abstract: In an evaporator unit, a first evaporator is coupled to an ejector to evaporate refrigerant flowing out of the ejector, a second evaporator is coupled to a refrigerant suction port of the ejector to evaporate the refrigerant to be drawn into the refrigerant suction port, a flow amount distributor is located to adjust a flow amount of the refrigerant distributed to the nozzle portion and a flow amount of the refrigerant distributed to the second evaporator, and a throttle mechanism is provided between the flow amount distributor and the second evaporator to decompress the refrigerant flowing into the second evaporator. The flow amount distributor is adapted as a gas-liquid separation portion and as a refrigerant distribution portion for distributing separated refrigerant into the nozzle portion and the second evaporator. Furthermore, the flow amount distributor and the ejector are arranged in line in a longitudinal direction of the ejector.

Abstract: An ejector includes a body member having a depressurizing space that depressurizes a refrigerant which flows out of a swirling space that swirls the refrigerant, a suction passage that draws the refrigerant from an external, and a pressurizing space that mixes a refrigerant jetted from the depressurizing space with a refrigerant drawn from the suction passage and pressurizes the mixed refrigerant, and a conical passage formation member arranged in the depressurizing space and in the pressurizing space. A nozzle passage is formed of a refrigerant passage between an inner peripheral surface of the depressurizing space and an outer peripheral surface of the passage formation member, and a diffuser passage is formed of a refrigerant passage between an inner peripheral surface of a portion that defines the pressurizing space and an outer peripheral surface of the passage formation member.

Abstract: An ejector includes a swirl flow channel that is arranged on an upstream side of a nozzle portion. The swirl flow channel swirls the high pressure refrigerant and allows the refrigerant in a state of a gas-liquid mixed phase to flow into the nozzle portion. The ejector further includes a flow-rate changeable mechanism that is disposed at the upstream side of the swirl flow channel, and is capable of changing a flow rate of the high pressure refrigerant that flows into the swirl flow channel. Accordingly, a nozzle efficiency can be improved, and an operation according to a load of the refrigeration cycle is possible.

Abstract: An ejector includes a nozzle having a fluid passage circular in cross section. The fluid passage includes a throat portion smallest in cross-sectional area, a divergent portion that becomes larger in cross-sectional area toward a downstream side from the throat portion, and an ejection port that is provided at a downstream end of the divergent portion. A passage wall surface of the divergent portion includes a recess portion that is recessed from within outward in a radial direction of the passage wall surface. The recess portion is located adjacent to the ejection port, and the recess portion extends continuously in a circumferential direction of the passage wall surface to enclose the fluid passage and have an annular shape. Accordingly, noise due to an expansion wave of the ejected fluid can be reduced.

Abstract: A nozzle of an ejector depressurizes and injects fluid, which is supplied to the nozzle. The nozzle is received in a receiving space of a body. The nozzle and the body are formed by press working. The nozzle includes nozzle-side ribs, which extend in an axial direction and project radially outward. The body includes body-side ribs, which extend in the axial direction and project radially outward. In a predetermined cross section of each of the nozzle and the body, which is perpendicular to the axial direction and includes the corresponding ribs, the nozzle or the body is formed seamlessly as a continuous single piece member.

Abstract: A flow of refrigerant discharged from a first compressor and cooled by a radiator is branched by a first branch portion, and the branched refrigerant of one side is decompressed and expanded by a thermal expansion valve and is heat exchanged with the branched refrigerant of the other side in an inner heat exchanger. Therefore, the branched refrigerant of the other side supplied to the suction side evaporator and a nozzle portion of an ejector can be cooled, thereby improving COP. Furthermore, a suction port of a second compressor is coupled to an outlet side of the ejector so as to secure a drive flow of the ejector, and the refrigerant discharged from the second compressor and the refrigerant downstream of the thermal expansion valve are mixed to be drawn into the first compressor so that an ejector-type refrigerant cycle device can be operated stably.