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: 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 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: 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 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-type refrigeration cycle device is provided with a first ejector (15) which draws refrigerant from a refrigerant suction port (15b, 24b) by using a high-speed refrigerant flow jetted from a nozzle part (15a, 24a), and a first suction-side evaporator (19) connected to the refrigerant suction port (15b) of the first ejector (15), and a second suction-side evaporator (27) connected to a refrigerant suction port (24b) of a second ejector (24). A flow amount of the refrigerant in the second ejector (24) is smaller than a flow amount of the refrigerant in the first ejector (15). The refrigerant branched at a branch part (Z2) that is positioned on a downstream refrigerant side of a radiator (13) and on an upstream refrigerant side of the first ejector (15) flows into the second ejector (24), and the refrigerant branched on a downstream refrigerant side of the second ejector (24) flows into the second suction-side evaporator (27).

Abstract: Provided is an air-blowing-type road surface snow-melting system which makes it possible to reduce the height of a hollow roadbed body while also making the amount of air blown out from an air-permeable structure substantially uniform. An air-blowing-type road surface snow-melting system (1) comprises: a hollow roadbed body (2) which is provided with a hollow section (21) and is buried beneath a road surface; an air-permeable structure (3) which is disposed on the hollow roadbed body (2) to form the road surface; and a vent pipe (4) which is laid inside the hollow section (21) of the hollow roadbed body (2), wherein the vent pipe (4) is laid in the shape of a loop so as to enclose a predetermined snow-melting area and in addition a plurality of blow-out sections (42) which open toward the inside of the loop are disposed in the vent pipe (4).

Abstract: A double-wall pipe includes an outer pipe, and an inner pipe disposed inside the outer pipe. An outer wall of the inner pipe has thereon a ridge portion, which defines a groove portion extending in a longitudinal direction of the inner pipe. The outer pipe and the inner pipe are bent to have a straight portion extending straightly, and a bend portion bent from the straight portion. In the straight portion, the outer pipe has an inside diameter that is larger than an outside diameter of an imaginary cylinder defined by an outer surface of the ridge portion of the inner pipe. Furthermore, the ridge portion of the inner pipe contacts an inside surface of the outer pipe to be radially squeezed and held by the outer pipe, in the bend portion. The double-wall pipe can be suitably used for a refrigerant cycle device.

Abstract: Provided is an air-blowing-type road surface snow-melting system which makes it possible to reduce the height of a hollow roadbed body while also making the amount of air blown out from an air-permeable structure substantially uniform. An air-blowing-type road surface snow-melting system (1) comprises: a hollow roadbed body (2) which is provided with a hollow section (21) and is buried beneath a road surface; an air-permeable structure (3) which is disposed on the hollow roadbed body (2) to form the road surface; and a vent pipe (4) which is laid inside the hollow section (21) of the hollow roadbed body (2), wherein the vent pipe (4) is laid in the shape of a loop so as to enclose a predetermined snow-melting area and in addition a plurality of blow-out sections (42) which open toward the inside of the loop are disposed in the vent pipe (4).

Abstract: In an evaporator unit for a refrigerant cycle device, an evaporator is connected to an ejector to evaporate refrigerant to be drawn into a refrigerant suction port of the ejector or the refrigerant flowing out of the outlet of the ejector. The evaporator includes a plurality of tubes in which the refrigerant flows, and a tank configured to distribute the refrigerant into the tubes or to collect the refrigerant from the tubes. The ejector is located in the tank, and the nozzle portion is brazed to the tank to be fixed into the tank. The tank may be a header tank directly connected to the tubes or may be a separate tank separated from the header tank.

Abstract: A subcool condenser having a condensation heat exchange portion, a receive portion and a supercool heat exchange portion is used as an outdoor heat exchanger that functions as a radiator in a cooling operation mode so that COP in the cooling operation mode is increased. In contrast, in a heating operation mode, a refrigerant bypass device that causes the refrigerant to flow so as to bypass the supercool heat exchange portion is provided so that pressure loss generated in the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger is decreased. Thereby, driving force of a compressor can be decreased and COP in the heating operation mode can be improved.

Abstract: A refrigeration-cycle component assembly includes a pipe connecting member, a box temperature-sensitive expansion valve, an ejector, a passenger-compartment high-pressure pipe, and a passenger-compartment low-pressure pipe. The component assembly is provided in a flat space, which is defined at a side of an air-conditioning unit in a vehicle transverse direction, and which is flat in the vehicle transverse direction. The pipe connecting member and the refrigerant suction portion are intensively arranged at a vehicle front side in the flat space. The component assembly is entirely covered by a heat insulating member.

Abstract: A refrigerant cycle device includes a branch portion for branching a flow of refrigerant discharged from a compressor, a first radiator for radiating one high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant branched at the branch portion, an ejector including a nozzle portion for decompressing refrigerant on a downstream side of the first radiator, a second radiator for radiating the other high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant branched at the branch portion, a throttle device for decompressing refrigerant on a downstream side of the second radiator, and a suction side evaporator for evaporating refrigerant downstream of the throttle device and for allowing the refrigerant to flow to an upstream side of a refrigerant suction port of the ejector. Furthermore, the first and second radiators are disposed downstream of the branch portion such that a heat radiation amount of refrigerant in the first radiator is smaller than that in the second radiator.

Abstract: An evaporator unit includes an ejector, an evaporator and a refrigerant pipe to connect a refrigerant outlet of the evaporator and a suction port of the ejector. The suction port draws refrigerant using high-speed refrigerant flow injected from a nozzle of the ejector. The ejector, the evaporator and the refrigerant pipe are integrated with each other into an integrated unit. The refrigerant outlet of the evaporator is located upper than the suction port of the ejector. The refrigerant pipe has a shape in a manner that refrigerant flows downward from the refrigerant outlet of the evaporator to the suction port of the ejector.

Abstract: A double-wall pipe includes an outer pipe, and an inner pipe disposed inside the outer pipe. An outer wall of the inner pipe has thereon a ridge portion, which defines a groove portion extending in a longitudinal direction of the inner pipe. The outer pipe and the inner pipe are bent to have a straight portion extending straightly, and a bend portion bent from the straight portion. In the straight portion, the outer pipe has an inside diameter that is larger than an outside diameter of an imaginary cylinder defined by an outer surface of the ridge portion of the inner pipe. Furthermore, the ridge portion of the inner pipe contacts an inside surface of the outer pipe to be radially squeezed and held by the outer pipe, in the bend portion. The double-wall pipe can be suitably used for a refrigerant cycle device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that warns that a JOB fails to be pulled out is provided. Warning processes executed by a CPU of a printer that is one example of the image forming apparatus includes the steps of determining whether a JOB list is updated, setting a job counter JB_S_CTA for checking JOB at an initial value “1” and setting an upper limit counter JB_S_CTB at an upper limit value when the JOB list is updated, executing a failure-to-pull-out warning process if JOBs counted by JB_S_CTA belong to the same client, and incrementing the JB_S_CTA by “1”.

Abstract: A double-wall pipe includes an outer pipe, and an inner pipe disposed inside the outer pipe. An outer wall of the inner pipe has thereon a ridge portion, which defines a groove portion extending in a longitudinal direction of the inner pipe. The outer pipe and the inner pipe are bent to have a straight portion extending straightly, and a bend portion bent from the straight portion. In the straight portion, the outer pipe has an inside diameter that is larger than an outside diameter of an imaginary cylinder defined by an outer surface of the ridge portion of the inner pipe. Furthermore, the ridge portion of the inner pipe contacts an inside surface of the outer pipe to be readially squeezed and held by the outer pipe, in the bend portion. The double-wall pipe can be suitably used for a refrigerant cycle device.

Abstract: A two-stage decompression ejector includes a variable throttle mechanism having a first throttle passage for decompressing a fluid and a valve body for changing a throttle passage area of the first throttle passage, a nozzle having therein a second throttle passage for further decompressing the fluid decompressed by the variable throttle mechanism, and a suction portion for drawing a fluid by a suction effect of a high-velocity jet fluid from the nozzle. The formula of 0.07?Vo×S/vn?0.7 is satisfied, in which Vo is an intermediate-pressure space volume (mm3) from an outlet of the variable throttle mechanism to an inlet of the second throttle passage, S is a throttle passage sectional area (mm2) of a minimum passage sectional area portion of the second throttle passage, and vn is a flow velocity (mm/s) of the fluid passing through the minimum passage sectional area portion.