Patent · US Expired

Air conditioner

US5499508A · kind A · utility

11Cited by
4References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 30, 1994
Grant dateMar 19, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 30, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF25B9/006
  • WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

An air conditioner employs a refrigerating cycle in which a non-azeotropic mixture of high and low boiling coolants is sealed. The ratio between the high and low boiling coolants of the coolant mixture changes according to a change in the opening of an electric expansion valve 7. A level sensor 19 is arranged in an accumulator 17 that accumulates the liquid phase of the coolant mixture. A value detected by the level sensor is used to calculate the ratio between the high and low boiling coolants actually circulating in the refrigerating cycle. According to the opening of the valve 7 or the ratio between the actual quantities of the high and low boiling coolants, basic operation parameters such as the operation frequency of a compressor 1 are changed. This results in stabilizing and optimizing the operation of the refrigerating cycle even if a cycle temperature or pressure is changed due to a change in the ratio between the high and low boiling coolants of the coolant mixture.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.