Patent · US Expired

Heat pump apparatus

US5711163A · kind A · utility

9Cited by
4References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 12, 1996
Grant dateJan 27, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 12, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF25B2313/02732
  • WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A heat pump apparatus includes a compressor, an expander, at least three heat exchangers and a cooling-medium route switchover device for switching over cooling-medium (refrigerant) route to the heat exchangers so as to selectively provide a two-evaporator operation mode in which two of the heat exchangers are used as evaporators and the other heat exchanger is used as a condenser and a two-condenser operation mode in which two of the heat exchangers are used as condensers and the other heat exchanger is used as an evaporator. The heat exchangers used as evaporators in the two-evaporator operation mode or as condensers in the two-condenser operation mode are serially connected with each other.

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