Air conditioner
US9851132B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 29, 2013 |
| Grant date | Dec 26, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 13, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF25B2500/01
- WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
This air conditioner performs a cooling operation and a heating operation in parallel with each other with an outdoor unit and indoor units connected together through two communication pipes. The air conditioner includes a switching mechanism changing the directions of refrigerants flowing through the communication pipes depending on whether a heating dominant operation is being performed in a first load region where a cooling load is relatively light or a second load region where the cooling load is heavier than in the first load region. In the second load region, the switching mechanism allows a low-pressure refrigerant to flow from the indoor units to the outdoor unit through the second communication pipe thicker than the first communication pipe to reduce a performance deterioration due to the pressure loss involved with the heating dominant operation.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.