US Patent Application 18044844. REFRIGERATION CYCLE DEVICE simplified abstract
Contents
REFRIGERATION CYCLE DEVICE
Organization Name
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
Inventor(s)
REFRIGERATION CYCLE DEVICE - A simplified explanation of the abstract
This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18044844 titled 'REFRIGERATION CYCLE DEVICE
Simplified Explanation
The patent application describes a refrigeration cycle device that can provide both cooling and heating functions.
- The device has a refrigerant flow path that allows for a counter flow of air and refrigerant during both cooling and heating.
- This design reduces the amount of refrigerant needed by allowing low-pressure two-phase refrigerant to flow through a liquid pipe.
- The device includes an outdoor unit with a compressor, a four-way valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, and an outdoor expansion valve.
- It also includes an indoor unit with an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor expansion valve.
- The outdoor and indoor units are connected by a gas pipe and a liquid pipe.
- The device can switch between cooling and heating operations using the four-way valve.
- It includes either a first bridge circuit or a second bridge circuit, both of which have flow path opening-closing units.
- The first bridge circuit allows the refrigerant to flow through the outdoor heat exchanger in the same direction during both cooling and heating.
- The second bridge circuit allows the refrigerant to flow through the indoor heat exchanger in the same direction during both cooling and heating.
Original Abstract Submitted
To provide a refrigeration cycle device that has a refrigerant flow path with a structure to form a counter flow of air and refrigerant not only during cooling, but also during heating, and that allows low-pressure two-phase refrigerant to flow through a liquid pipe and can thereby reduce the amount of refrigerant needed. The refrigeration cycle device includes: an outdoor unit including a compressor , a four-way valve , an outdoor heat exchanger , and an outdoor expansion valve , the four-way valve being configured to switch between cooling operation and heating operation; an indoor unit including an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor expansion valve ; and a gas pipe and a liquid pipe configured to connect the outdoor unit and the indoor unit ; and at least either one of a first bridge circuit having a configuration including a plurality of flow path opening-closing units to allow the refrigerant to flow through the outdoor heat exchanger in the same direction both during the cooling operation and during the heating operation, and a second bridge circuit having a configuration including a plurality of flow path opening-closing units to allow the refrigerant to flow through the indoor heat exchanger in the same direction both during the cooling operation and during the heating operation.
