Air conditioner

Abstract

Disclosed is an air conditioner. The air conditioner includes: at least one indoor unit; an outdoor unit communicating with the indoor unit and having at least one compressor and one outdoor heat exchanger; a fluid path opening/closing valve for opening or closing a fluid path through which a refrigerant can flow to the outdoor heat exchanger; and a control unit for controlling the compressor and the fluid path opening/closing valve to perform appropriate compression and condensation of the refrigerant according to the load amount of the indoor unit. Accordingly, as the air conditioner comprises the fluid path opening/closing valve and the branch fluid path opening/closing valve which are capable of opening or closing fluid paths and a control unit for controlling the valves, a high pressure of a cycle is appropriately maintained even during small-load operation and therefore reliability in operation can be increased.

1 . An air conditioner comprising: 
 at least one indoor unit;    an outdoor unit communicating with the indoor unit and having at least one compressor and one outdoor heat exchanger;    a fluid path opening/closing valve for opening or closing a fluid path through which a refrigerant can flow to the outdoor heat exchanger; and    a control unit for controlling the compressor and the fluid path opening/closing valve to perform appropriate compression and condensation of the refrigerant according to the load amount of the indoor unit.    
   
   
       2 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid path opening/closing valve is disposed on the upstream side of the outdoor heat exchanger along the direction of the refrigerant flow.  
   
   
       3 . The air conditioner of  claim 2 , wherein the fluid path opening/closing valve is an electric valve.  
   
   
       4 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the control unit, according to the load amount obtained by calculating the load when some indoor units are operated, controls the compressors such that some compressors are operated or the compressors are operated at low frequencies, and opens or closes the fluid path opening/closing valve.  
   
   
       5 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the outdoor heat exchanger comprises: 
 a plurality of heat exchange units in which the refrigerant branches off and flows, and performing heat exchange;    a header having branch fluid paths through which the refrigerant can branch off and be supplied to the heat exchange units; and    a distributor connected with the heat exchange units.    
   
   
       6 . The air conditioner of  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 a branch fluid path opening/closing valve for opening or closing the branch fluid path.    
   
   
       7 . The air conditioner of  claim 6 , wherein the branch fluid path comprises: 
 an upstream branch fluid path for connecting the header with the heat exchange units; and    a downstream fluid path for connecting the heat exchange units and the distributor,    wherein the branch fluid path opening/closing valve is installed at either the upstream branch fluid path or the downstream branch fluid path.    
   
   
       8 . The air conditioner of  claim 6 , wherein the branch fluid path comprises: 
 an upstream branch fluid path through which the header is connected with the heat exchange units; and    a downstream fluid path through which the heat exchange units are connected with the distributor,    wherein the branch fluid path opening/closing valves are installed at both the upstream branch fluid path and the downstream branch fluid path.    
   
   
       9 . The air conditioner of  claim 6 , wherein the control unit, according to the load amount obtained by calculating the load when some indoor units are operated, controls the compressors such that some compressors are operated or the compressors are operated at low frequencies, and opens or closes the fluid path opening/closing valve and the branch fluid path opening/closing valve.  
   
   
       10 . The air conditioner of  claim 6 , wherein the outdoor unit comprises a main outdoor unit and a sub-outdoor unit connected and installed in parallel.  
   
   
       11 . The air conditioner of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 a pressure equalizing pipe for allowing the upstream side of the outdoor heat exchanger of the main outdoor unit and the upstream side of the outdoor heat exchanger of the sub-outdoor unit to communicate with each other.    
   
   
       12 . The air conditioner of  claim 10 , wherein the fluid path opening/closing valves are installed on the upstream side of the outdoor heat exchanger of the main outdoor unit and on the upstream side of the outdoor heat exchanger of the sub-outdoor unit.  
   
   
       13 . The air conditioner of  claim 10 , wherein the branch fluid path opening/closing valve is installed at the downstream branch fluid path of the outdoor heat exchanger of the main outdoor unit.  
   
   
       14 . The air conditioner of  claim 10 , wherein the control unit, according to the load amount obtained by calculating the load when some indoor units are operated, controls the compressors such that some compressors of the main outdoor unit and the sub-outdoor unit are operated or the compressors are operated at low frequencies, and opens or closes the fluid path opening/closing valve and the branch fluid path opening/closing valve.  
   
   
       15 . An air conditioner comprising: 
 at least one indoor unit;    an outdoor unit communicating with the indoor unit and having at least one compressor and a plurality of heat exchange units in which the refrigerant branches off and flows and performing heat exchange and a header having branch fluid paths through which the refrigerant can branch off and be supplied to the heat exchange units and a distributor connected with the heat exchange units;    a fluid path opening/closing valve are installed on the upstream side of the header for opening or closing a fluid path through which a refrigerant can flow to the header; and    a control unit for controlling the compressor and the fluid path opening/closing valve to perform appropriate compression and condensation of the refrigerant according to the load amount of the indoor unit.    
   
   
       16 . The air conditioner of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 a branch fluid path opening/closing valve for opening or closing the branch fluid path.    
   
   
       17 . The air conditioner of  claim 16 , wherein the branch fluid path comprises: 
 an upstream branch fluid path for connecting the header with the heat exchange units; and    a downstream fluid path for connecting the heat exchange units and the distributor,    wherein the branch fluid path opening/closing valve is installed at either the upstream branch fluid path or the downstream branch fluid path.    
   
   
       18 . The air conditioner of  claim 16 , wherein the branch fluid path comprises: 
 an upstream branch fluid path through which the header is connected with the heat exchange units; and    a downstream fluid path through which the heat exchange units are connected with the distributor,    wherein the branch fluid path opening/closing valves are installed at both the upstream branch fluid path and the downstream branch fluid path.    
   
   
       19 . The air conditioner of  claim 16 , wherein the control unit, according to the load amount obtained by calculating the load when some indoor units are operated, controls the compressors such that some compressors are operated or the compressors are operated at low frequencies, and opens or closes the fluid path opening/closing valve and the branch fluid path opening/closing valve.  
   
   
       20 . The air conditioner of  claim 16 , wherein the outdoor unit comprises a main outdoor unit and a sub-outdoor unit connected and installed in parallel.