Refrigerant system

Abstract

A refrigerant system is provided. The refrigerant system may use an electronic expansion valve that electronically controls an opening degree thereof, as a high-pressure valve and a low-pressure valve to selectively block a high-pressure branch valve and a low-pressure branch valve. Accordingly, noise transmitted to an interior space may be minimized when the operation mode of the refrigerant system is switched. In addition, the structure of the refrigerant system may be simplified.

1 . A refrigerant system comprising:
 an outdoor unit comprising:
 an outdoor heat exchanger to heat-exchange a refrigerant and outdoor air with each other; and 
 a compressor to compress and to discharge the refrigerant; 
   a plurality of indoor units, each comprising:
 an indoor heat exchanger to heat-exchange the refrigerant and indoor air with each other, wherein at least one of the indoor heat exchangers evaporates the refrigerant; 
   a high-pressure tube to guide the refrigerant discharged from the compressor to the plurality of indoor heat exchangers;   a low-pressure tube to guide the refrigerant evaporated in at least one of the indoor heat exchangers to the compressor;   a high-pressure branch tube branched from the high-pressure tube to guide the refrigerant in the high-pressure tube to at least one of the indoor heat exchangers;   a low-pressure branch tube branched from the low-pressure tube to guide the refrigerant in the at least one of the indoor heat exchangers to the low-pressure tube;   an indoor unit tube to connect the at least one of the indoor heat exchangers to both the high-pressure branch tube and the low-pressure branch tube; and   a high-pressure valve and a low-pressure valve mounted on the high-pressure branch tube and the low-pressure branch tube to selectively block the refrigerant flowing in the high-pressure branch tube and the low-pressure branch tube, respectively,   wherein each of the high-pressure valve and the low-pressure valve comprises an electronic expansion valve to electronically control an opening degree thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the high-pressure valve and the low-pressure valve comprises two electronic expansion valves, wherein the electronic expansion valves have different capacities. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 1 , wherein the high-pressure valve comprises a first electronic expansion valve and a second electronic expansion valve, wherein the second electronic expansion valve has a smaller capacity than the first electronic expansion valve, and
 the low-pressure valve comprises a third electronic expansion valve and a fourth electronic expansion valve, wherein the fourth electronic expansion valve has a smaller capacity than the third electronic expansion valve.   
     
     
         4 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 3 , wherein the first electronic expansion valve is closed and the refrigerant in the high-pressure branch tube flows to one of the plurality of indoor heat exchangers through the second electronic expansion valve when the indoor unit is switched to a heating mode. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 3 , wherein the third electronic expansion valve is closed and the refrigerant in any one of the plurality of indoor heat exchangers flows into the low-pressure branch tube through the fourth electronic expansion valve when the indoor unit is switched to a cooling mode. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 1 , wherein the high-pressure valve comprises a first electronic expansion valve and a second electronic expansion valve, wherein the first and second expansion valves are mounted in parallel on the high-pressure branch tube, and
 the low-pressure valve comprises a third electronic expansion valve and a fourth electronic expansion, wherein the third and second expansion valves are mounted in parallel on the low-pressure branch tube.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 6 , wherein the second electronic expansion valve and the fourth electronic expansion valve have smaller capacities than the first electronic expansion valve and the third electronic expansion valve, respectively. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 7 , wherein the second electronic expansion valve is first opened, and then the first electronic expansion valve is opened when the indoor unit is switched to a heating mode. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 8 , wherein the high-pressure valve and the low-pressure valve are closed before the second electronic expansion valve is opened when the indoor unit is switched to the heating mode. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 7 , wherein the fourth electronic expansion valve is first opened and then the third electronic expansion valve is opened, when the indoor unit is switched to a cooling mode. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 10 , wherein the high-pressure valve and the low-pressure valve are closed before the fourth electronic expansion valve is opened, when the indoor unit is switched to the cooling mode. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 1 , wherein the high-pressure valve is partially opened when all of the plurality of indoor units operate in a cooling mode. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 12 , wherein the high-pressure valve comprises a first electronic expansion valve and a second electronic expansion valve, wherein the second electronic expansion valve has a smaller capacity than the first electronic expansion valve, and
 the second electronic expansion valve is partially opened when all of the plurality of indoor units operate in the cooling mode.   
     
     
         14 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one distributor, wherein the at least one distributor connects the outdoor unit to the plurality of indoor units, wherein the high-pressure tube, the low-pressure tube, the high-pressure branch tube, and the low-pressure branch tube are connected to the at least one distributor. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 14 , wherein the distributor comprises four pairs of high-pressure tubes and low-pressure tubes to connect four indoor units to the distributor.