Refrigerant system

Abstract

Provided is a refrigerant system including a high-pressure bypass tube guiding a refrigerant of a high-pressure tube to flow into an indoor unit tube by bypassing a high-pressure valve. Thus, impact and noise that may be generated when an operation mode of an indoor unit is switched to a heating mode may be minimized.

1 . A refrigerant system comprising:
 an outdoor unit comprising:
 an outdoor heat exchanger to heat-exchange a refrigerant with outdoor air; and 
 a compressor to compress and to discharge the refrigerant; 
   a plurality of indoor units comprising:
 a plurality of indoor heat exchangers to heat-exchange the refrigerant with indoor air, respectively; 
   a high-pressure tube to guide the refrigerant discharged from the compressor to the indoor heat exchangers;   a low-pressure tube to guide the refrigerant evaporated from 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 from 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 from at least one of the indoor heat exchangers to the low-pressure tube;   an indoor unit tube to connect at least one of the indoor heat exchangers to the high-pressure tube and the low-pressure tube;   a high-pressure valve disposed in the high-pressure branch tube to selectively interrupt a refrigerant flow within the high-pressure branch tube; and   a high-pressure bypass valve to guide the refrigerant of the high-pressure branch tube to flow into the indoor unit tube by bypassing the high-pressure valve.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant from the high-pressure branch tube flows into the indoor unit tube through the high-pressure bypass tube when an operation mode of the indoor unit is switched to a heating mode. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 1 , wherein the high-pressure valve is opened, after an operation mode of the indoor unit is switched to a heating mode and a reference time elapses. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant flow flowing toward the high-pressure bypass tube is interrupted, after an operation mode of the indoor unit is switched to a heating mode and a reference time elapses. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a high-pressure bypass valve disposed in the high-pressure bypass tube and to selectively interrupt a refrigerant flow within the high-pressure bypass tube. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 5 , wherein the high-pressure bypass valve has a capacity less than that of the high-pressure valve. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 5 , wherein the high-pressure bypass valve is opened when an operation mode of the indoor unit is switched to a heating mode. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 5 , wherein the high-pressure bypass valve is opened and then the high-pressure valve is opened when an operation mode of the indoor unit is switched to a heating mode. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 8 , wherein the high-pressure bypass valve is closed when the high-pressure valve is opened. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 8 , wherein the high-pressure valve is opened after the high-pressure bypass valve is opened and a reference time elapses. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 8 , wherein the high-pressure bypass valve is closed after the high-pressure bypass valve is opened and a reference time elapses. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 8 , further comprising a temperature sensor to detect a temperature of the indoor unit tube,
 wherein the high-pressure valve is opened when the high-pressure bypass valve is opened and the temperature of the indoor unit tube is over a reference temperature.   
     
     
         13 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 8 , further comprising a tube temperature sensor to detect a temperature of the indoor unit tube and an indoor temperature sensor to detect an indoor temperature,
 wherein the high-pressure valve is opened when the high-pressure bypass valve is opened and a difference between the temperature of the indoor unit tube and the indoor temperature is over a reference temperature.   
     
     
         14 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a tube temperature sensor to detect a temperature of the indoor unit tube; and   an indoor temperature sensor to detect an indoor temperature.   
     
     
         15 . The refrigerant system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a liquid refrigerant tube to connect the outdoor heat exchanger to the indoor heat exchangers to flow the refrigerant condensed in at least one of the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchangers; and   a low-pressure valve disposed in the low-pressure branch tube to selectively interrupt a refrigerant flow within the low-pressure branch tube.