Air conditioning apparatus and method of controlling the air conditioning apparatus

Abstract

An air conditioning apparatus includes a refrigerant circuit, a refrigerant heating unit and a stop signal controller. The refrigerant circuit includes a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, a pressure reducing mechanism, and an outdoor heat exchanger. The refrigerant heating unit heats refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit. The stop signal controller, in a case of causing the compressor to stop at a time when the compressor and the refrigerant heating unit are both operating, executes first stop control in which a stop signal is issued in order to stop the refrigerant heating unit, and then a stop signal is issued in order to stop the compressor after elapse of a first amount of time. A method of controlling an air conditioning apparatus having the refrigerant circuit and the refrigerant heating unit includes executing the first stop control.

1 . An air conditioning apparatus comprising:
 a refrigerant circuit including a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, a pressure reducing mechanism, and an outdoor heat exchanger;   a refrigerant heating unit arranged to heat refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit; and   a stop signal controller, in a case of causing the compressor to stop at a time when the compressor and the refrigerant heating unit are both operating, configured to execute a first stop control in which
 a stop signal is issued in order to stop the refrigerant heating unit, and then 
 a stop signal is issued in order to stop the compressor after elapse of a first amount of time. 
   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a heating unit controller configured to control the refrigerant heating unit, the stop signal in order to stop the refrigerant heating unit being issued to the heating unit controller.   
     
     
         3 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 an indoor blower arranged to blow air to the indoor heat exchanger, when the first stop control is executed the stop signal controller being further configured to issue a stop signal in order to stop the indoor blower after elapse of a second amount of time from when the stop signal is issued in order to stop the refrigerant heating unit.   
     
     
         4 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein
 when the first stop control is executed the stop signal controller being further configured to, before issuing the stop signal in order to stop the indoor blower, issue an operation signal that causes the indoor blower to rotate at a low speed.   
     
     
         5 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 an indoor controller housed in an indoor unit together with the indoor heat exchanger, the refrigerant heating unit and the indoor controller being connected in parallel to the stop signal controller.   
     
     
         6 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the stop signal controller is further configured to not execute the first stop control and to execute a second stop control when it is judged that the compressor is in an abnormal state, when the second stop signal control is executed the stop signal order to stop the refrigerant heating unit is issued and then, before the elapse of the first amount of time, the stop signal for stopping the compressor is issued.   
     
     
         7 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the refrigerant circuit includes a plurality of the indoor heat exchangers that are connected in parallel to the compressor and are individually housed in multiple indoor units, and   the stop signal controller lengthens the first amount of time the greater the number of the indoor units there are.   
     
     
         8 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the stop signal controller being further configured to, when the first stop control is executed at a time of a defrosting operation, wait for the end of the defrosting operation before issuing the stop signal in order to stop the refrigerant heating unit.   
     
     
         9 . A method of controlling an air conditioning apparatus having
 a refrigerant circuit including a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, a pressure reducing mechanism, and an outdoor heat exchanger, and   a refrigerant heating unit arranged to heat refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit,   
       the method comprising:
 in a case of causing the compressor to stop at a time when the compressor and the refrigerant heating unit are both operating, executing a first stop control in which
 a stop signal in order to stop the refrigerant heating unit is issued and then 
 a stop signal is issued in order to stop the compressor after elapse of a first amount of time. 
 
 
     
     
         10 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising
 an indoor blower arranged to blow air to the indoor heat exchanger, when the first stop control is executed the stop signal controller being further configured to issue a stop signal in order to stop the indoor blower after elapse of a second amount of time from when the stop signal is issued in order to stop the refrigerant heating unit.   
     
     
         11 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein
 when the first stop control is executed the stop signal controller being further configured to, before issuing the stop signal in order to stop the indoor blower, issue an operation signal that causes the indoor blower to rotate at a low speed.   
     
     
         12 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising
 an indoor controller housed in an indoor unit together with the indoor heat exchanger, the refrigerant heating unit and the indoor controller being connected in parallel to the stop signal controller.   
     
     
         13 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the stop signal controller is further configured to not execute the first stop control and to execute a second stop control when it is judged that the compressor is in an abnormal state, when the second stop signal control is executed the stop signal order to stop the refrigerant heating unit is issued and then, before the elapse of the first amount of time, the stop signal for stopping the compressor is issued.   
     
     
         14 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the refrigerant circuit includes a plurality of the indoor heat exchangers that are connected in parallel to the compressor and are individually housed in multiple indoor units, and   the stop signal controller lengthens the first amount of time the greater the number of the indoor units there are.   
     
     
         15 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the stop signal controller being further configured to, when the first stop control is executed at a time of a defrosting operation, wait for the end of the defrosting operation before issuing the stop signal in order to stop the refrigerant heating unit.   
     
     
         16 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 3 , further comprising
 an indoor controller housed in an indoor unit together with the indoor heat exchanger, the refrigerant heating unit and the indoor controller being connected in parallel to the stop signal controller.   
     
     
         17 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the stop signal controller is further configured to not execute the first stop control and to execute a second stop control when it is judged that the compressor is in an abnormal state, when the second stop signal control is executed the stop signal order to stop the refrigerant heating unit is issued and then, before the elapse of the first amount of time, the stop signal for stopping the compressor is issued.   
     
     
         18 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the refrigerant circuit includes a plurality of the indoor heat exchangers that are connected in parallel to the compressor and are individually housed in multiple indoor units, and   the stop signal controller lengthens the first amount of time the greater the number of the indoor units there are.   
     
     
         19 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the stop signal controller being further configured to, when the first stop control is executed at a time of a defrosting operation, wait for the end of the defrosting operation before issuing the stop signal in order to stop the refrigerant heating unit.