Air conditioner

Abstract

An air conditioner includes an indoor unit disposed at an indoor space; and an outdoor unit disposed at an outdoor space and connected to the indoor unit through refrigerant pipes, wherein the indoor unit includes an indoor unit body forming an external appearance of the indoor unit and provided with a plurality of indoor outlets; and a plurality of indoor heat-exchanging units disposed inside the indoor unit body such that the plurality of indoor heat-exchanging units corresponds to the plurality of indoor outlets, respectively.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air conditioner, comprising:
 an indoor unit; and   an outdoor unit connected to the indoor unit through refrigerant pipes,   wherein the indoor unit comprises
 an indoor unit body forming an external appearance of the indoor unit and provided with a plurality of indoor outlets; and 
 a plurality of indoor heat-exchanging units disposed inside the indoor unit body such that the plurality of indoor heat-exchanging units corresponds to the plurality of indoor outlets, respectively. 
   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the indoor unit further comprises a plurality of indoor fans corresponding to the plurality of indoor outlets, respectively.   
     
     
         3 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the indoor unit further comprises a plurality of expansion valves to decompress and expand a refrigerant prior to being introduced into the plurality of indoor heat-exchanging units.   
     
     
         4 . The air conditioner of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the outdoor unit further comprises a compressor to compress the refrigerant, and an outdoor heat-exchanging unit to exchange heat with outdoor air.   
     
     
         5 . The air conditioner of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the outdoor unit further comprises a four-way valve to guide the refrigerant discharged from the compressor to one of the plurality of indoor heat-exchanging units and the outdoor heat-exchanging unit, and an outdoor expansion valve to decompress and expand refrigerant prior to being introduced into the outdoor heat-exchanging unit.   
     
     
         6 . The air conditioner of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the indoor expansion valve and the outdoor expansion valve are formed in the form of electronic valves capable of adjusting degrees of opening.   
     
     
         7 . The air conditioner of  claim 5 , comprising:
 a first refrigerant pipe to guide the refrigerant discharged from the compressor to the four-way valve; a second refrigerant pipe connecting the four-way valve to the outdoor heat-exchanging unit; a third refrigerant pipe connecting the four-way valve to the indoor heat-exchanging unit; a fourth refrigerant pipe connecting the four-way valve to the compressor to guide the refrigerant from the four-way valve to the compressor; and a fifth refrigerant pipe connecting the indoor heat-exchanging unit to the outdoor heat-exchanging unit,   wherein the third refrigerant pipe is connected to each of the plurality of indoor heat-exchanging units through a plurality of third branch refrigerant pipes, and the fifth refrigerant pipe is connected to each of the plurality of indoor heat-exchanging units through a plurality of fifth branch refrigerant pipes.   
     
     
         8 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the plurality of indoor outlets are disposed in a vertical arrangement at a front surface of the indoor unit body while spaced apart from each other.   
     
     
         9 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the plurality of indoor outlets are disposed in a horizontal arrangement at a front surface of the indoor unit body while spaced apart from each other.   
     
     
         10 . An air conditioner, comprising:
 an indoor unit; and   an outdoor unit connected to the indoor unit through refrigerant pipes,   wherein the indoor unit comprises an indoor unit body forming an external appearance of the indoor unit and provided with a plurality of indoor outlets; and one indoor heat-exchanging unit disposed inside the indoor unit body such that the indoor heat-exchanging unit corresponds to the plurality of indoor outlets, and   the indoor heat-exchanging unit comprises a plurality of heat-exchangers corresponding to the plurality of indoor outlets, respectively.   
     
     
         11 . The air conditioner of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the indoor unit further comprises a plurality of expansion valves to decompress and expand a refrigerant prior to being introduced into the plurality of heat-exchangers.   
     
     
         12 . The air conditioner of  claim 11 , wherein the outdoor unit comprises:
 a compressor to compress the refrigerant;   an outdoor heat-exchanging unit to exchange heat with outdoor air;   a four-way valve to guide the refrigerant discharged from the compressor to one of the plurality of exchangers and the outdoor heat-exchanging unit; and   an outdoor expansion valve to decompress and expand refrigerant prior to being introduced into the outdoor heat-exchanging unit.   
     
     
         13 . An air conditioner comprising:
 a body comprising:   a first outlet;   a first adjustable expansion valve to decompress a refrigerant;   a first heat exchanger provided to receive the decompressed refrigerant from the first adjustable expansion valve;   a first fan provided to generate a flow of air through the first heat exchanger to exhaust from the first outlet at a first temperature;   a second outlet;   a second adjustable expansion valve provided in parallel with the first adjustable expansion valve to decompress the refrigerant;   a second heat exchanger provided to receive the decompressed refrigerant from the second adjustable expansion valve; and   a second fan provided to generate a flow of air through the second heat exchanger to exhaust from the second outlet at a second temperature.   
     
     
         14 . The air conditioner of  claim 13 , wherein the first temperature is different from the second temperature. 
     
     
         15 . The air conditioner of  claim 13 , wherein each of the first adjustable expansion valve, the first fan, the second adjustable expansion valve, and the second fan is independently operable.