Packaged terminal air conditioner unit

Abstract

A packaged terminal air conditioner unit includes a casing. A compressor, a reversing valve and an ejector of the packaged terminal air conditioner unit are positioned within the casing. The ejector is configured for drawing vapor refrigerant into a flow of liquid refrigerant. An exterior heat exchanger and an interior heat exchanger are also positioned within the casing. The interior heat exchanger has a first stage and a second stage.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A packaged terminal air conditioner unit, comprising:
 a casing;   a compressor positioned within the casing, the compressor operable to increase a pressure of a refrigerant;   an interior heat exchanger positioned within the casing, the interior heat exchanger having a first stage and a second stage;   an exterior heat exchanger positioned within the casing opposite the interior heat exchanger;   a phase separator positioned within the casing, the phase separator configured for separating liquid refrigerant from vapor refrigerant;   a reversing valve positioned within the casing, the reversing valve in fluid communication with the compressor in order to receive compressed refrigerant from the compressor, the reversing valve configured for selectively directing the compressed refrigerant from the compressor to the exterior heat exchanger or the second stage of the interior heat exchanger;   a supply conduit extending between the exterior heat exchanger and the phase separator;   an ejector coupled to the supply conduit;   a first distribution conduit extending between the first stage of the interior heat exchanger and the ejector;   a second distribution conduit extending between the exterior heat exchanger and the first stage of the interior heat exchanger;   a connection conduit extending between the phase separator and the second stage of the interior heat exchanger; and   a bypass conduit extending from the phase separator around the second stage of the interior heat exchanger.   
     
     
         2 . The packaged terminal air conditioner unit of  claim 1 , further comprising a check valve coupled to the supply conduit, the check valve positioned between the exterior heat exchanger and the ejector on the supply conduit. 
     
     
         3 . The packaged terminal air conditioner unit of  claim 1 , further comprising a throttling device coupled to the second distribution conduit, the throttling device positioned between the exterior heat exchanger and the first stage of the interior heat exchanger on the second distribution conduit. 
     
     
         4 . The packaged terminal air conditioner unit of  claim 3 , wherein the throttling device is a capillary tube. 
     
     
         5 . The packaged terminal air conditioner unit of  claim 1 , further comprising a check valve coupled to the bypass conduit, the check valve positioned between the phase separator and the reversing valve on the bypass conduit. 
     
     
         6 . The packaged terminal air conditioner unit of  claim 5 , wherein the throttling device is a capillary tube. 
     
     
         7 . The packaged terminal air conditioner unit of  claim 1 , wherein in a cooling mode, a flow of liquid refrigerant from the exterior heat exchanger flows through the ejector such that the ejector draws vapor refrigerant from the first distribution conduit into the flow of liquid refrigerant and a combined flow of liquid and vapor refrigerant flows from the ejector to the phase separator, liquid refrigerant from the phase separator flowing to the second stage of the interior heat exchanger via the connection conduit in the cooling mode. 
     
     
         8 . The packaged terminal air conditioner unit of  claim 7 , wherein vapor refrigerant from the phase separator flows around the second stage of the interior heat exchanger via the bypass conduit in the cooling mode. 
     
     
         9 . The packaged terminal air conditioner unit of  claim 1 , wherein, in a heating mode, refrigerant from the second stage of the interior heat exchanger flows through the phase separator and the ejector to the first stage of the interior heat exchanger. 
     
     
         10 . A packaged terminal air conditioner unit, comprising:
 a casing extending between an exterior side portion and an interior side portion;   a compressor positioned within the casing, the compressor operable to compress a refrigerant;   an interior heat exchanger positioned within the casing at the interior side portion of the casing, the interior heat exchanger having a first stage and a second stage that are separate from each other;   an exterior heat exchanger positioned within the casing at the exterior side portion of the casing;   a reversing valve in fluid communication with the compressor in order to receive compressed refrigerant from the compressor;   a phase separator positioned within the casing, the phase separator configured for separating liquid refrigerant from vapor refrigerant; and   an ejector positioned within the casing;   wherein, the packaged terminal air conditioner unit is configured such that, in a cooling mode, a flow of liquid refrigerant from the exterior heat exchanger flows through the ejector and the ejector draws vapor refrigerant from the first stage of the interior heat exchanger into the flow of liquid refrigerant and a combined flow of liquid and vapor refrigerant flows from the ejector to the phase separator, vapor refrigerant from the phase separator flowing around the second stage of the interior heat exchanger to the compressor and liquid refrigerant from the phase separator flowing to the second stage of the interior heat exchanger in the cooling mode; and   the packaged terminal air conditioner unit is also configured such that, in a heating mode, refrigerant from the second stage of the interior heat exchanger flows through the phase separator and the ejector to the first stage of the interior heat exchanger.   
     
     
         11 . The packaged terminal air conditioner unit of  claim 10 , further comprising a check valve coupled to a conduit that extends between the exterior heat exchanger and the ejector. 
     
     
         12 . The packaged terminal air conditioner unit of  claim 10 , further comprising a throttling device coupled to a conduit that extends between the exterior heat exchanger and the first stage of the interior heat exchanger. 
     
     
         13 . The packaged terminal air conditioner unit of  claim 12 , wherein the throttling device is a capillary tube. 
     
     
         14 . The packaged terminal air conditioner unit of  claim 10 , further comprising a check valve coupled to a conduit that extends between the phase separator and the reversing valve around the second stage of the interior heat exchanger. 
     
     
         15 . The packaged terminal air conditioner unit of  claim 14 , wherein the throttling device is a capillary tube. 
     
     
         16 . The packaged terminal air conditioner unit of  claim 10 , wherein the first and second stages of the interior heat exchanger are spaced apart from each other within the casing. 
     
     
         17 . The packaged terminal air conditioner unit of  claim 10 , wherein the first and second stages of the interior heat exchanger are positioned adjacent each other within the casing.