Usage-side air-conditioning apparatus and air-conditioning apparatus provided with same

Abstract

A usage-side air-conditioning apparatus has: a casing; a usage-side heat exchanger to cool or heat air inside the casing through the use of a refrigerant supplied from a heat-source-side air-conditioning apparatus; an air supply/exhaust mechanism to take room air and/or outdoor air in from an air-conditioned space or outside of the air-conditioned space, supply the air as supply air to the air-conditioned space, and exhaust the air as exhaust air out of the air-conditioned space; and a refrigerant leakage detection device to detect the refrigerant. When the refrigerant leakage detection device has detected the refrigerant, a refrigerant exhaust operation is performed by the air supply/exhaust mechanism to exhaust the refrigerant out of the air-conditioned space along with the air inside the casing.

1 . A usage-side air-conditioning apparatus comprising:
 a casing;   a usage-side heat exchanger, being provided inside the casing, to cool or heat air inside the casing through the use of a refrigerant supplied from a heat-source-side air-conditioning apparatus;   an air supply/exhaust mechanism to take room air into the casing from an air-conditioned space, take outdoor air into the casing from outside the air-conditioned space, supply the air inside the casing as supply air to the air-conditioned space, and exhaust the air inside the casing as exhaust air out of the air-conditioned space; and   a refrigerant leakage detection device to detect the refrigerant;   wherein a refrigerant exhaust operation is performed by the air supply/exhaust mechanism to exhaust the refrigerant out of the air-conditioned space along with the air inside the casing when the refrigerant leakage detection device has detected the refrigerant.   
     
     
         2 . The usage-side air-conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a total heat exchanger to perform heat exchange between the outdoor air and the room air is provided inside the casing;   the air supply/exhaust mechanism has a first air supply blower provided so as to be able to take outdoor air in from outside the air-conditioned space and supply the supply air to the air-conditioned space, and a first air exhaust blower provided so as to be able to take room air in from the air-conditioned space and exhaust the exhaust air out of the air-conditioned space; and   the refrigerant exhaust operation is performed by operating the first air exhaust blower.   
     
     
         3 . The usage-side air-conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the air supply/exhaust mechanism has an air supply/exhaust blower provided to be capable of switching between an air supply state of taking the room air in from the air-conditioned space, taking the outdoor air in from outside the air-conditioned space, and supplying the supply air to the air-conditioned space, and an air exhaust state of exhausting the exhaust air out of the air-conditioned space; and   the refrigerant exhaust operation is performed by operating the air supply/exhaust blower in the air exhaust state.   
     
     
         4 . The usage-side air-conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the air supply/exhaust mechanism has a second air supply blower provided so as to be capable of taking the room air in from the air-conditioned space, taking the outdoor air in from outside the air-conditioned space, and supplying the supply air to the air-conditioned space, and a second air exhaust blower provided so as to be capable of exhausting the exhaust air out of the air-conditioned space; and   the refrigerant exhaust operation is performed by operating the second air exhaust blower.   
     
     
         5 . The usage-side air-conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the air supply/exhaust mechanism has a third air supply blower provided so as to be capable of taking the outdoor air in from outside the air-conditioned space and supplying the supply air to the air-conditioned space, and a third air exhaust blower provided so as to be capable of taking the room air in from the air-conditioned space, returning some of the room air to the outdoor air taken in by the third air supply blower, and exhausting a remnant of the room air as the exhaust air out of the air-conditioned space; and   the refrigerant exhaust operation is performed by operating the third air exhaust blower.   
     
     
         6 . The usage-side air-conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the usage-side heat exchanger is connected to the heat-source-side air-conditioning apparatus via a refrigerant interconnection pipe; and   a joint to connect the usage-side heat exchanger to the refrigerant interconnection pipe is provided inside the casing.   
     
     
         7 . The usage-side air-conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the usage-side heat exchanger is connected to the heat-source-side air-conditioning apparatus via a refrigerant interconnection pipe;   a joint to connect the usage-side heat exchanger to the refrigerant interconnection pipe is provided outside the casing;   the air supply/exhaust mechanism has an inside-outside communication mechanism capable of switching between an inside-outside communication state of allowing communication between the casing interior and a usage-side installation space in which the casing is provided, and an inside-outside non-communication state of not allowing communication between the casing interior and the usage-side installation space; and   the refrigerant exhaust operation is performed by putting the inside-outside communication mechanism in the inside-outside communication state.   
     
     
         8 . The usage-side air-conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the refrigerant is denser than air; and   the refrigerant leakage detection device is provided to a lower part of the casing.   
     
     
         9 . The usage-side air-conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the refrigerant is less dense than air; and   the refrigerant leakage detection device is provided to an upper part of the casing.   
     
     
         10 . The usage-side air-conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the refrigerant is slightly flammable or flammable.   
     
     
         11 . The usage-side air-conditioning apparatus according  claim 1 , wherein
 the refrigerant is toxic.   
     
     
         12 . The usage-side air-conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the refrigerant is not slightly flammable, flammable, or toxic.   
     
     
         13 . An air-conditioning apparatus configured by connecting
 a heat-source-side air-conditioning apparatus to supply refrigerant, and   a plurality of the usage-side air-conditioning apparatuses according to  claim 1 .   
     
     
         14 . An air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein
 a total heat exchanger to perform heat exchange between the outdoor air and the room air is provided inside the casing;   the air supply/exhaust mechanism has a first air supply blower provided so as to be able to take outdoor air in from outside the air-conditioned space and supply the supply air to the air-conditioned space, and a first air exhaust blower provided so as to be able to take room air in from the air-conditioned space and exhaust the exhaust air out of the air-conditioned space; and   the refrigerant exhaust operation is performed by operating the first air exhaust blower.   
     
     
         15 . An air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the air supply/exhaust mechanism has an air supply/exhaust blower provided to be capable of switching between an air supply state of taking the room air in from the air-conditioned space, taking the outdoor air in from outside the air-conditioned space, and supplying the supply air to the air-conditioned space, and an air exhaust state of exhausting the exhaust air out of the air-conditioned space; and   the refrigerant exhaust operation is performed by operating the air supply/exhaust blower in the air exhaust state.   
     
     
         16 . An air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the air supply/exhaust mechanism has a second air supply blower provided so as to be capable of taking the room air in from the air-conditioned space, taking the outdoor air in from outside the air-conditioned space, and supplying the supply air to the air-conditioned space, and a second air exhaust blower provided so as to be capable of exhausting the exhaust air out of the air-conditioned space; and   the refrigerant exhaust operation is performed by operating the second air exhaust blower.   
     
     
         17 . An air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the air supply/exhaust mechanism has a third air supply blower provided so as to be capable of taking the outdoor air in from outside the air-conditioned space and supplying the supply air to the air-conditioned space, and a third air exhaust blower provided so as to be capable of taking the room air in from the air-conditioned space, returning some of the room air to the outdoor air taken in by the third air supply blower, and exhausting a remnant of the room air as the exhaust air out of the air-conditioned space; and   the refrigerant exhaust operation is performed by operating the third air exhaust blower.   
     
     
         18 . An air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the usage-side heat exchanger is connected to the heat-source-side air-conditioning apparatus via a refrigerant interconnection pipe; and   a joint to connect the usage-side heat exchanger to the refrigerant interconnection pipe is provided inside the casing.   
     
     
         19 . An air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the usage-side heat exchanger is connected to the heat-source-side air-conditioning apparatus via a refrigerant interconnection pipe;   a joint to connect the usage-side heat exchanger to the refrigerant interconnection pipe is provided outside the casing;   the air supply/exhaust mechanism has an inside-outside communication mechanism capable of switching between an inside-outside communication state of allowing communication between the casing interior and a usage-side installation space in which the casing is provided, and an inside-outside non-communication state of not allowing communication between the casing interior and the usage-side installation space; and   the refrigerant exhaust operation is performed by putting the inside-outside communication mechanism in the inside-outside communication state.   
     
     
         20 . An air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the refrigerant is denser than air; and   the refrigerant leakage detection device is provided to a lower part of the casing.