Air Conditioning Apparatus

Abstract

A flow path switch is provided with a first opening to a fourth opening. A discharge side of a compressor is connected to the first opening. A first end of a first heat exchange unit is connected to the fourth opening. A first end of the second inner flow path is connected to the second opening. A first branching portion is connected to a first end of the second valve and the third opening. When an operation mode of an air conditioning apparatus is a first mode, the second valve is open, the first opening is connected to the fourth opening, and the second opening is connected to the third opening. When the operation mode of the air conditioning apparatus is a second mode, the second valve is closed, the first opening is connected to the third opening, and the second opening is connected to the fourth opening.

1 . An air conditioning apparatus comprising a refrigerant circuit in which refrigerant flows, the refrigerant circuit having a compressor, a flow path switch, a first heat exchange unit, a second heat exchange unit, an inner heat exchanger, a first valve, and a second valve,
 the flow path switch being provided with a first opening, a second opening, a third opening, and a fourth opening,   the inner heat exchanger being provided with a first inner flow path and a second inner flow path,   a discharge side of the compressor being connected to the first opening of the flow path switch,   a first end of the first heat exchange unit being connected to the fourth opening of the flow path switch,   a second end of the first heat exchange unit being connected to a first end of the first valve,   a second end of the first valve is connected to a first end of the first inner flow path of the inner heat exchanger,   a second end of the first inner flow path of the inner heat exchanger being connected to a first end of the second heat exchange unit,   a first end of the second inner flow path of the inner heat exchanger being connected to the second opening of the flow path switch,   a second end of the second heat exchange unit being connected to a first branching portion,   the first branching portion being connected to a first end of the second valve and the third opening of the flow path switch,   a second end of the second valve being connected to a second branching portion,   the second branching portion being connected to a suction side of the compressor and a second end of the second inner flow path of the inner heat exchanger,   when an operation mode of the air conditioning apparatus is a first mode, the second valve being configured to open, the first opening being connected to the fourth opening, and the second opening being connected to the third opening,   when the operation mode of the air conditioning apparatus is a second mode, the second valve being configured to close, the first opening being connected to the third opening, and the second opening being connected to the fourth opening.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 when the operation mode of the air conditioning apparatus is the first mode, the refrigerant flows in order of the compressor, the flow path switch, the first heat exchange unit, the first valve, the inner heat exchanger, the second heat exchange unit, and the first branching portion, and then, part of the refrigerant flows through a first flow path from the first branching portion via the second valve to the second branching portion, and rest of the refrigerant flows through a second flow path from the first branching portion via the flow path switch and the inner heat exchanger to the second branching portion, and then, the refrigerant in the first flow path and the refrigerant in the second flow path merge at the second branching portion and flow to the compressor, and   when the operation mode of the air conditioning apparatus is the second mode, the refrigerant flows in order of the compressor, the flow path switch, the second heat exchange unit, the inner heat exchanger, the first valve, the first heat exchange unit, the flow path switch, the inner heat exchanger, the second branching portion, and the compressor.   
     
     
         3 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the first flow path has a flow path resistance smaller than a flow path resistance of the second flow path. 
     
     
         4 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the refrigerant circuit has a main pipe and a first bypass pipe, and   the main pipe is connected between the compressor and the flow path switch, between the flow path switch and the first heat exchange unit, between the first heat exchange unit and the inner heat exchanger via the first valve, between the inner heat exchanger and the second branching portion, between the second branching portion and the compressor, between the inner heat exchanger and the second heat exchange unit, between the second heat exchange unit and the first branching portion, between the first branching portion and the flow path switch, and between the flow path switch and the inner heat exchanger, and the first bypass pipe is connected between the first branching portion and the second branching portion via the second valve.   
     
     
         5 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the first bypass pipe has a length smaller than a length of a pipe between the flow path switch and the inner heat exchanger and smaller than a length of a pipe between the inner heat exchanger and the second branching portion. 
     
     
         6 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the first heat exchange unit has a first outdoor heat exchanger and a second outdoor heat exchanger. 
     
     
         7 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the compressor, the first outdoor heat exchanger, the second outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor blower, the inner heat exchanger, and the first valve are housed in an outdoor unit,   an upper surface of the outdoor unit has an arc shape in a first axial direction,   the outdoor blower is arranged at a center of the outdoor unit in the first axial direction,   the first outdoor heat exchanger is arranged on a first side of the outdoor blower in the first axial direction, and the second outdoor heat exchanger is arranged on a second side of the outdoor blower,   the compressor is arranged between a first end of the outdoor unit and the first outdoor heat exchanger in the first axial direction, and   the inner heat exchanger is arranged between a second end of the outdoor unit and the second outdoor heat exchanger in the first axial direction.   
     
     
         8 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the first bypass pipe is arranged parallel to a first axis, and   the first bypass pipe is arranged between the compressor and the first end of the outdoor unit in the first axial direction.   
     
     
         9 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein part of the main pipe connected to the first branching portion is arranged parallel to a second axis perpendicular to the first axis. 
     
     
         10 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second heat exchange unit has a first indoor heat exchanger and a second indoor heat exchanger. 
     
     
         11 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the refrigerant circuit has a second bypass pipe and a third valve,   a third branching portion between the first valve and the inner heat exchanger is connected to a fourth branching portion between the inner heat exchanger and the second heat exchange unit via the third valve by the second bypass pipe, and   the third valve is configured to cause the refrigerant to flow through the second bypass pipe when the operation mode of the air conditioning apparatus is the first mode and cause the refrigerant, not to flow through the second bypass pipe when the operation mode of the air conditioning apparatus is the second mode.   
     
     
         12 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein when the operation mode of the air conditioning apparatus is a third mode, the second valve is configured to be closed, the first opening is connected to the fourth opening, and the second opening is connected to the third opening. 
     
     
         13 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein when the operation mode of the air conditioning apparatus is the third mode, all the refrigerant flows in order of the compressor, the flow path switch, the first heat exchange unit, the first valve, the inner heat exchanger, the second heat exchange unit, the first branching portion, the flow path switch, the inner heat exchanger, the second branching portion, and the compressor. 
     
     
         14 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the refrigerant circuit has a fourth valve arranged in the main pipe between the inner heat exchanger and the second heat exchange unit, wherein   when the operation mode of the air conditioning apparatus is the first mode or the second mode, the fourth valve is configured to be fully open, and   when the operation mode of the air conditioning apparatus is the third mode, the first valve is configured to be fully open, and the fourth valve is configured to decompress the refrigerant.   
     
     
         15 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein when an outside air temperature exceeds a specified value, the operation mode of the air conditioning apparatus changes from the first mode to the third mode. 
     
     
         16 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein when the outside air temperature exceeds the specified value, a frequency of the compressor remains unchanged. 
     
     
         17 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant is CO 2  refrigerant.