Refrigeration cycle apparatus

Abstract

A refrigeration cycle apparatus comprises a refrigerant circuit and a refrigerant storage circuit. In the refrigerant circuit, a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and an indoor heat exchanger are connected together by a pipe. The pipe has a first pipe portion and a second pipe portion. The first pipe portion connects the outdoor heat exchanger to the expansion valve. The second pipe portion connects the indoor heat exchanger to the compressor. The refrigerant storage circuit has a storage container, an expander, and a valve device. The storage container stores refrigerant. The expander is located between the storage container and the second pipe. The valve device is located between the first pipe and the expander. The valve device is configured to open and close the refrigerant storage circuit.

1 . A refrigeration cycle apparatus comprising:
 a refrigerant circuit having a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator that are connected together by a pipe; and   a refrigerant storage circuit connected to the refrigerant circuit,   the pipe having a first pipe portion connecting the condenser to the expansion valve, and a second pipe portion connecting the evaporator to the compressor,   the refrigerant storage circuit having: <a storage container configured to store refrigerant;
 an expander located between the storage container and the second pipe portion; and 
 a valve device located between the first pipe portion and the expander, 
   the valve device being configured to open and close the refrigerant storage circuit, wherein   the refrigerant storage circuit has an inflow path through which the refrigerant flows into the storage container, a first outflow path through which the refrigerant in a gas state flows out from the storage container, and a second outflow path through which the refrigerant in a liquid state flows out from the storage container,   when storing the refrigerant into the storage container, the valve device is configured to open the inflow path and the first outflow path and close the second outflow path, and   when recovering the refrigerant from the storage container, the valve device is configured to close the first outflow path and open the second outflow path.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The refrigeration cycle apparatus according to claim  21 , wherein
 the valve device has a first valve, a second valve, and a third valve,   the first valve is configured to open and close the inflow path,   the second valve is configured to open and close the first outflow path,   the third valve is configured to open and close the second outflow path,   when storing the refrigerant into the storage container, the first valve is configured to open the inflow path, the second valve is configured to open the first outflow path, and the third valve is configured to close the second outflow path, and   when recovering the refrigerant from the storage container, the second valve is configured to close the first outflow path and the third valve is configured to open the second outflow path.   
     
     
         4 . The refrigeration cycle apparatus according to claim  21 , wherein
 the valve device is a three-way valve,   the three-way valve is located among the first outflow path, the second outflow path, and the expander,   when storing the refrigerant into the storage container, the three-way valve is configured to connect the first outflow path to the expander, and   when recovering the refrigerant from the storage container, the three-way valve is configured to connect the second outflow path to the expander.   
     
     
         5 . The refrigeration cycle apparatus according to claim  21 , wherein
 the valve device is a five-way valve,   the five-way valve is located among the first pipe portion, the storage container, and the expander, and forms portions of the inflow path, the first outflow path, and the second outflow path,   when storing the refrigerant into the storage container, the five-way valve is configured to connect the first pipe portion to the storage container so as to form the inflow path, and connect the storage container to the expander so as to form the first outflow path, and   when recovering the refrigerant from the storage container, the five-way valve is configured to connect the storage container to the expander so as to form the second outflow path.   
     
     
         6 . The refrigeration cycle apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the refrigerant circuit has:
 an outdoor heat exchanger functioning as the condenser in a cooling operation and functioning as the evaporator in a heating operation; 
 an indoor heat exchanger functioning as the evaporator in the cooling operation and functioning as the condenser in the heating operation; and 
 a four-way valve connected to the compressor, the outdoor heat exchanger, and the indoor heat exchanger, and 
   the four-way valve is configured to switch flow of the refrigerant so as to allow the refrigerant to flow from the compressor to the outdoor heat exchanger in the cooling operation and allow the refrigerant to flow from the compressor to the indoor heat exchanger in the heating operation.