Refrigeration cycle device and air conditioner equipped with the same

Abstract

The present invention provides a refrigeration cycle device, and the refrigeration cycle device includes a refrigeration cycle portion comprising a compressor, a first indoor heat exchanger, an outdoor heat exchanger, and a first expansion valve, a discharge portion of the compressor being capable of discharging a compressed refrigerant; an outdoor device housing including a chassis and configured for accommodating the outdoor heat exchanger; and an anti-freeze pipe arranged on the chassis, and the refrigerant discharged from the discharge portion flowing into the anti-freeze pipe without passing through the first indoor heat exchanger. The present invention further provides an air conditioner having the refrigeration cycle device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigeration cycle device, comprising:
 a refrigeration cycle portion comprising a compressor, a first indoor heat exchanger, an outdoor heat exchanger, and a first expansion valve, wherein a discharge portion of the compressor is configured to discharge a compressed refrigerant;   an outdoor device housing comprising a chassis and configured for accommodating the outdoor heat exchanger; and   an anti-freeze pipe arranged on the chassis, and configured to directly receive the refrigerant discharged from the discharge portion.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigeration cycle device according to  claim 1 , the refrigeration cycle device further comprising an on-off valve switchable between a closed state and an open state, wherein the refrigerant is blocked from directly flowing into the anti-freeze pipe in the closed state, and the refrigerant directly flows into anti-freeze pipe in the open state. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigeration cycle device according to  claim 2 , wherein the refrigeration cycle portion further comprises a four-way valve switchable between a first state and a second state, wherein the discharge portion is connected to the first indoor heat exchanger via the four-way valve in the first state such that the refrigerant discharged from the discharge portion flows into the first indoor heat exchanger, and the discharge portion is connected the outdoor heat exchanger via the four-way valve in the second state such that the refrigerant discharged from the discharge portion flows into the outdoor heat exchanger, and
 in the second state, the on-off valve is in the open state such that at least part of the refrigerant discharged from the discharge portion flows directly into the anti-freeze pipe.   
     
     
         4 . The refrigeration cycle device according to  claim 3 , wherein the anti-freeze pipe is connected to a pipe connecting the discharge portion of the compressor and the four-way valve. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigeration cycle device according to  claim 4 , wherein the anti-freeze pipe is connected to a pipe connecting the outdoor heat exchanger and the four-way valve. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigeration cycle device according to  claim 2 , further comprising a control portion configured for controlling the on-off valve, wherein
 the refrigerant flows into the anti-freeze pipe via the on-off valve; and   when a temperature of the refrigerant flowed into the anti-freeze pipe via the on-off valve is detected to be not less than a predetermined temperature, the control portion controls the on-off valve to switch to a closed state.   
     
     
         7 . An air conditioner comprising:
 the refrigeration cycle device according to  claim 1 ;   a first indoor fan;   an outdoor fan received in the outdoor device housing; and   a first indoor device housing receiving the first indoor heat exchanger and the first indoor fan.   
     
     
         8 . The air conditioner according to  claim 7 , wherein the refrigeration cycle portion further comprises:
 a second indoor heat exchanger connected to a pipe connecting the first indoor heat exchanger and a four-way valve and arranged between the first expansion valve and the outdoor heat exchanger, wherein the first expansion valve is located on a pipe which connects the first indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger; and   a second expansion valve arranged on a pipe located between the second indoor heat exchanger and a pipe connecting the first indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger,   wherein the first indoor device housing is configured for receiving the first expansion valve,   the air conditioner further comprises:   a second indoor fan; and   a second indoor device housing configured for receiving the second indoor fan and the second indoor heat exchanger.   
     
     
         9 . The air conditioner according to claim  18 , wherein the air conditioner further comprises a control portion configured to control the refrigeration cycle portion, the first indoor fan, and the on-off valve,
 when the control portion receives an instruction to switch on the compressor during an inaction period of the compressor, the control portion switches on the compressor and opens the on-off valve.   
     
     
         10 . The air conditioner according to  claim 9 , wherein when a predetermined time has elapsed since the operation of the compressor is switched on, the control portion further controls the on-off valve to switch to the closed state. 
     
     
         11 . The air conditioner according to  claim 10 , wherein the instruction to start the operation of the compressor is an instruction for a four-way valve to be in a first state to start the refrigeration cycle portion in a heating operation. 
     
     
         12 . The air conditioner according to  claim 9 , wherein
 during the four-way valve in a first state to enable a heating operation of the refrigeration cycle portion, when a predefined defrosting condition is satisfied, the control portion further control the refrigeration cycle portion to switch from the heating operation to a defrosting operation by switching the four-way valve to a second state,   when performing the defrosting operation, the control portion further controls the on-off valve to switch to an open state.   
     
     
         13 . The air conditioner according to  claim 12 , wherein the control portion switches the on-off valve to the open state when starting the defrosting operation. 
     
     
         14 . The air conditioner according to  claim 12 , wherein when a predefined defrosting end condition is satisfied when the refrigeration cycle portion is in the defrosting operation, the control portion further controls the refrigeration cycle portion to switch from the defrosting operation to the heating operation,
 when performing the heating operation, the control portion controls the on-off valve to switch to the closed state.   
     
     
         15 . The air conditioner according to  claim 14 , wherein the control portion switches the on-off valve to the closed state when starting the heating operation. 
     
     
         16 . An air conditioner comprising:
 a refrigeration cycle device according to  claim 4 ;   a first indoor fan;   an outdoor fan received in the outdoor device housing;   a first indoor device housing receiving the first indoor heat exchanger and the first indoor fan;   a control portion configured to control the refrigeration cycle portion, the first indoor fan, and the on-off valve; and   a judgment portion configured to determine whether the on-off valve is in the open state or the closed state based on a temperature difference between a temperature of the refrigerant flowed into the anti-freeze pipe via the on-off valve and a temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor,   when the control portion has controlled the on-off valve to switch to the open state and the judgment portion determines that the on-off valve is in the closed state, or when the control portion has controlled the on-off valve to switch to the closed state and the judgment portion determines that the on-off valve is in the open state, the control portion further controls the compressor to stop.   
     
     
         17 . The air conditioner according to  claim 16 , wherein the air conditioner further comprises a counting portion configured to count at least one of times in a first counting state and times in a second counting state, wherein
 the times in the first counting state are times when the judgment portion determines that the on-off valve is in the closed state during the control portion has controlled the on-off valve to switch to the open state,   the times in the second counting state are times when the judgment portion determines that the on-off valve is in the open state during the control portion has controlled the on-off valve to switch to the closed state,   when the at least one of times in the first counting state and times in the second counting state counted by the counting portion are not more than predetermined times, the control portion does not control the compressor to stop.   
     
     
         18 . The refrigeration cycle device according to  claim 7 , the refrigeration cycle device further comprising an on-off valve switchable between a closed state and an open state, wherein the refrigerant is blocked from directly flowing into the anti-freeze pipe in the closed state, and the refrigerant directly flows into anti-freeze pipe in the open state.