IP Library Granted Patent US 12,398,911
Granted Patent B2
US 12,398,911 · App. 18/184,308 · Granted Aug 26, 2025

Air conditioning apparatus

Inventors: Hiroyuki Nagai (Fuji, JP); Ken Miura (Fuji, JP)
Assignee: Carrier Japan Corporation
F24F11/84F24F1/16F25B6/04F25B2600/25
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,398,911
App. No.
18/184,308
Granted
Aug 26, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

According to one embodiment, in a low speed drive of outdoor fans, a first flow rate adjusting valve in a main outdoor heat exchanger side is narrowed to a closing degree or a close range thereof, and an opening degree of a second flow rate adjusting valve is controlled such that a supercooling degree of refrigerant in auxiliary outdoor heat exchangers becomes constantly a target value.

Claims (11)

1. An air conditioning apparatus comprising:

an outdoor unit including a compressor, a main outdoor heat exchanger, a first flow rate adjusting valve configured to adjust a flow rate of refrigerant into the main outdoor heat exchanger using a change in an opening degree thereof, an auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger, a second flow rate adjusting valve configured to adjust a flow rate of refrigerant into the auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger using a change in an opening degree thereof, and an outdoor fan configured to introduce outdoor air into the main outdoor heat exchanger and the auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger, where the main outdoor heat exchanger and the auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger are accommodated to be aligned vertically in a position corresponding to an intake port of a side surface part of a casing, and the outdoor fan is accommodated in a position corresponding to an exhaust port of an upper surface part of the casing;

at least one indoor unit including an indoor heat exchanger;

a refrigeration cycle configured to flow refrigerant discharged from the compressor to the main outdoor heat exchanger and the auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger, to pass the refrigerant flowing from the main outdoor heat exchanger and the auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger to the indoor heat exchanger through the first and second flow rate adjusting valves, and to return the refrigerant flowing from the indoor heat exchanger to the compressor; and

an outdoor controller configured to close the first flow rate adjusting valve to a closing degree or an approximate degree thereto when the outdoor fan is driven in a low speed, and to control the opening degree of the second flow rate adjusting valve such that a supercooling degree of the refrigerant in the auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger becomes constant to a target value;

wherein the auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger includes a first auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger and a second auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger which are connected to each other in series.

2. The air conditioning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein,

the refrigeration cycle is a heat pump refrigeration cycle in which, in a cooling drive, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor is supplied to the main outdoor heat exchanger and the auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger, the refrigerant flowing from the main outdoor heat exchanger and the auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger is passed to the indoor heat exchanger through the first and second flow rate adjusting valves, and the refrigerant flowing from the indoor heat exchanger is returned to the compressor, and in a heating drive, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor is supplied to the indoor heat exchanger, the refrigerant flowing from the indoor heat exchanger is passed to the main outdoor heat exchanger and the auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger through the first and second flow rate adjusting valves, and the refrigerant flowing from the main outdoor heat exchanger and the auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger is returned to the compressor, and

the outdoor controller drives, during the cooling drive, the outdoor fan in a high speed or a middle speed when a temperature of the outdoor air is equal to or greater than a predetermined value while driving the outdoor fan in a low speed when the temperature of the outdoor air is less than the predetermined value.

3. The air conditioning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein,

a total volume of the main outdoor heat exchanger, the first auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger and the second auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger is 100%, a volume of the main outdoor heat exchanger is approximately 50%, a volume of the first auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger is approximately 30%, and a volume of the second auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger is approximately 20%.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 8, 2025
From: TOSHIBA CARRIER CORPORATION
To: CARRIER JAPAN CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 071844/0965 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 19, 2024
From: NAGAI, HIROYUKI; MIURA, KEN
To: TOSHIBA CARRIER CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 069319/0499 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2020034966 · Sep 15, 2020
Related Publication 20230213234A1 · Jul 6, 2023
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