AIR CONDITIONER AND AIR CONDITIONER CONSTRUCTION METHOD

摘要

Operation switching units, each changing directions of a refrigerant flowing through its associated indoor unit in response to a switch from a cooling operation to a heating operation, or vice versa, are each connected with the associated indoor unit through indoor communication pipes; a gas-liquid separation unit is connected with an outdoor unit through outdoor communication pipes; and the operation switching units are connected with the gas-liquid separation unit through two intermediate communication pipes preinstalled and one intermediate communication pipe newly installed. This provides a simple and cost-effective means for upgrading a preinstalled air conditioner making a switch from cooling to heating, and vice versa, into an air conditioner that can perform a cooling operation and a heating operation in parallel with each other.

主权项

1. An air conditioner comprising:
a refrigerant circuit that includes an outdoor unit and a plurality of indoor units and is able to perform a refrigeration cycle in which a cooling operation and a heating operation are performed in parallel with each other, wherein the air conditioner includes
a plurality of operation switching units,
each of which is connected to an associated one of the indoor units through two indoor communication pipes and changes directions of refrigerants flowing through the indoor communication pipes in response to a switch made by the indoor unit from a cooling operation to a heating operation, and vice versa, anda gas-liquid separation unit
with which the operation switching units are connected in parallel with each other through three intermediate communication pipes comprised of two gas pipes and one liquid pipe,which is connected with the outdoor unit through two outdoor communication pipes, andwhich is provided separately from the operation switching units, the operation switching units each include
a flow channel switching circuit that switches flow channels of a liquid refrigerant and a gas refrigerant between the intermediate communication pipes and the indoor communication pipes, and the gas-liquid separation unit includes
a gas-liquid separator anda refrigerant flow channel switching circuit that switches flows of a liquid refrigerant and a gas refrigerant in the intermediate communication pipes.