An air conditioner performs a heating operation and a cooling operation with enhanced heat exchange performance and also performs a heating continuous operation, while preventing increases in manufacturing cost and packaging volume. An air conditioner comprises a refrigerant circuit through which refrigerant circulates. A second heat exchanger includes a first refrigerant flow path and a second refrigerant flow path. A first port of the flow path switching device is connected to a discharge portion of a compressor. A second port is connected to a first heat exchanger. A third port is connected to an intake portion of the compressor. A fourth port is connected to a pipe that connects a branch point to the first refrigerant flow path. A fifth port is connected to the second refrigerant flow path. A sixth port is connected to the first refrigerant flow path.

An air-conditioning apparatus includes a main circuit in which a compressor, a refrigerant flow switching device, a load side heat exchanger, a load side expansion device, and a plurality of heat source side heat exchangers are sequentially connected. When the plurality of heat source side heat exchangers are used as condensers, the first heat source side heat exchanger and the second heat source side heat exchanger are connected in series. When the plurality of heat source side heat exchangers are used as evaporators, the first heat source side heat exchanger and the second heat source side heat exchanger are connected in parallel. A distribution adjustment header on an inlet side of at least either the first heat source side heat exchanger or the second heat source side heat exchanger when the plurality of heat source side heat exchangers are used as evaporators.

A heat exchanger group includes a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, and a third heat exchanger. In a cooling operation, refrigerant discharged from the compressor is divided into two. One refrigerant is delivered to the second heat exchanger, and the other refrigerant is delivered to the third heat exchanger. The second heat exchanger performs heat exchange to turn the refrigerant into two-phase refrigerant. The third heat exchanger performs heat exchange to turn the refrigerant into two-phase refrigerant. The refrigerant that has flowed through the second heat exchanger and the refrigerant that has flowed through the third heat exchanger meet, and the resultant refrigerant is delivered to the first heat exchanger. The first heat exchanger performs heat exchange, so that the two-phase refrigerant turns into liquid refrigerant and flows through the first heat exchanger.

An outdoor device for an air conditioner is provided that may include a compressor, a flow switch provided at an outlet-side of the compressor to switch a flow direction of a refrigerant according to a cooling operation or a heating operation, and an outdoor heat exchanger connected to the flow switch. The outdoor heat exchanger may include first to third heat exchangers, each of which may include a refrigerant tube through which the refrigerant may flow, the first to third heat exchangers being connected to each other in parallel during a heating operation and in series during a cooling operation, a first branch that branches the refrigerant into a first distribution tube, which may be directed to the first and second heat exchangers, and a second distribution tube which may be directed to the third heat exchanger, a second branch that branches the refrigerant branched from the first branch into a first branch tube, which may be directed to the first heat exchanger and a second branch tube, which may be directed to the second heat exchanger, and a first valve provided in the first distribution tube.

A heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat exchange units each including a plurality of flat tubes, a plurality of fins, an upper header, and a lower header. In the plurality of heat exchange units, the upper headers are connected such that the upper headers communicate with each other, and the lower headers are connected such that the lower headers communicate with each other through an opening-closing valve. The heat exchanger has a configuration in which when the heat exchanger serves as a condenser, the opening-closing valve is controlled such that refrigerant in at least one of the plurality of heat exchange units flows in an upward direction, and refrigerant in the other one or the other ones of the plurality of heat exchange units flows in a downward direction.

A heat exchanging system exchanging heat between refrigerant and a battery includes: a compressor circulating refrigerant; a heat exchanger exchanging heat between the refrigerant and outside air; an expansion valve decompressing the refrigerant; a heat exchanger exchanging heat between the refrigerant and air-conditioning air; a heat exchanging portion connected in parallel with the heat exchanger and exchanging heat between the refrigerant and the battery; a bypass passage providing fluid communication between a path of the refrigerant between the compressor and the heat exchanger and a path of the refrigerant between the expansion valve and the heat exchanger; an expansion valve provided in the bypass passage and decompressing the refrigerant flowing through the bypass passage; and a selector valve allowing or interrupting flow of the refrigerant via the bypass passage.

An air conditioner includes a compressor, a flow switching part, an outdoor heat exchanger including a plurality of refrigerant tubes for guiding the refrigerant heat exchanged with outdoor air, a main expansion valve disposed at one side of the outdoor heat exchanger, a first inlet/outlet tube extending from the flow switching part to the outdoor heat exchanger, and a second inlet/outlet tube extending from the outdoor heat exchanger to the main expansion valve. The outdoor heat exchanger includes a header defining a flow space for the refrigerant, the header including an upper header and a lower header, a check valve disposed between the upper header and the lower header to guide the refrigerant to flow in one direction, and a bypass tube extending from the lower header to the second inlet/outlet tube to guide a discharge of a liquid refrigerant existing in the lower header.

In an air conditioner which is a refrigerating apparatus, a superheat degree controller is provided, which is configured to control, in an evaporation mode of an outdoor heat exchanger, the opening degree of an expansion valve such that the superheat degree of refrigerant whose flows are joined together after passing through a main heat exchange part and an auxiliary heat exchange part reaches a predetermined superheat degree. Moreover, in the air conditioner, a flow volume adjustment valve configured to adjust, in the evaporation mode of the outdoor heat exchanger, a flow ratio of refrigerant in the heat exchange parts and a flow ratio controller configured to control the flow volume adjustment valve such that refrigerant temperatures after passage through the heat exchange parts are substantially equal to each other are provided.

A heat pump heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (heat pump HVAC) system is operable to use a refrigerant to heat or cool an indoor space with a refrigerant circuit performing a reversible vapor compression cycle between an outdoor heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger. The heat pump HVAC system includes an ejector in fluid communication with the refrigerant circuit. The refrigerant circuit includes a first flow of refrigerant upstream from the outdoor heat exchanger and a second flow of refrigerant downstream from the outdoor heat exchanger; and the ejector is configurable to combine the first flow and the second flow into a combined flow, at least a portion of which is returned to the compressor.

A heat pump heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (heat pump HVAC) system is operable to use a refrigerant to heat or cool an indoor space with a refrigerant circuit performing a reversible vapor compression cycle between an outdoor heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger. The heat pump HVAC system includes an ejector in fluid communication with the refrigerant circuit. The refrigerant circuit includes a first flow of refrigerant upstream from the outdoor heat exchanger and a second flow of refrigerant downstream from the outdoor heat exchanger; and the ejector is configurable to combine the first flow and the second flow into a combined flow, at least a portion of which is returned to the compressor.