Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
318 words
A space cooling and heating and hot water supplying apparatus comprising a compressor (1), a first indoor heat exchanger (3) for hot water supply connected at one end thereof to the compressor (1) at its discharge side via a conduit (1a), a second indoor heat exchanger (6) for space cooling and heating and an outdoor heat exchanger (7) each switchingly connected at one end thereof via a four-way (2) valve to an opposite end of the first indoor heat exchanger (3) and a suction side of the compressor (1) via conduits (7a, 1b, 4a, 6a),and an expansion valve, (8) connecting together opposite ends of the second indoor heat exchanger (6) and outdoor heat exchanger (7) via conduits (6b, 7b), characterized by further comprising: a first on-off valve (11a) and a second on-off valve (11b) operating in reverse actions connected at one end thereof to inlet and outlet ports of a refrigerant tank (10) for regulating the amount of a sealed-in referigerant and at an opposite end thereof to the lower pressure conduit (7b) and the higher pressure conduit (6b), respectively, connected together by the expansion valve (8) located at their boundary, and wherein the apparatus operates such that in a space heating mode, the refrigerant tank (10) is brought into communication with the lower pressure conduit (7b) when space heating and hot water supply are both needed and when only the hot water supply is needed, the refrigerant tank (10) is brought into communication with the higher pressure conduit (6b) when only the space heating is needed, and in a space cooling mode, the refrigerant tank (10) is brought into communication with the lower pressure conduit (7b) when space cooling and hot water supply are both needed and when only the hot water supply is needed, and the refrigerant tank (10) is brought into communication with the higher pressure conduit (6b) when only the space cooling is needed.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
318 words
A space cooling and heating and hot water supplying apparatus comprising a compressor (1), a first indoor heat exchanger (3) for hot water supply connected at one end thereof to the compressor (1) at its discharge side via a conduit (1a), a second indoor heat exchanger (6) for space cooling and heating and an outdoor heat exchanger (7) each switchingly connected at one end thereof via a four-way (2) valve to an opposite end of the first indoor heat exchanger (3) and a suction side of the compressor (1) via conduits (7a, 1b, 4a, 6a),and an expansion valve, (8) connecting together opposite ends of the second indoor heat exchanger (6) and outdoor heat exchanger (7) via conduits (6b, 7b), characterized by further comprising: a first on-off valve (11a) and a second on-off valve (11b) operating in reverse actions connected at one end thereof to inlet and outlet ports of a refrigerant tank (10) for regulating the amount of a sealed-in referigerant and at an opposite end thereof to the lower pressure conduit (7b) and the higher pressure conduit (6b), respectively, connected together by the expansion valve (8) located at their boundary, and wherein the apparatus operates such that in a space heating mode, the refrigerant tank (10) is brought into communication with the lower pressure conduit (7b) when space heating and hot water supply are both needed and when only the hot water supply is needed, the refrigerant tank (10) is brought into communication with the higher pressure conduit (6b) when only the space heating is needed, and in a space cooling mode, the refrigerant tank (10) is brought into communication with the lower pressure conduit (7b) when space cooling and hot water supply are both needed and when only the hot water supply is needed, and the refrigerant tank (10) is brought into communication with the higher pressure conduit (6b) when only the space cooling is needed.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
66 words
A space cooling and heating and hot water supplying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the higher pressure conduits (6b) and lower pressure conduits (7b) comprise a conduit connecting the expansion valve (8) to the four-way valve (2) via the second indoor heat exchanger (6), and a conduit connecting the expansion valve (8) to the four-way valve (2) via the outdoor heat exchanger (7), respectively.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
197 words
A space cooling and heating and hot water supplying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first on-off valve (11a') is connected to the conduit connecting the expansion valve (8) to the four-way valve (2) via the second indoor heat exchanger (6), and the second on-off valve (11b') is connected to the conduit connecting the expansion valve (8) to the four-way valve (2) via the outdoor heat exchanger (7), and wherein in the space heating mode, the first on-off valve (11a') is closed and the second on-off valve (11b') is opened when space heating and hot water supply are both needed and when only the hot water supply is needed and the first on-off valve (11a') is opened and the second on-off valve (11b') is closed when only the space heating is needed, and in the space cooling mode, the first on-off valve (11a') is opened and the second on-off valve (11b') is closed when space cooling and hot water supply are both needed and when only the hot water supply is needed, and the first on-off valve (11a') is closed and the second on-off valve (11b') is opened when only the space cooling is needed.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
4, A space cooling and heating and hot water supplying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first indoor heat exchanger (3) is located within a heat accumulating tank (3) for hot water supply.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
A space cooling and heating and hot water supplying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second indoor heat exchanger (6) is located within a heat accumulating tank (5) for space cooling and heating.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
115 words
A space cooling and heating and hot water supplying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a third on-off valve (21) connected in parallel with the expansion valve (8) via a conduit, and a parallel circuit of a second expansion valve (22) and a fourth on-off valve (23) connected to a conduit (25) connecting the four-way valve (2) to the outdoor heat exchanger (7), and wherein in the space cooling mode, the third on-off valve (21) is opened and the fourth on-off (23) valve is closed when only the hot water supply is needed and in other operation modes, the third on-off valve (21) is closed and the fourth on-off valve (23) is opened.