Air conditioning apparatus with hot gas heating means

Claim 1

AN AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE TEMPERATURE IN A CHAMBER INCLUDING: A COMPRESSOR HAVING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET; A CONDENSER, SAID COMPRESSOR AND SAID CONDENSER BEING DISPOSED EXTERIORLY OF THE CHAMBER; AN EVAPORATOR HAVING COIL MEANS AND AN EXPANSION VALVE FOR CONTROLLING FLOW OF LIQUID REFRIGERANT FLUID TO SAID COIL MEANS, SAID EVAPORATOR BEING DISPOSED IN THE CHAMBER; FIRST CONDUIT MEANS FOR CONDUCTING REFRIGERANT FLUID FROM SAID OUTLET OF SAID COMPRESSOR TO SAID CONDENSER; SECOND CONDUIT MEANS FOR CONDUCTING REFRIGERANT FLUID FROM SAID CONDENSER TO SAID EXPANSION VALVE; FIRST BYPASS MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONDUIT MEANS FOR CONDUCTING FLUID FROM SAID OUTLET OF SAID COMPRESSOR TO SAID SECOND CONDUIT MEANS WITHOUT PASSING THROUGH SAID CONDENSER; SECOND BYPASS MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND CONDUIT MEANS FOR CONDUCTING FLUID FROM SAID SECOND CONDUIT MEANS TO THE INLET END OF SAID COIL MEANS WITHOUT PASSING THROUGH SAID EXPANSION VALVE; THIRD BYPASS MEANS FOR CONDUCTING FLUID FROM SAID FIRST BYPASS MEANS TO THE OUTLET END OF SAID COIL MEANS; THIRD CONDUIT MEANS FOR CONDUCTING REFRIGERANT FLUID FROM SAID EVAPORATOR TO SAID INLET OF SAID COMPRESSOR; AND VALVE MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID BYPASS MEANS AND SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS FOR CAUSING REFRIGERANT FLUID TO FLOW FROM SAID OUTLET OF SAID COMPRESSOR THROUGH SAID CONDENSER, SAID EXPANSION VALVE, SAID EVAPORATOR AND SAID THIRD CONDUIT MEANS TO SAID INLET OF SAID COMPRESSOR DURING THE COOLING CYCLE OF OPERATION OF SAID APPARATUS AND FOR CAUSING REFRIGERANT FLUID TO FLOW FROM SAID OUTLET OF SAID COMPRESSOR TO OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID COIL MEANS AND THROUGH SAID THIRD CONDUIT MEANS TO SAID INLET OF SAID COMPRESSOR DURING THE HEATING CYCLE OF OPERATION OF SAID APPARATUS.