Heat pump system air conditioners

Claim 2

A heat pump system air conditioner having a heat pump system cooling and heating circuit operating in a refrigeration cycle and composed of a compressor 1, four-way changeover valve 2, an indoor heat exchanger 3 consisting of a first indoor heat exchanger 3'' and a second indoor heat exchanger 3'''' an expansion member (4), an outdoor heat exchanger 5 and an accumulator 14, in which a refrigerant-heating means (6) having an electric heater 7 inserted therein in such a manner that it is not exposed to air is provided between the first indoor heat exchanger 3'' and the second indoor heat exchanger 3'''' so that the heating operation has a refrigerant partially or wholly condensed in the first indoor heat exchanger 3'' is heated and evaporated in said refrigerant-heating means and then condensed again in the second indoor heat exchanger 3'''' whereby the air circulating in a room to be heated can be heated by the heat generated by the condensation of the gaseous refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 3 plus the heat generated by the electric heater 7.

Claim 3

A heat pump system air conditioner as defined in claim l, wherein in the refrigerant-heating means a conduit 10 for introducing the refrigerant from the first indoor heat exchanger 3'' into the refrigerant-heating means 6 therethrough is open in the lower portion of said refrigerant-heating means 6, whereas a conduit 11 for discharging the refrigerant from the refrigerant-heating means 6 into the second indoor heat exchanger (3'''') therethrough is open in the upper portion of the refrigerant-heating means 6, whereby in the heating operation the quantity of the refrigerant substantially acting as refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle is reduced by storing the liquid refrigerant in the refrigerant-heating means 6 to enhance the efficiency of the heating operation, whereas in the cooling operation the refrigerant is not allowed to reside in the refrigerant-heating means 6 so that cooling operation can be attained at a high efficiency.

Claim 4

A heat pump system air conditioner as defined in claim 2, wherein in the refrigerant-heating means a mounting tube 8 is extended through said refrigerant heating means, with one end open to the outside of one end of the refrigerant-heating means 6, and said electric heater (7) and an overheat-preventing member 9 such as a thermostat or a temperature fuse for preventing overheating of the outer peripheral surface of said mounting tube 8 in contact with the refrigerant are inserted into said mounting tube 8, whereby deterioration of the refrigerant passing through said refrigerant-heating means 6 is prevented.

Claim 5

A heat pump system air conditioner as defined in claim 3, wherein radiator fins 13 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of said mounting tube 8.

Claim 6

A heat pump system air conditioner as defined in claim 2, wherein in the refrigerant-heating means said electric heater 7 is directly inserted into the refrigerant wiThin the refrigerant-heating means 6 for direct heat exchanging between the refrigerant and the electric heater 7.

Claim 7

A heat pump system air conditioner as defined in claim 2, wherein a heat-insulating material is applied onto the outer peripheral surface of said refrigerant-heating means 6 to render said refrigerant-heating means fire-proof.

Claim 8

A heat pump system air conditioner as defined in claim 2, wherein an operating switch SW is provided to switch the operation of the air conditioner from one another among the conditions of ''''Off,'''' ''''Fan,'''' ''''High Cold,'''' ''''Low Cold,'''' ''''High Heat'''' and ''''Low Heat'''' said operating switch SW being provided with a primary terminal b connected to one terminal X of a power source and a secondary terminal h or i which will be connected to said primary terminal b only in the heating operation, said secondary terminal h or i being connected with a closing contact n of a temperature controller TC1 for controlling the operation of the compressor, which closing contact n is opened when the room temperature is high and closed when the room temperature is low, a pole contact p of said temperature controller TC1 being connected with the other power source terminal Y through a compressor motor MC, said compressor motor MC having connected in parallel thereto an electromagnetic coil MR of an electromagnetic relay for controlling the operation of the electric heater 7, and said secondary terminal h of i of said operating switch SW being connected with the power source terminal Y through the electric heater 7 and the contact MR is parallel to the circuit extending from said secondary terminal h or i to the power source terminal Y through said compressor motor MC, which contact MR is closed when the electromagnetic coil MR is energized and opened when the electromagnetic coil is not energized, whereby the electric heater (7) inserted in the refrigerant-heating means 6 is energized only when the compressor is in motion in the heating operation.

Claim 9

A heat pump system air conditioner as defined in claim 7, wherein the operating switch SW is provided with a secondary terminal f which will be connected with the primary terminal b only in the cooling operation, said secondary terminal f being connected with the power source terminal Y through an electromagnetic coil SV of the four-way changeover valve (2) which shifts the refrigeration cycle to the cooling cycle when energized and to the heating cycle when not energized, further said secondary contact f being connected with a closing contact t of a defrosting switch DC which closing contact t is closed when the outdoor heat exchanger 5 is frosted and opened when the same is not frosted, and a pole contact x of said defrosting switch DC being connected with the power source terminal X, whereby when the operating switch SW is held in the ''''Heat'''' position, the four-way changeover valve 2 is placed in a position for the cooling cycle and the electric heater (7) is held energized also in the defrosting operation.

Claim 10

A heat pump system air conditioner as defined in claim 7, wherein the operating switch SW is provided with a primary terminal a connected with one terminal X of a power source and a secondary terminal d which will be connected with said primary terminal a in the heating operation, said secondary terminal d being connected with a pole contact j of a switch TC3 which controls the number of revolutions of a fan according to the temperature of the air blowing into the room upon detecting the temperature of the gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 or the temperature of the discharging air, a closing contact k said switch TC3 being connected with a low speed rOtation terminal y of a fan motor MF, which closing contact k is closed when the discharging air temperature is low and opened when the discharging air temperature is high, a closing contact l of said switch TC3 being connected with a high-speed rotation terminal y'' the fan motor which closing contact l is opened when the room temperature is low and closed when the room temperature is high, and further a common terminal z of said fan motor being connected with the power source terminal Y, whereby when the discharging air temperature is low in the initial stage of the heating operation, a current is conducted to the low-speed rotation terminal y of the fan motor to drive the fan at a low speed and thereby to remedy the cold draft blowing into the room, whereas when the draft temperature has risen upon passage of time, the current is conducted to the high-speed rotation terminal y'' of the fan motor to drive the fan at a high speed and thereby to increase the heating capacity of the conditioner.

Claim 11

A heat pump system air conditioner as defined in claim 7, wherein a temperature controller TC2 for controlling the electric heater is inserted in the circuit connecting the secondary terminal h or i of the operating switch SW with the electric heater 7 so as to close the circuit when the room temperature is low and open the same when the room temperature is high, whereby the electric heater (7) is used effectively.