Air conditioner capable of selectively dehumidifying separate areas

Abstract

An air conditioner capable of dehumidifying a space where an indoor unit is installed and even a space where an outdoor unit is installed is disclosed. The air conditioner includes a compressor for compressing refrigerant, an outdoor heat-exchanger including a first and a second heat-exchangers for performing heat-exchange of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor, a first decompression device installed at a pipe through which the refrigerant discharged from the outdoor heat-exchanger passes, an indoor heat-exchanger for performing heat-exchange of the refrigerant discharged from the outdoor heat-exchanger, a second decompression device installed at a pipe connected to the first and the second heat-exchangers, and a first two-way valve installed at a pipe for refrigerant to bypass the second decompression device.

1 . An air conditioner comprising: 
 a compressor for compressing refrigerant;    an outdoor heat-exchanger including a first and a second heat-exchangers for performing heat-exchange of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor;    a first decompression device installed at a pipe through which the refrigerant discharged from the outdoor heat-exchanger passes;    an indoor heat-exchanger for performing heat-exchange of the refrigerant discharged from the outdoor heat-exchanger;    a second decompression device installed at a pipe connected to the first and the second heat-exchangers; and    a first two-way valve installed at a pipe for refrigerant to bypass the second decompression device.    
   
   
       2 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a first bypass pipe for allowing the refrigerant to bypass the first decompression device and the indoor heat-exchanger; and    a second two-way valve installed in the first bypass pipe.    
   
   
       3 . The air conditioner according to  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 a second bypass pipe for connecting a discharge side of the compressor to an inlet side of the compressor; and    a third two-way valve installed in the second bypass pipe.    
   
   
       4 . The air conditioner according to  claim 3 , further comprising a controller for controlling the first and the second decompression devices and the first, the second, and the third two-way valves.  
   
   
       5 . The air conditioner according to  claim 4 , wherein the controller, in order to dehumidify only a first indoor space where the indoor heat-exchanger is installed in a first operation mode, opens the first decompression device at a predetermined degree, closes the second decompression device fully, opens the first two-way valve, and closes the second and the third two-way valves.  
   
   
       6 . The air conditioner according to  claim 4 , wherein the controller, in order to dehumidify a first indoor space where the indoor heat-exchanger is installed and a second indoor space where the outdoor heat-exchanger is installed in a second operation mode, opens the first and the second decompression devices at a predetermined degree and closes the first, the second, and the third two-way valves.  
   
   
       7 . The air conditioner according to  claim 4 , wherein the controller, in order to dehumidify only a second indoor space where the outdoor heat-exchanger is installed in a third operation mode, closes the first decompression device, opens the second decompression device at a predetermined degree, closes the first two-way valve, and opens the second and the third two-way valves.  
   
   
       8 . An air conditioner comprising: 
 a first and a second heat-exchangers installed in an outdoor unit in a direction which an air stream flows;    a decompression device installed in a refrigerant path through which refrigerant flows from the first heat-exchanger to the second heat-exchanger;    a bypass path for allowing the refrigerant to bypass the decompression device; and    a two-way valve installed in the bypass path.    
   
   
       9 . The air conditioner according to  claim 8 , wherein the outdoor unit comprises a blower fan for forming an air stream to the first and the second heat-exchangers, and the blower fan, the second heat-exchanger, and the first heat-exchanger are sequentially installed.  
   
   
       10 . An air conditioner comprising: 
 a compressor for compressing refrigerant;    an outdoor heat-exchanger including at a plurality of heat-exchangers for performing heat-exchange of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor;    a first decompression device installed at a pipe through which the refrigerant discharged from the outdoor heat-exchanger passes;    an indoor heat-exchanger for performing heat-exchange of the refrigerant discharged from the outdoor heat-exchanger;    a second decompression device installed at a pipe connected between the plurality of heat-exchangers; and    a first two-way valve installed at a pipe for refrigerant to bypass the second decompression device.    
   
   
       11 . The air conditioner according to  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 a first bypass pipe for allowing the refrigerant to bypass the first decompression device and the indoor heat-exchanger; and    a second two-way valve installed in the first bypass pipe.    
   
   
       12 . The air conditioner according to  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 a second bypass pipe for connecting a discharge side of the compressor to an inlet side of the compressor; and    a third two-way valve installed in the second bypass pipe.    
   
   
       13 . The air conditioner according to  claim 12 , wherein said indoor heat exchanger and said outdoor heat exchanger are located in first and second space respectively, said first and said second space capable of being separated.  
   
   
       14 . The air conditioner according to  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 a controller for controlling said first and said second decompression device as well as said first, second and third two-way valve to selectively dehumidify said first and/or second space.