Air-conditioning apparatus

Abstract

An air-conditioning apparatus includes a refrigerant circuit including: a compressor; a high-pressure pipe for high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor; a low-pressure pipe for low-pressure refrigerant to be sucked into the compressor; a first flow switching valve; an indoor heat exchanger; an expansion valve, a first outdoor heat exchanger; a second outdoor heat exchanger; and a second flow switching valve. The second flow switching valve switches flow passages for refrigerant flowing to the first outdoor heat exchanger and the second outdoor heat exchanger. The second flow switching valve includes a first chamber, a second chamber, and a slide valve that is moved by a differential pressure between the first and second chambers. At least one of the first and second chambers is connected with the high-pressure pipe or the low-pressure pipe.

1 . An air-conditioning apparatus comprising:
 a refrigerant circuit including a compressor, a high-pressure pipe through which high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor flows, a low-pressure pipe through which low-pressure refrigerant to be sucked into the compressor flows, a first flow switching valve, an indoor heat exchanger, an expansion valve, a first outdoor heat exchanger, a second outdoor heat exchanger, and a second flow switching valve,   wherein the second flow switching valve is configured to switch flow passages for refrigerant flowing to the first outdoor heat exchanger and the second outdoor heat exchanger,   wherein the second flow switching valve includes a first chamber, a second chamber, and a slide valve configured to be moved by a differential pressure between the first chamber and the second chamber, and   wherein one of the first chamber and the second chamber is connected with the high-pressure pipe or the low-pressure pipe, and the other of the first chamber and the second chamber is connected with a port of the second flow switching valve.   
     
     
         2 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the second flow switching valve includes a main valve and a pilot valve, and   wherein the one of the first chamber and the second chamber is connected with the high-pressure pipe or the low-pressure pipe via the pilot valve.   
     
     
         3 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the second flow switching valve includes a main valve and a pilot valve, and   wherein the one of the first chamber and the second chamber is connected with the high-pressure pipe or the low-pressure pipe without communicating with the pilot valve.   
     
     
         4 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a pipe connecting the one of the first chamber and the second chamber with the high-pressure pipe or the low-pressure pipe; and   a valve provided at the pipe.   
     
     
         5 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second flow switching valve includes
 a first port connected with the first flow switching valve,   a second port connected with the second outdoor heat exchanger,   a third port connected with a discharge outlet of the compressor, and   a fourth port connected with the first outdoor heat exchanger, and   wherein the port with which the other of the first chamber and the second chamber is connected is the first port or the third port.   
     
     
         6 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising a controller configured to switch a state of the second flow switching valve between a first state in which the first port and the fourth port communicate with each other and the second port and the third port communicate with each other and a second state in which the first port and the second port communicate with each other and the third port and the fourth port communicate with each other. 
     
     
         7 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising a controller configured to switch a state of the second flow switching valve between a first state in which the first port, the second port, and the fourth port communicate with each other and the third port is closed, a second state in which the first port and the second port communicate with each other and the third port and the fourth port communicate with each other, and a third state in which the second port and the third port communicate with each other and the first port and the fourth port communicate with each other. 
     
     
         8 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein
 the controller is configured to perform   a cooling operation in which the first outdoor heat exchanger and the second outdoor heat exchanger operate as condensers and the indoor heat exchanger operates as an evaporator,   a heating operation in which the first outdoor heat exchanger and the second outdoor heat exchanger operate as the evaporators and the indoor heat exchanger operates as the condenser, and   a simultaneous heating and defrosting operation in which one of the first outdoor heat exchanger and the second outdoor heat exchanger operates as the evaporator and the other of the first outdoor heat exchanger and the second outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger operate as the condensers.   
     
     
         9 . An air-conditioning apparatus comprising:
 a refrigerant circuit including a compressor, a high-pressure pipe through which high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor flows, a low-pressure pipe through which low-pressure refrigerant to be sucked into the compressor flows, a first flow switching valve, an indoor heat exchanger, an expansion valve, a first outdoor heat exchanger, a second outdoor heat exchanger, and a second flow switching valve,   wherein the second flow switching valve switches a flow passage for refrigerant between a flow passage through which the refrigerant flows to the first outdoor heat exchanger and a flow passage through which the refrigerant flows to the second outdoor heat exchanger,   wherein the second flow switching valve includes a main valve and a pilot valve, the main valve including a first chamber, a second chamber, and a slide valve configured to be moved by a differential pressure between the first chamber and the second chamber, and   wherein at least one of the first chamber and the second chamber is connected with the high-pressure pipe or the low-pressure pipe without communicating with the pilot valve.