Air conditioning device

Abstract

An air conditioning device includes: a plurality of outdoor units; and a plurality of indoor units, the air conditioning device capable of selecting either a first refrigerant circuit state or a second refrigerant circuit state, the indoor units capable of individually performing a cooling operation and a heating operation in the first refrigerant circuit state, the indoor units capable of simultaneously performing a cooling operation or a heating operation, a communication unit of one of the plurality of outdoor units transmitting, when the one outdoor unit has selected either the first refrigerant circuit state or the second refrigerant circuit state, a state signal including information relating to the selected refrigerant circuit state to a communication unit of a different outdoor unit, the different outdoor unit that has received the state signal selecting the same refrigerant circuit state as the refrigerant circuit state selected by the one outdoor unit.

1 . An air conditioning device, comprising:
 a plurality of outdoor units;   a plurality of indoor units; and   a plurality of connection pipes that connects each of the indoor units to the plurality of outdoor units in parallel, the air conditioning device being capable of selecting either a first refrigerant circuit state or a second refrigerant circuit state, each of the indoor units being capable of individually performing a cooling operation and a heating operation in the first refrigerant circuit state, each of the indoor units being capable of simultaneously performing a cooling operation or a heating operation,   each of the plurality of outdoor units including a communication unit that communicates with each other and a refrigerant circuit selection unit that selects either the first refrigerant circuit state or the second refrigerant circuit state,   the communication unit of one of the plurality of outdoor units transmitting, when the one outdoor unit has selected either the first refrigerant circuit state or the second refrigerant circuit state, a state signal including information relating to the selected refrigerant circuit state to the communication unit of a different outdoor unit,   the different outdoor unit that has received the state signal selecting the same refrigerant circuit state as the refrigerant circuit state selected by the one outdoor unit.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioning device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the refrigerant circuit selection unit is a switching operation unit that selects either the first refrigerant circuit state or the second refrigerant circuit state, and the state signal includes information relating to the refrigerant circuit state selected by the switching operation unit.   
     
     
         3 . The air conditioning device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the one outdoor unit of the plurality of outdoor units is set as a parent outdoor unit, the different outdoor unit is set as a child outdoor unit that operates in accordance with an instruction from the parent outdoor unit, and   the child outdoor unit selects the same refrigerant circuit state as the refrigerant circuit state selected by the parent outdoor unit on a basis of the state signal transmitted from the parent outdoor unit.   
     
     
         4 . The air conditioning device according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the one outdoor unit of the plurality of outdoor units is set as a parent outdoor unit, the different outdoor unit is set as a child outdoor unit that operates in accordance with an instruction from the parent outdoor unit, and   the child outdoor unit selects, when the refrigerant circuit state selected by the switching operation unit of the child outdoor unit the refrigerant circuit state included in the state signal transmitted from the parent outdoor unit differ, the refrigerant circuit state included in the state signal transmitted from the parent outdoor unit.   
     
     
         5 . The air conditioning device according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the parent outdoor unit checks, when supply of electric power to the plurality of outdoor units is started or resumed, the refrigerant circuit state selected by the switching operation unit of the parent outdoor unit and transmits the state signal including the checked refrigerant circuit state to the child outdoor unit.   
     
     
         6 . The air conditioning device according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the parent outdoor unit transmits, when supply of electric power to the child outdoor unit is started or resumed, the state signal including the refrigerant circuit state selected by the parent outdoor unit to the child outdoor unit.   
     
     
         7 . The air conditioning device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 each of the plurality of outdoor units includes a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, a first flow path switching means, and a second flow path switching means, one refrigerant inlet/outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger is selectively connected to a refrigerant suction pipe or a refrigerant discharge pipe of the compressor via the first flow path switching means,   three connection pipes including a first gas pipe and a second gas pipe that are selectively connected to the refrigerant suction pipe or the refrigerant discharge pipe via the second flow path switching means and a liquid pipe that is connected to the other refrigerant inlet/outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger are used as the plurality of connection pipes in the first refrigerant circuit state, and   two connection pipes including the first gas pipe and the liquid pipe are used as the plurality of connection pipes in the second refrigerant circuit state.