Air conditioner

Abstract

An air conditioner according to an embodiment includes: an outdoor unit including an outdoor expansion valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, a four-way valve, and a compressor; a plurality of indoor units each provided with an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor expansion valve for adjusting the amount of refrigerant flowing through the indoor heat exchanger; a refrigerant line connecting the outdoor unit and the plurality of indoor units; a shut-off valve unit disposed in the refrigerant duct and having one or more shut-off mechanisms incorporating therein, the shut-off mechanism being capable of shutting off the flow of the refrigerant flowing between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit; and an emergency power supply device disposed in an electrical box made of sheet metal and configured in the shut-off valve unit, the emergency power supply device being configured to be shut off by the shut-off mechanism when a power failure occurs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to an air conditioner equipped with an emergency power supply device for cutting off refrigerant pipelines via a shut-off valve unit during a power outage. Background Technology

[0002] In air conditioning units, when a refrigerant leak is detected, a shut-off valve unit cuts off the refrigerant pipeline to prevent the leak from spreading. In the event of a power outage, for safety reasons, an emergency power supply device is provided to supply power to the shut-off valve unit. This emergency power supply device functions as a backup power source in emergencies by pre-charging capacitors, secondary batteries, and other energy storage components mounted on the base plate.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-46981

[0006] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-76368

[0007] Patent Document 3: International Publication No. 2021 / 54199 Summary of the Invention

[0008] The technical problem that the invention aims to solve

[0009] If the number of refrigerant pipes that need to be disconnected during a power outage increases, a larger capacity energy storage device is required. However, if a large capacity energy storage device malfunctions, the damage may be more severe.

[0010] Therefore, an air conditioner is provided that can suppress the spread of damage when the energy storage component of the emergency power supply device fails.

[0011] Solution to the above technical problems

[0012] The air conditioner of the embodiment includes: an outdoor unit having an outdoor expansion valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, a four-way valve, and a compressor; multiple indoor units having indoor heat exchangers and indoor expansion valves for adjusting the amount of refrigerant flowing in the indoor heat exchangers; refrigerant piping connecting the outdoor unit to the multiple indoor units; a shut-off valve unit disposed in the refrigerant piping, having one or more shut-off mechanisms built in it for cutting off the flow of refrigerant between the outdoor unit and the indoor units; and an emergency power supply device disposed in an electrical box made of sheet metal, for cutting off power by the shut-off mechanisms in the event of a power outage, the electrical box being disposed in the shut-off valve unit. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1This is a diagram showing the outdoor unit and indoor unit connected via a cooling / heating switching section of a shut-off valve device, omitting a portion of the air conditioner in the first embodiment.

[0014] Figure 2 The overall structure of the air conditioner is shown.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a functional block diagram illustrating the operation of a shut-off valve unit under normal conditions.

[0016] Figure 4 This is a functional block diagram illustrating the operation of the shut-off valve unit during a power outage.

[0017] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the system operation of the air conditioner in the event of a power outage.

[0018] Figure 6 This is a perspective view showing the appearance of the control valve housing and the hot / cold switching section.

[0019] Figure 7 This is a perspective view showing the appearance of the shut-off valve unit.

[0020] Figure 8 This is an exploded perspective view showing the appearance of the shut-off valve unit.

[0021] Figure 9 This is a front view showing the interior of the shut-off valve unit after the cover has been removed.

[0022] Figure 10 This is an exploded perspective view showing the appearance of the emergency power supply device.

[0023] Figure 11 It is a perspective view showing the appearance of the emergency power supply device.

[0024] Figure 12 This is a diagram showing the outdoor unit and indoor unit connected via a shut-off valve unit, omitting a portion of the air conditioner in the second embodiment.

[0025] Figure 13 This is a perspective view showing the appearance of the control valve housing and the shut-off valve unit. Detailed Implementation

[0026] (First Embodiment)

[0027] The following describes one implementation method. Figure 2The air conditioner 1 shown is a multi-split air conditioner with multiple indoor units relative to a single outdoor unit, capable of operating in full heating mode, full cooling mode, and simultaneous heating and cooling operation. Full heating mode refers to operation where all indoor units operate in heating mode. Full cooling mode refers to operation where all indoor units operate in cooling mode. Simultaneous heating and cooling operation refers to operation where indoor units operating in cooling mode and indoor units operating in heating mode coexist. In the following description, full heating mode, full cooling mode, and simultaneous heating and cooling operation are sometimes collectively referred to as air conditioning operation.

[0028] Air conditioner 1 is configured to operate multiple indoor units 201, 202, 203, and 204 using one outdoor unit 10. Air conditioner 1, for example, includes one outdoor unit 10, multiple indoor units 201-204, and a multi-port shut-off valve unit 40, which together form a refrigeration cycle capable of circulating refrigerant. The outdoor unit 10 is connected to the multi-port shut-off valve unit 40 via a liquid-side refrigerant pipe L, a gas-side refrigerant pipe GD, and a gas-side refrigerant pipe GS. The multi-port shut-off valve unit 40 is connected to each indoor unit 201-204 via multiple liquid-side refrigerant pipes L1-L4 and multiple gas-side refrigerant pipes G1-G4. Here, the gas-side refrigerant pipe GD is equivalent to a discharge gas pipe mainly supplying high-pressure gaseous refrigerant, and the gas-side refrigerant pipe GS is equivalent to a suction gas pipe supplying low-pressure gaseous refrigerant. Hereinafter, the high-pressure gaseous refrigerant and the low-pressure gaseous refrigerant will be simply referred to as "high-pressure gas" and "low-pressure gas," respectively.

[0029] In this embodiment, "multi-port" refers to a configuration in which the shut-off valve unit has multiple sets of port pairs for connecting indoor units. In the following description, the multi-port shut-off valve unit 40 is sometimes simply referred to as the shut-off valve unit 40. An example will be provided where the shut-off valve unit 40 has 4 sets of port pairs and can connect 4 indoor units.

[0030] The outdoor unit 10 is installed outdoors. The outdoor unit 10 includes an outdoor heat exchanger 11, an outdoor fan 12, an outdoor expansion valve 13, a compressor 14, a first switching valve 15, and a second switching valve 16. The outdoor heat exchanger 11 functions to exchange heat between the refrigerant passing through it and the outside air. The outdoor fan 12 functions to promote heat exchange in the outdoor heat exchanger 11 by supplying air to it. A slightly flammable or combustible refrigerant is used as the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle. In this embodiment, for example, slightly flammable R32 is used as the refrigerant.

[0031] The outdoor expansion valve 13 is connected to the liquid-side refrigerant pipe L from the outdoor unit 10 toward the indoor units 201-204. The outdoor expansion valve 13 functions to reduce refrigerant pressure by adjusting the flow path width of the refrigerant passing through its interior, and to adjust the flow rate and pressure of refrigerant flowing out of or into the outdoor heat exchanger 11. The outdoor expansion valve 13 can be, for example, an electronic expansion valve driven by receiving electrical signals from a microcontroller unit (MCU) (not shown) located in the control unit of the outdoor unit 10.

[0032] The first switching valve 15 and the second switching valve 16 have the function of switching the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle, that is, the flow direction of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 14. The first switching valve 15 and the second switching valve 16 are, for example, four-way valves driven by receiving an electrical signal, but multiple valves other than four-way valves can be combined as long as the same refrigerant flow can be formed.

[0033] The compressor 14 compresses and discharges the refrigerant flowing in the refrigeration cycle. Depending on the switching state of the first switching valve 15 and the second switching valve 16, the compressor 14 draws in the refrigerant from the outdoor heat exchanger 11 side and discharges the drawn refrigerant to the shut-off valve unit 40 side, or draws in the refrigerant from the shut-off valve unit 40 side and discharges the drawn refrigerant to the outdoor heat exchanger 11 side.

[0034] Each indoor unit 201 to 204 is installed in the room where the air conditioner is operated. Each indoor unit 201 to 204 has an indoor heat exchanger 21, an indoor fan 22, an indoor expansion valve 23, and a leak detection sensor 24. Each indoor unit 201 to 204 can be configured with essentially the same structure, but the performance of the indoor heat exchanger 21, indoor expansion valve 23, indoor fan 22, and leak detection sensor 24 can be appropriately modified according to the volume of the space where they are installed.

[0035] The indoor heat exchanger 21 performs heat exchange between the refrigerant inside the indoor heat exchanger 21 and the air in the room where indoor units 201-204 are installed. The indoor heat exchanger 21 is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 11 and the compressor 14, so that the refrigerant can circulate between the outdoor heat exchanger 11, the indoor heat exchanger 21, and the compressor 14. The indoor fan 22 has the following functions: by supplying air to the indoor heat exchanger 21, it promotes the heat exchange of the indoor heat exchanger 21, and supplies the air, which has been conditioned by the indoor heat exchanger 21, to the room.

[0036] The indoor expansion valve 23 has the function of adjusting the flow path width of the refrigerant passing through the indoor expansion valve 23 and controlling the refrigerant flow rate. Similar to the outdoor expansion valve 13, the indoor expansion valve 23 can be, for example, an electronic expansion valve that is driven by receiving an electrical signal from the MCU of the indoor control unit provided in each indoor unit 201 to 204.

[0037] Each indoor unit 201-204 has an indoor control unit (not shown). Furthermore, although not shown in detail, each shut-off valve unit 40 also has its own control unit equipped with an MCU. The outdoor control unit of the outdoor unit 10, the indoor control units of each indoor unit 201-204, and the (not shown) control unit of the shut-off valve unit 40 are interconnected via communication lines to exchange various information.

[0038] The leak detection sensor 24 has the function of detecting refrigerant leaks in each of the indoor units 201-204. The leak detection sensor 24 can be assembled inside each of the indoor units 201-204, or it can be independently installed as a leak detection sensor unit in the indoor space of each room where the indoor units 201-204 are located. In this embodiment, a leak detection sensor 24 is provided in each of the indoor units 201-204. The leak detection sensor 24 can be, for example, a semiconductor gas sensor. The leak detection sensor 24 has the ability to detect refrigerant, in this case R32, sealed in the refrigeration cycle. For example, for refrigerant concentrations of approximately 300-30000 ppm in the air, the leak detection sensor 24 outputs an electrical signal that changes linearly according to the refrigerant concentration. If the detected concentration exceeds a predetermined value, it notifies the corresponding indoor units 201-204 and the outdoor unit 10 that a refrigerant leak has occurred.

[0039] A shut-off valve unit 40 is disposed between the outdoor unit 10 and each of the indoor units 201-204. That is, the outdoor unit 10 and each of the indoor units 201-204 are connected via the shut-off valve unit 40. The shut-off valve unit 40 has four cooling / heating switching sections 41-44 corresponding to the multiple indoor units 201-204 and a multi-port liquid-side control valve 45. In the following description, the multi-port liquid-side control valve 45 is sometimes simply referred to as control valve 45.

[0040] The cooling / heating switching units 41 to 44 are respectively equipped with multi-port gas control valves 411 and 412, 421 and 422, 431 and 432, and 441 and 442. Hereinafter, the multi-port gas control valves will be simply referred to as "control valves". Control valves 411 and 412, 421 and 422, 431 and 432, and 441 and 442 are respectively installed on the paths of gas-side refrigerant pipelines 531 and 532, 541 and 542, 551 and 552, and 561 and 562, and have the function of controlling the flow of gaseous refrigerant.

[0041] Gas-side refrigerant pipes 531 and 532, 541 and 542, 551 and 552, 561 and 562 are part of the refrigerant flow path connecting the indoor heat exchangers 21 and compressor 14 of each indoor unit 201-204, allowing gaseous refrigerant to pass through. Gas-side refrigerant pipes 531 and 532, 541 and 542, 551 and 552, 561 and 562 merge with gas-side refrigerant pipes 530, 540, 550 and 560 respectively, and then connect to the indoor heat exchangers 21 of each indoor unit 201-204 via gas-side refrigerant pipes G1, G2, G3 and G4. In this case, liquid-side refrigerant pipes 571-574 connected to each indoor unit 201-204 and gas-side refrigerant pipes G1-G4 constitute refrigerant flow paths connecting each indoor unit 201-204 respectively.

[0042] Control valves 411 and 412, 421 and 422, 431 and 432, 441 and 442 can be, for example, electronically controlled valves that receive electrical signals and are driven to perform so-called electronic control. They can adjust their opening degree, i.e., the flow rate of refrigerant flowing in the corresponding gas-side refrigerant pipes 531 and 532, 541 and 542, 551 and 552, 561 and 562, according to the electrical signals input from the control unit of the shut-off valve unit 40.

[0043] In each of the cooling / heating switching sections 41-44, one of the two control valves 411 and 412, 421 and 422, 431 and 432, and 441 and 442 corresponds to both high-pressure and low-pressure gas, while the other corresponds only to low-pressure gas. In this embodiment, for example, control valves 411, 421, 431, and 441 correspond to both high-pressure and low-pressure gas, while control valves 412, 422, 432, and 442 correspond only to low-pressure gas. By closing the control valves 411, 412, 421, 422, 431, 432, and 442 in each of the cooling / heating switching sections 41-44, the air conditioner 1 can cut off the flow of refrigerant between the indoor heat exchanger 21 and the compressor 14 in each of the indoor units 201-204, that is, cut off the flow of refrigerant in the gas-side refrigerant pipes 531 and 532, 541 and 542, 551 and 552, and 561 and 562.

[0044] The control valve 45 is located midway in the liquid-side refrigerant pipeline 57 connecting the outdoor heat exchanger 11 to the indoor heat exchangers 21 of each indoor unit 201-204, and has the function of controlling the flow of liquid refrigerant. The liquid-side refrigerant pipeline 57 is the refrigerant flow path connecting the outdoor heat exchanger 11 to the indoor heat exchangers 21 of each indoor unit 201-204, allowing liquid refrigerant to pass through. The liquid-side refrigerant pipeline 57 branches off from the control valve 45 on the side of each indoor unit 201-204 into liquid-side refrigerant pipelines 571-574, each connected to one end of the indoor heat exchanger 21 of each indoor unit 201-204 via liquid-side refrigerant pipelines L1, L2, L3, and L4.

[0045] The control valve 45 is, for example, an electronic control valve that can be driven by receiving an electrical signal, i.e., an electronic control valve that can perform so-called electronic control. Based on the electrical control from the control unit of the shut-off valve unit 40, it can adjust its opening degree, i.e. the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing in the liquid-side refrigerant pipe 51, and has the function of completely shutting off the flow of refrigerant in the liquid-side refrigerant pipe 57.

[0046] One of the multiple cooling / heating switching units 41 to 44 has a pressure relief valve 413. In this embodiment, the cooling / heating switching unit 41 has a pressure relief valve 413. The pressure relief valve 413 connects the liquid-side refrigerant pipe 571 and the gas-side refrigerant pipe 530. The pressure relief valve 413 has the function of releasing a portion of the pressure to the gas-side refrigerant pipe 530 when the liquid-side refrigerant pipe 571 is in a liquid-sealed state and the pressure is too high.

[0047] exist Figure 1 For simplicity, the outdoor unit 10 and indoor unit 21 are shown connected via the shut-off valve unit 40, but a portion of the air conditioner 1 is omitted. Furthermore, in... Figure 1 The image shows a single-port shut-off valve unit connected to a multi-port shut-off valve unit, having only one set of ports for connecting the indoor unit. The following describes a configuration where... Figure 1 The single-port shut-off valve unit 40 of the hot / cold switching section 41 will be described below. The shut-off valve unit 40 includes a shut-off valve control board 61 (represented as "PCB") for driving and controlling each of the control valves 45, 411, and 412. Furthermore, an emergency power supply device 62 is provided to supply the control board 61 with power for shutting off each of the control valves 45, 411, and 412 in the event of a commercial AC power outage. The control valves 45, 411, and 412 correspond to shut-off mechanisms.

[0048] like Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, an AC / DC switching power supply 63 and a valve drive circuit 64 are mounted on the shut-off valve control board 61. The AC / DC switching power supply 63 generates 12V DC power from a commercial AC power supply 65 and supplies it to the valve drive circuit 64. The emergency power supply device 62 includes a secondary battery 66, such as a lithium-ion battery, and a power supply board 67, which is equivalent to a power control board. A charging circuit 68 and a switching circuit 69 are mounted on the power supply board 67. The AC / DC switching power supply 63 of the shut-off valve control board 61 supplies 12V DC power to the charging circuit 68. Under normal conditions when the commercial AC power supply 65 is intact, the charging circuit 68 charges the secondary battery 66. The secondary battery 66 is charged using the voltage stepped down by the charging circuit 68, such that its terminal voltage is, for example, 7.2V.

[0049] like Figure 4 As shown, if the commercial AC power supply 65 fails to supply DC power from the AC / DC switching power supply 63, the switching circuit 69 changes from the off state to the on state, boosts the voltage of the DC power supplied by the secondary battery 66 to 12V, and supplies it to the valve drive circuit 64 of the shut-off valve control board 61.

[0050] like Figure 5 As shown, if the air conditioner 1 is powered on, the MCUs of each device are initialized (S1). If there is no power outage of the commercial AC power supply 65 (S2: No), then it becomes... Figure 3 Under normal conditions, air conditioner 1 continues to operate. If a power outage occurs (S2: Yes), the air conditioner 1 system stops (S3), becoming... Figure 4 The state shown is as follows: That is, the switching circuit 69 is switched to the ON state (S4), and the valve drive circuit 64 of the valve control board 61 is shut off by the power supplied by the emergency power supply device 62 to drive each control valve 45, 411 and 412 to close the valve (S5). If the valve closing is completed, the switching circuit 69 is switched to the OFF state (S6) and the process ends.

[0051] Furthermore, in the event of a power outage of the commercial AC power supply 65, a standby process is initiated until the commercial AC power supply 65 is restored (S7). If the power is restored, the system returns to the state before the power outage. That is, the process proceeds to step S1.

[0052] The configuration of the shut-off valve unit 40, which is a feature of this embodiment, will be described below. The shut-off valve unit 40 described herein is not... Figure 2 The multi-port shut-off valve unit shown is not the one shown. Figure 1 The single-port shut-off valve unit shown is an example. Figure 10As shown, the secondary battery 66 and power supply board 67 of the emergency power supply device 62 are fixed to a generally rectangular base 70 made of galvanized steel sheet metal, for example, by threaded fastening. The secondary battery 66 is fixed to the base 70 via a battery fixing member 60. A power line 71 for transmitting power from the secondary battery 66 to the shut-off valve control board 61 is connected to one end of the power supply board 67, and a connector 72 is connected to the other end. A box-shaped housing 73, made of the same sheet metal and open on the lower surface as shown in the figure, is mounted on the base 70 from above.

[0053] A through hole 74 is formed on one side of the housing 73. When the housing 73 is mounted on the base 70, the power cable 71 is passed through the through hole 74, as shown in the image. Figure 11 As shown, the other end is directed outwards. Thus, the emergency power supply unit 62 is housed inside the rectangular electrical box 75.

[0054] like Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the shut-off valve control base plate 61 and the emergency power supply device 62 are still made of the same sheet metal and are fixed to it by threaded fastening. Figure 8 A shallow, box-shaped housing 76 with openings on its front and upper surfaces. Furthermore, a cover 77 made of the same sheet metal is mounted on the front surface of the housing 76, forming... Figure 7 The state shown.

[0055] Figure 7 The electrical box 78 shown has an opening at the top, but as Figure 6 As shown, the electrical box 78 is mounted on the side of the control valve housing 79, which also has an opening at the top and houses the control valves 45, 411, and 412. Furthermore, as... Figure 6 As shown, by installing a cover 80 made of the same sheet metal on top, the upper openings of the electrical box 78 and the control valve housing 79 are closed. Pipe connection sections 82-84 extend from the control valve housing 79 to the outside, connecting to connecting pipes L, G1, and G2 extending from the outdoor unit 10 side. Pipe connection section 82 connects to the gas-side refrigerant pipe GD (discharge gas pipe). Pipe connection section 83 connects to the liquid-side refrigerant pipe L. Pipe connection section 84 connects to the gas-side refrigerant pipe GS (suction gas pipe). On the opposite side of the pipe connection sections 82-84 of the control valve housing 79, pipe connection sections 85 and 86 extend to the outside, connecting to liquid-side refrigerant pipes L1-L4 and gas-side refrigerant pipes G1-G4 extending from the indoor unit 201-204 side.

[0056] As described above, according to this embodiment, the system includes: an outdoor unit 10, comprising an outdoor expansion valve 13, an outdoor heat exchanger 11, a first switching valve 15 and a second switching valve 16, and a compressor 14; multiple indoor units 201-204, each equipped with an indoor expansion valve 23 for adjusting the amount of refrigerant flowing in the indoor heat exchanger 21; refrigerant pipes L, GD, GS, L1, G1, 57, 571 and 530-532 connecting the outdoor unit 10 to each of the indoor units 201-204; a shut-off valve unit 40 disposed in these refrigerant pipes, and having built-in control valves 45, 411 and 412 capable of shutting off the flow of refrigerant between the outdoor unit 10 and each of the indoor units 201-204; and an emergency power supply device 62 disposed in an electrical box 78 made of sheet metal, for shutting off power in the event of a power outage by the control valves 45, 411 and 412. The electrical box 75 is then disposed within the shut-off valve unit 40.

[0057] The outdoor unit 10 can operate in both cooling and heating modes in parallel for each indoor unit 201-204, and the shut-off valve unit 40 can control the flow of refrigerant in the exhaust gas pipe GD and intake gas pipe GS of each indoor unit 201-204. With this configuration, in the event of a malfunction, rupture, or fire caused by the secondary battery 66 in the emergency power supply unit 62, damage to the surrounding environment outside the emergency power supply unit 62 can be prevented. Furthermore, even if a fire occurs outside the emergency power supply unit 62, it can be prevented from being affected.

[0058] Furthermore, the emergency power supply device 62 includes a power supply board 67 for controlling the charging and discharging of the secondary battery 66. The secondary battery 66 and the power supply board 67 are disposed within an electrical enclosure 78, covered by the sheet metal of an electrical enclosure 75 that constitutes the housing of the emergency power supply device 62. Thus, the secondary battery 66 is doubly covered by the electrical enclosures 75 and 78, thereby more reliably suppressing external influences and influences from the outside.

[0059] Furthermore, the emergency power supply device 62 is connected to the shut-off valve control board 61, which constitutes the shut-off valve unit 40, via the power line 71. Under normal conditions, it charges the secondary battery 66 to pre-store power for shut-off by control valves 45, 411, and 412 during a power outage. When power is restored from an outage, it autonomously controls the recharging of the secondary battery 66. Thus, the charging and discharging of the secondary battery 66 can be controlled without external control.

[0060] (Second Implementation)

[0061] Hereinafter, the same reference numerals will be used for parts that are the same as in the first embodiment, and descriptions will be omitted. Different parts will be described. For example... Figure 12As shown, in the second embodiment, the outdoor unit 10 of the air conditioner 90 is connected to a single indoor unit 201 via a shut-off valve unit 91. The shut-off valve unit 91 has a control valve 45 and a control valve 93 disposed on a refrigerant pipe 92 connected to the outdoor unit 10. Figure 13 This shows the mechanical appearance of the shut-off valve unit 91. Figure 6 A fairly three-dimensional view. An electrical box 95 housing the emergency power supply device 62 is located on the side of the control valve housing 94. The opening at the top is closed by installing a cover 96, which replaces the cover 80. Pipe connections 97 and 98 extend from the control valve housing 94 to the outside, connecting to refrigerant pipes L and G.

[0062] (Other implementation methods)

[0063] The shut-off valve unit can also have more than four control valves.

[0064] The number of indoor units is not limited to 1 or 4.

[0065] Secondary batteries are not limited to lithium-ion batteries.

[0066] Furthermore, energy storage components are not limited to secondary batteries; large-capacity capacitors and other similar devices can also be used.

[0067] Sheet metal is not limited to galvanized steel sheets.

[0068] Several embodiments of the present invention have been described, but these embodiments are provided by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These new embodiments can be implemented in various other ways, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims and its equivalents.

[0069] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0070] 1 air conditioner

[0071] 10 outdoor units

[0072] 11 Outdoor heat exchangers

[0073] 13 Outdoor expansion valve

[0074] 14 compressors

[0075] 15 First switching valve

[0076] 16 Second switching valve

[0077] 21 Indoor heat exchangers

[0078] 23 Indoor expansion valve

[0079] Indoor units 201-204

[0080] 40 shut-off valve unit

[0081] 41-44 Hot and cold switching section

[0082] 45, 411, 412 control valves

[0083] G, GD, GS, G1~G4, L, L1~L4, 530~532, 540~542, 550~552, 560~565, 57, 571~574 refrigerant pipes

[0084] 61 Cut-off Valve Control Board

[0085] 62 Emergency Power Supply Device

[0086] 66 secondary batteries

[0087] 67 Power Supply Board

[0088] Electrical boxes 75 and 78

[0089] 91 shut-off valve unit

[0090] 95 electrical box.

Claims

1. An air conditioner, characterized in that, have: The outdoor unit is equipped with an outdoor expansion valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, a four-way valve, and a compressor. Multiple indoor units, each equipped with an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor expansion valve that adjusts the amount of refrigerant flowing in the indoor heat exchanger; Refrigerant pipes connect the outdoor unit to the plurality of indoor units; A shut-off valve unit is disposed in the refrigerant pipeline and has a built-in shut-off mechanism capable of cutting off the flow of refrigerant between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit. An emergency power supply unit, housed in an electrical box made of sheet metal, is used to cut off power via the aforementioned cutting mechanism in the event of a power outage. The electrical box is located in the shut-off valve unit.

2. The air conditioner as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The outdoor unit enables the multiple indoor units to operate in both cooling and heating modes in parallel. The shut-off valve unit is configured to control the flow of refrigerant in the exhaust gas pipes and intake gas pipes relative to the plurality of indoor units.

3. The air conditioner as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The emergency power supply device includes: Secondary batteries A power control board that controls the charging and discharging of the secondary battery. The secondary battery and the power control board are arranged inside the electrical box in a state where they are covered by sheet metal that constitutes the housing of the emergency power supply device.

4. The air conditioner as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The emergency power supply device is connected to the unit control board that constitutes the shut-off valve unit via a power line. By charging the secondary battery under normal conditions, power is pre-stored for disconnection by the cutting mechanism during a power outage, and autonomous control is performed to recharge the secondary battery when power is restored from the power outage to normal conditions.

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