Cooling device

Abstract

The cooling device includes a compressor (1), a plurality of user-side heat exchangers, an expansion mechanism (4), and a heat source-side heat exchanger (5) that are fluidly connected in series to form a cooling circuit. The cooling device further includes a first refrigerant pipe (6) that extends from the compressor (1) to a first user-side heat exchanger (2) of the plurality of user-side heat exchangers. The first refrigerant pipe (6) has a first valve (7) configured to at least fully open and fully close the first refrigerant pipe (6). The cooling device also includes a second refrigerant pipe (8) that extends from the compressor (1) to a second user-side heat exchanger (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) of the plurality of user-side heat exchangers. The second refrigerant pipe (8) has a second valve (9) configured to at least fully open and fully close the second refrigerant pipe (8). The cooling device also includes a controller configured to fully close the first valve (7) when the operation of the first heat utilization side exchanger (2) is stopped and / or configured to fully close the second valve (9) when the operation of the second heat utilization side exchanger (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) is stopped. The cooling device also includes a first bypass pipe (10) extending from the downstream side (6.2) of the first valve (7) to the suction side of the compressor (1) when the cooling device is used in the heating mode, and a second bypass pipe (11) extending from the downstream side of the second valve (9) to the suction side of the compressor (1) when the cooling device is used in the heating mode. The first and second bypass pipes (10, 11) each include a pressure reducing means (12) configured to reduce the pressure of the refrigerant in the first and second bypass pipes (10, 11).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling device, and more particularly to a heat pump type air conditioning / hot water supply device capable of simultaneously supplying an air conditioning load and a hot water supply load. [Background technology]

[0002] In the prior art, cooling devices are commonly known that include a compressor, a plurality of user-side heat exchangers, an expansion mechanism, and a heat source-side heat exchanger that are fluidly connected in series to form a cooling circuit that can provide cooling or heating depending on the direction in which the refrigerant flows through the refrigerant circuit.

[0003] Currently, cooling devices configured to simultaneously perform air conditioning and hot water supply have been developed. That is, such cooling devices include multiple user-side heat exchangers, and at least one of the user-side heat exchangers is configured to generate hot water when the refrigerant circuit is used in a heating mode, for example. Furthermore, at least one of the multiple user-side heat exchangers is configured to perform air conditioning. Such air conditioning is heating when the refrigerant circuit is used in a heating mode, and cooling when the refrigerant circuit is used in a cooling mode.

[0004] When the refrigerant circuit is used in heating mode, such cooling systems capable of supplying domestic hot water and / or domestic heating are also called heat pump type air conditioning / hot water systems, often abbreviated as DHW-DX combined systems.

[0005] In other words, such a combined system can be understood as an air conditioning / hot water combined system that can simultaneously supply both the air conditioning load and the hot water load.

[0006] An example of such a conventionally known cooling device is EP 2 653 805 A1, which describes a known DHW-DX combined system capable of simultaneously providing domestic hot water and air conditioning with hot air, but the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit can only be used for air conditioning or hot water production, e.g. when the cooling device of EP 2 653 805 A1 is used in heating mode.

[0007] On the other hand, in such a DHW-DX combined system, for example, several rooms to be air-conditioned can be provided with a plurality of user-side heat exchangers in the form of a plurality of indoor air conditioning units. In such a configuration, a situation may arise in which not all of the indoor air conditioning units are operated.

[0008] In such a case, the unused refrigerant may become stuck in the inactive branch of the refrigerant circuit, resulting in a large amount of refrigerant being "stuck" in the inactive branch of the refrigerant circuit. In other words, if, for example, some air conditioning indoor units are not in use and the branches are correspondingly closed to prevent refrigerant flow, a large amount of refrigerant is tied up and unused in the inactive branch of the refrigerant circuit.

[0009] This is particularly undesirable because it can result in a situation where the rest of the system is operated at full load, i.e. at full capacity and performance. As a result, the rest of the operating system does not have enough refrigerant. With refrigerant "stuck" in the non-operating branch of the refrigerant circuit, the rest of the operating system may not have enough refrigerant to operate at full load. This means that the remaining user heat exchangers have less refrigerant to operate with, which can lead to reduced efficiency and undesirable operating behavior for users of such cooling equipment.

[0010] Furthermore, problems can also occur if the refrigerant gets stuck in a branch that is not connected to the air conditioning indoor unit, but in a branch of the refrigerant circuit that is connected to a user-side heat exchanger configured to produce domestic hot water.

[0011] If such a branch of the refrigerant circuit for producing domestic hot water is closed and refrigerant is stuck in it, the confined and pressurized refrigerant can also be heated by an electric heater which is usually additionally provided in such a hot water unit.

[0012] The heated, restrained and pressurized refrigerant places unnecessary stress on the piping, and may even cause damage to the piping. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0013] [Patent Document 1] European Patent Application Publication No. 2653805 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0014] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a cooling device that can prevent refrigerant from being stuck in a non-operating branch of a refrigerant circuit with a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] This object is achieved by a device according to claim 1. Special embodiments result from the dependent claims.

[0016] In a first aspect, a cooling device includes a compressor, a plurality of user-side heat exchangers, an expansion mechanism, and a heat source-side heat exchanger that are fluidly connected in series to form a refrigerant circuit.

[0017] The cooling device further includes a first refrigerant pipe extending from the compressor to a first utilization side heat exchanger among the plurality of utilization side heat exchangers, the first refrigerant pipe having a first valve configured to at least fully open / close the first refrigerant pipe.

[0018] The cooling device further includes a second refrigerant pipe extending from the compressor to a second utilization side heat exchanger of the plurality of utilization side heat exchangers, the second refrigerant pipe having a second valve configured to at least fully open / close the second refrigerant pipe.

[0019] In addition, the cooling device includes a controller configured to fully close the first valve when operation of the first utilization side heat exchanger is stopped, and / or configured to fully close the second valve when operation of the second utilization side heat exchanger is stopped.

[0020] The cooling device also includes a first bypass pipe extending from the downstream side of the first valve to the suction side of the compressor when the cooling device is used in the heating mode, and a second bypass pipe extending from the downstream side of the second valve to the suction side of the compressor when the cooling device is used in the heating mode.

[0021] Here, the first bypass pipe and the second bypass pipe each, i.e. each, comprises a pressure reducing means configured to reduce the pressure of the refrigerant in the first bypass pipe and the second bypass pipe.

[0022] In this case, the first refrigerant pipe and the second refrigerant pipe, together with the first bypass pipe and the second bypass pipe, are understood to be pipes that form a part of the refrigerant circuit.

[0023] Furthermore, the "first valve" and the "second valve" are to be understood as valves capable of closing / opening the first refrigerant pipe and the second refrigerant pipe.

[0024] That is, when the first valve and / or the second valve is closed, the first refrigerant pipe and / or the second refrigerant pipe is blocked and refrigerant cannot flow through said pipes.

[0025] Here, by having the first bypass pipe and the second bypass pipe each having a pressure reducing means, the low pressure side and the high pressure side after the first valve and the second valve can be connected via the pressure reducing means.

[0026] This allows a suction effect to be achieved through the first bypass pipe or the second bypass pipe by the operation of the compressor when the corresponding first or second refrigerant pipe is blocked, i.e. when the first or second valve is closed.

[0027] Thus, for example, when the system is used in heating mode and only domestic hot water is to be produced, refrigerant can be drawn from a blocked branch of the refrigerant circuit so that unused refrigerant is not trapped in a non-operating branch of the refrigerant circuit.

[0028] Each bypass line and associated pressure reducing means allows trapped, unused refrigerant to be drawn back to the compressor for reuse in an ongoing operation, such as water heating.

[0029] In other words, the unused refrigerant withdrawn from the blocked branch of the refrigerant circuit contributes to the heating (or cooling) action, and the maximum possible amount of refrigerant can be used to provide efficient heating (or cooling). Furthermore, a higher utilisation of the refrigerant ensures lower power consumption, which increases the overall efficiency of the cooling system.

[0030] It is therefore the main idea of ​​the present invention to provide a more efficient and long-lasting cooling device, which allows the refrigerant taken from the non-working branch of the refrigerant circuit to be recovered and reused, i.e., in the present invention, the first bypass pipe and the second bypass pipe each have a pressure reducing means, which allows both recovery and reuse of the refrigerant.In addition, the presence of a pressure reducing means in the cooling device is particularly beneficial for safety reasons, since it not only allows the recovery and reuse of the refrigerant, but also solves safety problems due to damage to the pressurized pipes.

[0031] Preferably, the first and second valves are solenoid valves.

[0032] This allows the valve to be switched from a fully closed state to a fully open state. The first and second valves may be motor-operated valves. This allows for and realizes a variety of valve settings, and provides for more flexible control of the flow of refrigerant through the refrigerant circuit.

[0033] Preferably, the first and second refrigerant pipes extend in parallel from the compressor via a branch pipe arranged downstream of the compressor.

[0034] With this configuration, the first refrigerant pipe and the second refrigerant pipe can extend in parallel from the branch pipe while the piping coming out from the compressor is unified.

[0035] Furthermore, the open / closed states of the first refrigerant pipe and the second refrigerant pipe can be controlled separately by the first valve and the second valve.

[0036] Preferably, the expansion mechanism has a first expansion valve disposed downstream of the first utilization side heat exchanger when the cooling device is used in the heating mode, and further has a second expansion valve disposed downstream of the second utilization side heat exchanger when the cooling device is used in the heating mode.

[0037] Such an expansion mechanism having a first expansion valve and a second expansion valve respectively arranged downstream of each of the utilization side heat exchangers makes it possible to block the refrigerant pipes of the utilization side heat exchangers not only on the upstream side of the utilization side heat exchanger but also on the downstream side thereof.

[0038] In other words, the piping can be opened and closed on both the side toward and away from each of the user-side heat exchangers. This allows the branch of the refrigerant circuit in which the user-side heat exchanger is located to be fully opened and fully closed.

[0039] If the current operating situation does not temporarily require the operation of one of the user heat exchangers, and thus for example the first valve and the first expansion valve are closed, then the entire branch, including for example the first user heat exchanger, is blocked from the rest of the refrigerant circuit. Then, by means of a pressure reducing means provided in the first bypass pipe, the refrigerant trapped in said blocked part of the refrigerant circuit from the first valve through the first user heat exchanger to the first expansion valve can be sucked back through the first bypass pipe and thus recovered in the remaining working refrigerant circuit for reuse. This allows the blocked part to be emptied and the pressurized refrigerant not to be trapped in the blocked part.

[0040] Preferably, the controller is configured to fully close the first valve and the first expansion valve when operation of the first utilization side heat exchanger is stopped, and / or configured to fully close the second valve and the second expansion valve when operation of the second utilization side heat exchanger is stopped.

[0041] With this configuration, the associated valves downstream and upstream of each utilization side heat exchanger can be closed simultaneously in a single control step, thus efficiently blocking / reopening each refrigerant pipe.

[0042] As described above, this configuration further enables the refrigerant that is restrained and stuck in the interrupted portion of the refrigerant circuit to be automatically sucked through the pressure reducing means by the operation of the compressor, and then reused in the remaining operating refrigerant circuit.

[0043] Preferably, a plurality of second utilization side heat exchangers are arranged in parallel downstream of the second valve in the second refrigerant pipe.

[0044] More preferably, three second utilization side heat exchangers are arranged in parallel downstream of the second valve on the second refrigerant pipe.

[0045] For example, such a second use-side heat exchanger can be provided to air-condition the space in which the second use-side heat exchanger is provided. With this configuration, for example, a use-side heat exchanger can be provided in each of several rooms in a house in which a cooling device is provided.

[0046] In this case, the second user heat exchangers do not all need to be the same model or type of user heat exchanger, and as will be explained in more detail below, such user heat exchangers can be air conditioners or radiators that can be arranged in parallel in the refrigerant circuit, for example in different rooms or at different positions in the room.

[0047] Preferably, when the cooling device is used in the heating mode, the expansion mechanism has a first expansion valve disposed downstream of the first user heat exchanger, and further, when the cooling device is used in the heating mode, the expansion mechanism has a single second expansion valve disposed downstream of the second user heat exchanger and connected to the second user heat exchanger, or the expansion mechanism has a plurality of second expansion valves disposed downstream of the second user heat exchanger and connected to the second user heat exchanger, respectively.

[0048] Here, the first expansion valve can fully close the flow toward the first utilization side heat exchanger, so that when the first expansion valve and the first valve are closed, the trapped refrigerant stuck in the inactive refrigerant piping can be recovered via the pressure reducing means of the first bypass pipe and efficiently used in other active parts of the refrigerant circuit.

[0049] By having a configuration with a single first expansion valve disposed downstream of the second use-side heat exchanger and connected to the second use-side heat exchanger, it is possible to realize a refrigerant circuit with a simple configuration in which all piping downstream of the second use-side heat exchanger can be shut off by the single expansion valve.

[0050] Conversely, by providing a plurality of second expansion valves arranged downstream of the second use-side heat exchangers and connected to the second use-side heat exchangers, the refrigerant pipes downstream of the respective use-side heat exchangers can be opened and closed individually. Therefore, with this configuration, it is possible to operate each of the second use-side heat exchangers while not operating the other second use-side heat exchangers, and to easily recover the refrigerant stuck in the portion of the refrigerant circuit.

[0051] Preferably, the controller is configured to fully close the second valve and the single second expansion valve or the plurality of second expansion valves when the operation of the second utilization side heat exchanger is stopped.

[0052] This allows each of the pipes of the second utilization side heat exchanger to be fully closed and fully opened individually.

[0053] Preferably, the pressure reducing means is a capillary.

[0054] By using the capillary as the pressure reducing means, it is not necessary to adjust the flow rate of the refrigerant with an active element, and therefore a simple configuration of the refrigerant circuit can be realized that allows efficient use of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit.

[0055] Furthermore, by providing a capillary as the pressure reducing means, it becomes possible to adjust the pressure reduction by natural adjustment due to the small cross-sectional area of ​​the capillary and the corresponding length.

[0056] In other words, the refrigerant flow and pressure drop can be adjusted by the physical parameters of the capillary piping cross-sectional area and corresponding capillary length in the bypass tube.

[0057] Furthermore, because these two physical parameters can be preset during the manufacturing process, a system can be achieved that is not only efficient but also cost-effective.

[0058] Regarding safety requirements, such an arrangement allows a simple, reliable and cost-effective solution without any moving parts or active elements that can sometimes be damaged or malfunction, and furthermore, no additional control devices etc. are required.

[0059] Preferably the pressure reducing means is a motor operated valve.

[0060] In this case, a capillary and a motor operated valve can be combined.

[0061] With this configuration, it is possible to realize a system in which the amount of pressure reduction can be changed while the cooling device is in use, rather than just adjusting the amount of pressure reduction based on manufacturing constraints or settings made during manufacture.

[0062] Furthermore, this allows for a more flexible system to be achieved that can accommodate changes to the refrigerant circuit, especially when a new user-side heat exchanger or the like is introduced into the refrigerant circuit, or when some elements of the cooling device, especially a user-side heat exchanger, are removed from the system.

[0063] Preferably, the first utilization side heat exchanger is a hot water supply unit, more preferably, the hot water supply unit can be a coil in a water tank.

[0064] The hot water unit is for generating domestic hot water when the cooling device is used in a heating mode.

[0065] In a more preferred embodiment in which a coil is provided in the water tank, the refrigerant flows through the coil of the first heat exchanger and exchanges heat with the water in the water tank, so that when the cooling device is used in a heating mode, the water is heated by the refrigerant passing through the coil, thereby efficiently generating hot water for home use.

[0066] However, as is already known from the prior art, such a hot water unit can also be supplemented with an electric heater.

[0067] Preferably, the second use side heat exchanger is an air conditioning indoor unit or a radiator for heating a space in which the second use side heat exchanger is located when the cooling device is used in a heating mode and / or for cooling a space in which the second use side heat exchanger is located when the cooling device is used in a cooling mode.

[0068] Therefore, by providing, for example, a plurality of such air conditioning indoor units, it is possible to provide several air conditioning indoor units in several rooms, and to individually adjust the heating or cooling in the rooms. Thus, such a system can be realized that provides different temperatures in different spaces.

[0069] Preferably, the cooling device further comprises an accumulator arranged upstream of the compressor in the refrigerant circuit, wherein the first bypass pipe extends from a downstream side of the first valve to a suction side of the accumulator when the cooling device is used in a heating mode, and the second bypass pipe extends from a downstream side of the second valve to a suction side of the accumulator when the cooling device is used in a heating mode.

[0070] With this configuration, when refrigerant is drawn from a branch of the refrigerant circuit that is not in operation, the refrigerant can first be stored before entering the compressor, which prevents liquid refrigerant from being drawn into the compressor, thereby improving the operational reliability of the compressor.

[0071] Preferably, the first and second refrigerant pipes are gas pipes containing refrigerant that is at least partially in a gaseous state when the cooling device is used in a heating mode.

[0072] More preferably, the first and second refrigerant tubes are gas tubes containing a refrigerant that is entirely in a gaseous state when the cooling device is used in a heating mode.

[0073] This configuration allows the system to be as efficient as possible, since the refrigerant is used at least partially (or completely) in a gaseous state, allowing a large amount of heat exchange to be achieved.

[0074] Preferably, the cooling device further comprises a switching valve, preferably a four-way switching valve, configured to switch the refrigerant circuit from a heating mode to a cooling mode.

[0075] Such a switching device may, for example, be provided downstream of a compressor, so that the flow direction of the high pressure refrigerant leaving the compressor can be controlled by said switching device, i.e. the direction in which the refrigerant flows through the refrigerant circuit is determined by the switching device.

[0076] In view of the above, the present invention relates to a cooling device that can reuse refrigerant from a portion of a refrigerant circuit that is not in operation, and efficiently utilize the reused refrigerant in the ongoing operation of the portion of the refrigerant circuit that is in operation.

[0077] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of a cooling device according to the invention will be described with reference to the following drawings, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0078] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0079] FIG. 1 shows a cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0080] Here, the refrigerant circuit is made up of a compressor 1, a plurality of utilization side heat exchangers, which will be described in detail below, an expansion mechanism 4, and a heat source side heat exchanger 5. The compressor 1, the utilization side heat exchangers, the expansion mechanism 4, and the heat source side heat exchanger 5 are connected in series to be fluidly communicable, and make up the refrigerant circuit.

[0081] As can also be seen in FIG. 1, a switching device 16 is provided which is configured to switch the refrigerant circuit from a heating mode to a cooling mode.

[0082] The switching device 16 shown in the exemplary embodiment of Figure 1 is in the form of a four-way switching valve. Also, in the configuration shown in Figure 1, said switching device 16 is switched so that the cooling device is used in a heating mode. That is, in this switching position of the switching device 16, the pressurized refrigerant emerging from the compressor 1 can then flow to a number of user-side heat exchangers for heat exchange before continuing to the expansion mechanism 4 of the refrigerant circuit. When the cooling device is used in a heating mode, heat is rejected from the refrigerant in the user-side heat exchangers to the surrounding environment, such as air or water (described below).

[0083] After the refrigerant has flowed through the user-side heat exchanger, when the cooling device is used in heating mode, it continues to flow to the expansion mechanism 4. The expansion mechanism 4 allows the refrigerant pressure to be reduced so that it can continue to flow to the heat source-side heat exchanger 5, where heat exchange takes place again. When the cooling device is operating in heating mode, the heat source-side heat exchanger 5 can be located, for example, in the outdoor unit. Conversely, the user-side heat exchanger can also be considered as the indoor unit.

[0084] When the chiller is operating in heating mode, refrigerant flows from the source heat exchanger 5 back to the compressor 1 .

[0085] 1, an accumulator 15 is provided as an indirect arrangement between the heat source side heat exchanger 5 and the compressor 1 in the cooling circuit. That is, the accumulator 15 is arranged upstream of the compressor 1 in the refrigerant circuit. This accumulator 15 allows the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit to be accumulated before it flows into the cooling circuit.

[0086] Due to the compression of the refrigerant in the compressor 1, when the cooling system is used in heating mode, the refrigerant leaving the compressor 1 is in gaseous form.

[0087] 1 from a heating mode (as shown) to a cooling mode, the switching device 16 changes the direction of refrigerant flow through the refrigerant circuit. Specifically, the direction of refrigerant flow through the refrigerant circuit is reversed, so that the refrigerant exiting the compressor 1 flows first through the heat source heat exchanger 5, then through the expansion mechanism 4, and then through the utilization heat exchanger before returning to the compressor 1.

[0088] Although the mode can be switched in this manner, the following description will focus on the operation of the cooling device in the heating mode.

[0089] As mentioned above, a number of user side heat exchangers are provided. Here, the refrigerant circuit is provided with a first user side heat exchanger 2. In the exemplary embodiment of Fig. 1, said first user side heat exchanger 2 is a hot water supply unit in the form of a coil 13 in a water tank 14. Said hot water supply unit therefore corresponds to the exemplary embodiment of the first user side heat exchanger 2 configured to generate domestic hot water when the cooling device is used in heating mode (as shown in Fig. 1).

[0090] It will be understood from Fig. 1 that the refrigerant circuit is provided with not only the first heat exchanger 2 but also a plurality of second heat exchangers 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3. Here, three second heat exchangers 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3 are provided as an example. These three second heat exchangers 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3 are arranged in parallel (see Fig. 1).

[0091] In the exemplary embodiment, the three second user side heat exchangers 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 are shown as indoor air conditioning units for heating the space in which they are located when the cooling device is used in heating mode.

[0092] As described above, when the cooling device of each of the air conditioning indoor units 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3 is used in the cooling mode, it is also possible to cool the space in which the second use-side heat exchanger is disposed.

[0093] Instead of configuring them as indoor air conditioning units, one, several or all of the second utilization side heat exchangers 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 provided in the refrigerant circuit can also be configured as radiators for heating and / or cooling the space in which the respective second utilization side heat exchangers 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 are located.

[0094] It will be well known that the second user side heat exchangers 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 do not have to be located in the same space to be heated and / or cooled, but can for example be located in different rooms of a building to heat or cool different rooms of the building or to bring them to different temperatures.

[0095] In this way, by configuring the first utilization side heat exchanger 2 and installing at least one, here three, second utilization side heat exchangers 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, it is possible to realize a so-called "combined system," which is generally known as a domestic hot water supply and air conditioning combined system.

[0096] As will be described in detail below, the first utilization side heat exchanger 2 and the multiple second utilization side heat exchangers 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 are arranged in parallel.

[0097] In order to realize the production of hot water by the first utilization side heat exchanger 2 and the heating of spaces by the multiple air conditioning indoor units 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 in parallel, a first refrigerant pipe 6 is extended from the compressor 1 to the first utilization side heat exchanger 2, which is provided hereinafter in the form of a hot water supply unit. The first refrigerant pipe 6 has a first valve 7. The first valve 7 divides the first refrigerant pipe 6 into a portion 6.1 upstream of the first valve 7 when the cooling device is used in a heating mode and a portion 6.2 downstream of the first valve 7 when the cooling device is used in a heating mode.

[0098] The first valve 7 is configured to at least fully open and fully close the first refrigerant pipe 6 .

[0099] Further, a second refrigerant pipe 8 is provided extending from the compressor 1 to the second utilization side heat exchangers 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3. The second refrigerant pipe 8 has a second valve 9.

[0100] Similar to the first refrigerant line 6, the second refrigerant line 8 divides an upstream side 8.1 of a second valve 9 and a downstream side 8.2 of the second valve 9. Also similar to the first valve 7, the second valve 9 is configured to at least fully open and fully close the second refrigerant line 8.

[0101] 1, the first valve 7 and the second valve 9 are configured as solenoid valves and are configured to at least fully open and fully close the first refrigerant line 6 and the second refrigerant line 8. The first valve 7 and the second valve 9 can also be configured as motor-operated valves, in which case the valves are configured to regulate the amount of refrigerant flowing through the first refrigerant line 6 and the second refrigerant line 8.

[0102] As described above, the cooling device shown in FIG. 1 can generate domestic hot water and hot air for heating a space in parallel.

[0103] For this purpose, the first utilization side heat exchanger 2 and the second utilization side heat exchangers 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3 are arranged in parallel.

[0104] Specifically, the first refrigerant pipe 6 and the second refrigerant pipe 8 are extended in parallel from the compressor 1 via a branch pipe 17 disposed downstream of the compressor 1. That is, the branch pipe 17 allows the refrigerant coming out of the compressor 1 to flow through both the first refrigerant pipe 6 and the second refrigerant pipe 8 in order to supply the refrigerant to the first use-side heat exchanger 2 and the three second use-side heat exchangers 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3 of the exemplary embodiment of the air-conditioning indoor unit.

[0105] 1, three air conditioning indoor units as exemplary embodiments of the second user-side heat exchangers 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 are arranged downstream 8.2 of the second valve 9 in the second refrigerant pipe 8. Thus, when the cooling device is used in heating mode, the first refrigerant pipe 6 and the second refrigerant pipe 8 are gas pipes that contain at least partially gaseous refrigerant.

[0106] 1 further comprises a first bypass pipe 10 which extends from the downstream side 6.2 of the first valve 7 to the suction side of the compressor 1 when the cooling device is used in heating mode. Here, due to the additional provision of an accumulator 15, the first bypass pipe 10 does not extend directly to the compressor 1, but from the downstream side 6.2 of the first valve 7 to the suction side of the accumulator 15.

[0107] Furthermore, a second bypass pipe 11 is provided which runs from the downstream side 8.2 of the second valve 9 to the suction side of the compressor 1 when the cooling system is used in heating mode.

[0108] Similar to the configuration of the first bypass pipe 10 described above, the second bypass pipe 11 also does not extend directly to the compressor 1, but indirectly to an accumulator 15. Specifically, in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, the second bypass pipe 11 extends from the downstream side 8.2 of the second valve 9 to the suction side of the accumulator 15.

[0109] Furthermore, in the example shown in FIG. 1, the first bypass pipe 10 and the second bypass pipe 11 have pressure reducing means 12 configured to reduce the pressure of the refrigerant in the first bypass pipe 10 and the second bypass pipe 11, respectively.

[0110] As shown in FIG. 1, the pressure reducing means 12 can be, for example, a capillary.

[0111] This allows the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the first bypass pipe 10 and the second bypass pipe 11 to be gradually reduced by the capillaries without the need for further actuating means.

[0112] Optionally, or additionally, the pressure reducing means 12 may be provided with motor operated valves (not shown) for adapting the level of reduced pressure in the respective bypass lines.

[0113] The expansion mechanism 4 of the cooling device shown in FIG.

[0114] Furthermore, the expansion mechanism 4 is disposed downstream of the second utilization side heat exchangers 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 and has a plurality of second expansion valves 4.2, 4.3, 4.4 connected to the second utilization side heat exchangers, respectively.

[0115] That is, not only is a first expansion valve 4.1 arranged downstream of the first utilization side heat exchanger 2, but the three air conditioning indoor units 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 shown in the figure are also provided with corresponding expansion valves 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, respectively.

[0116] In this manner, the first utilization-side heat exchanger 2 is provided between the first valve 7 and the first expansion valve 4.1, so that the first valve 7 and the first expansion valve 4.1 can control whether or not the refrigerant flows through the branch of the refrigerant circuit depending on whether or not the valve is open.

[0117] In addition, the parallel branch, i.e. the second refrigerant pipe 8, is configured to have a second valve 9 upstream of the second user side heat exchangers 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, and each sub-branch is also provided with a respective second expansion valve 4.2, 4.3, 4.4 (see Figure 1).

[0118] In other words, the first refrigerant pipe 6 and the second refrigerant pipe 8 are extended in parallel from the compressor 1 via a branch pipe 17, and can be opened and closed via the first valve 7 and the first expansion valve 4.1, as well as the second valve 9 and the second expansion valves 4.2, 4.3, 4.4.

[0119] As shown in FIG. 1, the three indoor air conditioning units 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3 are arranged in parallel to each other in the second refrigerant pipe 8.

[0120] Thus, the flow through each of the sub-branches of the second refrigerant pipes 8 of each of the second utilization side heat exchangers, here in the form of the air conditioning indoor units 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, can be controlled via the open / closed state of the second expansion valves 4.2, 4.3, 4.4.

[0121] In addition, the cooling device according to the exemplary embodiment has a controller (not shown) configured to fully close the first valve 7 when the operation of the first user-side heat exchanger 2, i.e., the hot water unit, is stopped or is about to be stopped, and / or configured to fully close the second valve 9 when the operation of the second user-side heat exchangers 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 is stopped or is about to be stopped. In addition, the controller is configured to fully close the first expansion valve 4.1 at the same time when the operation of the first user-side heat exchanger 2 is stopped or is about to be stopped, and is configured to close the second expansion valves 4.2, 4.3, 4.4 when the operation of one, two or all of the three illustrated second user-side heat exchangers 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 is stopped or is about to be stopped.

[0122] That is, the controller can control the flow of refrigerant to one of the air conditioning indoor units, to multiple of the air conditioning indoor units, or to all of the air conditioning indoor units, and to the hot water supply device (as an exemplary embodiment of the first utilization side heat exchanger 2), depending on the switching states of the first valve 7, the second valve 9, and the first to fourth expansion valves 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4.

[0123] For ease of understanding, the function of the cooling device shown in FIG. 1 will be explained.

[0124] As summarized above, the controller can realize different opening and closing states of each of the provided valves, such as the first valve 7, the second valve 9, the first expansion valve 4.1, and the three second expansion valves 4.2, 4.3, 4.4 arranged downstream of the three second utilization side heat exchangers 3.1, 3.2, 3.3.

[0125] At this time, for example, when there is no need to generate hot water via the hot water supply unit (as the first utilization-side heat exchanger 2), the controller is configured to close the first valve 7 together with the first expansion valve 4.1 of the expansion mechanism 4. This makes it possible to completely cut off the branch extending from the first valve 7 to the first expansion valve 4.1 from the rest of the refrigerant circuit via the controller.

[0126] Further, for example, when operation of one, several or all of the air conditioning indoor units (as second use side heat exchangers 3.1, 3.2, 3.3) is not required, the controller is configured to block the flow of refrigerant through said second use side heat exchangers 3.1, 3.2, 3.3.

[0127] To that end, the controller can close the second valve 9 and all three illustrated second expansion valves 4.2, 4.3, 4.4 when the air conditioning indoor unit is not needed.

[0128] When at least one of the air conditioning indoor units 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 is operated, the controller is configured to open the second valve 9 and further close the second expansion valves 4.2, 4.3, 4.4 that are not in operation and are located downstream of the air conditioning indoor units 3.1, 3.2, 3.3.

[0129] For example, when only domestic hot water is to be generated, i.e., when none of the air conditioning indoor units need to operate, the controller is configured to close the second valve 9 and all three second expansion valves 4.2, 4.3, 4.4. As a result, no refrigerant passes through the second refrigerant pipe 8 after the second valve 9. Thus, only the first refrigerant pipe 6 operates in a heating mode to generate domestic hot water.

[0130] Next, for ease of understanding, a state in which none of the second utilization side heat exchangers 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 is necessary, or generation of domestic hot water is not necessary will be mainly described.

[0131] In one such exemplary case, when a user requests the system to only produce domestic hot water, the controller closes the second valve 9 and the second expansion valves 4.2, 4.3, 4.4 to prevent refrigerant from circulating through the second user side heat exchangers 3.1, 3.2, 3.3.

[0132] As a result, the refrigerant flows from the compressor 1 through the switching valve 16, through the branch pipe 17 to the first refrigerant pipe 6, and after passing through the first valve 7, flows through the first user-side heat exchanger 2, resulting in the production of hot water. After exchanging heat with the refrigerant in the first user-side heat exchanger 2 to heat the water, the refrigerant continues to flow through the first expansion valve 4.1 to the heat source-side heat exchanger 5 before returning to the compressor 1 through the accumulator 15.

[0133] By closing the second valve 9, in conjunction with the provided second bypass pipe 11, a suction force can be generated via said second bypass pipe 11.

[0134] In this way, when the second utilization side heat exchangers 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 are not operating, the suction force allows the refrigerant confined in the closed pipes of the refrigerant circuit (downstream of the second valve 9 and upstream of the first expansion valves 4.2, 4.3, 4.4) to be recovered and made to flow through the capillary.

[0135] In other words, by recovering the refrigerant from the piping that is not being used and further using it in the flow that passes through the first utilization side heat exchanger 2, domestic hot water can be efficiently generated.

[0136] Conversely, when domestic hot water is not produced and, for example, the space in which the second utilization side heat exchangers 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 are arranged is to be air-conditioned, the first valve 7 can be closed together with the first expansion valve 4.1.

[0137] Therefore, in this case, the refrigerant circulates only through (at least one of) the second utilization side heat exchangers 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 and the second refrigerant pipe 8.

[0138] The provision of a first bypass pipe 10 extending from the downstream side 6.2 of the first valve 7 when the cooling system is used in heating mode to the suction side of the compressor 1, here the accumulator 15, has the advantage that the trapped refrigerant not participating in any heat exchange in such control conditions can be recovered.

[0139] As a result, the refrigerant that is stuck in the non-operating branch of the refrigerant circuit can be easily reused for heat exchange in the operating branch of the refrigerant circuit of the cooling device, thereby achieving efficient heat exchange. [Explanation of symbols]

[0140] 1. Compressor 2 First user side heat exchanger 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 Secondary heat exchanger (air conditioning indoor unit) 4 Expansion mechanism 4.1 First expansion valve 4.2,4.3,4.4 Second expansion valve 5 Heat source side heat exchanger 6 First refrigerant pipe 6.1 Upstream of the first valve 6.2 Downstream of the first valve 7 First Valve 8 Second refrigerant pipe 8.1 Upstream of the second valve 8.2 Downstream of the second valve 9 Second valve 10 First bypass pipe 11 Second bypass pipe 12 Pressure reduction means 13 Coil 14 Water Tank 15 Accumulator 16 Switching Devices 17 Branch Pipe

Claims

1. A compressor (1), a plurality of utilization-side heat exchangers, an expansion mechanism (4), and a heat source-side heat exchanger (5) that are fluidly connected in series to form a cooling circuit; a first refrigerant pipe (6) extending from the compressor (1) to a first utilization side heat exchanger (2) of the plurality of utilization side heat exchangers, the first refrigerant pipe having a first valve (7) configured to at least fully open / close the first refrigerant pipe (6); a second refrigerant pipe (8) extending from the compressor (1) to a second utilization side heat exchanger (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) of the plurality of utilization side heat exchangers, the second refrigerant pipe having a second valve (9) configured to at least fully open / fully close the second refrigerant pipe (8); a controller configured to fully close the first valve (7) when the operation of the first utilization side heat exchanger (2) is stopped, and / or configured to fully close the second valve (9) when the operation of the second utilization side heat exchanger (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) is stopped; A cooling device comprising: a first bypass pipe (10) extending from the downstream side (6.2) of the first valve (7) to the suction side of the compressor (1) when the cooling device is used in a heating mode; a second bypass pipe (11) extending from the downstream side (8.2) of the second valve (9) to the suction side of the compressor (1) when the cooling device is used in a heating mode; The cooling device, wherein the first and second bypass pipes (10, 11) each have pressure reducing means (12) configured to reduce the pressure of the refrigerant in the first and second bypass pipes (10, 11).

2. 2. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second valves (7, 9) are solenoid valves.

3. 10. The cooling device according to claim 9, wherein the first and second refrigerant pipes (6, 8) extend in parallel from the compressor (1), preferably via a branch pipe (17) arranged downstream of the compressor (1).

4. A cooling device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the expansion mechanism (4) comprises a first expansion valve (4.1) arranged downstream of the first utilization side heat exchanger (2) when the cooling device is used in the heating mode, The expansion mechanism (4) has a second expansion valve (4.2, 4.3, 4.4) arranged downstream of the second utilization side heat exchanger (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) when the cooling device is used in the heating mode.

5. 5. The cooling device according to claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to fully close the first valve (7) and the first expansion valve (4.1) when operation of the first utilization side heat exchanger (2) is stopped, and / or to fully close the second valve (9) and the second expansion valve (4.2, 4.3, 4.4) when operation of the second utilization side heat exchanger (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) is stopped.

6. 10. The cooling device according to claim 9, wherein a plurality of, preferably three, second user-side heat exchangers (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) are arranged in parallel on the downstream side (8.2) of the second valve (9) in the second refrigerant pipe (8).

7. 7. The cooling device according to claim 6, the expansion mechanism (4) has a first expansion valve (4.1) disposed downstream of the first utilization side heat exchanger (2) when the cooling device is used in the heating mode; the expansion mechanism (4) is disposed downstream of the second utilization side heat exchanger (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) and has a single second expansion valve connected to the second utilization side heat exchanger; The expansion mechanism (4) is disposed downstream of the second utilization side heat exchangers (3.1, 3.2, 3.3), and includes a plurality of second expansion valves (4.2, 4.3, 4.4) each connected to the second utilization side heat exchangers.

8. 8. The cooling device according to claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to fully close the second valve (9) and the single second expansion valve or the multiple second expansion valves (4.2, 4.3, 4.4) when operation of the second utilization side heat exchanger (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) is stopped.

9. Refrigeration device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said pressure reducing means (12) is a capillary.

10. A cooling device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said pressure reducing means (12) is a motor operated valve.

11. A cooling device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first user side heat exchanger (2) is a coil (13) in a hot water unit, preferably a water tank (14), for producing domestic hot water when the cooling device is used in heating mode.

12. A cooling device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the second utilization side heat exchanger (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) is an air conditioning indoor unit or a radiator for heating a space in which the second utilization side heat exchanger (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) is arranged when the cooling device is used in a heating mode and / or for cooling a space in which the second utilization side heat exchanger (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) is arranged when the cooling device is used in a cooling mode.

13. A cooling device according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising an accumulator (15) arranged upstream of the compressor (1) in the cooling circuit, the first bypass pipe (10) extends from the downstream side (6.1) of the first valve (7) to the suction side of the accumulator (15) when the cooling device is used in the heating mode; The second bypass pipe (11) extends from the downstream side (8.2) of the second valve (9) to the suction side of the accumulator (15) when the cooling device is used in the heating mode.

14. 10. The cooling device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first and second refrigerant pipes (6, 8) are gas pipes containing refrigerant at least partially in a gaseous state when the cooling device is used in the heating mode.

15. A cooling apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cooling apparatus further comprises a switching device (16), preferably a four-way switching valve, The switching device (16) is configured to switch the cooling circuit from the heating mode to the cooling mode.

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