US 12,007,142 B2
Air conditioner
Beomchan Kim, Seoul (KR); Jusu Kim, Seoul (KR); Eunseong Pack, Seoul (KR); Yeongpin Chu, Seoul (KR); Janghoon Shin, Seoul (KR); and Jaeik Jang, Seoul (KR)
Assigned to LG ELECTRONICS INC., Seoul (KR)
Filed by LG ELECTRONICS INC., Seoul (KR)
Filed on Dec. 15, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/551,768.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2020-0177591 (KR), filed on Dec. 17, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0196264 A1, Jun. 23, 2022
Int. Cl. F24F 3/153 (2006.01); F24F 3/14 (2006.01); F25B 40/02 (2006.01); F25B 41/24 (2021.01); F25B 41/40 (2021.01)
CPC F24F 3/153 (2013.01) [F25B 40/02 (2013.01); F25B 41/24 (2021.01); F25B 41/40 (2021.01); F24F 2003/144 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An air conditioner, comprising:
a case having a supply channel therein through which external air flows into an interior space;
a first heat exchanger disposed in the supply channel and in which the air and refrigerant exchange heat;
a second heat exchanger disposed at a downstream side of the first heat exchanger in the supply channel, and in which the air and refrigerant exchange heat; and
a refrigerant distributor that sends refrigerant to the first heat exchanger or the second heat exchanger, wherein the refrigerant distributor includes:
a liquid pipe through which liquid-state refrigerant flows, wherein the liquid pipe is connected to a first side of each of the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger;
a first gas pipe through which gas-state refrigerant discharged from the compressor flows, wherein the first gas pipe is connected to a second side of each of the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger;
a second gas pipe through which gas-state refrigerant flowing into a compressor flows, wherein the second gas pipe is connected to the second side of the first heat exchanger;
a first gas pipe valve disposed on the first gas pipe and that sends refrigerant flowing through the first gas pipe to the first heat exchanger or the second heat exchanger; and
a second gas pipe valve disposed on the second gas pipe and that opens and closes the second gas pipe, wherein the first gas pipe is divided into a 1-1 gas pipe connected to the first heat exchanger and a 1-2 gas pipe connected to the second heat exchanger, wherein the first gas pipe valve includes a 1-1 valve disposed on the 1-1 gas pipe and that opens and closes the 1-1 gas pipe, and a 1-2 valve disposed on the 1-2 gas pipe and that opens and closes the 1-2 gas pipe, wherein the second gas pipe includes a first parallel gas pipe and a second parallel gas pipe that are divided and joined in the refrigerant distributor, wherein the second gas pipe valve includes a first parallel gas pipe valve that opens and closes the first parallel gas pipe and a second parallel gas pipe valve that opens and closes the second parallel gas pipe, wherein the 1-1 gas pipe is connected to the first parallel gas pipe, and wherein the 1-1 gas pipe is connected to the first heat exchanger through the second gas pipe.