US 12,474,077 B2
Shut-off valve control device for refrigeration cycle, and air conditioner
Mitsuru Sawamura, Shizuoka (JP)
Assigned to CARRIER JAPAN CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 18/275,970
Filed by TOSHIBA CARRIER CORPORATION, Kanagawa (JP)
PCT Filed Jun. 17, 2021, PCT No. PCT/JP2021/023068
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 4, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/264368, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 22, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0117989 A1, Apr. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. F24F 11/88 (2018.01); F24F 11/36 (2018.01); F24F 11/84 (2018.01)
CPC F24F 11/88 (2018.01) [F24F 11/36 (2018.01); F24F 11/84 (2018.01)] 2 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A shut-off valve control device for a refrigeration cycle comprises:
a leakage detector configured to detect leakage of a refrigerant that is used in a refrigeration cycle including an indoor unit and an outdoor unit;
a shut-off valve which is disposed in a pipe that connects the indoor unit and the outdoor unit with each other and which can be opened and closed by supplying electric power;
a power failure detector configured to detect a power failure in an AC power supply configured to supply electric power to the shut-off valve;
a backup power supply configured to be capable of alternatively supplying power upon an occurrence of a power failure; and
a shut-off valve control circuit configured to control the shut-off valve to be closed when the leakage detector detects leakage of the refrigerant,
wherein the shut-off valve control circuit is configured to control the shut-off valve to be closed when the power failure detector continues to detect a power failure for a predetermined time period,
wherein the shut-off valve is an electronically controlled valve configured to be driven by a motor and of which an opening degree can be controlled from completely closed to completely open, and
wherein the shut-off valve control circuit is configured to, upon acquiring a charge amount of the backup power supply at power-on, change the opening degree of the electronically controlled valve in accordance with the charge amount.