JP2003148830A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve a problem in a conventional dehumidifying method that it is difficult to select the maximum capacity and high efficiency corresponding to the load in an air conditioner wherein areas of a regenerator and an evaporator of an indoor machine are fixed, as the cooling capacity and the dehumidifying capacity can be increased by increasing the area of the evaporator, but the efficiency is lowered, on the other hand, when the area of the evaporator is decreased, the input to the equal dehumidifying amount is decreased, and the energy-saving operation can be performed, but the maximum capacity is decreased. SOLUTION: The evaporator is divided into plural evaporators, and the evaporator to allow a refrigerant to flow, is selected by switching a switch valve to make the area of the evaporator variable.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner using a refrigeration cycle, and more particularly to an air conditioner capable of dehumidifying operation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in an air conditioner using a refrigerating cycle, it is possible to freely select three kinds of operation modes including a cooling operation, a heating operation and a dehumidifying operation. Of these, the dehumidifying operation is a method executed in the weak cooling operation state,
The indoor heat exchanger is divided into two, and a throttle mechanism is provided between the first indoor heat exchanger and the second indoor heat exchanger to operate the compressor,
There is a method of controlling the indoor temperature and humidity by controlling the operation of the indoor fan and the opening degree of the throttle mechanism.

However, since the dehumidifying operation executed in the weak cooling operation state is basically a cooling operation, the humidity of the air-conditioned room can be lowered to a desired level, but
There was also the problem that it was difficult to create a comfortable environment because the indoor temperature also dropped.

A dehumidifying operation in which the indoor heat exchanger is divided into two parts and a throttling mechanism is provided in order to solve the decrease in room temperature during the dehumidifying operation is described in, for example, the air conditioner disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-42706. ing. According to this air conditioner, the indoor heat exchanger is arranged from the front side to the back side in the indoor unit, and the indoor heat exchanger is thermally coupled to the heat exchanger part from the front upper stage to the back side and the front lower stage heat exchanger part. Divide into two, and provide a throttling mechanism between them, and during dehumidification operation, the part from the front to the back is the reheat part and the lower part of the front part is the evaporator, which enables dehumidification without lowering the room temperature, It is said that there is no risk that dehumidified water generated in the evaporator will reach the reheating part and re-evaporate.

[0005]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-42706
In the air conditioner described in the publication, there is a description about the position where the indoor heat exchanger is divided / arranged, but there is no description about changing the areas of the reheat portion and the evaporation portion of the indoor heat exchanger, The area is constant. Generally, if the evaporator is enlarged, the cooling capacity and the dehumidifying capacity can be increased, but the input increases, and the dehumidifying efficiency, which is the value obtained by dividing the dehumidifying amount by the input, decreases. On the other hand, if the area of the evaporation unit is made smaller, the dehumidification efficiency becomes higher, so that less input is required for the same dehumidification amount, but the dehumidification capacity also becomes smaller, making rapid dehumidification difficult. In the air conditioner of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-42706, the areas of the reheat portion and the evaporation portion are constant, and it is impossible to select the performance-priority operation or the efficiency-priority operation according to the load. There was a problem that the performance was bad and the ability was insufficient.

Therefore, in the present invention, a dehumidifying operation that provides a large cooling capacity and a high dehumidifying capacity and a dehumidifying operation that has a high dehumidifying efficiency and enables more energy-saving operation can be arbitrarily selected, and the optimum dehumidifying operation can be selected according to the load. The purpose is to obtain an air conditioner capable of Another object of the present invention is to obtain an air conditioner that can easily handle a load and can perform dehumidifying operation reliably.
Another object is to obtain an air conditioner in which the dehumidifying operation pattern having the minimum capacity can be selected within the cooling capacity and the dehumidifying capacity. Moreover, it aims at obtaining the highly efficient air conditioner which reduced the pressure loss of the refrigerant which flows through an indoor heat exchanger. Moreover, it aims at obtaining the air conditioner which can reduce the number of installed throttling mechanisms etc. In the dehumidifying operation,
The purpose is to obtain an air conditioner that can handle loads in detail. Moreover, it aims at obtaining the air conditioner with little influence on global warming. In addition, detection of abnormalities,
The purpose is to obtain an air conditioner that can respond quickly.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, an air conditioner according to claim 1 is a compressor, a flow path switching valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, a first throttle mechanism and an indoor heat exchanger. In the air conditioner including the refrigeration cycle consisting of, the indoor heat exchanger is connected in the order of the first indoor heat exchanger, the second throttling mechanism, and the other plural indoor heat exchangers, and among the indoor heat exchangers, , At least the first indoor heat exchanger is a reheat heat exchanger, and the plurality of other indoor heat exchangers are selected as evaporators in accordance with the magnitudes of the cooling load and the dehumidifying load. It is a thing.

An air conditioner according to a second aspect is the air conditioner according to the first aspect, wherein the other plurality of indoor heat exchangers are a second indoor heat exchanger connected to the second throttle mechanism, and The indoor heat exchanger is connected in parallel to the second indoor heat exchanger and has an on-off valve.

The air conditioner according to a third aspect is the air conditioner according to the first aspect, wherein the other plurality of indoor heat exchangers are connected to the second throttle mechanism and are provided with the second on-off valve.
An indoor heat exchanger with an on-off valve, which is connected in parallel to the indoor heat exchanger and the second indoor heat exchanger and has a different evaporation area.

An air conditioner according to a fourth aspect is the air conditioner according to the first aspect, wherein the other plurality of indoor heat exchangers are a second indoor heat exchanger connected to the second throttling mechanism. The indoor heat exchanger is connected in series to the second indoor heat exchanger and includes a bypass circuit with an on-off valve.

An air conditioner according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner according to the fourth aspect, wherein the second valve is used instead of the opening / closing valve.
A three-way valve for switching the flow path from the indoor heat exchanger to the bypass circuit side or the indoor heat exchanger side connected in series is provided.

An air conditioner according to a sixth aspect is the air conditioner according to the first aspect, wherein the other plurality of indoor heat exchangers are a second indoor heat exchanger connected to the second throttle mechanism, and The indoor heat exchanger is connected in series to the second indoor heat exchanger and has a throttle mechanism on the side of the second indoor heat exchanger.

An air conditioner according to a seventh aspect is the air conditioner according to any one of the fourth to sixth aspects, in which the other plurality of indoor heat exchangers have a multi-pass refrigerant passage. Is.

The air conditioner according to claim 8 is an air conditioner equipped with a refrigeration cycle including a compressor, a flow path switching valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, a first throttling mechanism and an indoor heat exchanger. The heat exchanger has a first indoor heat exchanger, a second throttling mechanism, a second indoor heat exchanger, and other indoor heat exchangers, and between the first indoor heat exchanger and the other indoor heat exchangers. The first indoor heat exchanger, the second by the four-way valve connected by piping
In the flow path of the throttle mechanism, the second indoor heat exchanger and other indoor heat exchangers, or in the flow paths of the first indoor heat exchanger, the second indoor heat exchanger, the second throttle mechanism and other indoor heat exchangers It can be switched.

An air conditioner according to a ninth aspect is an air conditioner equipped with a refrigeration cycle including a compressor, a flow path switching valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, a first throttle mechanism and an indoor heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is connected to the first indoor heat exchanger, the second throttle mechanism, and the second indoor heat exchanger in this order by piping, and the first indoor heat exchanger is a reheat heat exchanger and the second indoor heat exchanger is an evaporator. The amount of air blown to the second indoor heat exchanger is controlled in accordance with the cooling load and dehumidifying load.

An air conditioner according to a tenth aspect is the air conditioner according to the ninth aspect, wherein an indoor fan for the first indoor heat exchanger and an indoor fan for the second indoor heat exchanger are provided, and they are independent of each other. The amount of blown air is controlled.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the air conditioner, the temperature setting means, the humidity setting means, the temperature detecting means, the humidity detecting means, the set temperature of the temperature setting means and the detected temperature of the temperature detecting means are used for cooling. A load calculating means for calculating the load and calculating a dehumidifying load from the set value of the humidity setting means and the detected humidity of the humidity detecting means, and a dehumidifying operation storing means for storing a dehumidifying operation pattern including a combination of the cooling capacity and the dehumidifying capacity. And the dehumidifying operation pattern whose load amount calculated by the load calculating means is within the capacity among the dehumidifying operation patterns stored in the dehumidifying operation storage means.
The dehumidifying operation selecting means for selecting the temperature and the dehumidifying operation pattern selected by the dehumidifying operation selecting means are provided for controlling the dehumidifying operation so that the detected value approaches the set value.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the air conditioner according to the eleventh aspect, wherein the dehumidifying operation selecting means selects a dehumidifying operation pattern having the smallest capacity within the calculated load. It is a thing.

An air conditioner according to claim 13 is the air conditioner according to claim 11 or 12.
The control means controls the rotation speed of the outdoor fan and the capacity of the compressor so that the detected value approaches the set value.

Further, an air conditioner according to a fourteenth aspect is the air conditioner according to any one of the eleventh to thirteenth aspects, wherein the dehumidifying operation pattern selected by the dehumidifying operation selecting means is the one according to the first aspect. ~ The dehumidifying operation pattern determined in any one of claims 10 to 10.

An air conditioner according to a fifteenth aspect is the air conditioner according to any one of the first to fourteenth aspects, wherein a flammable refrigerant or a natural refrigerant is used as the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle. Is.

An air conditioner according to a sixteenth aspect is the air conditioner according to any one of the first to fifteenth aspects, which has an abnormality detecting means and a communication means, and the abnormality detecting means detects an abnormality. If it does, the detection result will be the service center.
Or, it is communicated to a mobile phone.

[0023]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiment 1. 1 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of a refrigeration cycle of an air conditioner that is Embodiment 1 of the present invention. During the dehumidifying operation and the cooling operation, as shown by the arrow in the figure, the refrigerant exiting the compressor 1 passes through the four-way valve 2 which is a flow path switching valve, and the outdoor heat exchanger 3 provided with the outdoor fan 4, After passing through the first throttle mechanism 5, the first indoor heat exchanger 6,
Passing through the second throttle mechanism 7, a part passes through the second indoor heat exchanger 8, and the rest passes through the on-off valve 9 and the third indoor heat exchanger 10,
It merges again and returns to the compressor 1 through the four-way valve 2. During the heating operation, the four-way valve 2 is switched, and the flow direction of the refrigerant is reversed. Here, the compressor 1, the four-way valve 2, the outdoor heat exchanger 3,
The outdoor fan 4 and the first throttle mechanism 5 are incorporated in an outdoor unit (not shown), and the first indoor heat exchanger 6, the second throttle mechanism 7, and the second
The indoor heat exchanger 8, the on-off valve 9, the third indoor heat exchanger 10, and the indoor fan 11 attached to the three indoor heat exchangers are incorporated in an indoor unit (not shown). It should be noted that a plurality of indoor heat exchangers, which will be described later, and on-off valves, throttle mechanisms, three-way valves, four-way valves, indoor fans and the like related thereto are built in the indoor unit.

In a normal cooling operation or heating operation, the second throttle mechanism 7 and the opening / closing valve 9 are fully opened to control the frequency of the compressor 1, the rotation speed of the outdoor fan 4, and the opening degree of the first throttle mechanism 5. Control the temperature of the air-conditioned room.
Further, during the dehumidifying operation, the first throttle mechanism 5 is fully opened and the opening degree of the second throttle mechanism 7 is adjusted while the open / close valve 9 remains fully open.
The first indoor heat exchanger 6 functions as a reheater, the second indoor heat exchanger 8 and the third indoor heat exchanger 10 function as an evaporator, and the indoor air is dehumidified while being heated by the reheater. Done,
It enables dehumidifying operation in which the room temperature does not drop.

Next, the range of the cooling capacity and the dehumidifying capacity during the cooling operation and the dehumidifying operation will be described with reference to FIG. The vertical axis of this graph shows the dehumidifying ability, and the higher the dehumidifying ability is, the more the ability to lower the indoor humidity is shown, which can be controlled by controlling the frequency of the compressor 1, for example. The horizontal axis indicates the cooling capacity, and the right side indicates that the cooling capacity is larger, that is, the capacity to lower the indoor temperature is larger, and can be controlled by controlling the rotation speed of the outdoor fan 4, for example. Note that the cooling capacity here means only the sensible heat capacity for lowering the temperature, and does not include the latent heat capacity for lowering the humidity. The capacity range of the normal cooling operation exists on the right side where the cooling capacity is high as shown in this figure. Therefore, it is difficult to dehumidify without lowering the room temperature. For example, even if an attempt is made to dehumidify in weak cooling, the cooling capacity as well as the dehumidifying capacity is generated, and the room temperature drops. On the other hand, in the capacity range of the dehumidifying operation, the dehumidifying capacity is high and the cooling capacity is low, and since it exists on the left side of this graph, it is possible to dehumidify without lowering the room temperature.

Next, the characteristics of the evaporators having different capacities during the dehumidifying operation will be described with reference to FIGS. 3a and 3b. The capacity of the evaporator is determined by the area of the evaporator, the air volume of the evaporator, and the like. Here, the capacity is changed by changing the area of the evaporator. Although the evaporator area is the surface area of the heat exchanger, it may be, for example, the area for the air duct, that is, the front surface area. FIG. 3a shows the respective capacity ranges of the cooling capacity and the dehumidifying capacity of the "dehumidifying operation A" when the dehumidifying operation is performed with a large evaporator area and the "dehumidifying operation B" when the dehumidifying operation is performed with a small evaporator area. . Since the evaporator area is large in the "dehumidification operation A", the control range of the capacity is wide, and the cooling capacity and the dehumidification capacity can be controlled in a wide range as shown in the "dehumidification operation A" in the figure, but in the "dehumidification operation B", the cooling capacity is And the control range of dehumidification capacity becomes narrow.

FIG. 3b shows the difference in dehumidification efficiency due to the difference in evaporator area. The vertical axis represents the dehumidification efficiency, which is the value obtained by dividing the dehumidification amount by the input, and the horizontal axis represents the dehumidification capacity. Since the control range of the capacity is small in the "dehumidifying operation B", the maximum value of the dehumidifying capacity is smaller than that in the "dehumidifying operation A".
The dehumidifying efficiency for the same dehumidifying amount is higher than that of the "dehumidifying operation A", and therefore a more energy-saving dehumidifying operation can be performed. Therefore, when a large cooling capacity or dehumidifying capacity is required, for example, when the air conditioner starts operating, the target environment can be quickly reached by selecting the "dehumidifying operation A", while the indoor environment is required. When the condition is satisfied and the required capacity is small, such as when maintaining the condition, by selecting "dehumidifying operation B", more energy-saving dehumidifying operation can be performed.

The means for changing the area of the evaporator will be described with reference to FIGS. 4a and 4b. 4A and 4B are a part of the refrigerant circuit shown in FIG. 1, and show only a part between the second throttle mechanism 7 and the four-way valve 2. The arrows indicate the flow of the refrigerant during the dehumidifying operation, and the components with the same numbers in the figure indicate the same components as in FIG. When the on-off valve 9 is opened in FIG. 4a, the refrigerant also flows through the third indoor heat exchanger 10, so that both the second indoor heat exchanger 8 and the third indoor heat exchanger 10 function as an evaporator. This corresponds to "dehumidifying operation A" in which the evaporator area is large. On the other hand, when the on-off valve 9 is closed as shown in FIG.
The refrigerant does not flow into the indoor heat exchanger 10, and only the second indoor heat exchanger 8 functions as an evaporator. That is, this corresponds to "dehumidifying operation B" in which the evaporator area is small. In this way, by opening / closing the opening / closing valve 9, the “dehumidifying operation A” and the “dehumidifying operation B” can be easily switched.

A method of selecting an appropriate evaporator area suitable for the required cooling capacity and dehumidifying capacity will be described with reference to FIG. Similar to FIG. 2a, this shows the capacity range of the "dehumidifying operation A" having a large evaporation area and the "dehumidifying operation B" having a small evaporation area. The horizontal axis represents cooling capacity and the vertical axis represents dehumidification capacity.

As shown by the load in the figure, the cooling load and the dehumidifying load are large, for example, at the start of the dehumidifying operation,
When a large cooling capacity and a large dehumidifying capacity are required, "Dehumidifying operation B" is outside the range of capacity, so "Dehumidifying operation A"
It can be judged that it is appropriate to drive in. Therefore, in this case, the opening / closing valve 9 is opened and the "dehumidifying operation A" having a large evaporator area is selected.

On the other hand, as shown by the load, when the cooling load and dehumidifying load are small and the required cooling capacity and dehumidifying capacity are small, such as during stable operation, both "dehumidifying operation A" and "dehumidifying operation B" are within the capacity range. Therefore, it is possible to deal with either. Therefore, in this case, it can be said that it is rational to select the "dehumidifying operation B" having a high dehumidifying efficiency, that is, an energy saving operation. Therefore, when a load is generated, the on-off valve 9 is closed and the "dehumidifying operation B" in which the evaporator area is small is selected.

Next, a method of controlling the air conditioner during the dehumidifying operation will be described with reference to FIG. This is a flowchart stored in the microcomputer of the air conditioner. First, in step S001, the set temperature Tset and the set humidity Hset are respectively set by the temperature setting means and the humidity setting means, and in step S002, the actual room temperature Tr is detected by the temperature detecting means and the humidity detecting means such as the room temperature sensor and the humidity sensor. And the humidity Hr are detected. Then, in step S003, the load calculating means in the microcomputer, which receives the set value and the detected value, calculates the cooling load Lt and the dehumidifying load Lh.

Next, in step S004, step S0
The cooling load Lt and the dehumidification load Lh calculated in 03 are the dehumidification operation B
It is judged whether it is within the control range of. If it is not within the range, the dehumidifying operation A is selected in step S005 and the refrigerant circuit corresponding to it is selected. If it is within the range, the dehumidifying operation B is selected in step S006. The dehumidifying operations A and B are selected by the dehumidifying operation selecting means in the microcomputer. The dehumidifying operation selecting means has the ability of the dehumidifying operations A and B which is a combination of the cooling capacity and the dehumidifying capacity stored in the dehumidifying operation storage means. And the load calculated by the load calculating means are compared and selected. next,
In step S007, the cooling capacity is controlled so that Tset = Tr, and in step S008, the dehumidifying capacity is controlled so that Hset = Hr, and the process returns to step S002 again. Incidentally, the control means, by inputting the selection result of the dehumidifying operation selection means, commands the refrigerant circuit to be in accordance therewith, and also by inputting the calculation result of the load calculation means. Issues control commands for cooling capacity and dehumidifying capacity. Although Tset = Tr is set in step S007,
Since it is difficult to make a perfect match and it may cause hunting at room temperature, the target value may have a range, for example, | Tset-Tr | ≦ 2 ° C.
Similarly for the humidity of S008, for example, | Hset-Hr |
It may be ≦ 5% or the like.

Next, a method for controlling the cooling capacity and the dehumidifying capacity after the dehumidifying operation is selected will be described. During the dehumidifying operation, when the rotation speed of the outdoor fan 4 is changed, the cooling capacity changes, and when the rotation speed of the compressor 1 is changed, the dehumidification capacity changes. Therefore, after the evaporator area is selected and determined, the calculated necessary cooling capacity and dehumidifying capacity are output.
The rotation speed of the outdoor fan 4 and the rotation speed of the compressor 1 may be controlled.

In this control, the rotational speed of the compressor or the rotational speed of the outdoor fan may be uniquely determined from the required capacity.
For example, from the difference between the set value and the detected value, the change range for increasing or decreasing the rotation speed of the compressor or the outdoor fan may be determined, and this calculation is performed in advance in the memory in the control microcomputer of the air conditioner. , May be owned as a data table. Further, the objects to be controlled are not limited to the outdoor fan 4 and the compressor 1, and each actuator such as the first throttling mechanism 5 and the second throttling mechanism 7 may be controlled to control a finer refrigerant circuit. Good.

In the first embodiment, the evaporation area is switched to two stages as shown in FIG. 1, but the invention is not limited to this, and the number of evaporators may be three or more as shown in FIG. This drawing is a part of the refrigerant circuit, and shows only a part between the second throttle mechanism 7 and the four-way valve 2. The arrows indicate the flow of the refrigerant during the dehumidifying operation, and the components with the same numbers in the figure indicate the same components as in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, with respect to the opening / closing valve 9 and the third indoor heat exchanger 10 which are connected in parallel with the second indoor heat exchanger 8, the second opening / closing valve 12 and the fourth indoor heat exchanger 13 are further connected in parallel. Connect. By opening both the on-off valve 9 and the second on-off valve 12, the second indoor heat exchanger 8, the third indoor heat exchanger 10, and the fourth indoor heat exchanger 13 all become evaporators, and the dehumidifying operation of the maximum area is performed. Becomes Further, by closing only the second opening / closing valve 12, the dehumidifying operation is performed using the second indoor heat exchanger 8 and the third indoor heat exchanger 10 as evaporators, and by closing the opening / closing valve 9 only, the second indoor heat exchanger 8 only. The dehumidification operation of the minimum area is performed by using as an evaporator. As a result, the number of types of dehumidifying operation, which was two in FIG. 1, can be increased, and a finer evaporator area can be selected, and the smallest evaporation area among the evaporator areas where the generated load falls within the control range. By selecting the dehumidifying operation using the unit area, it is possible to always realize the energy-saving operation that ensures the maximum dehumidifying efficiency while securing the necessary capacity. Moreover, as shown by the dotted line in the figure, the number of circuits may be increased from three. That is, as the dehumidifying operation pattern, the dehumidifying operation pattern having three or more stages of cooling capacity and dehumidifying capacity can be used as compared with the above-described two steps of the dehumidifying operation A and the dehumidifying operation B.

In the first embodiment, the second indoor heat exchanger 8 and the third indoor heat exchanger 10, which are evaporators, are designed to have different areas so that the number of divisions of the indoor heat exchanger is as shown in FIG. With the same number, it is possible to select the evaporator area in three stages. FIG. 8 shows a part of the refrigerant circuit, and shows only a part between the second throttle mechanism 7 and the four-way valve 2. The arrows indicate the flow of the refrigerant during the dehumidifying operation, and the components with the same numbers in the figure indicate the same components as in FIG. For example, if the area of the second indoor heat exchanger 8 is
The area of the indoor heat exchanger 10 is made larger, and the open / close valve 9 and the second open / close valve 12 are connected to both circuits. By opening both of the two opening / closing valves, opening only the opening / closing valve 9, and opening only the second opening / closing valve 12, it is possible to change the evaporator area in three stages. As shown in FIG. 7, if the number of divisions of the indoor heat exchanger is increased, the number of branching or merging points on the refrigerant circuit is increased, and piping members are required for that purpose, resulting in an increase in cost and space. According to the configuration shown in FIG.
With the same number of divisions of the indoor heat exchanger as described above, the number of selected evaporator areas can be increased.

In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the second indoor heat exchanger 8 and the third indoor heat exchanger 10 serving as evaporators are connected in parallel as shown in FIG. May be connected in series. This figure is part of the refrigerant circuit
Only the portion between the throttle mechanism 7 and the four-way valve 2 is shown. The arrows indicate the flow of the refrigerant during the dehumidifying operation, and the components with the same numbers in the figure indicate the same components as in FIG. However, the number of passes of the second indoor heat exchanger 8 and the third indoor heat exchanger 10 is two. Generally, in an evaporator, when a plurality of refrigerant flow paths are connected in parallel, that is, in a multi-pass manner, the pressure loss of the refrigerant is reduced, the energy consumption is reduced, and the efficiency is improved. Since there is an effect when the refrigerant flow path has multiple passes, two passes will be described as an example.

The third indoor heat exchanger 10, which has a two-pass refrigerant flow path, is connected in series with the second indoor heat exchanger 8, which also has a two-pass refrigerant flow path, and is connected to the third indoor heat exchanger 10. On the other hand, the bypass circuit 16 and the on-off valve 9 are connected in parallel. On-off valve 9
The refrigerant is closed by closing the second indoor heat exchanger 8 and the third
It flows through both the indoor heat exchangers 10, that is, the operation of "dehumidifying operation A" in which the evaporation area is large. On the other hand, the refrigerant that has passed through the second indoor heat exchanger 8 by opening the opening / closing valve 9 passes through the bypass circuit 16 and the third indoor heat exchanger 10 does not function, so that in the "dehumidifying operation B" in which the evaporator area is small. It will be driving. Since there is no means for closing the circuit of the third indoor heat exchanger 10, even if the opening / closing valve 9 is opened, some refrigerant flows into the third indoor heat exchanger 10, but generally the pressure of the piping of the heat exchanger is increased. Since the loss is large and the pressure loss of the bypass circuit 16 is much smaller than that of the third indoor heat exchanger 10, most of the refrigerant flows into the bypass circuit 16.

As described above, the area of the evaporator changes depending on whether the on-off valve 9 is opened or closed. In either case, the number of passes of the evaporator is 2.
It is a pass and does not change. As shown in FIG. 1, when the second indoor heat exchanger 8 and the third indoor heat exchanger 10 are connected in parallel, the number of passes of the evaporator changes when the evaporator area is changed by opening / closing the open / close valve 9. For example, the second indoor heat exchanger 8
When each of the third indoor heat exchanger 10 and the third indoor heat exchanger 10 has one pass, when the on-off valve 9 is opened, the number of passes is two, but when the on-off valve 9 is closed, there is one pass, and the number of passes decreases. The effect of reducing pressure loss cannot be obtained. However, by connecting the two indoor heat exchangers in series as shown in FIG. 9, it is possible to change the number of passes of the evaporator without changing the number of passes of the evaporator even when the evaporation area is changed. Can be kept. The number of buses in the second indoor heat exchanger 8 and the third indoor heat exchanger 10 is not limited to two, and may be three or more. Further, the number of passes of the second indoor heat exchanger 8 and the number of passes of the third indoor heat exchanger 10 do not have to be the same.

Although the on-off valve is used in FIG. 9, the same effect can be obtained by using a three-way valve. FIG. 10 shows a part of the refrigerant circuit, and shows only a part between the second throttle mechanism 7 and the four-way valve 2. The arrows indicate the flow of the refrigerant during the dehumidifying operation, and the components with the same numbers in the figure indicate the same components as in FIG. Third indoor heat exchanger 10 connected in series with second indoor heat exchanger 8
A bypass circuit 16 is provided in parallel with respect to the above, and is combined with the outlet of the third indoor heat exchanger 10 via the three-way valve 17. By switching the three-way valve 17, the refrigerant becomes the third indoor heat exchanger 1
It is possible to switch between the case of flowing 0 and the case of flowing into the bypass circuit 16 without flowing into the third indoor heat exchanger 10, that is, it is possible to easily switch between the “dehumidifying operation A” and the “dehumidifying operation B”. Compared with the case where the on-off valve 9 of FIG. 8 is used,
By using the three-way valve 17, the flow of the refrigerant to the third indoor heat exchanger 10 is completely closed when the third indoor heat exchanger 10 is not used, so that more complete operation switching is possible. Become.

9 and 10, the bypass circuit 16 is provided for the third indoor heat exchanger 10, which is on the downstream side with respect to the flow of the refrigerant during the dehumidifying operation, but is not limited thereto. Alternatively, even if the bypass circuit 16 is provided in parallel with the second indoor heat exchanger 8, the same effect can be obtained.

In FIGS. 1 and 4 of the first embodiment, by changing the area of the evaporator during the dehumidifying operation, the dehumidifying operation A having a wide capacity range and the dehumidifying operation B having a high dehumidifying efficiency are switched. However, the capacity of the evaporator can be controlled by changing the air volume of the evaporator, and the same effect as changing the area of the evaporator can be obtained. FIG. 11 shows the refrigerant circuit configuration and the air passage between the second throttle mechanism 7 and the four-way valve 2 of the indoor unit. The arrows indicate the flow of air, and the components with the same numbers in the figure indicate the same components as in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 11, if an air volume adjusting damper 18 is provided in the air passage of the second indoor heat exchanger 8 and the air volume adjusting damper 18 is oriented in the direction shown by the solid line, for example, the first indoor heat exchanger 6 will be obtained. The same amount of airflow flows through the second indoor heat exchanger 8, and if the airflow adjustment damper 18 is oriented in the direction indicated by the dotted line, the airflow of the second indoor heat exchanger 8 will decrease and the capacity of the evaporator will decrease. It is possible to obtain the same effect as reducing the evaporator area. In FIG. 11, the air passage structure is such that the second indoor heat exchanger 8 is located between the air volume adjustment damper 18 and the indoor fan 11, but the order of the three is not limited, and the air volume adjustment damper 18 is not limited. It suffices if the air volume can be adjusted by. In this case, a plurality of stages of dehumidifying operation patterns are determined according to the air volume.

For the capacity control of the compressor, known capacity control may be performed in addition to the rotation speed control by the inverter.

Embodiment 2. FIG. 12a is a part of a refrigerant circuit of a refrigeration cycle of an air conditioner according to a second embodiment of the present invention, showing a part between the first throttle mechanism 5 and the four-way valve 2 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. ing. Other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment. In FIG. 12a, the arrow indicates the flow of the refrigerant during the dehumidifying operation, and the components with the same reference numerals in the figure indicate the same components as in FIG. The first indoor heat exchanger 6, the second indoor heat exchanger 8, and the third indoor heat exchanger 10 are connected in series, and the second throttle mechanism 7 and the third throttle mechanism 19 are provided between them.
To place.

In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which the area of the evaporator is changed during the dehumidifying operation to change the capacity of the evaporation section to switch between the "dehumidifying operation A" and the "dehumidifying operation B". However, in the present embodiment, A means for changing the area ratio between the reheater and the evaporator to change the capacity ratio between the reheat unit and the evaporator to switch between the "dehumidifying operation A" and the "dehumidifying operation B" will be described. Although the area of the reheater or the evaporator is the surface area of the heat exchanger here, it may be, for example, the area for the air duct, that is, the front surface area. As shown in FIG. 12b, when the second throttle mechanism 7 is throttled to function as a throttle mechanism and the third throttle mechanism 19 is fully opened, only the first indoor heat exchanger 6 functions as a reheater, and the second indoor heat exchange is performed. Unit 8 and third indoor heat exchanger 1
0 functions as an evaporator. In this case, the area ratio of the evaporator to the reheater becomes large, and the “dehumidification operation A” in FIG. 3a is realized in which the control range of the cooling capacity and the dehumidifying capacity is wide.

As shown in FIG. 12c, the second diaphragm mechanism 7
When the throttle mechanism is made to function only in the third throttle mechanism 19, the first indoor heat exchanger 6 and the second indoor heat exchanger 8 function as reheaters, and only the third indoor heat exchanger 10 is an evaporator. Function as. That is, since the area ratio of the reheater and the evaporator changes and the evaporator area becomes smaller, the control range of the cooling capacity and the dehumidifying capacity becomes narrower, but the input decreases due to the decrease of the suction pressure of the compressor, and the dehumidifying efficiency becomes high. Become. That is, the "dehumidifying operation B" in Fig. 3a, which enables more energy-saving operation
Can be realized. Therefore, it is possible to easily switch between the "dehumidifying operation A" and the "dehumidifying operation B" by selecting a diaphragm mechanism that functions as a diaphragm.

In FIG. 12a, the indoor heat exchanger divided into three is divided into two.
Although two throttling mechanisms were used, similar operation switching is possible using a four-way valve. FIG. 13 shows the first throttle mechanism 5 of the indoor unit.
The refrigerant circuit in the portion between the four-way valve 2 and the four-way valve 2 is shown. The arrows indicate the flow of the refrigerant during the dehumidifying operation, and the components with the same numbers in the figure indicate the same components as in FIG. The second throttle mechanism 7, the second indoor heat exchanger 8, and the second four-way valve 21 are connected as shown in FIG.

When the second four-way valve 21 is set in the direction shown by the solid line in the figure, the refrigerant flows in the direction shown by the arrow, that is, the refrigerant that has passed through the first indoor heat exchanger 6 passes through the second four-way valve 21 and becomes the second throttle. After passing through the mechanism 7, the second indoor heat exchanger 8 is passed through to the second indoor heat exchanger 8 again.
It flows through the four-way valve 21 to the third indoor heat exchanger 10. That is, the first indoor heat exchanger 6 functions as a reheater, and the second indoor heat exchanger 8 and the third indoor heat exchanger 10 function as an evaporator. That is, the area ratio of the evaporator increases, and the "dehumidifying operation A" is performed.

On the other hand, when the second four-way valve 21 is moved in the direction shown by the broken line in the figure, the refrigerant passing through the first indoor heat exchanger 6 passes through the second four-way valve 21 and the second indoor heat exchanger 8 to reach the second It flows through the throttling mechanism 7 again to the third indoor heat exchanger 10 via the second four-way valve 21. That is, the first indoor heat exchanger 6 and the second indoor heat exchanger 8 function as a reheater, and the third indoor heat exchanger 1
Only 0 functions as an evaporator. That is, the area ratio of the evaporator is reduced and the "dehumidifying operation B" is performed. As described above, by switching the direction of the second four-way valve 21, it is possible to easily switch between the "dehumidifying operation A" and the "dehumidifying operation B", and it is not necessary to use a plurality of throttle mechanisms.

In FIG. 12a, the indoor heat exchanger is divided into three, and the throttle mechanism in the indoor unit is divided into two, but the number is not limited. FIG. 14 shows a refrigerant circuit in a portion between the first throttle mechanism 5 and the four-way valve 2 of the indoor unit. The arrows indicate the flow of the refrigerant during the dehumidifying operation, and the components with the same numbers in the figure indicate the same components as in FIG. As shown in FIG. 14, the indoor heat exchanger is divided into four, that is, the fourth throttling mechanism 20 and the fourth indoor heat exchanger 13 are further connected in series, and the throttling mechanism to function is the second throttling mechanism 7 and the third throttling mechanism. By selecting from among the throttling mechanism 19 and the fourth throttling mechanism 20, the options of the area ratio of the reheater and the evaporator are expanded to three, and more fine energy-saving operation can be performed. Further, when the indoor heat exchanger is divided into five or more, the energy saving effect is further enhanced. Also in this case, the dehumidification operation pattern can be set in three or more stages.

Next, a method of selecting the area ratio in the second embodiment will be described. Also when changing the area ratio, as in Embodiment 1 in which only the area of the evaporator is changed, there are a "dehumidifying operation A" with a large control range and a "dehumidifying operation B" with a narrow control range but high dehumidification efficiency. It may be selected according to the load. That is, when a load is generated in FIG. 5, “dehumidifying operation A” in which the control range includes the load is selected, and when a load is generated, either dehumidifying operation can be supported. "Dehumidifying operation B" with high dehumidification efficiency is selected. As a result, also in the second embodiment, the required capacity can always be realized by energy saving operation. The same applies when the dehumidifying operation pattern has three or more stages.

In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12a, by changing the area ratio of the reheater and the evaporator during the dehumidifying operation, the capacity ratio of the reheat part and the evaporator part is changed so that the capacity range is wide. Although switching between the dehumidifying operation A and the dehumidifying operation B having high dehumidifying efficiency is performed, the method of switching the dehumidifying operation is not limited to that. By changing the air flow ratio of the reheater and the evaporator, Switching may be performed. FIG. 15 shows the first
The refrigerant circuit and the air passage between the throttle mechanism 5 and the four-way valve 2 are shown. The arrows indicate the flow of air, and the components with the same numbers in the figure indicate the same components as in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 15, the first indoor heat exchanger 6
The indoor fan 11 and the second indoor fan 22 are separately attached to the second indoor heat exchanger 8. With such a configuration, the air volumes of the first indoor heat exchanger 6 that functions as a reheater and the second indoor heat exchanger 8 that functions as an evaporator can be independently controlled during the dehumidifying operation. For example, the indoor fan 11 and the second
It is possible to make the indoor fan 22 have the same air volume, or to increase the air volume of the indoor fan 11 to increase the reheat capacity of the first indoor heat exchanger 6 and decrease the air volume of the second indoor fan 22. It is also possible to reduce the evaporation capacity of the second indoor heat exchanger 8. By doing so, the capacity of the reheater increases and the capacity of the evaporator decreases, and as a result, the same effect as changing the area ratio of the heat exchanger can be obtained. Further, with this configuration, complicated pipes and members on the refrigerant circuit for changing the area ratio of the heat exchanger are not required, and cost reduction and space saving can be achieved.

Further, the same effect can be obtained with FIG. FIG. 16 shows the refrigerant circuit and the air passage between the first throttle mechanism 5 and the four-way valve 2. The arrows indicate the flow of air, and the components with the same numbers in the figure indicate the same components as in FIG. By changing the opening degree of the damper 23 to the left or right as shown by the arrow, the reheat side air passage 24 on the first indoor heat exchanger 6 side is changed.
And the width of the evaporator-side air passage 25 on the second indoor heat exchanger 8 side can be changed, that is, the air flow rate passing through the reheater and the evaporator can be controlled. It is possible to obtain the same effect as that of providing the indoor fan on the heat exchanger. Further, in this case, since only one indoor fan is required, the number of motors and circuits for driving the fan can be reduced, and the cost and space can be further reduced.

As a method of dividing the heat exchanger, a circuit may be adopted in which both the change of the evaporator area and the change of the area ratio of the reheater and the evaporator are incorporated. FIG. 17 shows a refrigerant circuit in a portion between the first throttle mechanism 5 and the four-way valve 2 of the indoor unit. The arrows indicate the flow of the refrigerant during the dehumidifying operation, and the components with the same numbers in the figure indicate the same components as in FIG. As shown in FIG. 17, the third indoor heat exchanger 6 is connected in series with the first indoor heat exchanger 6 and the second indoor heat exchanger 8, and the third indoor heat exchanger 10 is further connected. The on-off valve 9 and the fourth indoor heat exchanger 13 are connected in parallel, and the second on-off valve 12 and the fifth indoor heat exchanger 26 are connected in parallel with the fourth indoor heat exchanger 13.

The area ratio between the reheater and the evaporator can be changed by selecting the second throttle mechanism 7 and the third throttle mechanism 19, and the evaporator area can be changed by opening and closing the on-off valve 9 and the second on-off valve 12. Can be changed. Furthermore, a more detailed selection can be made by a combination of both, and dehumidifying operation with a greater energy saving effect becomes possible.

In the above-described first to second embodiments, for example, R410a is used as the refrigerant.
Further, R600a, R290, which are flammable refrigerants,
By using R32 and natural refrigerants such as carbon dioxide and ammonium, it is possible to obtain an air conditioner capable of dehumidifying operation with less influence on global warming.

In the first to second embodiments, the air conditioner has an abnormality detecting means and a communication means, and when the abnormality detecting means detects an abnormality,
By reporting to a designated service center outside the air conditioner or a designated mobile phone via a telephone line, power line, or wireless, you can quickly contact and respond to abnormalities such as refrigerant leaks with inexpensive equipment. become.

[0061]

As described above, the air conditioner according to claim 1 includes the compressor, the flow path switching valve, the outdoor heat exchanger, and the first heat exchanger.
In an air conditioner equipped with a refrigeration cycle including a throttle mechanism and an indoor heat exchanger, the indoor heat exchanger is pipe-connected to a first indoor heat exchanger, a second throttle mechanism, and a plurality of other indoor heat exchangers in this order. Among the indoor heat exchangers, at least the first indoor heat exchanger is a reheat heat exchanger, and the other plurality of indoor heat exchangers correspond to the evaporator load and the dehumidification load, respectively. The quantity to be selected is what is selected. Therefore, the evaporation area of the evaporator can be varied according to the load, and a dehumidifying operation that provides a large cooling capacity and dehumidifying capacity and a dehumidifying operation that has high dehumidifying efficiency and is more energy-saving can be arbitrarily selected to reduce the load. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain an air conditioner capable of optimal dehumidifying operation.

The air conditioner according to a second aspect is the air conditioner according to the first aspect, wherein the other plurality of indoor heat exchangers are a second indoor heat exchanger connected to the second throttle mechanism, and The indoor heat exchanger is connected in parallel to the second indoor heat exchanger and has an on-off valve. Therefore, the evaporation area of the evaporator can be changed by opening / closing the on-off valve, and the dehumidifying operation corresponding to the load can be performed.

The air conditioner according to a third aspect is the air conditioner according to the first aspect, wherein the other plurality of indoor heat exchangers are connected to the second throttle mechanism and are provided with a second valve having an opening / closing valve.
An indoor heat exchanger with an on-off valve, which is connected in parallel to the indoor heat exchanger and the second indoor heat exchanger and has a different evaporation area. Therefore, by the indoor heat exchangers having different evaporation areas, the ratio of the number of changes in the evaporation area of the evaporator to the number of evaporators increases, and it becomes easy to cope with the load in the dehumidifying operation.

An air conditioner according to a fourth aspect is the air conditioner according to the first aspect, wherein the other plurality of indoor heat exchangers are a second indoor heat exchanger connected to the second throttle mechanism and The indoor heat exchanger is connected in series to the second indoor heat exchanger and includes a bypass circuit with an on-off valve. Therefore,
By opening and closing the on-off valve, the evaporation area of the evaporator can be made variable, and dehumidification operation that can handle the load becomes possible.

An air conditioner according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner according to the fourth aspect, wherein the second valve is used instead of the opening / closing valve.
A three-way valve for switching the flow path from the indoor heat exchanger to the bypass circuit side or the indoor heat exchanger side connected in series is provided. Therefore, the evaporation area of the evaporator can be changed by switching the three-way valve, and when the refrigerant flows to the bypass circuit side, the refrigerant does not flow to the indoor heat exchanger that is bypassed, so that the evaporation area is more completely It is variable, and dehumidification operation with more reliable response to the load becomes possible.

An air conditioner according to a sixth aspect is the air conditioner according to the first aspect, wherein the other plurality of indoor heat exchangers are a second indoor heat exchanger connected to the second throttle mechanism, and The indoor heat exchanger is connected in series to the second indoor heat exchanger and has a throttle mechanism on the side of the second indoor heat exchanger. Therefore, the area ratio between the reheater and the evaporator can be changed by throttling the throttling mechanism provided on the side of the second throttling machine or the second indoor unit to function as the throttling mechanism, and the dehumidifying operation corresponding to the load. Is possible.

Further, the air conditioner according to claim 7 is the air conditioner according to any one of claims 4 to 6, in which the other plurality of indoor heat exchangers have a multi-pass refrigerant passage. Is. Therefore, the pressure loss of the refrigerant passing through the indoor heat exchanger is reduced, the energy consumption is reduced, and the efficiency in the dehumidifying operation is improved.

The air conditioner according to claim 8 is an air conditioner provided with a refrigeration cycle including a compressor, a flow path switching valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, a first throttle mechanism and an indoor heat exchanger, The heat exchanger has a first indoor heat exchanger, a second throttling mechanism, a second indoor heat exchanger, and other indoor heat exchangers, and between the first indoor heat exchanger and the other indoor heat exchangers. The first indoor heat exchanger, the second by the four-way valve connected by piping
In the flow path of the throttle mechanism, the second indoor heat exchanger and other indoor heat exchangers, or in the flow paths of the first indoor heat exchanger, the second indoor heat exchanger, the second throttle mechanism and other indoor heat exchangers It can be switched. Therefore, in the dehumidifying operation, since the evaporation area of the evaporator can be changed by switching the flow path by the four-way valve, the number of throttle mechanisms can be reduced.

An air conditioner according to a ninth aspect is an air conditioner provided with a refrigeration cycle including a compressor, a flow path switching valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, a first throttle mechanism and an indoor heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is connected to the first indoor heat exchanger, the second throttle mechanism, and the second indoor heat exchanger in this order by piping, and the first indoor heat exchanger is a reheat heat exchanger and the second indoor heat exchanger is an evaporator. The amount of air blown to the second indoor heat exchanger is controlled in accordance with the cooling load and dehumidifying load. Therefore, the evaporation capacity of the evaporator can be changed by the amount of blown air, and the load can be appropriately handled in the dehumidifying operation.

An air conditioner according to a tenth aspect is the air conditioner according to the ninth aspect, wherein an indoor fan for the first indoor heat exchanger and an indoor fan for the second indoor heat exchanger are provided, and they are independently provided. The amount of blown air is controlled. Therefore, the air volume of the reheat heat exchanger and the evaporator can be controlled independently,
The evaporation capacity of the evaporator can be changed by the amount of blown air, and the load can be easily accommodated in the dehumidifying operation.

Further, in the air conditioner according to claim 11, the temperature setting means, the humidity setting means, the temperature detecting means, the humidity detecting means, the set temperature of the temperature setting means and the detected temperature of the temperature detecting means are used for cooling. A load calculating means for calculating the load and calculating a dehumidifying load from the set value of the humidity setting means and the detected humidity of the humidity detecting means, and a dehumidifying operation storing means for storing a dehumidifying operation pattern including a combination of the cooling capacity and the dehumidifying capacity. And the dehumidifying operation pattern whose load amount calculated by the load calculating means is within the capacity among the dehumidifying operation patterns stored in the dehumidifying operation storage means.
The dehumidifying operation selecting means for selecting the temperature and the dehumidifying operation pattern selected by the dehumidifying operation selecting means are provided for controlling the dehumidifying operation so that the detected value approaches the set value. Therefore, by performing the dehumidifying operation by the dehumidifying operation pattern selected by the dehumidifying operation selecting means,
Dehumidification operation that can handle the load becomes possible.

The air conditioner according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner according to the eleventh aspect, wherein the dehumidifying operation selecting means selects the dehumidifying operation pattern having the smallest capacity within the calculated load. It is a thing. Therefore, the dehumidifying operation can be performed with the minimum power consumption while ensuring the ability to handle the load. That is, after securing the necessary ability,
Energy-saving operation with maximum dehumidification efficiency is possible.

An air conditioner according to claim 13 is the air conditioner according to claim 11 or claim 12,
The control means controls the rotation speed of the outdoor fan and the capacity of the compressor so that the detected value approaches the set value. Therefore, the cooling capacity can be controlled by controlling the rotation speed of the outdoor fan, and the dehumidifying capacity can be controlled by controlling the capacity of the compressor, and fine dehumidifying operation corresponding to the load can be performed.

The air conditioner according to a fourteenth aspect is the air conditioner according to any one of the eleventh to thirteenth aspects, wherein the dehumidifying operation pattern selected by the dehumidifying operation selecting means is the one according to the first aspect. ~ The dehumidifying operation pattern determined in any one of claims 10 to 10. Therefore, the dehumidifying operation selecting means selects the dehumidifying operation pattern determined in any one of claims 1 to 10, whereby the dehumidifying operation corresponding to each load can be performed.

An air conditioner according to a fifteenth aspect is the air conditioner according to any one of the first to fourteenth aspects, wherein a flammable refrigerant or a natural refrigerant is used as the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle. Is. Therefore, an air conditioner capable of dehumidifying operation corresponding to the load and having less influence on global warming can be obtained.

An air conditioner according to a sixteenth aspect is the air conditioner according to any one of the first to fifteenth aspects, which has abnormality detecting means and communication means, and the abnormality detecting means detects an abnormality. If it does, the detection result will be the service center.
Or, it is communicated to a mobile phone. Therefore, it is possible to obtain an air conditioner that can perform dehumidification operation corresponding to the load and can quickly respond to an abnormality such as refrigerant leakage.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of a refrigeration cycle of an air conditioner according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram relating to the first embodiment and showing capacity ranges of a cooling capacity and a dehumidifying capacity during a cooling operation and a dehumidifying operation.

FIG. 3 is a diagram related to the first embodiment and showing differences in dehumidifying operation and cooling capacity, capacity range of dehumidifying capacity, and dehumidifying operation, dehumidifying capacity, and dehumidifying efficiency.

FIG. 4 is a main part refrigerant circuit diagram showing a refrigerant circuit configuration of a dehumidifying operation having a large capacity and a dehumidifying operation having a high efficiency according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram related to the first embodiment and showing a relationship between load and selection of dehumidifying operation.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the control contents of the air conditioner during the dehumidifying operation according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a main part refrigerant circuit diagram for explaining a change in the evaporation area of the evaporator between the second throttle mechanism and the four-way valve according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is another essential part refrigerant circuit diagram for explaining a change in the evaporation area of the evaporator between the second throttle mechanism and the four-way valve according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 9 is yet another essential part refrigerant circuit diagram for explaining a change in the evaporation area of the evaporator between the second throttle mechanism and the four-way valve according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 is yet another essential part refrigerant circuit diagram for explaining a change in the evaporation area of the evaporator between the second throttle mechanism and the four-way valve according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram relating to the first embodiment and controlling the air volume to the indoor heat exchanger between the second throttle mechanism and the four-way valve.

FIG. 12 is a main part refrigerant circuit diagram illustrating a relationship between a reheater and an evaporator between a first throttle mechanism and a four-way valve of an air conditioner according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 13 is another essential part refrigerant circuit diagram for explaining the relationship between the reheater and the evaporator between the first throttle mechanism and the four-way valve according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 14 is still another essential part refrigerant circuit diagram for explaining the relationship between the reheater and the evaporator between the first throttle mechanism and the four-way valve according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a principal part refrigerant circuit diagram for explaining a blown state to the reheater and the evaporator between the second throttle mechanism and the four-way valve according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 16 is another essential part refrigerant circuit diagram for explaining the state of air blowing to the reheater and the evaporator between the second throttle mechanism and the four-way valve according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a main part refrigerant circuit diagram showing a reheater and an evaporator between the first throttle mechanism and the four-way valve according to the second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 compressor, 2 flow-path switching valve (four-way valve), 3 outdoor heat exchanger, 5 first throttle mechanism, 6, 8, 10, ... Indoor heat exchanger, 6 1st indoor heat exchanger, 7th 2 diaphragm mechanism,
8 2nd indoor heat exchanger, 9, ... Open / close valve, 16 Bypass circuit, 17 3-way valve, 21 2nd 4-way valve.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) F25B 5/00 F25B 5/00 Z (72) Inventor Toshiaki Yoshikawa 2-3-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Sanryo Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Masato Shinohara 2-3-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Sanryo Electric Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 3L060 AA07 CC02 CC07 DD03 DD06 EE05 EE09 EE10 3L061 BA03

Claims (16)

[Claims] 1. An air conditioner having a refrigeration cycle including a compressor, a flow path switching valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, a first throttle mechanism and an indoor heat exchanger, wherein the indoor heat exchanger is the first indoor heat exchanger. An exchanger, a second throttle mechanism, and a plurality of other indoor heat exchangers are pipe-connected in this order, and at least the first indoor heat exchanger among the indoor heat exchangers is a reheat heat exchanger, and a plurality of other indoor heat exchangers are connected. The indoor heat exchanger is an air conditioner in which the number of evaporators is selected according to the magnitudes of the cooling load and the dehumidifying load. 2. The other plurality of indoor heat exchangers are connected in parallel to the second indoor heat exchanger connected to the second throttle mechanism and the second indoor heat exchanger, and have an opening / closing valve. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioner is a heat exchanger. 3. The other plurality of indoor heat exchangers are connected to the second throttle mechanism, and are connected in parallel to the second indoor heat exchanger with an opening / closing valve and the second indoor heat exchanger. The air conditioner according to claim 1, which is an indoor heat exchanger with an opening / closing valve having different evaporation areas. 4. The other plurality of indoor heat exchangers are connected in series to a second indoor heat exchanger connected to the second throttle mechanism and the second indoor heat exchanger, and have a bypass with an on-off valve. The air conditioner according to claim 1, which is an indoor heat exchanger provided with a circuit. 5. A three-way valve for switching the flow path from the second indoor heat exchanger to either the bypass circuit side or the indoor heat exchanger side connected in series is provided in place of the on-off valve. The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein 6. The other plurality of indoor heat exchangers are connected in series to a second indoor heat exchanger connected to the second throttle mechanism and the second indoor heat exchanger, and the second indoor heat exchanger is connected. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the indoor heat exchanger is provided with a throttle mechanism on the exchanger side. 7. The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of other indoor heat exchangers have a multi-pass refrigerant passage. 8. An air conditioner provided with a refrigeration cycle comprising a compressor, a flow path switching valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, a first throttle mechanism and an indoor heat exchanger, wherein the indoor heat exchanger is the first indoor heat exchanger. A four-way valve piped between the first indoor heat exchanger and the other indoor heat exchangers, which has an exchanger, a second throttle mechanism, a second indoor heat exchanger and other indoor heat exchangers, First indoor heat exchanger, second
In the flow path of the throttle mechanism, the second indoor heat exchanger and other indoor heat exchangers, or in the flow paths of the first indoor heat exchanger, the second indoor heat exchanger, the second throttle mechanism and other indoor heat exchangers An air conditioner characterized by being switchable. 9. An air conditioner provided with a refrigeration cycle comprising a compressor, a flow path switching valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, a first throttle mechanism and an indoor heat exchanger, wherein the indoor heat exchanger is the first indoor heat exchanger. An exchanger, a second throttling mechanism, and a second indoor heat exchanger are pipe-connected in this order, the first indoor heat exchanger is a reheat heat exchanger, the second indoor heat exchanger is an evaporator, and the second indoor An air conditioner in which the amount of air blown to a heat exchanger is controlled in accordance with the magnitudes of a cooling load and a dehumidifying load. 10. The air conditioner according to claim 9, wherein an indoor fan for the first indoor heat exchanger and an indoor fan for the second indoor heat exchanger are provided, and the amount of air blown is controlled independently of each other. Machine. 11. A temperature setting unit, a humidity setting unit, a temperature detecting unit, a humidity detecting unit, a set temperature of the temperature setting unit, and a cooling load calculated from the detected temperature of the temperature detecting unit to set the humidity. Load calculation means for calculating a dehumidification load from the set value of the means and the humidity detected by the humidity detection means, dehumidification operation storage means for storing a dehumidification operation pattern composed of a combination of cooling capacity and dehumidification capacity, and the load calculation means Of the dehumidifying operation pattern stored in the dehumidifying operation storage means, the dehumidifying operation selecting means for selecting a dehumidifying operation pattern within the capacity, and the dehumidifying operation selected by the dehumidifying operation selecting means. An air conditioner comprising: a dehumidifying operation in a pattern and a control means for controlling the detected value to approach the set value. 12. The air conditioner according to claim 11, wherein the dehumidifying operation selecting means selects a dehumidifying operation pattern having the smallest capacity within the capacity of the calculated load. 13. The control unit controls the rotation speed of the outdoor fan and the capacity of the compressor so that the detected value approaches the set value. Air conditioner. 14. The dehumidifying operation pattern selected by the dehumidifying operation selecting means is the dehumidifying operation pattern determined in any one of claims 1 to 10. The air conditioner according to claim 13. 15. A flammable refrigerant or a natural refrigerant is used as the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle.
The air conditioner according to claim 14. 16. An abnormality detecting means and a communication means are provided, and when the abnormality detecting means detects an abnormality, the detection result is communicated to a service center or a mobile phone. The air conditioner according to claim 15.