Patent ID: 9267716
Filing Date: 2016-02-23
CPC Classification: F24F,F25B,F28D,F28F

Claim Text:
1. A heat exchanger included in an air conditioner to function as a condenser in an air cooling operation and to function as an evaporator in a heating operation, the heat exchanger comprising: a first header pipe to have a refrigerant that is compressed by a compressor to flow therein in the air cooling operation; a first heat exchange unit coupled to the first header pipe to receive the refrigerant flowing in the first header pipe and to thermally exchange the refrigerant with air in the air cooling operation; a second header pipe to have the thermally exchanged refrigerant from the first heat exchange unit to flow therein; a second heat exchange unit coupled to the second header pipe to receive the refrigerant flowing in the second header pipe and to thermally exchange the refrigerant with air in the air cooling operation; a bypass pipe to couple the first heat exchange unit with the second header pipe; a bypass valve to control a flow of the refrigerant through the bypass pipe; a controller to control the bypass valve such that the refrigerant is allowed to flow from the first heat exchange unit to the second header pipe in the air cooling operation; a hot gas pipe to couple the first header pipe with the second header pipe; and a hot gas valve to control a flow of the refrigerant through the hot gas pipe; wherein a downstream end of the first header pipe is coupled to an upstream end of the second header pipe, wherein an upstream end of the first header pipe is connected to the compressor, and the heat exchanger further comprises a check valve to prevent the refrigerant from flowing from the first header pipe to the second header pipe, wherein a first end of the hot gas pipe is connected to the first header pipe at a first location and a second end of the hot gas pipe is connected to the second header pipe at a second location, wherein the bypass pipe is connected to the second header pipe at a location between the first location and the second location, and wherein the check valve is disposed between the first location and the second location.