Patent ID: 9249997
Filing Date: 2016-02-02
CPC Classification: F25B

Claim Text:
1. A refrigeration apparatus, comprising a compression mechanism having a plurality of compression elements, refrigerant discharged from a first-stage compression element of the plurality of compression elements being sequentially compressed by a second-stage compression element of the plurality of compression elements; a heat source-side heat exchanger; a usage-side heat exchanger; an intermediate refrigerant tube drawing refrigerant discharged from the first-stage compression element into the second-stage compression element; an intercooler disposed along the intermediate refrigerant tube and dividing the intermediate refrigerant tube into an intercooler bypass tube connected to the intermediate refrigerant tube and bypassing the intercooler; an intake return tube branching from the inlet side portion of the intermediate refrigerant tube on the inlet side of the intercooler to an intake side of the first stage compression element of the compression mechanism to fluidly communicate refrigerant in the inlet side portion prior to passing through the intercooler to the intake side of the first-stage compression element when the refrigerant discharged from the first-stage compression element is drawn into the second-stage compression element through the intercooler bypass tube; and a switching mechanism switching between the intercooler bypass tube connecting the refrigerant discharged from the first-stage compression element into the second-stage compression element at the start of operation in which the switching mechanism is in the cooling operation state, and the intake return tube connecting the intercooler and the intake side of the compression mechanism at the start of operation in which the switching mechanism is in the cooling operation state.