Patent ID: 9383126
Filing Date: 2016-07-05
CPC Classification: F24D,F25B

Claim Text:
1. A heat pump that heats or cools a space and also heats water, the heat pump comprising: an outdoor heat exchanger that transfers heat between refrigerant and outdoor air or a heat source/sink; an indoor heat exchanger that transfers heat between the refrigerant and indoor air; a water heat exchanger that transfers heat from the refrigerant to water; a compressor; an outdoor expansion device; an indoor expansion device; a refrigerant management valve; a reversing valve; a first refrigerant conduit connecting the outdoor heat exchanger to the outdoor expansion device; a second refrigerant conduit connecting the indoor heat exchanger to the indoor expansion device; a third refrigerant conduit connecting the outdoor expansion device to the indoor expansion device; a fourth refrigerant conduit connecting a discharge port on the compressor to the water heat exchanger; a fifth refrigerant conduit connecting the water heat exchanger to the refrigerant management valve; a sixth refrigerant conduit connecting the refrigerant management valve to the reversing valve; a seventh refrigerant conduit connecting the reversing valve to the outdoor heat exchanger; an eighth refrigerant conduit connecting the reversing valve to the indoor heat exchanger; a ninth refrigerant conduit connecting the refrigerant management valve to the third refrigerant conduit; a tenth refrigerant conduit connecting the reversing valve to an inlet port on the compressor; and a digital controller comprising programming instructions configured to manage refrigerant charge during conditions under which a particular heat exchanger is not needed for transferring heat by: