Abstract:
The present invention relates to a split type cold and warm air conditioner for solving problems of insufficient performances and inconvenience in use. The split type cold and warm air conditioner includes an air conditioning system having an outdoor unit and an indoor unit. The outdoor unit includes a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a first fan, a compressor, an accumulator and a capillary tube. The indoor unit includes a third heat exchanger, a fourth heat exchanger and a second fan. A first refrigerant circulation loop and a second refrigerant circulation loop can be constituted by using pipelines and solenoid valves to connect the above-mentioned components. The invention provides both high performances for cold and warm air functions.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a split type cold and warm air conditioner, and in particular relates to a high performance split type cold and warm air conditioner capable of switching refrigerant circulation loops to provide an applicable heat exchange proportion of a condenser to an evaporator when producing cold or warm air. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    In conventional split type cold and warm air conditioners using devices such as a four-way valve to change flow directions of a refrigerant, an indoor or outdoor heat exchanger can be alternatively served as an evaporator to produce cold air or served as a condenser to produce warm air, so that the produced warm air can increase room temperature in cold days and the produced cold air can decrease room temperature in hot days. In these conventional air conditioners, an energy match of the condenser and the evaporator can be obtained if the heat dissipation area of the condenser substantially is 20% to 30% greater than that of the evaporator. Therefore, in a four-way-valve cold and warm air conditioner of taking a cold air function as a primary design, a heat dissipation area of an outdoor heat exchanger must be greater than that of an indoor heat exchanger so as to obtain a better cold air performance, but resulting in an inferior warm air function. Besides, in a four-way-valve cold and warm air conditioner of taking a warm air function as a primary design, a heat dissipation area of an indoor heat exchanger must be greater than that of an outdoor heat exchanger so as to obtain a better warm air performance, but resulting in an inferior cold air function. A pressure difference formed between pipelines located at both sides of the four-way valve is about 10 atmosphere pressure when the cold and warm air conditioner is operated. Thus, if the cold and warm air conditioner is required to switch from a cold air function to a warm air function, vice versa, when in use, the cold and warm air conditioner shall be stopped for couple minutes until the pressure difference between pipelines located at both sides of the four-way valve drops to a predetermined minimum value. Moreover, the four-way valve is expensive due to structural complexity, generally of reducing performance due to imperfect sealing of the high and low pressure pipelines after a period of operating time. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In view of this, the invention provides a high performance split type cold and warm air conditioner for solving the defects in conventional skills. 
         [0006]    The split type cold and warm air conditioner of the present invention comprises an air conditioning system comprising an outdoor unit and an indoor unit. The outdoor unit comprises a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a first fan, a compressor, an accumulator and a capillary tube. The indoor unit comprises a third heat exchanger, a fourth heat exchanger and a second fan. A first pipeline configured with a first three-way joint is utilized for connecting the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger. A second pipeline configured with a second three-way joint is utilized for connecting the third heat exchanger and the fourth heat exchanger. A third pipeline comprises a first end connected to the compressor and comprises a second end connected to a third three-way joint. A fourth pipeline configured with a first solenoid valve comprises a first end connected to the third three-way joint and comprises a second end connected to the second heat exchanger. A fifth pipeline configured with the capillary tube comprises a first end connected to the first heat exchanger and comprises a second end connected to the third heat exchanger. A sixth pipeline configured with a second solenoid valve comprises a first end connected to the second three-way joint and a second end connected to the accumulator. A seventh pipeline configured with a third solenoid valve comprises a first end connected to the fourth heat exchanger and comprises a second end connected to the third three-way joint. An eighth pipeline configured with a fourth solenoid valve comprises a first end connected to the accumulator and comprises a second end connected to the first three-way joint. A ninth pipeline comprises a first end connected to the accumulator and comprises a second end connected to the compressor. Accordingly, a first refrigerant circulation loop is constituted to provide a cold air function when the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve are in an open state and when the third solenoid valve and the fourth solenoid valve are in a closed state, and a second refrigerant circulation loop is constituted to provide a warm air function when the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve are in a closed state with the third solenoid valve and the fourth solenoid valve being in an open state. 
         [0007]    Preferably, a heat dissipation area of the second heat exchanger is 0.05 to 0.5 times that of the first heat exchanger, a heat dissipation area of the fourth heat exchanger is 0.05 to 0.5 times that of the third heat exchanger, a summation of the heat dissipation area of the first heat exchanger and the heat dissipation area of the second heat exchanger is greater than the heat dissipation area of the third heat exchanger, and a summation of the heat dissipation area of the third heat exchanger and the heat dissipation area of the fourth heat exchanger is greater than the heat dissipation area of the first heat exchanger. When the cold and warm air conditioner of the present invention provides a cold air function, the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are serially connected and served as a condenser, and the third heat exchanger is served as an evaporator. When the cold and warm air conditioner of the present invention provides a warm air function, the third heat exchanger and the fourth heat exchanger are serially connected and served as a condenser, and the first heat exchanger is served as an evaporator. According to the local maximum outdoor air temperature and the temperature of the condenser, an optimal proportion of the condenser to the evaporator in the cold air function can be adequately set. According to the indoor set temperature and the temperature of the evaporator, an optimal proportion of the condenser to the evaporator in the warm air function can be adequately set. Therefore, according to the different local maximum outdoor air, set indoor, condenser and evaporator temperatures, the sizes of the first and second heat exchangers and the sizes of the third and fourth heat exchangers can be set, thereby providing cold air function in hot days and warm air function in cold days with good performances, respectively. 
         [0008]    Preferably, the split type cold and warm air conditioner further comprises a control unit which is electrically connected to the air conditioning system, the first, second, third and fourth solenoid valves. 
         [0009]    The split type cold and warm air conditioner of the present invention is advantageously provided with following efficacies. Firstly, the first refrigerant circulation loop and the second refrigerant circulation loop can be constituted by switching the first, second, third and fourth solenoid valves. Further, a heat exchanging ratio of between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit can be regulated by regulating the first, second, third and fourth heat exchangers, so that the cold and warm air conditioner can provide high performance when producing cold or warm air. Secondly, the present invention is capable of directly switching cold and warm air functions when in use, viz needed not to switch off power to balance the big pressure difference between the four-way valve for several minutes as the conventional cold and warm air conditioners did. Further, the solenoid valve utilized in the present invention has a simple and reliable structure, eliminating defects of reducing performance of the four-way valve type machine due to imperfect sealing of the high and low pressure pipelines after a period of operating time. 
         [0010]    A detailed description is given in the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The present invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a structural schematic view of a system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a structural schematic view in which the system of the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 1  provides a cold air function; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a structural schematic view in which the system of the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 1  provides a warm air function. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    The following description is of the best-contemplated mode of carrying out the invention. This description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the present invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the present invention is best determined by reference to the appended claims. 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  shows a structural schematic view of the split type cold and warm air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. The split type cold and warm air conditioner comprises an air conditioning system  1  which comprises an outdoor unit  11  and an indoor unit  12 . The outdoor unit  11  comprises a first heat exchanger  111 , a second heat exchanger  112 , a first fan  113  corresponding in position to the first heat exchanger  111  and the second heat exchanger  112 , an accumulator  114 , a compressor  115  and a capillary tube  116 . The indoor unit  12  comprises a third heat exchanger  121 , a fourth heat exchanger  122 , and a second fan  123  corresponding in position to the third heat exchanger  121  and the fourth heat exchanger  122 . A first pipeline  21  configured with a first three-way joint  31  thereon is utilized for connecting the first heat exchanger  111  and the second heat exchanger  112  of the outdoor unit  11 . A second pipeline  22  configured with a second three-way joint  32  thereon is utilized for connecting the third heat exchanger  121  and the fourth heat exchanger  122  of the indoor unit  12 . In this embodiment, a heat dissipation area of the second heat exchanger  112  is 0.05 to 0.5 times that of the first heat exchanger  111 , and a heat dissipation area of the fourth heat exchanger  122  is 0.05 to 0.5 times that of the third heat exchanger  121 . A summation of the heat dissipation area of the first heat exchanger  111  and the heat dissipation area of the second heat exchanger  112  is greater than the heat dissipation area of the third heat exchanger  121 , and a summation of the heat dissipation area of the third heat exchanger  121  and the heat dissipation area of the fourth heat exchanger  122  is greater than the heat dissipation area of the first heat exchanger  111 . 
         [0017]    A third pipeline  23  comprises a first end connected to the compressor  115  of the outdoor unit  11  and comprises a second end connected to a third three-way joint  33 . 
         [0018]    A fourth pipeline  24  configured with a first solenoid valve  41  thereon comprises a first end connected to the third three-way joint  33  and comprises a second end connected to the second heat exchanger  112  of the outdoor unit  11 . 
         [0019]    A fifth pipeline  25  configured with the capillary tube  116  of the outdoor unit  11  thereon comprises a first end connected to the first heat exchanger  111  of the outdoor unit  11  and comprises a second end connected to the third heat exchanger  121  of the indoor unit  12 . 
         [0020]    A sixth pipeline  26  configured with a second solenoid valve  42  thereon comprises a first end connected to the second three-way joint  32  and comprises a second end connected to the accumulator  114  of the outdoor unit  11 . 
         [0021]    A seventh pipeline  27  configured with a third solenoid valve  43  thereon comprises a first end connected to the fourth heat exchanger  122  of the indoor unit  12  and comprises a second end connected to the third three-way joint  33 . 
         [0022]    An eighth pipeline  28  configured with a fourth solenoid valve  44  thereon comprises a first end connected to the accumulator  114  of the outdoor unit  11  and comprises a second end connected to the first three-way joint  31 . 
         [0023]    A ninth pipeline  29  comprises a first end connected to the accumulator  114  of the outdoor unit  11  and comprises a second end connected to the compressor  115  of the outdoor unit  11 . 
         [0024]    The split type cold and warm air conditioner further comprises a control unit  5  which is electrically connected to the air conditioning system  1 , the first solenoid valve  41 , the second solenoid valve  42 , the third solenoid valve  43  and the fourth solenoid valve  44  for controlling the operation of the air conditioning system  1 . Besides, the first solenoid valve  41 , the second solenoid valve  42 , the third solenoid valve  43  and the fourth solenoid valve  44  are switched on or off to control the flow direction of refrigerant. 
         [0025]    The liquid refrigerant can be prevented from entering the compressor  115  by the accumulator  114  of the outdoor unit  11 , so that valve component of the compressor  115  can be protected from damages. 
         [0026]    The invention can be suitably applied to following various circumstances according to different purposes. 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , a structural schematic view of the system of the present invention providing a cold air function is illustrated. With the operation of the control unit  5 , the compressor  115 , the first fan  113  and the second fan  123  are operated, and the first solenoid valve  41  and the second solenoid valve  42  are controlled in an open state and the third solenoid valve  43  and the fourth solenoid valve  44  are controlled in a closed state, a first refrigerant circulation loop is then constituted to provide a cold air function. In the first refrigerant circulation loop, the refrigerant is driven to sequentially travel through the compressor  115 , the third pipeline  23 , the third three-way joint  33  to enter the fourth pipeline  24  and the second heat exchanger  112 , and then the refrigerant travels through the first pipeline  21  to enter the first heat exchanger  111 , and then the refrigerant travels through the fifth pipeline  25  to enter the third heat exchanger  121  and then travels through the second three-way joint  32  configured on the second pipeline  22  to enter the sixth pipeline  26  and the accumulator  114 , and finally the refrigerant returns to the compressor  115 . The refrigerant does not flow in the fourth heat exchanger  122  because the third solenoid valve  43  is switched off (i.e., in the closed state). Therefore, the first heat exchanger  111  and the second heat exchanger  112  which are serially connected are served as a condenser, and the third heat exchanger  121  is served as an evaporator. In this way, the heat-dissipating capability of the condenser of the serially-connected first and second heat exchangers  111 ,  112  can be adequately proportioned to the heat-absorbing capability of the evaporator of the third heat exchanger  121 , thus producing cold air efficiently. In this application, the proportion of the heat-dissipating capability of the condenser of the serially-connected first and second heat exchangers  111  and  112  to the heat-absorbing capability of the evaporator of the third heat exchanger  121  is greater than  1  and preferably ranged between 1.05 and 1.5. 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , a structural schematic view of the system of the present invention providing a warm air function is illustrated. With the operation of the control unit  5 , the compressor  115 , the first fan  113  and the second fan  123  are operated, and the first solenoid valve  41  and the second solenoid valve  42  are controlled in a closed state and the third solenoid valve  43  and the fourth solenoid valve  44  are controlled in an open state, a second refrigerant circulation loop is then constituted to provide a warm air function. In the second refrigerant circulation loop, the refrigerant is driven to sequentially travel through the compressor  115 , the third pipeline  23  and the third three-way joint  33  to enter the seventh pipeline  27  and the fourth heat exchanger  122 , and then the refrigerant travels through the second pipeline  22  to enter the third heat exchanger  121  and then travels through the fifth pipeline  25  to enter the first heat exchanger  111 , and then the refrigerant travels through the second three-way joint  32  configured on the second pipeline  22  to enter the eighth pipeline  28  and the accumulator  114 , and finally the refrigerant returns to the compressor  115 . Accordingly, the third heat exchanger  121  and the fourth heat exchanger  122  which are serially connected are served as a condenser and the first heat exchanger  111  is served as an evaporator, and the refrigerant does not flow in the second heat exchanger  112  because the first solenoid valve  41  is switched off. In this way, the heat-dissipating capability of the condenser of the serially-connected third and fourth heat exchangers  121 ,  122  can be properly proportioned to the heat-absorbing capability of the evaporator of the first heat exchanger  111  and thus can produce warm air with high efficiency. In this application, the proportion of the heat-dissipating capability of the condenser of the serially-connected third and fourth heat exchangers  121 ,  122  to the heat-absorbing capability of the evaporator of first heat exchanger  111  is greater than 1 and preferably ranged between 1.05 and 1.5. 
         [0029]    While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.