Patent ID: 7624587

Claim:
A multi-stage operation air conditioner, comprising: a first discharging port; a first opening/closing device which opens or closes the first discharging port; a first heat exchanger disposed at a position adjacent to the first discharging port; a second discharging port having a size different from that of the first discharging port; a second opening/closing device which opens or closes the second discharging port; a second heat exchanger disposed at a position adjacent to the second discharging port; a partition panel which prevents air passing through the first heat exchanger from being discharged to the second discharging port and prevents air passing through the second heat exchanger from being discharged to the first discharging port; a controller which controls the air conditioner such that the air conditioner is operative with either the first discharging port or the second discharging port opened, but not both, during an operation with a lower cooling or heating load, and the air conditioner is operative with both the first and second discharging ports opened, during an operation with a higher cooling or heating load; a first compressor driven when the first discharging port is opened; and a second compressor driven when the second discharging port is opened, and having a compressing capacity larger than that of the first compressor.