Patent ID: 6843067

Claim:
An air conditioner comprising: a plurality of compressors, for compressing a refrigerant, of which at least one compressor is operated so that refrigerant compression capacity is variably changed according to the variation in a cooling/heating load; inlet pipes allowing the refrigerant to be distributed to the compressors, and outlet pipes allowing the refrigerant from the compressors to be exhausted; a condenser for condensing the refrigerant compressed by the compressors by transferring heat between the refrigerant and air; an electronic expansion valve for expanding the refrigerant condensed by the condenser by passing the refrigerant through an expansion passage; and a microcomputer for controlling the electronic expansion valve to be opened by a designated opening degree so that the pressure equilibrium in the compressors is rapidly achieved when, at least one of the compressors is stopped in accordance with the variation in the cooling/heating load and then the at least one stopped compressor is restarted.