Patent ID: 7591145

Claim:
A heating/cooling system for an interior space having interior air comprising: a heat pump system functional to provide a combination of a heat pump dehumidification mode of operation, a heat pump cooling mode of operation, and a heat pump heating mode of operation, wherein said heat pump system comprises a refrigerant fluid, refrigerant transport tubing/lines, a refrigerant compressor, an interior air heat exchange means, and an exterior heat exchange means; the interior heat exchange means comprising a first interior heat exchanger disposed in the interior space to exchange heat between the refrigerant and the interior air and a second interior heat exchanger disposed in the interior space to exchange heat between the refrigerant and the interior air; and a three-mode refrigerant containment receiver having; a top line having an inlet disposed at an upper elevation near a top of the receiver and fluidly communicating with the exterior heat exchange means, a bottom line having an inlet disposed at a lower elevation near a bottom of the receiver and fluidly communicating with the interior air heat exchange means, a central line having an inlet disposed at an intermediate elevation between the upper elevation and the lower elevation of the receiver and fluidly communicating with the interior heat exchange means and the bottom line, a bottom valve disposed in the bottom line and movable between open and closed positions; and a controller operatively coupled to the bottom valve; wherein the three-mode refrigerant containment receiver is operable in a first mode corresponding to the heat pump dehumidification mode of operation in which the controller actuates the bottom valve to the closed position so that the containment receiver retains a an intermediate level of refrigerant, a second mode corresponding to the heat pump cooling mode of operation in which the controller actuates the bottom valve to the open position so that the containment receiver retains a low level of refrigerant, and a third mode corresponding to the heat pump heating mode of operation in which the controller actuates the bottom valve to the open position so that the containment receiver retains a high level of refrigerant.