Patent ID: 7779642

Claim:
An air conditioner comprising: a first compression unit and a second compression unit for compressing a refrigerant; an outdoor heat exchanger provided at an outdoor unit and connected to the first compression unit and the second compression unit; an indoor heat exchanger provided at an indoor unit and connected to the first compression unit, the second compression unit, and the outdoor heat exchanger; and a refrigerant guiding means for controlling a refrigerant flow by selectively connecting the first compression unit and the second compression unit in series or in parallel so that a refrigerant can be consecutively or respectively compressed in the first compression unit and in the second compression unit and then discharged, wherein the refrigerant guiding means includes: a first control valve for controlling a flow direction of a refrigerant; an inlet connection pipe connected to the first control valve; a first connection pipe connected to a suction side of the first compression unit; a first discharge pipe for connecting a discharge side of the first compression unit and the first control valve; a second connection pipe for connecting the first control valve to a suction side of the second compression unit; an outlet connection pipe connected to the first control valve; a third connection pipe connected to a discharge side of the second compression unit; and an open/close valve mounted at the outlet connection pipe, for opening and closing a flow path of a refrigerant.