(19)
(11) EP 1 655 555 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
24.08.2011 Bulletin 2011/34

(43) Date of publication A2:
10.05.2006 Bulletin 2006/19

(21) Application number: 05256788.0

(22) Date of filing: 02.11.2005
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC): 
F25B 13/00(2006.01)
 F25B 49/02(2006.01)
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR
Designated Extension States:
AL BA HR MK YU

(30) Priority: 03.11.2004 KR 2004088948

(71) Applicant: LG Electronics Inc.
Youngdungpo-gu Seoul (KR)

(72) Inventors:
  • Park, Bong-Soo Gwanak Dreamtown, 115-1804
    Seoul (KR)
  • Oh, Sai-Kee
    Yangcheon-gu, Seoul (KR)
  • Song, Chi-Woo
    Incheon (KR)
  • Kim, Ju-Won
    Changwon-si Gyeongsangnam-do (KR)
  • Chung, Baik-Young Chojeongmaeul
    Incheon (KR)
  • Chang, Se-Dong Jugong Apt. 516-702
    Gyeonggi-Do (KR)

(74) Representative: Camp, Ronald et al
Kilburn & Strode LLP 20 Red Lion Street
London WC1R 4PJ
London WC1R 4PJ (GB)

   


(54) Air conditioner


(57) An air conditioner includes: at least one indoor unit (10); an outdoor unit (20) communicating with the indoor unit and having at least one compressor (23) and one outdoor heat exchanger (41,41'); a fluid path opening/closing valve (55) for opening or closing a fluid path through which a refrigerant can flow to the outdoor heat exchanger; and a control unit (51) for controlling the compressor and the fluid path opening/closing valve to perform appropriate compression and condensation of the refrigerant according to the load amount of the indoor unit. Accordingly, as the air conditioner comprises the fluid path opening/closing valve and the branch fluid path opening/closing valve which are capable of opening or closing fluid paths and a control unit for controlling the valves, a high pressure of a cycle is appropriately maintained even during small-load operation and therefore reliability in operation can be increased.







Search report