# US 12,181,163 B2 · Air conditioner > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,181,163 B2 - Document ID: US12181163B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/063,204 - Filed: 2022-12-08 - Published: 2023-04-06 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2020-06-10 - Assignees: Qingdao Hisense Hitachi Air-Conditioning Systems Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Qingdao Hisense Hitachi Air-Conditioning Systems Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Heng Zhang; Yongkun Gao; Jianjun Meng; Xingxiang Xia; Lihua Shi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12181163B2 ## CPC - F24F 1/32: for connecting the separate outdoor units to indoor units - F24F 1/38: Fan details of outdoor units, e.g. bell-mouth shaped inlets or fan mountings - F25B 5/02: arranged in parallel - F25B 6/02: arranged in parallel - F25B 13/00: Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle (defrosting cycles F25B47/02) - F25B 47/022: {hot gas defrosting} - F25B 49/02: for compression type machines, plants or systems - F24F 11/42: of outdoor units - F25B 2313/0253: in parallel arrangements - F25B 2313/0293: related to the indoor fan, e.g. controlling speed - F25B 2600/02: Compressor control - F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02) - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS ## Abstract An air conditioner includes an indoor unit, an outdoor unit, and a controller. The outdoor unit is connected to the indoor unit, and the outdoor unit includes a housing, a compressor, a four-way valve, an outdoor fan, a separating device, and a plurality of outdoor heat exchangers arranged in parallel. The controller is coupled to the compressor, the four-way valve, the outdoor fan, and the driving assembly, and is configured to control a first portion of a refrigerant flowing out from the compressor to flow into an outdoor heat exchanger; control a second portion of the refrigerant flowing out from the compressor to flow into the indoor unit; and when a time in which the first portion of the refrigerant flows into the outdoor heat exchanger is less than a first preset time, prevent a refrigerant flowing out from the indoor unit from flowing into the outdoor heat exchanger, and control the driving assembly to drive the wind blocking portion to move, so as to separate the outdoor fan from the outdoor heat exchanger. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An air conditioner, comprising: an indoor unit; an outdoor unit connected to the indoor unit, the outdoor unit including: a housing; a compressor disposed in the housing; a four-way valve connected to the compressor and configured to switch flowing directions of a refrigerant; a plurality of outdoor heat exchangers arranged in parallel and connected to the compressor and the four-way valve; an outdoor fan disposed on a side of the plurality of outdoor heat exchangers and configured to suck outdoor air into the housing and to discharge the outdoor air that has undergone heat exchange through the plurality of outdoor heat exchangers out of the housing; and a separating device disposed between the plurality of outdoor heat exchangers, including: a wind blocking portion; and a driving assembly connected to the wind blocking portion and configured to drive the wind blocking portion to move, so as to separate a first outdoor heat exchanger of the plurality of outdoor heat exchangers from the outdoor fan; and a controller coupled to the compressor, the four-way valve, the outdoor fan, and the driving assembly, and configured to: control a first portion of a refrigerant flowing out from the compressor to flow into the first outdoor heat exchanger; control a second portion of the refrigerant flowing out from the compressor to flow into the indoor unit; and when a time in which the first portion of the refrigerant flows into the first outdoor heat exchanger is less than a first preset time, prevent a refrigerant flowing out from the indoor unit from flowing into the first outdoor heat exchanger, and control the driving assembly to drive the wind blocking portion to move, so as to separate the outdoor fan from the first outdoor heat exchanger. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to: when the time in which the first portion of the refrigerant flowing into the first outdoor heat exchanger is greater than or equal to the first preset time, control the first portion of the refrigerant to stop flowing into the first outdoor heat exchanger, control the second portion of the refrigerant flowing out from the compressor to flow into the indoor unit, control the refrigerant flowing out from the indoor unit to flow into the first outdoor heat exchanger, and control the driving assembly to drive the wind blocking portion to move so as to drive the outdoor fan to suck the outdoor air into the housing and discharge the outdoor air that has undergone heat exchange through the first outdoor heat exchanger out of the housing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to: after the driving assembly drives the wind blocking portion to move so as to drive the outdoor fan to suck the outdoor air into the housing and the outdoor air that has undergone heat exchange through the first outdoor heat exchanger is discharged out of the housing, control a third portion of the refrigerant flowing out from the compressor to flow into a second outdoor heat exchanger of the plurality of outdoor heat exchangers, control a fourth portion of the refrigerant flowing out from the compressor to flow into the indoor unit, prevent the refrigerant flowing out from the indoor unit from flowing into the second outdoor heat exchanger, and control the driving assembly to drive the wind blocking portion to move so as to separate the outdoor fan from the second outdoor heat exchanger. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to: when a time in which the third portion of the refrigerant flowing into the second outdoor heat exchanger is greater than or equal to the first preset time, or when a temperature of the second outdoor heat exchanger is greater than or equal to a first preset temperature and a suction pressure of the compressor is greater than or equal to a preset pressure, control the third portion of the refrigerant to stop flowing into the second outdoor heat exchanger, control the fourth portion of the refrigerant to flow into the indoor unit, and control the driving assembly to drive the wind blocking portion to move so as to drive the outdoor fan to suck the outdoor air into the housing and discharge the outdoor air that has undergone heat exchange through the second outdoor heat exchanger out of the housing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to: after the driving assembly drives the wind blocking portion to move so as to drive the outdoor fan to suck the outdoor air into the housing and the outdoor air that has undergone heat exchange through the second outdoor heat exchanger is discharged out of the housing, obtain a defrosting time according to the time in which the first portion of the refrigerant flows into the first outdoor heat exchanger and the time in which the third portion of the refrigerant flows into the second outdoor heat exchanger. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The air conditioner according to claim 5, wherein the defrosting time is a larger value of the time in which the first portion of the refrigerant flows into the first outdoor heat exchanger and the time in which the third portion of the refrigerant flows into the second outdoor heat exchanger. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The air conditioner according to claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to: when the first outdoor heat exchanger satisfies a defrosting condition and the defrosting time is less than the second preset time, control the first portion of the refrigerant to flow into the first outdoor heat exchanger, control the second portion of the refrigerant to flow into the indoor unit, prevent the refrigerant flowing out from the indoor unit from flowing into the first outdoor heat exchanger, and control the driving assembly to drive the wind blocking portion to move so as to separate the outdoor fan from the first outdoor heat exchanger. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The air conditioner according to claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to: when the first outdoor heat exchanger satisfies the defrosting condition and the defrosting time is greater than or equal to the second preset time, control the compressor to reduce an operation frequency of the compressor or stop operating, control the outdoor fan to stop operating, and control the four-way valve to switch the flowing directions of the refrigerant, and then control the compressor to increase the operation frequency or start operating. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The air conditioner according to claim 8, wherein the defrosting condition includes: an operation time of the compressor is greater than or equal to a preset operation time, and a temperature difference between an environment temperature of the outdoor unit and a temperature of the first outdoor heat exchanger is greater than or equal to a preset temperature difference. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to: when a temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger is greater than or equal to a first preset temperature and a suction pressure of the compressor is greater than or equal to a preset pressure, control the first portion of the refrigerant to stop flowing into the first outdoor heat exchanger, control the second portion of the refrigerant to flow into the indoor unit, control the refrigerant flowing out from the indoor unit to flow into the first outdoor heat exchanger, control the driving assembly to drive the wind blocking portion to move so as to drive the outdoor fan to suck the outdoor air into the housing and discharge the outdoor air that has undergone heat exchange through the first outdoor heat exchanger out of the housing. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to increase a rotation speed of the outdoor fan, so as to increase a heat exchange rate of the outdoor air through the first outdoor heat exchanger. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to: when a frosting amount of the first outdoor heat exchanger is greater than or equal to a preset frosting amount, control the first portion of the refrigerant flowing out from the compressor to flow into the first outdoor heat exchanger, control the second portion of the refrigerant flowing out from the compressor to flow into the indoor unit, prevent the refrigerant flowing out from the indoor unit from flowing into the outdoor heat exchanger, and control the driving assembly to drive the wind blocking portion to move so as to separate the outdoor fan from the first outdoor heat exchanger. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to: control the compressor to reduce an operation frequency of the compressor or stop operating, control the outdoor fan to stop operating, and control the four-way valve to switch the flowing directions of the refrigerant, and then control the compressor to increase the operation frequency or start operating. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to: when an operation time of the compressor is greater than or equal to a preset operation time and a temperature difference between an environment temperature of the outdoor unit and a temperature of the first outdoor heat exchanger is greater than or equal to a preset temperature difference, control the compressor to reduce an operation frequency of the compressor or stop operating, control the outdoor fan to stop operating, and control the four-way valve to switch the flowing directions of the refrigerant, and then control the compressor to increase the operation frequency or start operating. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The air conditioner according to claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to: when the operation frequency of the compressor is increased or when an operation time of the compressor after the compressor is started is greater than or equal to a third preset time, control the compressor to reduce the operation frequency or stop operating, and control the four-way valve to switch, and then control the compressor to increase the operation frequency or start operating, and control the outdoor fan to operate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The air conditioner according to claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to: after the outdoor fan operates, obtain a defrosting time according to a time interval of the flowing directions of the refrigerant switched twice by the four-way valve. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The air conditioner according to claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to: when the first outdoor heat exchanger satisfies a defrosting condition and the defrosting time is less than a second preset time, control the first portion of the refrigerant flowing out from the compressor to flow into the first outdoor heat exchanger, control the second portion of the refrigerant flowing out from the compressor to flow into the indoor unit, prevent the refrigerant flowing out from the indoor unit from flowing into the first outdoor heat exchanger, and control the driving assembly to drive the wind blocking portion to move so as to separate the outdoor fan from the first outdoor heat exchanger. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The air conditioner according to claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to: when the first outdoor heat exchanger satisfies a defrosting condition and the defrosting time is greater than or equal to a second preset time, control the compressor to reduce the operation frequency or stop operating, control the outdoor fan to stop operating, and control the four-way valve to switch, and then control the compressor to increase the operation frequency or start operating. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The air conditioner according to claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to: when the temperature of the first outdoor heat exchanger is greater than or equal to a second preset temperature, control the compressor to reduce the operation frequency or stop operating, and control the four-way valve to switch, and then control the compressor to increase the operation frequency or start operating, and control the outdoor fan to operate. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of first throttling devices arranged in liquid pipes of the plurality of outdoor heat exchangers; and a plurality of second throttling devices arranged in air pipes of the plurality of outdoor heat exchangers; wherein the controller is further configured to control on/off states of the plurality of first throttling devices and control on/off states of the plurality of second throttling devices.