# US 2009/0260376 A1 · Air conditioner > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2009/0260376 A1 - Document ID: US20090260376A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/373,973 - Filed: 2007-07-20 - Published: 2009-10-22 - Earliest claimed: 2006-07-24 - Assignees: Daikin Industries, Ltd. - Inventors: Shinichi Kasahara; Manabu Yoshimi; Tadafumi Nishimura - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20090260376A1 ## CPC - F25B 49/005: {of safety devices (F25B49/02 and F25B49/04 take precedence)} - F25B 2500/16: Lubrication - F25B 2500/19: Calculation of parameters - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS ## Abstract An air conditioner includes a refrigerant circuit, a refrigerant quantity calculating section, and a refrigerant quantity judging section. The refrigerant circuit includes a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor expansion valve, and an indoor heat exchanger interconnected together. The refrigerant quantity calculating section calculates the refrigerant quantity in the refrigerant circuit taking into account a dissolved refrigerant quantity that is the quantity of refrigerant dissolved in the refrigerating machine oil in the compressor, based on an operation state quantity of constituent equipment or refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant circuit. The refrigerant quantity judging section judges the adequacy of the refrigerant quantity in the refrigerant circuit based on the refrigerant quantity calculated by the refrigerant quantity calculating section. In addition, the refrigerant quantity calculating section calculates the dissolved refrigerant quantity based on operation state quantities that include at least the ambient temperature outside the compressor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An air conditioner, comprising: a refrigerant circuit including a compressor, a heat source side heat exchanger, an expansion mechanism, and a utilization side heat exchanger interconnected together; a refrigerant quantity calculating section configured to calculate a refrigerant quantity in the refrigerant circuit taking into account a dissolved refrigerant quantity that is the quantity of refrigerant dissolved in the refrigerating machine oil in the compressor, based on an operation state quantity of constituent equipment or refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant circuit; and a refrigerant quantity judging section configured to judge adequacy of the refrigerant quantity in the refrigerant circuit based on the refrigerant quantity calculated by the refrigerant quantity calculating section, wherein the refrigerant quantity calculating section is further configured to calculate the dissolved refrigerant quantity based on operation state quantities that at least include ambient temperature outside the compressor or an operation state quantity equivalent to temperature. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein outdoor temperature or a temperature obtained by correcting the outdoor temperature using an operation state quantity of constituent equipment is used as the ambient temperature outside the compressor or the operation state quantity equivalent to the temperature. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein a temperature of an outer surface of the compressor is used as the ambient temperature outside the compressor or the operation state quantity equivalent to the temperature. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the operation state quantities used for calculating the dissolved refrigerant quantity further include temperature of the refrigerant in contact with the refrigerating machine oil in the compressor or an operation state quantity equivalent to the temperature. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the temperature of the refrigerant in contact with the refrigerating machine oil in the compressor or the operation state quantity equivalent to the temperature is the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the temperature of the refrigerant in contact with the refrigerating machine oil in the compressor or the operation state quantity equivalent to the temperature is the temperature of the refrigerant sucked into the compressor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the operation state quantities used for calculating the dissolved refrigerant quantity further include a period of time from a start/stop of the compressor. ### Claim 8 An air conditioner, comprising: a refrigerant circuit including a compressor, a heat source side heat exchanger, an expansion mechanism, and a utilization side heat exchanger interconnected together; a refrigerant quantity calculating section configured to calculate a refrigerant quantity in the refrigerant circuit taking into account a dissolved refrigerant quantity that is the quantity of refrigerant dissolved in the refrigerating machine oil in the compressor, based on an operation state quantity of constituent equipment or refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant circuit; a refrigerant quantity judging section configured to judge adequacy of the refrigerant quantity in the refrigerant circuit based on the refrigerant quantity calculated by the refrigerant quantity calculating section; and an oil temperature detecting element configured to detect a temperature of the refrigerating machine oil in the compressor, the oil temperature detecting element being provided in the compressor, the refrigerant quantity calculating section being further configured to calculate the dissolved refrigerant quantity based on operation state quantities that include at least the temperature of the refrigerating machine oil detected by the oil temperature detecting element. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The air conditioner according to claim 8, wherein the operation state quantities used for calculating the dissolved refrigerant quantity further includes a pressure of the refrigerant in contact with the refrigerating machine oil in the compressor or an operation state quantity equivalent to the pressure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The air conditioner according to claim 9, wherein the pressure of the refrigerant in contact with the refrigerating machine oil in the compressor or the operation state quantity equivalent to the pressure is the pressure of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The air conditioner according to claim 9, wherein the pressure of the refrigerant in contact with the refrigerating machine oil in the compressor or the operation state quantity equivalent to the pressure is the pressure of the refrigerant sucked into the compressor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the operation state quantities used for calculating the dissolved refrigerant quantity further includes a pressure of the refrigerant in contact with the refrigerating machine oil in the compressor or an operation state quantity equivalent to the pressure. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The air conditioner according to claim 12, wherein the pressure of the refrigerant in contact with the refrigerating machine oil in the compressor or the operation state quantity equivalent to the pressure is the pressure of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The air conditioner according to claim 12, wherein the pressure of the refrigerant in contact with the refrigerating machine oil in the compressor or the operation state quantity equivalent to the pressure is the pressure of the refrigerant sucked into the compressor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 2) The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the operation state quantities used for calculating the dissolved refrigerant quantity further include temperature of the refrigerant in contact with the refrigerating machine oil in the compressor or an operation state quantity equivalent to the temperature. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The air conditioner according to claim 15, wherein the temperature of the refrigerant in contact with the refrigerating machine oil in the compressor or the operation state quantity equivalent to the temperature is the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The air conditioner according to claim 15, wherein the temperature of the refrigerant in contact with the refrigerating machine oil in the compressor or the operation state quantity equivalent to the temperature is the temperature of the refrigerant sucked into the compressor. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The air conditioner according to claim 15, wherein the operation state quantities used for calculating the dissolved refrigerant quantity further include a period of time from a start/stop of the compressor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 3) The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein the operation state quantities used for calculating the dissolved refrigerant quantity further include temperature of the refrigerant in contact with the refrigerating machine oil in the compressor or an operation state quantity equivalent to the temperature. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The air conditioner according to claim 19, wherein the temperature of the refrigerant in contact with the refrigerating machine oil in the compressor or the operation state quantity equivalent to the temperature is the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor.