Air conditioning systems with multiple temperature zones from independent ducting systems and a single outdoor unit

A high-efficiency air conditioning system for conditioning a plurality of zones within an interior of a building comprising:

• at least two independent ductwork systems within a building wherein each independent ductwork system directs heating and cooling to one zone within the building;
• a single outdoor unit comprising:
• a housing with a compressor;
• a condenser;
• and a condenser fan positioned within the housing wherein the condenser fan is associated with the condenser and configured to move air to cool the condenser and wherein the compressor is either a dual suction compressor or a single suction compressor with a switching mechanism positioned either external or within a compressor housing that allows for two or more fluid intake conduits to feed into a single suction port of the single suction compressor and wherein the compressor is sized and configured to feed both the first indoor air handling unit and the second indoor air handling unit equally or proportionally based upon demand for a level of cooling or a level of dehumidification in a given zone at two different suction pressure;
• a refrigerant flow pathway comprised of a plurality of refrigerant conduits having a common refrigerant flow path portion and at least two divergent flow path portions, a first divergent flow path that delivers refrigerant to a first evaporator configured to operate at a first evaporator pressure and a second divergent flow path that delivers refrigerant to a second evaporator such that the first evaporator and second evaporator are in parallel with one another;
• at least one throttling device wherein a throttling device is positioned along a common flow path when a single throttling device is used and a first throttling device is positioned along the first divergent flow path and a second throttling device is positioned along the second divergent flow path when two or more throttling devices are employed;
• a portioning device configured to selectively and proportionately regulate the flow of a refrigerant fluid to the first evaporator and the second evaporator, respectively in sequential manner;
• and
• at least a first indoor air handling unit and a second indoor air handling unit wherein the first indoor air handling unit comprises the first evaporator and a fan and the second indoor air handling unit comprises the second evaporator and a fan;
• and
• wherein the compressor is incapable of simultaneously supplying both the first evaporator and the second evaporator at their full cooling capacity;
• and wherein the plurality of refrigerant conduits making up the refrigerant flow path are free of any check valves.