# US 2021/0239377 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 2021/0239377 A1 - Document ID: US20210239377A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/162,190 - Filed: 2021-01-29 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2020-01-31 - Assignees: LG Electronics Inc. - Applicants: LG Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Byungsoon KIM; Sanghun LEE; Ingon KIM; Jongchul CHOI; Hongsuk JIN; Taeseung YOON; Yongjin SEO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210239377A1 ## CPC - F25B 41/20: Disposition of valves, e.g. of on-off valves or flow control valves (expansion valves F25B41/31) - F24F 11/83: by controlling the supply of heat-exchange fluids to heat-exchangers - F24F 12/003: {using a heat pump} - F24F 12/006: {using an air-to-air heat exchanger (F24F12/002 takes precedence)} - F25B 13/00: Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle (defrosting cycles F25B47/02) - F25B 41/42: Arrangements for diverging or converging flows, e.g. branch lines or junctions - F25B 2313/007: three pipes connecting the outdoor side to the indoor side with multiple indoor units - F25B 2313/0231: with simultaneous cooling and heating - F25B 2313/02732: using two three-way valves - Y02B 30/52: Heat recovery pumps, i.e. heat pump based systems or units able to transfer the thermal energy from one area of the premises or part of the facilities to a different one, improving the overall efficiency - Y02B 30/56: Heat recovery units - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS - 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) - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract An air conditioner includes an outdoor unit including a compressor for compressing a refrigerant and an outdoor heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the refrigerant and outside air. A ventilation device is connected to a plurality of refrigerant pipes, and configured to direct outside air into an indoor space, and indoor air to the outside. The ventilation device includes a case, a main heat exchanger, a recovery heat exchanger, and a refrigerant distributor. The refrigerant distributor is configured to direct the refrigerant between the main heat exchanger and the recovery heat exchanger. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An air conditioner, comprising: an outdoor unit including a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant and an outdoor heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant and outside air; and a ventilation device connected to a plurality of refrigerant pipes, and configured to supply the outside air into an indoor space, and discharge indoor air to an outside, wherein the ventilation device comprises: a case defining a supply flow path through which the outside air is supplied to the indoor space, and a discharge flow path through which the indoor air is discharged to the outside; a main heat exchanger disposed in the supply flow path, and configured to exchange heat between air flowing in the supply flow path and the refrigerant; a recovery heat exchanger disposed in the discharge flow path, and configured to exchange heat between air flowing in the discharge flow path and the refrigerant; and a refrigerant distributor connected to the plurality of refrigerant pipes, the refrigerant distributor being configured to supply the refrigerant from the outdoor unit to each of the main heat exchanger and the recovery heat exchanger, discharge the refrigerant from each of the main heat exchanger and the recovery heat exchanger to the outdoor unit, and direct the refrigerant between the main heat exchanger and the recovery heat exchanger. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the recovery heat exchanger is configured to heat the air flowing through the discharge flow path when the main heat exchanger is cooling the air flowing through the supply flow path. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the recovery heat exchanger is configured to cool the air flowing through the discharge flow path when the main heat exchanger is heating the air flowing through the supply flow path. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the recovery heat exchanger has a smaller heat exchange area than the main heat exchanger. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The air conditioner of claim 1, further comprising a total heat exchanger disposed across the supply flow path and the discharge flow path, the total heat exchanger being configured to exchange heat between the air flowing through the supply flow path and the air flowing through the discharge flow path by rotation of the total heat exchanger, wherein the recovery heat exchanger is disposed downstream of the total heat exchanger in the discharge flow path. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The air conditioner of claim 5, wherein the main heat exchanger is disposed downstream of the total heat exchanger in the supply flow path. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The air conditioner of claim 1, further comprising a re-heat heat exchanger disposed in the supply flow path, the re-heat heat exchanger being connected to the refrigerant distributor, and configured to heat the air that passed through the main heat exchanger. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The air conditioner of claim 7, wherein the re-heat heat exchanger is disposed downstream of the main heat exchanger in the supply flow path. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The air conditioner of claim 7, wherein the re-heat heat exchanger is configured to heat the air flowing through the re-heat heat exchanger based on a desired temperature and relative humidity of the air discharged into the indoor space. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The air conditioner of claim 7, wherein the main heat exchanger is configured to cool the air flowing through the main heat exchanger with a dew point temperature corresponding to a set temperature and a set humidity, and the re-heat heat exchanger is configured to heat the air flowing through the re-heat heat exchanger with the set temperature. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The air conditioner of claim 7, further comprising an auxiliary heat exchanger disposed in the supply flow path, connected to the refrigerant distributor, and configured to heat the air that passed through the re-heat heat exchanger. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The air conditioner of claim 11, wherein the refrigerant distributor is configured to stop a supply of refrigerant to the auxiliary heat exchanger, when the main heat exchanger cools the air flowing through the supply flow path. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the plurality of refrigerant pipes comprises: a liquid refrigerant pipe connected to the outdoor heat exchanger disposed inside the outdoor unit; a high-pressure refrigerant pipe connected to an output of the compressor and configured to receive the refrigerant compressed by the compressor; and a low-pressure refrigerant pipe connected to an input of the compressor and configured to supply the refrigerant to the compressor, wherein the refrigerant distributor comprises: a liquid refrigerant header connected to the liquid refrigerant pipe; a high-pressure refrigerant header connected to the high-pressure refrigerant pipe; and a low-pressure refrigerant header connected to the low-pressure refrigerant pipe. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The air conditioner of claim 13, wherein the refrigerant distributor is configured to supply liquid refrigerant from the liquid refrigerant header to the recovery heat exchanger when the liquid refrigerant is supplied from the main heat exchanger to the liquid refrigerant header, and supply the liquid refrigerant from the liquid refrigerant header to the main heat exchanger when the liquid refrigerant is supplied from the recovery heat exchanger to the liquid refrigerant header. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The air conditioner of claim 1, further comprising a re-heat heat exchanger disposed in the supply flow path, and directly connected to the high-pressure refrigerant pipe, the re-heat heat exchanger being configured to heat air that has passed through the main heat exchanger. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The air conditioner of claim 13, further comprising: a first indoor gas pipe connecting the main heat exchanger to each of the high-pressure refrigerant header and the low-pressure refrigerant header; a second indoor gas pipe connecting the recovery heat exchanger to each of the high-pressure refrigerant header and the low-pressure refrigerant header; a first indoor liquid pipe connecting the main heat exchanger and the liquid refrigerant header; and a second indoor liquid pipe connecting the recovery heat exchanger and the liquid refrigerant header.