Air conditioning apparatus having a dehumidifying operation function

An air conditioning apparatus having a dehumidifying operation, comprising:

• a compressor for sucking, compressing and discharging a refrigerant;
• an outdoor heat exchanger for making an exchange between refrigerant heat and outdoor air heat;
• an outdoor fan for sending outdoor air to the outdoor heat exchanger;
• a refrigerant heater for heating the refrigerant;
• pressure reducing means for reducing a refrigerant pressure;
• a first indoor heat exchanger for making an exchange between the refrigerant heat and indoor air heat;
• an electric expansion valve for allowing its extent of opening to be varied;
• a second indoor heat exchanger for making an exchange between the refrigerant heat and indoor air heat;
• an indoor fan for circulating the indoor air through second and first indoor heat exchangers;
• means for enabling the refrigerant which is discharged from the compressor to be returned back to the compressor through the outdoor heat exchanger, pressure reducing means, first indoor heat exchanger, electric expansion valve and second indoor heat exchanger and for fully opening the electric expansion valve and performing a cooling operation;
• means for enabling the refrigerant which is discharged from the compressor to be returned back to the compressor through the outdoor heat exchanger, refrigerant heater, first indoor heat exchanger, electric expansion valve and second indoor heat exchanger and for enabling the opening extent of the electric expansion valve to be reduced to a target opening level and a dehumidifying operation to be performed;
• means for controlling, at the time of dehumidifying operation, at least one of the operation of the outdoor fan and that of the refrigerant heater to adjust the temperature of air blown into a room;
• and
• means for, when during the dehumidifying operation the outdoor fan is rendered from an OFF to an ON state and from the ON to the OFF state, setting the opening extent of the electric expansion valve first to an initial opening level and then gradually varying the initial opening level toward the target opening level.