Abstract: A method is disclosed that makes it possible to reduce the amount of refrigerant used and shorten the amount of time over which the new air conditioner must be run in a refrigerant pipe washing mode when an air conditioner that used a mineral-oil-based refrigerant oil is updated to or replaced with an air conditioner using an HFC refrigerant as the working refrigerant and the existing refrigerant piping is reused as is. Thus, the existing refrigerant piping of the air conditioner that used a mineral-oil-based refrigerant oil is reused in the air conditioner that uses an HFC refrigerant as the working refrigerant, the by washing the refrigerant piping using a cleaning agent comprising an HFC refrigerant containing at least 40 wt % of R32 to remove residual refrigerant oil in the refrigerant piping.

Abstract: The present invention provides an oil equalizing circuit that can improve the reliability of the oil supply to the compression mechanisms in a refrigeration system provided with a plurality of compression mechanisms. The compressor group of the air conditioning system is equipped chiefly with first, second, and third compressors and an oil equalizing circuit. The oil equalizing circuit is equipped with the first, second and third oil separators provided on the discharge sides of the compressors; first, second, and third oil return pipes connecting the oil separators to the intake sides of the compressors; a communication pipe for allowing the oil return pipes to communicate with one another; first, second, and third oil ON-OFF switching mechanisms provided downstream of the parts where the oil return pipes connect to the communication pipe; and first, second, and third pressure reducing mechanisms provided upstream of the parts where the oil return pipes connect to the communication pipe.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electric insulation device of an air conditioner divided into an indoor unit and an outdoor unit which can improve work efficiency during installation of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit. An electric insulation device is arranged between a gas side connection line and a gas side refrigerant line of an outdoor unit, and electrically insulates the gas side connection line and the gas side refrigerant line on the outdoor unit side. The electric insulation device includes a refrigerant line connection portion that is connected to a gas side refrigerant line of the indoor unit, a connection line connection portion that is connected to the gas side connection line, an insulation portion capable of both electrically insulating the refrigerant line connection portion and the gas side connection line and circulating refrigerant, and a terminal portion on which an electric connection line is mounted.

Abstract: A refrigeration apparatus is provided with a vapor compression type refrigerant circuit. With this apparatus, reliability from the standpoint of the pipe cleaning mode of the apparatus is improved. The air conditioning system has a main refrigerant circuit that has a compressor, a heat-source-side heat exchanger, and a user-side heat exchanger. The air conditioning system also has a contaminant collecting device provided on the intake side of the compressor (21). The contaminant collecting device is equipped with a contaminant collecting container, an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe, and a main opening/closing device. The contaminant collecting container separates contaminants from refrigerant flowing in the intake gas pipe toward the compressor when the refrigerant is directed through it. The inlet and outlet pipes are each provided with a return preventing shape for preventing contaminants that have accumulated inside the pipes from returning to the intake gas pipe.

Abstract: An outdoor air conditioner unit is connected to indoor units by a gaseous refrigerant communication pipe and a liquid refrigerant communication pipe. The outdoor air conditioner unit is provided with a gas-side shut-off valve and a liquid-side shut-off valve. The gas-side shut-off valve has a pipe connecting port to which the gaseous refrigerant communication pipe is connected. The liquid-side shut-off valve has a pipe connecting port to which the liquid refrigerant communication pipe is connected. In a plan view, the pipe connecting ports are offset from each other in both the depthwise direction and the widthwise direction. Thus, the outdoor air conditioner unit is configured to reduce interference between the refrigerant pipes connected to the gas-side and liquid-side shut-off valves of the outdoor unit.

Abstract: In an air conditioner which is divided into an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, the present invention improves the reliability with respect to the electrical insulation and refrigerant leakage of connection structures for refrigerant lines of the air conditioner that serve to transmit electrical signals of the indoor unit and outdoor unit via connection lines that serve to connect the indoor unit and outdoor unit and circulate refrigerant. An insulation portion of an electric insulation device is formed from an annular first flange, an annular second flange, a gasket that is arranged between the first flange and the second flange and composed of an electric insulation material, a plurality of through bolts and nuts that join the first flange and the second flange, a sleeve composed of an electric insulation material that lies between the bolt holes of the first flange and the second flange and the through bolts, and a washer that is interposed between head portions of the through bolts and the first flange.

Abstract: The present invention provides an oil equalizing circuit for a refrigeration system provided with a plurality of compression mechanisms, the oil equalizing circuit being capable of supplying sufficient oil to the compressors that are running during partial load operation. The refrigeration system compression mechanism is provided with the following: first, second, and third compressors; a refrigerant intake main pipe; first, second, and third intake branch pipes connected to the intake sides of the compressors; first, second, and third oil separators connected to the discharge sides of the compressors; and first, second, and third oil return pipes provided on the oil separators. The first oil return pipe is configured such that oil is delivered to the refrigerant intake main pipe due to gravity when only the first compressor is running. The second oil return pipe is configured such that oil is delivered to the refrigerant intake main pipe due to gravity when only the first and second compressors are running.

Abstract: This invention makes it possible to charge a refrigeration apparatus with the amount of refrigerant that the refrigeration apparatus requires at the time of onsite installation. As a result, the optimum refrigerant charging amount can always be obtained. The refrigeration apparatus is provided with a refrigeration cycle in which an outdoor unit equipped with a compressor, a condenser, and a receiver is connected to an indoor unit equipped with an expansion valve and an evaporator via a liquid pipe and a gas pipe. The refrigeration cycle is charged with refrigerant while a refrigerant charging operation state is created in which the liquid pipe that connects the outdoor unit to the indoor unit is filled with liquid refrigerant having a prescribed density. Refrigerant charging ends when, during the refrigerant charging operation, it is detected that the level of the liquid inside the receiver has reached a prescribed level.

Abstract: The present invention includes foundation legs of an outdoor unit that are made of a relatively thin plate material, and can reduce costs. This outdoor unit includes a compressor, an outdoor refrigerant circuit that includes pipes and a heat exchanger, a case that houses the refrigerant circuit, and a plurality of supports provided so that they protrude downward from the bottom part of the case. Furthermore, foundation legs are provided at the lower ends of the plurality of supports for fixing such, so that they extend towards the inner side of the case.

Abstract: A refrigeration equipment includes a vapor compression type of refrigerant circuit that prevents a decline in refrigeration ability in user side heat exchangers when the refrigerant condensed by a heat source side heat exchanger is reduced in pressure and sent to the user side heat exchangers. An air conditioner includes a refrigerant liquid junction line and a refrigeration gas junction line, a heat source side expansion valve, a cooler, and a first pressure detection mechanism. The heat source side expansion valve reduces the pressure of the refrigerant that is condensed in the heat source side heat exchanger and sent to the user side heat exchangers. The cooler cools the refrigerant that is condensed in the heat source side heat exchanger and sent to the user side heat exchangers. The first pressure detection mechanism detects the pressure of the refrigerant after the pressure thereof has been reduced by the heat source side expansion valve.

Abstract: Indoor circuits (60, 65) of indoor units (12, 13) are each connected in parallel to an outdoor circuit (20) of an outdoor unit (11). The outdoor circuit (20) has a gas vent pipe (35) by which a receiver (23) is brought into communication with suction sides of compressors (41, 42). During the heating operation in the heating mode of operation, a gas vent solenoid valve (36) is placed in the open state so that the receiver (23) decreases in pressure. This relaxes restrictions on the difference in installation height between each indoor unit of a multi type airconditioner having a plurality of indoor units.

Abstract: The present invention provides an oil equalizing circuit that can improve the reliability of the oil supply to the compression mechanisms in a refrigeration system provided with a plurality of compression mechanisms. The compressor group (11) of the air conditioning system (1) is equipped chiefly with first, second, and third compressors (21a to 21c) and an oil equalizing circuit (42).

Abstract: The present invention allows an optimal quantity of refrigerant to be quickly and easily charged into the refrigeration device. In a refrigeration device that includes a refrigerant cycle circuit (A) connecting an outdoor unit (X) and indoor units (Y) via refrigerant lines (6), (7), a refrigerant charging device (10) that charges refrigerant to the refrigerant cycle circuit (A) in the cooling operational state is detachably connected to the liquid side refrigerant line (6) (the high pressure liquid line during cooling operations) that links the outdoor unit (X) with the indoor units (Y). In this way, when the refrigerant charging device (10) and the liquid line refrigerant line (6) are linked together and the refrigerant cycle circuit (A) is in the cooling operational state, refrigerant charging can be carried out from the refrigerant charging device (10) to the refrigerant cycle circuit (A) via the liquid side refrigerant line (6) (the high pressure liquid line).

Abstract: Indoor circuits (60, 65) of indoor units (12, 13) are each connected in parallel to an outdoor circuit (20) of an outdoor unit (11). The outdoor circuit (20) has a gas vent pipe (35) by which a receiver (23) is brought into communication with suction sides of compressors (41, 42). During the heating operation in the heating mode of operation, a gas vent solenoid valve (36) is placed in the open state so that the receiver (23) decreases in pressure. This relaxes restrictions on the difference in installation height between each indoor unit of a multi type airconditioner having a plurality of indoor units.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an air conditioning system provided with an outdoor unit having a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor unit having an indoor heat exchanger, and a gaseous refrigerant pipe connecting the indoor heat exchanger to the compressor. The present invention serves to make it possible to run such an air conditioning system in cooling mode continuously even when the outside air temperature is low by preventing the indoor heat exchanger from freezing. The air conditioning system (1) is provided with one air-cooled outdoor unit (2) and a plurality of indoor units (3, 4, 5) connected in parallel to the outdoor unit (2). The indoor heat exchangers (23, 24, 25) and the compressor (11) are connected together by the gaseous refrigerant pipe (17). A pressure adjusting device (6) is installed in the gaseous refrigerant pipe (17).

Abstract: This invention makes it possible to charge a refrigeration apparatus with the amount of refrigerant that the refrigeration apparatus requires at the time of onsite installation. As a result, the optimum refrigerant charging amount can always be obtained. The refrigeration apparatus is provided with a refrigeration cycle (A) in which an outdoor unit (X) equipped with a compressor (1), a condenser (2), and a receiver (3) and an indoor unit (Y) equipped with an expansion valve (4) and an evaporator (5) are connected together by a liquid pipe (8) and a gas pipe (9). The refrigeration cycle (A) is charged with refrigerant while a refrigerant charging operation state is created in which the liquid pipe (8) connecting the outdoor unit (X) to the indoor unit (Y) is filled with liquid refrigerant having a prescribed density.