Heat pump including auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger acting as defroster and sub-cooler
The invention discloses a heat pump including an indoor heat exchanger, a main outdoor heat exchanger and an auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger provided underneath the main outdoor heat exchanger and connected between the indoor and main outdoor heat exchangers in a closed refrigerant flow circuit. The refrigerant flow circuit includes a compressor and a reversal valve which can be adjusted (1) during cooling operation to direct the hot compressed gaseous refrigerant from the compressor to the main outdoor heat exchanger and thence to the auxiliary heat exchanger acting as a sub-cooler into the indoor heat exchanger for extracting heat from air of the interior of a building and (2) during heating operation to direct the hot compressed gaseous refrigerant to the indoor heat exchanger to supply heat to the indoor air and then to the auxiliary heat exchanger now acting as a defroster for melting a block of ice which may have accumulated under the main outdoor heat exchanger and into the main outdoor heat exchanges. 9 claims.
- Assignee:
- Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4171622
- OSTI ID:
- 5713553
- Resource Relation:
- Patent Priority Date: Priority date 29 Jul 1976, Japan
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Heat pump system with hot water defrost
Shortening the defrost cycle time with active enhancement within the suction-line accumulator of an air-source heat pump