Air conditioning apparatus with improved ice storage therein

U.S. Patent Number: 5381671

Abstract: An air conditioning apparatus apparatus equipped with a cooling and heating cycle utilizing a refrigerant and equipped with an improved ice storage therein. The air conditioning apparatus includes a thermal storage tank for storing heat of refrigerant circulating in the cooling cycle; thermal storage refrigerant positioned parallel to an indoor heat exchanger; an auxiliary compressing unit provided in the thermal storage refrigerant pipe; an expansion unit for controlling expansion of the refrigerant. An method for the air conditioning apparatus. The method includes the steps of providing an auxiliary compressor; cooling a gaseous refrigerant from the auxiliary compressor; heat-exchanging the gaseous refrigerant; condensing the refrigerant; sending the condensed refrigerant to the indoor heat exchanger; evaporating the condensed refrigerant; and sending the evaporated refrigerant back to the auxiliary compressor.

Inventors: Saito; Kazuo (Kanagawa, JP), Sakuma; Tsutomu (Kanagawa, JP)

Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Kawasaki, JP)

Application Number: 08/091,029

Issued: 1995-01-17

Expired: 2007-01-17

Classes: 62/430 ; 62/510; 62/59

Field of search: 62/59,430,510

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