An air conditioner may include indoor and outdoor heat exchangers, wherein at least one of the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger includes: first and second heat exchange units respectively including a first plurality and a second plurality of heat transfer tubes through which a refrigerant is flowable, and a connection unit connecting the first and the second heat exchange units in series so that refrigerant flows through the first plurality of heat transfer tubes in a first direction, then through the connection unit and then through the second plurality of heat transfer tubes in a second direction opposite the first direction, and the refrigerant that flowed through at least one heat transfer tube of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes does not mix in the connection unit with the refrigerant that flowed through other heat transfer tubes of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
. An air conditioner comprising:
. The air conditioner of, wherein the connection unit connects the first heat exchange unit and the second heat exchange unit so that the refrigerant that flowed through each heat transfer tube of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes does not mix in the connection unit with the refrigerant that flowed through another heat transfer tube of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes.
. The air conditioner of, wherein the connection unit connects the first heat exchange unit and the second heat exchange unit so that a first refrigerant flow path length that the refrigerant travels through a first heat transfer tube of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes, then through the connection unit, and then through a first heat transfer tube of the second plurality of heat transfer tubes is almost equal to a second refrigerant flow path length that the refrigerant travels through a second heat transfer tube of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes, then through the connection unit, and then through a second heat transfer tube of the second plurality of heat transfer tubes.
. The air conditioner of, wherein
. The air conditioner of, wherein each connection flow path of the plurality of connection flow paths connects heat transfer tubes of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes and heat transfer tubes of the second plurality of heat transfer tubes based on heat transfer tube positions within the first heat exchange unit and the second heat exchange unit respectively, so that first heat transfer tube positions of heat transfer tubes of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes respectively correspond to second heat transfer tube positions of heat transfer tubes of the second plurality of heat transfer tubes.
. The air conditioner of, wherein
. The air conditioner of, wherein
. The air conditioner of, further comprising at least one dummy heat transfer tube, which is between the first heat exchange unit and the second heat exchange unit, and through which no refrigerant is flowable.
. The air conditioner of, wherein
. The air conditioner of, wherein a number of heat transfer tubes of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes, a number of heat transfer tubes of the second plurality of heat transfer tubes, and a number of vertical-connection flow paths are equal to one another.
. The air conditioner of, wherein
. The air conditioner of, wherein the plurality of vertical-connection flow paths connect the first plurality of heat transfer tubes to the second plurality of heat transfer tubes so that a first heat transfer tube of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes and a second heat transfer tube of the second plurality of heat transfer tubes are symmetric to each other in an up-and-down direction about a plane between the first heat exchange unit and the second heat exchange unit.
. The air conditioner of, wherein
Complete technical specification and implementation details from the patent document.
This is a continuation application, under 35 U.S.C. § 111(a), of International Application PCT/KR2025/000803, filed Jan. 14, 2025, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-043049, filed Mar. 19, 2024 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-212514, filed Dec. 5, 2024, in the Japanese Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entireties by reference.
The disclosure relates to an air conditioner including a heat exchanger.
A heat exchanger may include a plurality of heat transfer tubes arranged side-by-side in an up-and-down direction and a vertical-connection header connected to one-side ends of the plurality of heat transfer tubes. A refrigerant flowing through a plurality of heat transfer tubes arranged at the lower side (a first stage), among the plurality of heat transfer tubes, flows into a plurality of heat transfer tubes arranged at the upper side (a second stage), via the vertical-connection header. Such a type of heat exchanger is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-112581.
A vertical-connection header of such a heat exchanger includes a space communicating with a plurality of heat transfer tubes. A refrigerant supplied from a plurality of heat transfer tubes on an upstream side joins in a space in the vertical-connection header and then is divided and flows into a plurality of heat transfer tubes on a downstream side.
An air conditioner may include: an indoor heat exchanger, and an outdoor heat exchanger wherein at least one of the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger may include a first heat exchange unit including a first plurality of heat transfer tubes through which refrigerant is flowable, a second heat exchange unit including a second plurality of heat transfer tubes through which the refrigerant is flowable, and a connection unit connecting the first heat exchange unit and the second heat exchange unit to each other in series so that the refrigerant flows through the first plurality of heat transfer tubes in a first direction, then through the connection unit, and then through the second plurality of heat transfer tubes in a second direction opposite the first direction, and the refrigerant that flowed through at least one heat transfer tube of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes does not mix in the connection unit with the refrigerant that flowed through other heat transfer tubes of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes.
The connection unit may connect the first heat exchange unit and the second heat exchange unit so that the refrigerant that flowed through each heat transfer tube of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes does not mix in the connection unit with the refrigerant that flowed through another heat transfer tube of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes.
The connection unit may connect the first heat exchange unit and the second heat exchange unit so that a first refrigerant flow path length that the refrigerant travels through a first heat transfer tube of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes, then through the connection unit, and then through a first heat transfer tube of the second plurality of heat transfer tubes is almost equal to a second refrigerant flow path length that the refrigerant travels through a second heat transfer tube of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes, then through the connection unit, and then through a second heat transfer tube of the second plurality of heat transfer tubes.
The connection unit may include a plurality of connection flow paths, each connection flow path of the plurality of connection flow paths having a connection flow path length, the first plurality of heat transfer tubes, the second plurality of heat transfer tubes, and the plurality of connection flow paths may respectively correspond to one another, and each connection flow path of the plurality of connection flow paths may connect, to each other, a heat transfer tube of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes and a heat transfer tube of the second plurality of heat transfer tubes, and each connection flow path length of the plurality of connection flow paths may be almost equal.
Each connection flow path of the plurality of connection flow paths may connect heat transfer tubes of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes and heat transfer tubes of the second plurality of heat transfer tubes based on heat transfer tube positions within the first heat exchange unit and the second heat exchange unit respectively, so that first heat transfer tube positions of heat transfer tubes of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes respectively correspond to second heat transfer tube positions of heat transfer tubes of the second plurality of heat transfer tubes.
The connection unit may include a plurality of connection flow paths and each connection flow path of the plurality of connection flow paths may connect, to each other, a heat transfer tube of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes and a heat transfer tube of the second plurality of heat transfer tubes, the first plurality of heat transfer tubes, the second plurality of heat transfer tubes, and the plurality of connection flow paths may respectively correspond to one another, and each connection flow path of the plurality of connection flow paths may connect heat transfer tubes of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes and heat transfer tubes of the second plurality of heat transfer tubes based on heat transfer tube positions within the first heat exchange unit and the second heat exchange unit respectively, so that first heat transfer tube positions of heat transfer tubes of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes symmetrically correspond to second heat transfer tube positions of heat transfer tubes of the second plurality of heat transfer tubes.
A number of heat transfer tubes of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes may be equal to a number of heat transfer tubes of the second plurality of heat transfer tubes, and respective lengths of heat transfer tubes of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes and heat transfer tubes of the second plurality of heat transfer tubes may be almost equal.
The air conditioner may further include at least one dummy heat transfer tube, which may be between the first heat exchange unit and the second heat exchange unit, and through which no refrigerant is flowable.
The first plurality of heat transfer tubes may be arranged side-by-side in an up- and down direction, the second plurality of heat transfer tubes may be arranged side-by-side in the up- and down direction, the second heat exchange unit is adjacent to the first heat exchange unit in the up- and down direction, the connection unit may include a vertical-switching connection unit connecting downstream-side ends of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes to upstream-side ends of the second plurality of heat transfer tubes to introduce the refrigerant that flowed through the first plurality of heat transfer tubes into the second plurality of heat transfer tubes, and the vertical-switching connection unit may include a plurality of vertical-connection flow paths configured so that heat transfer tubes of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes may individually communicate with heat transfer tubes of the second plurality of heat transfer tubes.
A number of heat transfer tubes of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes, a number of heat transfer tubes of the second plurality of heat transfer tubes, and a number of vertical-connection flow paths may be equal to one another.
The plurality of vertical-connection flow paths may connect the first plurality of heat transfer tubes to the second plurality of heat transfer tubes so that a first heat transfer tube of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes and a second heat transfer tube of the second plurality of heat transfer tubes which may individually communicate may be located at a same position in an up-and-down direction within the first heat exchange unit and the second heat exchange unit respectively, and flow-path lengths of the plurality of vertical-connection flow paths may be almost equal.
The plurality of vertical-connection flow paths may connect the first plurality of heat transfer tubes to the second plurality of heat transfer tubes so that a first heat transfer tube of the first plurality of heat transfer tubes and a second heat transfer tube of the second plurality of heat transfer tubes may be symmetric to each other in an up-and-down direction about a plane between the first heat exchange unit and the second heat exchange unit.
The at least one of the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger may include: a third heat exchange unit which may include a third plurality of heat transfer tubes through which the refrigerant is flowable, which may be arranged side-by-side in an up-and-down direction, the third heat exchange unit may be arranged adjacent to the second heat exchange unit in a horizontal direction, the connection unit may include a horizontal-switching connection unit connecting downstream-side ends of the second plurality of heat transfer tubes to upstream-side ends of the third plurality of heat transfer tubes to introduce the refrigerant that flowed through the second plurality of heat transfer tubes into the third plurality of heat transfer tubes, and the horizontal-switching connection unit may include a plurality of horizontal-connection flow paths configured so that heat transfer tubes of the second plurality of heat transfer tubes may individually communicate with heat transfer tubes of the third plurality of heat transfer tubes.
The at least one of the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger may be an evaporator, the first heat exchange unit and the second heat exchange unit may be on a windward side of the evaporator, and the third heat exchange unit may be on a leeward side of the evaporator.
The at least one of the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger may be a condenser, the first heat exchange unit and the second heat exchange unit may be on a leeward side of the condenser, and the third heat exchange unit may be on a windward side of the condenser.
Various embodiments of the disclosure and terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features of the disclosure to specific embodiments and should be understood as including various modifications, equivalents, and substitutes thereof.
Regarding descriptions of the drawings, like or related components may be denoted by like reference numerals.
Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, a singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one item or a plurality of items.
As used herein, each of the phrases “A or B”, “at least one of A and B”, “at least one of A or B”, “A, B, or C”, “at least one of A, B, and C”, and “at least one of A, B, or C” may include one of the items listed in the corresponding one of the phrases, or all possible combinations of the items.
The term “and/or” used herein includes a combination of a plurality of related described components or any one of the plurality of related described components.
Although the terms such as “first”, “second” and the like may be used herein to describe various components, these terms may be used only to distinguish one component from another component and do not limit the components in other aspects (for example, importance or order).
When a component (for example, a first component) is referred to as being “coupled to (or with)” or “connected to (or with)” another component (for example, a second component) together with the term “functionally” or “communicably” or without such a term, this means that the component may be connected to the other component directly (for example, in a wired manner), wirelessly, or via a third component.
The terms such as “comprises”, “comprising”, “includes”, “including”, “has”, and “having”, when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.
When a component is referred to as being “connected to (or with)”, “coupled to (or with)”, “supported by”, or “in contact with” another component, the component may be directly connected to (or with), coupled to (or with), supported by, or in contact with the other component, or the component may also be indirectly connected to (or with), coupled to (or with), supported by, or in contact with the other component via a third component.
When a component is referred to as being placed “on” another component, the component may be directly placed on and contact the other component, or an intervening component(s) may also be present therebetween.
An air conditioner according to various embodiments of the disclosure refers to a device configured to perform at least one of functions, such as air purification, ventilation, humidity adjustment, cooling, and heating, in an air conditioning space (hereinafter, referred to as an “indoor space”).
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the air conditioner may include a heat pump device to perform a cooling function or a heating function. The heat pump device may include a refrigeration cycle, in which a refrigerant circulates along a compressor, a first heat exchanger, an expansion device, and a second heat exchanger. All components of the heat pump device may be embedded in one housing that forms the external appearance of the air conditioner, and a window-type air conditioner or a portable air conditioner corresponds to such an air conditioner. On the other hand, some components of the heat pump device may be separately embedded in a plurality of housings that form one air conditioner, and a wall-mounted air conditioner, a stand-type air conditioner, a system air conditioner, and the like are included in such an air conditioner.
The air conditioner including a plurality of housings may include at least one outdoor unit mounted outdoors and at least one indoor unit mounted indoors. For example, the air conditioner may be provided with a configuration in which one outdoor unit is connected to one indoor unit via a refrigerant tube. For example, the air conditioner may be provided with a configuration in which one outdoor unit is connected to two or more indoor units via a refrigerant tube. For example, the air conditioner may be provided with a configuration in which two or more outdoor units are connected to two or more indoor units via a plurality of refrigerant tubes.
The outdoor unit may be electrically connected to the indoor unit. For example, information (or a command) for controlling the air conditioner may be input via an input interface arranged on the outdoor unit or the indoor unit, and in response to a user input, the outdoor unit and the indoor unit may simultaneously or sequentially operate.
The air conditioner may include an outdoor heat exchanger arranged in the outdoor unit, an indoor heat exchanger arranged in the indoor unit, and a refrigerant tube connecting the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger to each other.
The outdoor heat exchanger may perform heat exchange between a refrigerant and outdoor air by using a phase change (for example, evaporation or condensation) of the refrigerant. For example, while the refrigerant is being condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger, the refrigerant may emit heat to the outdoor air, and while the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger is being evaporated, the refrigerant may absorb heat from the outdoor air.
The indoor unit is arranged indoors. For example, indoor units may be classified into ceiling-type indoor units, stand-type indoor units, wall-mounted indoor units, and the like, depending on arrangement methods of indoor units. For example, ceiling-type indoor units may be classified into 4-way indoor units, 1-way indoor units, duct-type indoor units, and the like, depending on ejection methods of air.
Likewise, the indoor heat exchanger may perform heat exchange between the refrigerant and indoor air by using a phase change (for example, evaporation or condensation) of the refrigerant. For example, while the refrigerant is being evaporated in the indoor unit, the refrigerant may absorb heat from the indoor air, and as the indoor air cooled through the indoor heat exchanger that is cooled is blown, an indoor space may be cooled. In addition, while the refrigerant is being condensed in the indoor heat exchanger, the refrigerant may emit heat to the indoor air, and as the indoor air heated through the indoor heat exchanger having high temperature is blown, the indoor space may be heated.
That is, the air conditioner performs a function of cooling or heating by a phase change process of the refrigerant circulating through the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger, and for such circulation of the refrigerant, the air conditioner may include a compressor configured to compress the refrigerant. The compressor may suck a refrigerant gas through a suction portion and may compress the refrigerant gas. The compressor may discharge the refrigerant gas having high temperature and high pressure through a discharge portion. The compressor may be arranged in the outdoor unit.
Via the refrigerant tube, the refrigerant may sequentially circulate through the compressor, the outdoor heat exchanger, the expansion device, and the indoor heat exchanger in the stated order or may sequentially circulate through the compressor, the indoor heat exchanger, the expansion device, and the outdoor heat exchanger in the stated order.
For example, in the air conditioner, when one outdoor unit is directly connected to one indoor unit via the refrigerant tube, the refrigerant may circulate between the one outdoor unit and the one indoor unit via the refrigerant tube.
For example, in the air conditioner, when one outdoor unit is connected to two or more indoor units via the refrigerant tube, the refrigerant may flow from the outdoor unit into a plurality of indoor units via a plurality of the refrigerant tubes that are branched. The refrigerant discharged from the plurality of indoor units may join to circulate to the outdoor unit. For example, each of the plurality of indoor units may be directly connected to one outdoor unit in parallel, via a separate refrigerant tube.
Each of the plurality of indoor units may independently operate according to an operation mode set by a user. That is, some of the plurality of indoor units may operate in a cooling mode, and simultaneously, the others may operate in a heating mode. Here, the refrigerant may flow into each indoor unit while being in a high-pressure or low-pressure state selectively according to a circulation path specified by a flow path switching valve that is described below, and then, may be ejected to circulate to the outdoor unit.
For example, in the air conditioner, when two or more outdoor units are connected to two or more indoor units via a plurality of refrigerant tubes, the refrigerant ejected from a plurality of outdoor units may join to flow through one refrigerant tube, and then, may be branched again at a certain point to flow into a plurality of indoor units.
Depending on an operational load according to the amount of operation of the plurality of indoor units, all of the plurality of outdoor units may operate, or at least some of the plurality of outdoor units may not operate. Here, the refrigerant may flow into an outdoor unit, which is selectively operated by the flow path switching valve, and may circulate. The air conditioner may include an expansion device to reduce the pressure of the refrigerant flowing into the heat exchanger. For example, the expansion device may be arranged in the indoor unit or in the outdoor unit or may be arranged in both the indoor unit and the outdoor unit.
The expansion device may reduce the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant by, for example, a throttling effect. The expansion device may include an orifice capable of reducing the cross-sectional area of a flow path. The refrigerant having passed through the orifice may have a reduced temperature and a reduced pressure.
The expansion device may be implemented by, for example, an electronic expansion valve capable of adjusting an opening ratio (a ratio of the cross-sectional area of a flow path of a valve in a partially open state with respect to the cross-sectional area of the flow path of the valve in a fully open state). The amount of the refrigerant passing through the expansion device may be controlled according to the opening ratio of the electronic expansion valve.
The air conditioner may further include a flow path switching valve arranged on a refrigerant-circulating flow path. The flow path switching valve may include, for example, a 4-way valve. The flow path switching valve may determine a circulation path of the refrigerant according to an operation mode (for example, a cooling operation or a heating operation) of the indoor unit. The flow path switching valve may be connected to the discharge portion of the compressor.
The air conditioner may include an accumulator. The accumulator may be connected to the suction portion of the compressor. The low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant, which is evaporated in the indoor heat exchanger or the outdoor heat exchanger, may flow into the accumulator.
When the refrigerant, in which a refrigerant liquid and a refrigerant gas are mixed, flows into the accumulator, the accumulator may separate the refrigerant liquid from the refrigerant gas and may provide, to the compressor, the refrigerant gas from which the refrigerant liquid is separated.
An outdoor fan may be arranged in the vicinity of the outdoor heat exchanger. The outdoor fan may blow outdoor air to the outdoor heat exchanger to accelerate heat exchange between the refrigerant and the outdoor air.
Unknown
September 25, 2025
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