Outdoor unit of air conditioner and control device for the outdoor unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10006646-B2
Application number	US-201615085143-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2016
Priority date	Apr 30, 2015
Publication date	Jun 26, 2018
Grant date	Jun 26, 2018

Abstract

An outdoor unit of an air conditioner is provided. The outdoor unit may include a compressor for compressing a refrigerant; a condenser for condensing the refrigerant discharged from the compressor; a control device for containing electronic parts to control the outdoor unit; and a cooling unit in contact with a heat generating part of the electronic parts to cool the heat generating part, wherein the cooling unit comprises a first heat radiation member installed to be in contact with the heat generating part; a refrigerant pipe extending through the first heat radiation member and enabling a refrigerant to flow through the refrigerant pipe; and a second heat radiation member coupled with the first heat radiation member for heat transfer and installed to be in contact with air flowing into the control device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner comprising:
a compressor to compress a refrigerant;
a condenser to condense the refrigerant discharged from the compressor;
a control device including:
a case, and
an electronic part within the case to control the outdoor unit; and

a cooling unit comprising:
a first heat radiation member installed to be in contact with the electronic part,
a refrigerant pipe which extends through the first heat radiation member and which enables the refrigerant to flow through the refrigerant pipe, and
a second heat radiation member coupled with the first heat radiation member to transfer heat from the first heat radiation member, and in contact with air outside the case, thereby to cool the electronic part.

2. The outdoor unit of claim 1 , wherein:
the first heat radiation member comprises:
a body frame arranged on an outer side of the case and coupled with the case, and
a contact part arranged on a side of the body frame and bored through the case to be in contact with the electronic part.

3. The outdoor unit of claim 2 , wherein:
the body frame has a plurality of sides, and
the second heat radiation member is formed on one of the plurality the sides of the body frame except for a side of the body frame on which the contact part is formed.

4. The outdoor unit of claim 2 , wherein the refrigerant pipe extends through the body frame.

5. The outdoor unit of claim 2 , wherein the body frame, the refrigerant pipe, and the second heat radiation member are coated.

6. The outdoor unit of claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant pipe enables the refrigerant flowing out of the condenser to flow through the inside of the refrigerant pipe.

7. The outdoor unit of claim 1 , wherein the first heat radiation member includes aluminum or the second heat radiation member includes aluminum.

8. The outdoor unit of claim 1 , further comprising:
an expansion valve to expand the refrigerant condensed by the condenser,
wherein the refrigerant pipe enables the refrigerant flowing out of the expansion valve to flow through the inside of the refrigerant pipe.

9. The outdoor unit of claim 1 , wherein the first heat radiation member is manufactured in a die casting process of injecting a molten metal into a mold with the refrigerant pipe located inside the mold.

10. A control device comprising:
a case;
an electronic part arranged inside the case to control an outdoor unit of an air conditioner; and
a cooling unit comprising:
a first heat radiation member installed to be in contact with the electronic part,
a refrigerant pipe which extends through the first heat radiation member and which enables a refrigerant to flow through the refrigerant pipe, and
a second heat radiation member which extends from one side of the first heat radiation member to an outer side of the case to be in contact with air outside the case.

11. The control device of claim 10 , wherein:
the first heat radiation member comprises:
a body frame arranged on an outer side of the case and coupled with the case; and
a contact part arranged on one side of the body frame and bored through the case to be in contact with the electronic part, and

the second heat radiation member is arranged on another side of the body frame.

12. The control device of claim 11 , wherein the refrigerant pipe has an area surrounded by the body frame.

13. The control device of claim 11 , wherein the body frame, the refrigerant pipe, and the second heat radiation member are coated.

14. The control device of claim 10 , wherein the refrigerant pipe enables the refrigerant flowing out of a condenser included in the air conditioner to flow through the inside of the refrigerant pipe.

15. The control device of claim 10 , wherein the refrigerant pipe enables the refrigerant flowing out of an expansion valve included in the air conditioner to flow through the inside of the refrigerant pipe.

16. The control device of claim 10 , wherein the first heat radiation member includes aluminum or second heat radiation member includes aluminum.

17. The control device of claim 10 , wherein the first heat radiation member is manufactured in a die casting process of injecting a molten metal into a mold with the refrigerant pipe located inside the mold.

18. A control device configured to be installed in an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, the control device comprising:
an electronic part mounted to an inner wall of a case and configured to control the outdoor unit of the air conditioner;
a cooling unit detachably mounted to an outer side of the case and bored through the case to contact with the electronic part, the cooling unit comprising:
a first heat radiation member installed to be in contact with the electronic part,
a refrigerant pipe which extends through the first heat radiation member which is configured to receive a refrigerant, and
a second heat radiation member which extends from one side of the first heat radiation member to the outer side of the case, so that the cooling unit cools the electronic part while the electronic part is operating.

19. The control device of claim 18 , wherein the refrigerant is a high pressure liquid refrigerant, which is received from a condenser of the outdoor unit.

20. The control device of claim 18 , wherein the refrigerant is a low pressure liquid refrigerant, which is received from an expansion valve of the outdoor unit.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Kyung Hoon
• Kim Kyo Seung
• Kim Tae Il
• Baek Ji-Ho
• Jang Youn Sang
• Choi Sun-Muk
• Choi Seung Kwan
• Kim Sung Goo

Classifications

• F24F1/16

  Arrangement or mounting thereof · CPC title

• F24F1/24 Primary

  Cooling of electric components · CPC title

• B22D21/007

  with low melting point, e.g. Al 659 degrees C, Mg 650 degrees C · CPC title

• F28F3/12

  Elements constructed in the shape of a hollow panel, e.g. with channels {(F28D1/02, F28D1/03 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B22D19/0072

  for making objects with integrated channels · CPC title