Outdoor device for an air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10041705-B2
Application number	US-201514935089-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2015
Priority date	Dec 17, 2014
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

An outdoor device for an air conditioner is provided that may include a compressor that compresses a refrigerant, a condenser that condenses the refrigerant compressed in the compressor, an expansion device that decompresses the refrigerant condensed in the condenser, an evaporator that evaporates the refrigerant decompressed in the expansion device, and a refrigerant storage that bypasses at least a portion of the refrigerant condensed in the condenser to store the bypassed refrigerant therein. The refrigerant storage may include a first storage that stores the bypassed refrigerant, and a second storage in which the refrigerant passing through the evaporator is introduced. The second storage may discharge a gaseous refrigerant of the introduced refrigerant to the compressor. The first storage may be provided above the second storage to supply the refrigerant stored therein into the second storage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An outdoor device for an air conditioner, comprising:
a compressor that compresses a refrigerant;
a condenser that condenses the refrigerant compressed in the compressor;
an expansion device that decompresses the refrigerant condensed in the condenser;
an evaporator that evaporates the refrigerant decompressed in the expansion device;
a refrigerant storage that bypasses at least a portion of the refrigerant condensed in the condenser to store the bypassed refrigerant therein, wherein the refrigerant storage includes:
a case;
a receiver that is formed within the case and stores the bypassed refrigerant;
a gas/liquid separator provided under the receiver and into which the refrigerant passing through the evaporator is introduced, a capacity of the gas/liquid separator being greater than a capacity of the receiver;
a partition plate provided between the receiver and the gas/liquid separator to separate the receiver from the gas/liquid separator;
a receiver outlet tube that extends from the receiver to the gas/liquid separator downward to guide a flow of the refrigerant stored in the receiver into the gas/liquid separator;
a liquid discharge port provided in a lower portion of the receiver and to which a first portion of the receiver outlet tube is coupled;
a liquid inflow port provided in an upper portion of the gas/liquid separator and to which a second portion of the receiver outlet tube is coupled; and
a receiver outlet valve installed on the receiver outlet tube to adjust an amount of the refrigerant discharged from the receiver.

2. The outdoor device according to claim 1 , wherein the case includes a first case that defines the receiver and a second case that defines the gas/liquid separator, and wherein the first and second cases are integrated with each other.

3. The outdoor device according to claim 2 , further including:
a suction tube provided in the second case to guide the refrigerant of the gas/liquid separator to the compressor; and
a lower cover provided on a lower portion of the second case, wherein the lower cover includes a discharge port to which the suction tube is connected.

4. The outdoor device according to claim 3 , wherein the suction tube includes:
a first tube provided inside of the second case to extend in an upward direction such that an end thereof is adjacent the partition plate; and
a second tube provided outside of the second case to extend to be bent in the upward direction from the lower cover.

5. The outdoor device according to claim 4 , wherein the end of the first tube is an inflow end provided at an upper portion of the gas/liquid separator to introduce the refrigerant stored in the gas/liquid separator therein.

6. The outdoor device according to claim 5 , wherein the inflow end extends at an incline at a predetermined angle with respect to the lower cover.

7. The outdoor device according to claim 3 , further including:
an oil discharge port provided on the lower cover to discharge oil stored in the gas/liquid separator;
an oil return tube that extends from the oil discharge port to the suction tube; and
an oil valve provided in the oil return tube to adjust a flow rate of oil.

8. The outdoor device according to claim 2 , wherein the receiver outlet tube includes an outer tube provided outside of the gas/liquid separator and an inner tube that extends from the outer tube and provided inside of the gas/liquid separator, and wherein the inner tube is bent in a direction away from the suction tube.

9. The outdoor device according to claim 1 , further including:
a first supercooler that supercools the refrigerant condensed in the condenser;
a receiver inlet tube that guides the refrigerant passing through the first supercooler into the receiver; and
a receiver inlet valve provided in the receiver inlet tube.

10. An air conditioner including the outdoor device according to claim 1 .

11. A refrigerant storage for an outdoor device for an air conditioner, the refrigerant storage bypassing at least a portion of a refrigerant condensed in a condenser to store the bypassed refrigerant therein and comprising:
a case;
a receiver that is formed within the case and stores the bypassed refrigerant;
a gas/liquid separator provided under the receiver and into which the refrigerant passing through an evaporator is introduced, a capacity of the gas/liquid separator being greater than a capacity of the receiver;
a partition plate provided between the receiver and the gas/liquid separator to separate the receiver from the gas/liquid separator,
a receiver outlet tube that extends from the receiver to the gas/liquid separator downward to guide a flow of the refrigerant stored in the receiver into the gas/liquid separator;
a liquid discharge port provided in a lower portion of the receiver and to which a first portion of the receiver outlet tube is coupled;
a liquid inflow port provided in an upper portion of the gas/liquid separator and to which a second portion of the receiver outlet tube is coupled; and
a receiver outlet valve installed on the receiver outlet tube to adjust an amount of refrigerant discharged from the receiver.

12. The refrigerant storage according to claim 11 , wherein the case includes a first case that defines the receiver and a second case that defines the gas/liquid separator, and wherein the first and second cases are integrated with each other.

13. The refrigerant storage according to claim 12 , further including:
a suction tube provided in the second case to guide the refrigerant of the gas/liquid separator to the compressor; and
a lower cover provided on a lower portion of the second case, wherein the lower cover includes a discharge port to which the suction tube is connected.

14. The refrigerant storage according to claim 13 , wherein the suction tube includes:
a first tube provided inside of the second case to extend in an upward direction such that an end thereof is adjacent the partition plate; and
a second tube provided outside of the second case to extend to be bent in the upward direction from the lower cover, wherein the end of the first tube is an inflow end provided at an upper portion of the gas/liquid separator to introduce the refrigerant stored in the gas/liquid separator therein, and wherein the inflow end extends at an incline at a predetermined angle with respect to the lower cover.

15. The refrigerant storage according to claim 13 , further including:
an oil discharge port provided on the lower cover to discharge oil stored in the gas/liquid separator;
an oil return tube that extends from the oil discharge port to the suction tube; and
an oil valve provided in the oil return tube to adjust a flow rate of oil.

16. The refrigerant storage according to claim 13 , wherein the outlet tube includes an outer tube provided outside of the gas/liquid separator and an inner tube that extends from the outer tube and provided inside of the gas/liquid separator, and wherein the inner tube is bent in a direction away from the suction tube.

17. The refrigerant storage according to claim 11 , further including:
an inlet tube configured to guide refrigerant passing through a first supercooler into the receiver; and
an inlet valve provided in the inlet tube.

18. An air conditioner including the refrigerant storage according to claim 11 .

19. The outdoor device according to claim 6 , wherein the predetermined angle may range from about 20° to about 40°.

20. The refrigerant storage according to

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jeung Jonghwan
• Lee Hoki
• Kwon Sangyoung

Classifications

• F25B43/006

  Accumulators · CPC title

• F25B2313/02742

  using two four-way valves · CPC title

• F25B2313/0253

  in parallel arrangements · CPC title

• F25B2400/04

  Refrigeration circuit bypassing means · CPC title

• F25B2313/001

  with two or more accumulators · CPC title