Outdoor unit for air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10465922-B2
Application number	US-201615153366-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2016
Priority date	Aug 25, 2015
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

An outdoor unit for an air conditioner is provided. The outdoor unit includes a base disposed on lower portions of suction panels, the base having two long sides and two short sides, legs respectively disposed on lower portions of the two long sides of the base, a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger disposed on an upper portion of the base, a refrigerant tube connecting the compressor and the outdoor heat exchanger to each other, a plurality of service valve assemblies connected to the refrigerant tube, and a plurality of connection tubes respectively connected to the plurality of service valve assemblies to extend downward from the base. The plurality of connection tubes are aligned at a first alignment position at which they extend toward the front of the base or a second alignment position at which they extend toward a side of the base.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An outdoor unit for an air conditioner, comprising:
a base;
a plurality of suction panels provided on the base, the plurality of suction panels forming a front surface, a right side surface, a left side surface, and a rear surface of the outdoor unit;
a compressor to compress a refrigerant;
a heat exchanger to heat exchange the refrigerant;
a plurality of refrigerant tubes connected to the compressor and the heat exchanger, the plurality of refrigerant tubes comprising a liquid tube for passing liquid refrigerant, a low-pressure gas tube and a high-pressure gas tube for passing gas refrigerant;
a plurality of service valve assemblies respectively connected to the plurality of refrigerant tubes;
a plurality of connection tubes respectively connected to the plurality of service valve assemblies, the plurality of connection tubes extending to bend under the base, the plurality of connection tubes comprising a first connection tube connected to the liquid tube, a second connection tube connected to the low-pressure gas tube, and a third connection tube connected to the high-pressure gas tube; and
a plurality of legs respectively disposed at opposite sides of a bottom of the base, the plurality of legs including a hole through which the first to the third connection tubes are exposed,
wherein each of the first to the third connection tubes comprises:
a first tube part extending in a first direction, the first tube part including a first end defined as an expansion part at one-side end;
a first bending part located at the other-side end of the first tube part and bent to change an extending direction of the first tube part toward a second direction; and
a second tube part extending in the second direction from the first bending part,
wherein the first connection tube comprises a second bending part bent to change the extending direction of the second tube part toward a third direction and a third tube part extending in the third direction from the second bending part,
wherein the first to the third connection tubes are arranged in a first alignment in which the third tube part, the second tube part of the second connection tube and the second tube part of the third connection tube are exposed at a same height through the hole or in a second alignment in which the first tube parts of the first to the third connection tubes are exposed at different height through a space between the legs, and
wherein the first to the third connection tubes in the second alignment are connected to the plurality of service valve assemblies by reversing the first to the third connection tubes in the first alignment.

2. The outdoor unit of claim 1 , wherein the first alignment is a position at which the plurality of connection tubes are bent toward the front of the base from the plurality of service valve assemblies to be aligned in a lateral direction.

3. The outdoor unit of claim 1 , wherein the second alignment is a position at which the plurality of connection tubes are bent toward a lateral side of the base from the plurality of service valve assemblies to extend at different heights from each other.

4. The outdoor unit of claim 1 ,
wherein the base includes a first and a second side respectively corresponding to the front and rear surfaces of the plurality of suction panels, and a third and a fourth side respectively corresponding to the right and left side surfaces of the suction panels.

5. The outdoor unit of claim 1 , wherein the third direction of the third tube part is the same direction as the second direction of the second connection tube and the third connection tube.

6. The outdoor unit of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of service valve assemblies comprise:
a first valve assembly connected to the liquid tube;
a second valve assembly connected to the low-pressure gas tube; and
a third valve assembly connected to the high-pressure gas tube.

7. The outdoor unit of claim 6 , wherein the first connection tube extends from the first valve assembly, wherein the second connection tube extends from the second assembly, and wherein the third connection tube extends from the third assembly.

8. The outdoor unit of claim 1 , wherein the third tube part, the second tube part of the second connection tube, and the second tube part of the third connection tube include a second end defined as an extension part at each extending end.

9. The outdoor unit of claim 8 , wherein the first connection tube is formed such that a first distance (L 1 ) from the first end to the first bending part is longer than a second distance (L 2 ) from the second end to the first bending part.

10. The outdoor unit of claim 9 , wherein the second connection tube is formed such that a third distance (L 3 ) from the first end to the first bending part is longer than the first distance and the second distance (L 1 and L 2 ), and
wherein the second connection tube is formed such that a fourth distance (L 4 ) from the second end to the first bending part is smaller than the first distance and the second distance (L 1 and L 2 ).

11. The outdoor unit of claim 10 , wherein the third connecting tube is formed such that a distance (L 5 ) from the first end to the first bending part is smaller than the third distance (L 3 ) and longer than the fourth distance (L 4 ), and
wherein the third connecting tube is formed such that a distance (L 6 ) from the second end to the first bending part is smaller than the first distance, the second distance, the third distance or the fourth distance (L 1 , L 2 , L 3 or L 4 ).

12. The outdoor unit of claim 1 , further comprising a fourth connection tube connected to the third connection tube,
wherein the fourth connection tube extends to a lateral side of the base from the third connection tube at the second alignment.

13. The outdoor unit of claim 1 , further comprising:
a heat insulator provided on the base, the heat insulator having insertion holes through which the plurality of connection tubes pass, respectively.

14. The outdoor unit of claim 1 , further comprising:
a line bracket provided at a side of the heat insulator, the line bracket having a plurality of holes through which power lines or communication lines pass.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lim Hyunjun
• Lee Hoki
• Jeung Jonghwan

Classifications

• F24F1/32 Primary

  for connecting the separate outdoor units to indoor units · CPC title

• F24F1/50

  with outlet air in upward direction · CPC title

• F24F1/16

  Arrangement or mounting thereof · CPC title

• F24F1/10 Primary

  Arrangement or mounting thereof · CPC title

• F24F1/28 Primary

  for connecting several separate outdoor units · CPC title