Air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11608539-B2
Application number	US-201816493734-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2018
Priority date	Mar 13, 2017
Publication date	Mar 21, 2023
Grant date	Mar 21, 2023

Abstract

The present invention relates to an air conditioner. The air conditioner according to the present embodiment has a refrigeration capacity of 7 kW to 11 kW, inclusive, and uses a refrigerant R32 as a refrigerant, and since a refrigerant pipe therein is made of a ductile stainless steel material having 1% or less of a delta-ferrite matrix structure with respect to the grain size area thereof, and includes a suction pipe guiding the suction of the refrigerant into a compressor and having an outer diameter of 15.88 mm, the refrigerant pipe can maintain strength and hardness as good as or better than those of a copper pipe, while also maintaining good processability.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air conditioner comprising:
an outdoor unit comprising a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, and an expansion valve, wherein a refrigerant is circulated by a refrigerant pipe configured to connect the compressor, the outdoor heat exchanger, and the expansion valve to each other;
an indoor unit comprising an indoor heat exchanger; and
a connection pipe configured to connect the outdoor unit to the indoor unit,
wherein the air conditioner has refrigeration capacity of 7 kW to 11 kw, an R32 is used as the refrigerant,
the refrigerant pipe is made of a ductile stainless steel material having an austenite matrix structure of 99% or more and a delta ferrite matrix structure of 1% or less on the basis of a grain area, and
the refrigerant pipe comprises a suction pipe that guides suction of the refrigerant into the compressor and has an outer diameter of 12.70 mm,
wherein an average grain diameter of the austenite matrix structure is 30 μm to 60 μm, and
wherein the ductile stainless steel material comprises: percent by weight, C: 0 to 0.03%, Si: 0 to 1.7%, Mn: 1.5 to 3.5%, Cr: 15.0 to 18.0%, Ni: 7.0 to 9.0%, Cu: 1.0 to 4.0%, Mo: 0 to 0.03%, P: 0 to 0.04%, S: 0 to 0.04% and N: 0 to 0.03%.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , further comprising a discharge pipe that guides discharge of the refrigerant compressed in the compressor and has an outer diameter of 7.94 mm.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 2 , wherein the suction pipe has an inner diameter of 11.98 mm, and the discharge pipe has an inner diameter of 7.46 mm.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , further comprising a discharge pipe that guides discharge of the refrigerant compressed in the compressor and has an outer diameter of 9.52 mm.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 4 , wherein the suction pipe has an inner diameter of 11.98 mm, and the discharge pipe has an inner diameter of 8.96 mm.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , further comprising a discharge pipe that guides discharge of the refrigerant compressed in the compressor and has an outer diameter of 12.70 mm.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 6 , wherein the suction pipe has an inner diameter of 11.98 mm, and the discharge pipe has an inner diameter of 11.98 mm.

8. An air conditioner comprising:
an outdoor unit comprising a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, and an expansion valve, wherein a refrigerant is circulated by a refrigerant pipe configured to connect the compressor, the outdoor heat exchanger, and the expansion valve to each other; and
an indoor unit comprising an indoor heat exchanger,
wherein the outdoor unit and the indoor unit are connected to each other by a connection pipe,
the air conditioner has refrigeration capacity of 7 kW to 11 kw,
an R32 is used as the refrigerant,
the refrigerant pipe is made of a ductile stainless steel material having an austenite matrix structure of 99% or more and a delta ferrite matrix structure of 1% or less on the basis of a grain area, and
the refrigerant pipe comprises a suction pipe that guides suction of the refrigerant into the compressor and has an outer diameter of 15.88 mm,
wherein an average grain diameter of the austenite matrix structure is 30 μm to 60 μm, and
wherein the ductile stainless steel material comprises: percent by weight, C: 0 to 0.03%, Si: 0 to 1.7%, Mn: 1.5 to 3.5%, Cr: 15.0 to 18.0%, Ni: 7.0 to 9.0%, Cu: 1.0 to 4.0%, Mo: 0 to 0.03%, P: 0 to 0.04%, S: 0 to 0.04% and N: 0 to 0.03%.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 8 , further comprising a discharge pipe that guides discharge of the refrigerant compressed in the compressor and has an outer diameter of 7.94 mm.

10. The air conditioner according to claim 9 , wherein the suction pipe has an inner diameter of 14.98 mm, and the discharge pipe has an inner diameter of 7.46 mm.

11. The air conditioner according to claim 8 , further comprising a discharge pipe that guides discharge of the refrigerant compressed in the compressor and has an outer diameter of 9.52 mm.

12. The air conditioner according to claim 11 , wherein the suction pipe has an inner diameter of 14.98 mm, and the discharge pipe has an inner diameter of 8.96 mm.

13. The air conditioner according to claim 8 , further comprising a discharge pipe that guides discharge of the refrigerant compressed in the compressor and has an outer diameter of 12.70 mm.

14. The air conditioner according to claim 13 , wherein the suction pipe has an inner diameter of 14.98 mm, and the discharge pipe has an inner diameter of 11.98 mm.

15. An air conditioner comprising:
an outdoor unit comprising a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, and an expansion valve, wherein a refrigerant is circulated by a refrigerant pipe configured to connect the compressor, the outdoor heat exchanger, and the expansion valve to each other; and
an indoor unit comprising an indoor heat exchanger,
wherein the outdoor unit and the indoor unit are connected to each other by a connection pipe,
the air conditioner has refrigeration capacity of 7 kW to 11 kw,
an R32 is used as the refrigerant,
the refrigerant pipe is made of a ductile stainless steel material having an austenite matrix structure of 99% or more and a delta ferrite matrix structure of 1% or less on the basis of a grain area, and
the refrigerant pipe comprises a suction pipe that guides suction of the refrigerant into the compressor and has an outer diameter of 19.05 mm,
wherein an average grain diameter of the austenite matrix structure is 30 μm to 60 μm, and
wherein the ductile stainless steel material comprises: percent by weight, C: 0 to 0.03%, Si: 0 to 1.7%, Mn: 1.5 to 3.5%, Cr: 15.0 to 18.0%, Ni: 7.0 to 9.0%, Cu: 1.0 to 4.0%, Mo: 0 to 0.03%, P: 0 to 0.04%, S: 0 to 0.04% and N: 0 to 0.03%.

16. The air conditioner according to claim 15 , further comprising a discharge pipe that guides discharge of the refrigerant compressed in the compressor and has an outer, diameter of 7.94 mm.

17. The air conditioner according to claim 16 , wherein the suction pipe has an inner diameter of 17.99 mm, and the discharge pipe has an inner diameter of 7.46 mm.

18. The air conditioner according to claim 15 , further comprising a discharge pipe that guides discharge of the refrigerant compressed in the compressor and has an outer diameter of 9.52 mm.

19. The air conditioner according to claim 18 , wherein the suction pipe has an inner diameter of 17.99 mm, and the discharge pipe has an inner diameter of 8.96 mm.

20. The air conditioner according to claim 15 , further comprising a discharge pipe that guides discharge of the refrigerant compressed in the compressor and has an outer diameter of 12.70 mm.

21. The air conditioner according to claim 20 , wherein the suction pipe has an inner diameter of 17.99 mm, and the discharge pipe has an inner diameter of 11.98 mm.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Hong Seokpyo

Classifications

• C21D8/10

  during manufacturing of tubular bodies · CPC title

• B23K9/0253

  for the longitudinal seam of tubes · CPC title

• B23K11/16

  taking account of the properties of the material to be welded · CPC title

• F25B41/42

  Arrangements for diverging or converging flows, e.g. branch lines or junctions · CPC title

• C21D9/08 Primary

  for tubular bodies or pipes · CPC title