Outdoor unit of air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12429232-B2
Application number	US-202318378341-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2023
Priority date	Jul 13, 2023
Publication date	Sep 30, 2025
Grant date	Sep 30, 2025

Abstract

An outdoor unit of an air conditioner includes a base panel having first inlet and outlet holes; a compressor; a tank storing water exchanging heat with refrigerant discharged from the compressor; a pump supplying the water to the tank; a vertical panel having second inlet and outlet holes; a deaerator removing gas contained in the heat-exchanged water flowing from the tank; and pipes connected to the tank, the pump, and the deaerator, the pipes including a first pipe connected to an inlet of the pump; a second pipe connecting an outlet of the pump and the tank; a third pipe connecting that tank and an inlet of the deaerator; and a fourth pipe connected to an outlet of the deaerator; and the first pipe and the fourth being connectable to the inlet and outlet holes of either the vertical panel or the base panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner, the outdoor unit comprising:
a base panel placed on an installation surface having a first inlet hole and a first outlet hole;
a compressor;
a tank through which refrigerant discharged from the compressor and a liquid exchanging heat with the refrigerant flow;
pipes connected to the tank;
a pump that supplies the liquid to the tank;
a vertical panel defining at least one of a side surface or a rear surface of the outdoor unit and having a second inlet hole and a second outlet hole; and
a deaerator that removes air bubbles contained in the liquid,
wherein the pipes include:
a first pipe connected to an inlet of the pump;
a second pipe connecting an outlet of the pump and an inlet of the tank;
a third pipe connecting an outlet of the tank and an inlet of the deaerator; and
a fourth pipe connected to an outlet of the deaerator; and

wherein the first pipe and the fourth pipe are configured to be selectively connected to the second inlet hole and the second outlet hole of the vertical panel in a horizontal direction, or to the first inlet hole and the first outlet hole of the base panel in a vertical direction.

2. The outdoor unit of claim 1 , further comprising:
an inlet connector connected to the first pipe; and
an outlet connector connected to the fourth pipe.

3. The outdoor unit of claim 2 , wherein the inlet connector and the outlet connector are mounted in the first inlet hole and the first outlet hole of the base panel, respectively, when the first pipe and the fourth pipe are connected at the base panel.

4. The outdoor unit of claim 1 , wherein the inlet connector and the outlet connector are mounted in the second inlet hole and the second outlet hole of the vertical panel, respectively, when the first pipe and the fourth pipe are connected at the vertical panel.

5. The outdoor unit of claim 4 , further comprising:
a support panel erected on an edge of the base panel and at an inner side of the vertical panel to support the inlet connector and the outlet connector.

6. The outdoor unit of claim 5 , wherein the support panel includes at least one of a seating groove or a seating hole to receive each of the inlet connector and the outlet connector.

7. The outdoor unit of claim 1 , wherein the first pipe and the fourth pipe include flexible sections such that first ends the first pipe and the fourth pipe are selectively connectable at either one of the vertical panel or the base panel when second ends of the first pipe and the fourth pipe are respectively connected to the inlet of the pump and the outlet of the deaerator.

8. The outdoor unit of claim 1 , wherein shapes of the first pipe and the fourth pipe when connected at the vertical panel are different from the shapes of the first pipe and the fourth pipe when connected at the base panel.

9. The outdoor unit of claim 1 , wherein the vertical panel includes at least one of:
a side cover forming at least a portion of the side surface of the outdoor unit; or
a back cover forming at least a portion of the rear surface of the outdoor unit.

10. The outdoor unit of claim 1 , wherein the compressor is placed on the base panel.

11. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner, the outdoor unit comprising:
a compressor;
a tank through which refrigerant discharged from the compressor and a liquid exchanging heat with the refrigerant flow;
pipes connected to the tank;
a pump that supplies the liquid to the tank;
a deaerator that removes air bubbles contained in the liquid; and
a housing having a horizontal bottom surface placed on an installation surface and a vertical surface extending upward from the bottom surface, the bottom surface including a first inlet hole and a first outlet hole, and the vertical surface including a second inlet hole and a second outlet hole provided above first inlet hole,
wherein the pipes include:
a first pipe connected to an inlet of the pump;
a second pipe connecting an outlet of the pump and an inlet of the tank;
a third pipe connecting an outlet of the tank and an inlet of the deaerator; and
a fourth pipe connected to an outlet of the deaerator; and

wherein the first pipe and the fourth pipe are configured to be selectively connected to the second inlet hole and the second outlet hole of the vertical surface in a horizontal direction, or to the first inlet hole and the first outlet hole of the bottom surface in a vertical direction.

12. The outdoor unit of claim 11 , further comprising:
an inlet connector connected to the first pipe; and
an outlet connector connected to the fourth pipe.

13. The outdoor unit of claim 12 , wherein the inlet connector and the outlet connector are mounted in the first inlet hole and the first outlet hole, respectively, when the first pipe and the fourth pipe are connected through the first inlet hole and the first outlet hole.

14. The outdoor unit of claim 11 , wherein the inlet connector and the outlet connector are mounted in the second inlet hole and the second outlet hole, respectively, when the first pipe and the fourth pipe are connected at the second inlet hole and the second outlet hole.

15. The outdoor unit of claim 14 , further comprising:
a support panel erected at an inner vertical surface of the housing to support the inlet connector and the outlet connector.

16. The outdoor unit of claim 15 , wherein the support panel includes at least one of a seating groove or a seating hole to receive each of the inlet connector and the outlet connector.

17. The outdoor unit of claim 11 , wherein the first pipe and the fourth pipe include flexible sections such that first ends the first pipe and the fourth pipe are selectively connectable either to the first inlet hole and the first outlet hole or to the second inlet hole and the second outlet hole when second ends of the first pipe and the fourth pipe are respectively connected to the inlet of the pump and the outlet of the deaerator.

18. The outdoor unit of claim 11 , wherein shapes of the first pipe and the fourth pipe when connected at the first inlet hole and the first outlet hole are different from the shapes of the first pipe and the fourth pipe when connected at the second inlet hole and the second outlet hole.

19. The outdoor unit of claim 11 , wherein the vertical surface includes at least one of:
a side cover forming at least a portion of a side surface of the outdoor unit; or
a back cover forming at least a portion of a rear surface of the outdoor unit.

20. The outdoor unit of claim 11 , wherein the bottom surface includes a base panel, and the compressor is placed on the base panel.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Park Kiyoon
• Bae Hyunwook
• Lee Jonghae
• Lee Gwansoo
• Kim Taegyu
• Kim Hyoungjune
• Kim Junhee
• Choi Siyoung

Classifications

• F24D3/18

  using heat pumps · CPC title

• F24F1/56

  Casing or covers of separate outdoor units, e.g. fan guards · CPC title

• F24H9/02

  Casings; Cover lids; Ornamental panels · CPC title

• F24H9/142

  Connecting hydraulic components · CPC title

• F24F1/46

  Component arrangements in separate outdoor units · CPC title