Refrigerant distribution device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12467643-B2
Application number	US-202118548638-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2021
Priority date	Jul 1, 2021
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

A refrigerant distribution device includes: first refrigerant pipes connected to refrigerant pipes extending from an outdoor unit; second refrigerant pipes connected to refrigerant pipes extending from indoor units; solenoid valves provided on at least two or more of the second refrigerant pipes; a controller having a first terminal portion to which wires that extend from the solenoid valves and a second terminal portion to which wires extending from the outdoor unit are connected; and a case. First refrigerant pipes have a first connection portion connectable to the refrigerant pipes that extend from one side of the case, and a second connection portion connectable to the refrigerant pipes that extend from the other side of the case. The first and second terminal portions are mutually disposed in differing locations, and the controller is detachable and attachable to the case when the controller is rotated 180 degrees around an axis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A refrigerant distribution device that is provided in an air conditioner and distributes a refrigerant to a plurality of indoor units from an outdoor unit, the refrigerant distribution device comprising:
first refrigerant pipes that are connected to refrigerant pipes that extend from the outdoor unit; a plurality of second refrigerant pipes that are connected to the first refrigerant pipes and are connected to each of the refrigerant pipes that extends from the plurality of indoor units; a plurality of solenoid valves that are provided on at least two or more of the second refrigerant pipes out of the plurality of second refrigerant pipes; a controller having a first terminal portion to which a plurality of wires that extend from the plurality of solenoid valves, and a second terminal portion to which wires that extend from the outdoor unit are connected to; and a case that houses at least a portion of the first refrigerant pipe, at least a portion of the plurality of second refrigerant pipes, the plurality of solenoid valves, and the controller therein, wherein the first refrigerant pipes have:
a first connection portion located on a first side of the case and that is connectable to the refrigerant pipes that extend from the outdoor unit, and
a second connection portion located on a second side of the case opposite the first side in a first direction and that is connectable to the refrigerant pipes that extend from the outdoor unit;
the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion are mutually disposed in differing locations in the first direction; and the controller is:
attached so as to be detachable with respect to the case, and
is attachable to the case in a state where the controller is rotated 180 degrees around an axis that extends in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

2 . The refrigerant distribution device according to claim 1 , wherein
the refrigerant pipes that extend from the outdoor unit are connected to a connection portion of one of the first connection portion and the second connection portion, and the second terminal portion is disposed in a location that is closer to the one connection portion, more than the first terminal portion in the first direction.

3 . The refrigerant distribution device according to claim 2 , wherein
the case has a pair of side walls, each located on both sides in the first direction, the first connection portion is exposed to an outside of the case from through holes provided on one of the pair of side walls, the second connection portion is exposed to an outside of the case from the through holes provided on the other of the pair of side walls, and wiring holes that allow the wires which extend from the outdoor units to be inserted through are provided with each of the pair of side walls.

4 . The refrigerant distribution device according to claim 3 , wherein
the controller has a third terminal portion to which the plurality of wires that extend from the plurality of indoor units are connected to, the wiring holes that allow the wires which extend from the indoor units to be inserted through are provided with each of the pair of side walls, and the third terminal portion is disposed in a location that is closer to the one connection portion, more than the first terminal portion in the first direction.

5 . The refrigerant distribution device according to claim 4 , wherein
the controller has:
a substrate, and
a base member to which the substrate is attached to, wherein
the third terminal portion is provided on an end of the first direction of the substrate; the first terminal portion is provided on the other end of the first direction of the substrate; the second terminal portion is provided on the base member, and is electrically connected to the substrate through a connection wire, and as seen from the second direction, the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion are disposed in a location that sandwiches the third terminal portion in the first direction.

6 . The refrigerant distribution device according to claim 5 , wherein:
the base member has a second through hole through which the plurality of wires that extend from the plurality of solenoid valves are inserted, the second through hole is disposed in a location that is offset in the first direction with respect to the substrate, and the first terminal portion is provided on the substrate, and is disposed in a location that is closer to the second through hole, more than the second terminal portion in the first direction.

7 . The refrigerant distribution device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a partition wall portion located between the plurality of solenoid valves and the controller inside the case; wherein the partition wall portion has a first through hole through which the plurality of wires that extend from the plurality of solenoid valves are inserted, and the first through hole overlaps with the center of the controller in the first direction, seen in the second direction.

8 . The refrigerant distribution device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a partition wall portion located between the plurality of solenoid valves and the controller inside the case; wherein the partition wall portion has a first through hole through which the plurality of wires that extend from the plurality of solenoid valves are inserted, and the first through hole overlaps with the center of the controller in the first direction, seen in the second direction.

9 . The refrigerant distribution device according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a partition wall portion located between the plurality of solenoid valves and the controller inside the case; wherein the partition wall portion has a first through hole through which the plurality of wires that extend from the plurality of solenoid valves are inserted, and the first through hole overlaps with the center of the controller in the first direction, seen in the second direction.

10 . The refrigerant distribution device according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a partition wall portion located between the plurality of solenoid valves and the controller inside the case; wherein the partition wall portion has a first through hole through which the plurality of wires that extend from the plurality of solenoid valves are inserted, and the first through hole overlaps with the center of the controller in the first direction, seen in the second direction.

11 . The refrigerant distribution device according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a partition wall portion located between the plurality of solenoid valves and the controller inside the case; wherein the partition wall portion has a first through hole through which the plurality of wires that extend from the plurality of solenoid valves are inserted, and the first through hole overlaps with the center of the controller in the first direction, seen in the second direction.

12 . The refrigerant distribution device according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a partition wall portion located between the plurality of solenoid valves and the controller inside the case; wherein the partition wall portion has a first through hole through which the plurality of wires that extend from the plurality of solenoid valves are inserted, and the first through hole overlaps with the center of the controller in the first direction, seen in the second direction.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Suzuki Yuta

Classifications

• F25B41/42 Primary

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

• F25B41/20

  Disposition of valves, e.g. of on-off valves or flow control valves (expansion valves F25B41/31) · CPC title

• F24F1/26

  Refrigerant piping · CPC title

• F24F1/22

  Arrangement or mounting thereof · CPC title

• F25B13/00

  Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle (defrosting cycles F25B47/02) · CPC title