Outdoor device for an air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016178249-A1
Application number	US-201514929474-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 2, 2015
Priority date	Dec 18, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An outdoor device for an air conditioner is provided that may include a compressor, a flow switch provided at an outlet-side of the compressor to switch a flow direction of a refrigerant according to a cooling operation or a heating operation, and an outdoor heat exchanger connected to the flow switch. The outdoor heat exchanger may include first to third heat exchangers, each of which may include a refrigerant tube through which the refrigerant may flow, the first to third heat exchangers being connected to each other in parallel during a heating operation and in series during a cooling operation, a first branch that branches the refrigerant into a first distribution tube, which may be directed to the first and second heat exchangers, and a second distribution tube which may be directed to the third heat exchanger, a second branch that branches the refrigerant branched from the first branch into a first branch tube, which may be directed to the first heat exchanger and a second branch tube, which may be directed to the second heat exchanger, and a first valve provided in the first distribution tube.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An outdoor device for an air conditioner, comprising:
a compressor; a flow switch provided at an outlet-side of the compressor to switch a flow direction of a refrigerant based on a cooling operation or a heating operation; and an outdoor heat exchanger connected to the flow switch, wherein the outdoor heat exchanger includes:
first to third heat exchangers, each of which includes a refrigerant tube through which the refrigerant flows, wherein the first to third heat exchangers are connected to each other in parallel during a heating operation and in series during a cooling operation;
a first branch that branches the refrigerant into a first distribution tube, which is directed to the first and second heat exchangers, and a second distribution tube, which is directed to the third heat exchanger;
a second branch that branches the refrigerant branched from the first branch into a first branch tube, which is directed to the first heat exchanger, and a second branch tube, which is directed to the second heat exchanger; and
a first valve provided in the first distribution tube, wherein, when the heating operation is performed, the first valve is opened to allow the refrigerant passing through the first branch to flow through the first valve to be introduced into the first and second branch tubes, and when the cooling operation is performed, the first valve is closed to allow the refrigerant passing through the first heat exchanger to be introduced from the first branch tube to the second branch tube and to flow into third heat exchanger via the second heat exchanger.

2 . The outdoor device according to claim 1 , further including a blower fan provided above the outdoor heat exchanger to blow external air, wherein the first heat exchanger is provided at an upper portion of the outdoor heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger is provided at a central portion of the outdoor heat exchanger, and the third heat exchanger is provided at a lower portion of the outdoor heat exchanger.

3 . The outdoor device according to claim 2 , wherein a number of refrigerant passages provided in the first heat exchanger or second heat exchanger is greater than a number of passages provided in the third heat exchanger.

4 . The outdoor device according to claim 3 , wherein the number of refrigerant passage provided in the first heat exchanger is greater than the number of passages provided in the second heat exchanger.

5 . The outdoor device according to claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant flowing through the first branch tube, the refrigerant flowing through the second branch tube, or the refrigerant flowing through the second distribution tube is distributed in multi-stages and introduced into the first to third heat exchangers.

6 . The outdoor device according to claim 5 , further including:
a first distributor provided on the first branch tube to branch a refrigerant passage; at least one second distributor provided on an outlet-side of the first distributor to branch each of the refrigerant passages branched in the first distributor again; and a plurality of capillary provided on an outlet-side of the at least one second distributor to guide the refrigerant passing through the second distributor to the first heat exchanger.

7 . The outdoor device according to claim 5 , further including:
a first distributor provided on the second branch tube to branch a refrigerant passage; at least one second distributor provided on an outlet-side of the first distributor to branch each of the refrigerant passages branched in the first distributor again; and a plurality of capillary provided on an outlet-side of the second distributor to guide the refrigerant passing through the second distributor to the second heat exchanger.

8 . The outdoor device according to claim 5 , further including:
a first distributor provided on the second distribution tube to branch a refrigerant passage; a second distributor provided on an outlet-side of the first distributor to branch each of the refrigerant passages branched in the first distributor again; and a plurality of capillary provided on an outlet-side of the second distributor to guide the refrigerant passing through the second distributor to the third heat exchanger.

9 . The outdoor device according to claim 1 , further including a second valve provided in the second distribution tube, wherein the first valve or the second valve includes an electronic expansion valve which is adjustable in opening degree.

10 . The outdoor device according to claim 1 , further including:
a first header provided on the first heat exchanger; a second header provided on the second heat exchangers, the second header being spaced apart from the first header; and a third header provided on the third heat exchanger, the third header being spaced apart from the second header.

11 . The outdoor device according to claim 10 , wherein, when the first to third heat exchangers are connected in parallel to each other during the heating operation, the refrigerant introduced into the third heat exchanger is discharged from the third header and introduced into the second header, the refrigerant introduced into the second heat exchanger is discharged from the second header and introduced into the first header, and the refrigerant within the first header is discharged from the outdoor heat exchanger.

12 . The outdoor device according to claim 10 , wherein, when the first to third heat exchangers are connected in series to each other during the cooling operation, the refrigerant introduced into the first heat exchanger through the first header is introduced into the second heat exchanger via the first and second branch tubes, the refrigerant introduced into the second heat exchanger is discharged from the second header and introduced into the third heat exchanger through the third header, and the refrigerant of the third heat exchanger is discharged from the outdoor heat exchanger through the second distribution tube.

13 . The outdoor device according to claim 10 , further including:
a first connection tube that connects the first header to the second header and in which a check valve is provided; and a second connection tube that connects the second header to the third header, wherein the check valve restricts a flow of the refrigerant from the first header to the second header.

14 . The outdoor device according to claim 1 , further including:
a first coupling plate that supports a first side of the refrigerant tube provided in each of the first and third heat exchangers; and a second coupling plate that supports a second side of the refrigerant tube.

15 . The outdoor device according to claim 14 , wherein each of the first to third headers extends in a direction corresponding to a longitudinal direction of the second coupling plate and is connected to the second coupling plate.

16 . An air conditioner including the outdoor device of claim 1 .

17 . An outdoor device for an air conditioner, comprising:
a compressor; a flow switch provided at an outlet-side of the compressor to switch a flow direction of a refrigerant based on a cooling or heating operation; an outdoor heat exchanger connected to the flow switch; and a blower fan provided above the outdoor heat exchanger, wherein the outdoor heat exchanger includes:
first to third heat exchangers, each of which includes a refrigerant tube through which the refrigerant flows, wherein the first to third heat exchangers are connected to each other in parallel during a heating oper

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kwon Sangyoung
• Lee Jaewan
• Lim Hyunjun

Classifications

• F25B13/00 Primary

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

• F25B49/02

  for compression type machines, plants or systems · CPC title

• F25B2400/075

  with parallel compressors · CPC title

• F24F1/50

  with outlet air in upward direction · CPC title

• F24F1/14

  Heat exchangers specially adapted for separate outdoor units · CPC title