Air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9239179-B2
Application number	US-201313957718-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2013
Priority date	Aug 2, 2012
Publication date	Jan 19, 2016
Grant date	Jan 19, 2016

Abstract

An air conditioner is provided. The air conditioner may include a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, a receiver storing a portion of a refrigerant passing through the condenser, an accumulator receiving refrigerant stored in the receiver and refrigerant passing through the evaporator to separate gas refrigerant from refrigerant introduced therein and supply the gas refrigerant to the compressor, and a bypass line supplying refrigerant from the receiver to the accumulator. The receiver and the accumulator may be integrally formed or provided as separate parts coupled each other. An outlet end of the bypass line may be connected to an upper portion of the accumulator. Such an arrangement may prevent refrigerant from flowing backward from the accumulator into the receiver.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air conditioner, comprising:
a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator connected to form a refrigerating cycle;
a receiver that stores a portion of refrigerant for the refrigerating cycle;
an accumulator configured to receive refrigerant from the receiver and refrigerant from the evaporator, and to separate a gas refrigerant from the refrigerant received therein and supply the gas refrigerant to the compressor;
a bypass line connected between the receiver and the accumulator to supply refrigerant stored in the receiver to the accumulator;
a receiver suction tube connected to an upper portion of the receiver that guides at least a portion of the refrigerant passing through the condenser to the receiver;
a first valve provided in the receiver suction tube to control an amount of refrigerant suctioned into the receiver; and
a second valve provided in the bypass line to control an amount of refrigerant supplied from the receiver to the accumulator, wherein the receiver and the accumulator are integrally formed or are provided as separate parts coupled to each other, and wherein an outlet end of the bypass line is connected to an upper portion of the accumulator.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the outlet end of the bypass line extends through an accumulator cover positioned on a top of the accumulator to discharge refrigerant into an interior of the accumulator.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 2 , wherein an inlet end of the bypass line extends through a receiver cover positioned on a bottom of the receiver to draw refrigerant from an interior of the receiver.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the outlet end of the bypass line extends through a lateral side surface of the accumulator.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the outlet end of the bypass line is connected to the accumulator at a position vertically above a maximum storage height of liquid refrigerant received in the accumulator.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 2 , wherein an accumulator inflow tube that guides refrigerant from the evaporator into the accumulator, an accumulator discharge tube that guides refrigerant from the accumulator to the compressor, and the bypass line are each connected to the accumulator cover.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the bypass line passes through a lateral side surface of the receiver, and the inlet end of the bypass line is spaced apart from an inner bottom surface of the receiver.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 7 , wherein the inlet end of the bypass line is inclined with respect to the inner bottom surface of the receiver.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 7 , wherein a distance from the inner bottom surface of the receiver to a first side of the inlet end of the bypass line is greater than a distance from the inner bottom surface of the receiver to a second side of the inlet end of the bypass line.

10. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein one of the first valve or the second valve is a normally open valve.

11. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein a receiver body that defines an outer appearance of the receiver is positioned under an accumulator body that defines an outer appearance of the accumulator.

12. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the receiver and the accumulator are respectively defined within an interior space formed in a single housing divided by a partition wall disposed within the single housing.

13. An air conditioner, comprising:
a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator and a refrigerant circulation tube that forms-a refrigerating cycle;
a receiver that stores a portion of refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant circulation tube;
an accumulator provided above the receiver and configured to receive refrigerant from the receiver and refrigerant from the evaporator, to separate the received refrigerant into a gas refrigerant and a liquid refrigerant, and to supply the gas refrigerant to the compressor, and
a bypass line that extends between a bottom of the receiver and a top of the accumulator to supply refrigerant from the receiver to the accumulator, wherein the receiver and the accumulator are respectively defined within an interior space formed in a single housing divided by a partition wall disposed within the single housing.

14. The air conditioner according to claim 13 , wherein an outlet end of the bypass line is connected to an upper portion of the accumulator.

15. The air conditioner according to claim 14 , wherein an inlet end of the bypass line is connected to a lower portion of the receiver.

16. The air conditioner according to claim 13 , wherein the partition wall is horizontally disposed within the single housing.

17. A method of operating an air conditioning system including an outdoor device connected to one or more indoor devices, the method comprising:
receiving an indoor air conditioning load;
determining a current amount of refrigerant circulating through the air conditioning system;
comparing the determined current amount to a previously stored required amount of refrigerant corresponding to the received indoor air conditioning load;
closing a first valve provided on a bypass line between a receiver and an accumulator, and closing a second valve provided on a suction tube introducing refrigerant into the receiver, when the current amount is equal to the required amount;
opening the first valve and closing the second valve when the current amount is greater than the required amount; and
closing the first valve and opening the second valve when the current amount is less than the required amount.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Song Chiwoo
• Sa Yongcheol
• Jeong Hojong

Classifications

• F25B45/00 Primary

  Arrangements for charging or discharging refrigerant · CPC title

• F25B2400/16

  Receivers · CPC title

• F25B2600/2523

  Receiver valves · CPC title

• F24F1/26 Primary

  Refrigerant piping · CPC title

• F25B1/00

  Compression machines, plants or systems with non-reversible cycle (F25B3/00, F25B5/00, F25B6/00, F25B7/00, F25B9/00 take precedence) · CPC title