CN113906262B - Air conditioner, refrigerator and dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention aims to distribute refrigerant in a proper liquid refrigerant flow ratio. An air conditioner of the present invention includes a heat exchanger having a plurality of flow paths for refrigerant, and a distributor for distributing the refrigerant to each flow path of the heat exchanger, wherein the distributor includes an inflow pipe for allowing the refrigerant to flow into a tank of the distributor, and a plurality of outflow pipes for allowing the refrigerant in the tank to flow out, and each of the plurality of outflow pipes includes: a first pipe having a first opening portion that changes the ratio of the gas refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant flowing out according to the height of a gas-liquid interface in the tank; a second pipe extending from the inside of the case to the outside of the case; and a connection unit that connects the first pipe and the second pipe.

Description

Air conditioner, refrigerator and dispenser

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an air conditioner, a refrigerator, and a dispenser.

Background

In many air conditioners corresponding to cooling and heating, a cross-fin tube type heat exchanger composed of a circular copper heat pipe and an aluminum elongated fin is used. In this heat exchanger, a freon-based refrigerant is caused to flow through a copper heat pipe, whereby heat exchange is performed between the refrigerant and air.

On the other hand, in a radiator for an automobile or an air conditioner dedicated for cooling, a parallel flow type heat exchanger is used for the purpose of downsizing, weight saving, high performance, and low cost. In this heat exchanger, two headers are provided at openings at both ends of a plurality of flat heat pipes each having an aluminum fin brazed to the outer surface thereof, and a refrigerant is caused to flow from the header on the inflow side to the header on the outflow side.

In order to effectively use the heat exchanger, a distributor is desired that can appropriately control the amount of the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flowing into each heat transfer pipe constituting the heat exchanger. In contrast, patent document 1 discloses a dispenser including: the distribution according to the heat load of the refrigerant circuit downstream of the distributor is performed by a plurality of communication pipes provided with openings in the gas-liquid mixing portion. Patent document 2 discloses a refrigerant flow divider including an inflow pipe, an outflow pipe, and a separator disposed at the bottom. In this refrigerant flow divider, after the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant is temporarily separated into the liquid refrigerant and the gas refrigerant, they are joined together, respectively, thereby improving the distribution accuracy.

Prior art literature

Patent literature

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2018-162901

Patent document 2: japanese patent application laid-open No. 2012-137223

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, under low-load conditions and medium-load conditions, the flow of the refrigerant becomes slow, and the liquid and the gas flow through the pipe separately. In the technique of patent document 1, since the refrigerant is distributed in this state, there is a problem that the refrigerant cannot be distributed at an appropriate liquid refrigerant flow rate ratio so that the ratio of liquid in a certain flow path is high and the ratio of gas in other flow paths is high.

In the technique of patent document 2, although the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant is drawn from the outflow pipe after the gas-liquid separation, in order to draw the liquid refrigerant from the outflow pipe, it is necessary to make the liquid refrigerant flowing into the distributor from the inflow port flow below the outflow pipe beyond the partition plate. That is, in a state where a certain amount of liquid refrigerant is not accumulated in the distributor, the liquid refrigerant cannot exceed the processing plate, and therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to distribute the liquid refrigerant to each flow path of the heat exchanger at an appropriate liquid refrigerant flow rate ratio. As described above, the conventional technique has a problem that the refrigerant may not be distributed at an appropriate liquid refrigerant flow rate ratio.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to distribute a refrigerant at an appropriate liquid refrigerant flow rate ratio.

Means for solving the problems

The present invention is an air conditioner, comprising: a heat exchanger having a plurality of flow paths for refrigerant; and a distributor for distributing refrigerant to each flow path of the heat exchanger, wherein the distributor comprises: an inflow pipe for flowing the refrigerant into the tank of the distributor; and a plurality of outflow pipes for letting out the refrigerant in the tank, each of the plurality of outflow pipes including: a first pipe having a first opening portion in which a ratio of the gas refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant flowing out is changed according to a height of a gas-liquid interface in the tank; a second pipe extending from the inside of the case to the outside of the case; and a connection unit that connects the first pipe and the second pipe.

Another aspect of the present invention is a refrigerator, comprising: a heat exchanger having a plurality of flow paths for refrigerant; and a distributor for distributing refrigerant to each flow path of the heat exchanger, wherein the distributor comprises: an inflow pipe for flowing the refrigerant into the tank of the distributor; and a plurality of outflow pipes for letting out the refrigerant in the tank, each of the plurality of outflow pipes including: a first pipe having a first opening portion in which a ratio of the gas refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant flowing out is changed according to a height of a gas-liquid interface in the tank; a second pipe extending from the inside of the case to the outside of the case; and a connection unit that connects the first pipe and the second pipe.

Another aspect of the present invention is a distributor for distributing refrigerant to each flow path of a heat exchanger, comprising: an inflow pipe for flowing the refrigerant into the tank of the distributor; and a plurality of outflow pipes for letting out the refrigerant in the tank, each of the plurality of outflow pipes including: a first pipe having a first opening portion in which a ratio of the gas refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant flowing out is changed according to a height of a gas-liquid interface in the tank; a second pipe extending from the inside of the case to the outside of the case; and a connection unit that connects the first pipe and the second pipe.

The effects of the invention are as follows.

According to the present invention, the refrigerant can be distributed at an appropriate liquid refrigerant flow rate ratio.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a dispenser according to a first embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the dispenser taken along line A-A.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the connection portion and the first pipe.

Fig. 4 is a view of the upper surface of the connection portion as seen from above.

Fig. 5 is a view showing the first pipe.

Fig. 6A is a diagram showing an opening portion of a second modification of the first embodiment.

Fig. 6B is a diagram showing an opening portion of a second modification of the first embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a connection portion of a fourth modification.

Fig. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a dispenser of a sixth modification.

Fig. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a dispenser of the second embodiment.

Fig. 10 is a B-B sectional view of the dispenser of the second embodiment.

Fig. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a dispenser according to a second modification of the second embodiment.

Fig. 12 is a view showing a side wall of the dispenser of the third embodiment.

Fig. 13 is an overall configuration diagram of the dispenser of the fourth embodiment.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a connection portion and a first pipe according to a fourth embodiment.

Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an upper surface of the connection portion.

Fig. 16 is a diagram showing a connecting portion according to a third modification of the fourth embodiment.

Fig. 17 is an overall configuration diagram of the dispenser of the fifth embodiment.

Fig. 18 is an overall configuration diagram of an air conditioner according to a sixth embodiment.

Fig. 19 is an overall configuration diagram of a refrigerator according to a seventh embodiment.

Detailed Description

(first embodiment)

Fig. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a dispenser 10 according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of the dispenser 10 shown in fig. 1. The distributor 10 distributes refrigerant to a plurality of heat transfer tubes of the heat exchanger in the refrigeration cycle. The distributor 10 according to the present embodiment can supply a refrigerant having an appropriate liquid refrigerant flow rate ratio to either a parallel flow type heat exchanger or a fin-tube type heat exchanger.

The distributor 10 has a housing 11, one inflow tube 13 and four outflow tubes 14. The case 161 is a substantially cylindrical case having the vertical direction H as the longitudinal direction, and has an upper surface 16a, a bottom surface 16b, and side walls 16c. The inflow pipe 13 and the outflow pipe 14 are provided along the up-down direction H of the dispenser 10. The inflow pipe 13 and the outflow pipe 14 penetrate the upper surface 16a of the housing 11. That is, the upper end 13a of the inflow pipe 13 is located outside the housing 11, and the lower end 13b of the inflow pipe 13 is located inside the housing 11. Similarly, the upper end 14a of the outflow tube 14 is located outside the housing 11, and the lower end 14b of the outflow tube 14 is located inside the housing 11. The inflow pipe 13 allows the refrigerant to flow from the upper surface 16a side (upper portion) of the distributor 10 into the gas-liquid separation space 12 inside the distributor 10. The outflow pipe 14 causes the refrigerant to flow out from the distributor 10 toward the heat exchanger.

The outflow pipe 14 includes a first pipe 211 and a second pipe 22. The first pipe 211 is located on the bottom surface 16b side, and the second pipe 22 is connected to an upper portion of the first pipe 211 and penetrates the upper surface 16a of the case 11. The first pipe 211 and the second pipe 22 are connected to each other in the housing 11 via a connection portion 181. The connection portion 181 is disposed below the lower end 13b of the inflow pipe 13. The connection portion 181 is disposed above the opening 191 of the first pipe 211, that is, downstream of the opening 191 of the first pipe 211 with respect to the outflow pipe 14.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the plurality of first pipes 211a to 211d (the plurality of outflow pipes 14) are arranged so as to surround the inflow pipe 13. In fig. 2, the four first pipes 211 are shown as 211a to 212d for distinguishing them. More specifically, the inflow pipe 13 is disposed at a central position in the lateral direction of the housing 11, and the four first pipes 211a to 211d are disposed on the side wall 16c side of the inflow pipe 13. The first pipes 211a to 211d are arranged at equal intervals on a predetermined circumference centered on the center position of the housing 11. However, the first pipes 211a to 211d may not be necessarily arranged at equal intervals. The arrangement of the four second pipes 22 connected to the four first pipes 211a to 211d is the same as the arrangement of the plurality of first pipes 211a to 211 d. That is, the second pipes 22 are also arranged at regular intervals on a predetermined circumference on the side wall 16c side of the inflow pipe 13.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the connection portion 181 and the first pipe 211. Fig. 4 is a view of the upper surface 1811 of the connection portion 181 as seen from above. As shown in fig. 3, the connection portion 181 is a substantially cylindrical member having a height direction H, and a planar upper surface 1811 extending in the radial direction of the case 11 is provided at an upper portion thereof. As shown in fig. 1, the upper surface 1811 is a surface substantially perpendicular to the vertical direction H, that is, substantially parallel to the upper surface 16a and the bottom surface 16 b.

As shown in fig. 1, an opening 1812 penetrating from the upper surface 1811 to the lower surface is formed in the connection portion 181. In fig. 3 and 4, four openings 1812 formed in the connection portion 181 are shown as 1812a, 1812b, 1812c, and 1812d for distinguishing them. As shown in fig. 3 and 4, on the circular upper surface 1811, four openings 1812a to 1812d are arranged at equal intervals on a predetermined circumference. That is, the four openings 1812a to 1812d are provided at positions corresponding to the arrangement of the four outflow pipes 14.

As shown in fig. 3, the upper ends 2111 of the four first pipes 211 (211 a to 211 d) are connected to the lower side of the connection portion 181. The first pipes 211a to 21d are connected to the connection portion 181 by brazing or the like so as to be connected to the openings 1812a to 1812d of the connection portion 181, respectively.

The connection portion 181 is made of a metal material. As another example, the connection portion 181 may be made of a material such as a resin. When the material is a resin, it is preferable to use a material in which deterioration of the resin due to a refrigerant enclosed in a refrigeration cycle is within an allowable range.

As a method for processing the connection portion 181, a laminated structure (resin molded product) formed by cutting, a 3D printer, or the like is considered. In the case of the resin molded article, the variation in the direction, shape, and the like of the opening can be increased as compared with a method of directly processing the opening on the surface of the tube.

In addition, as another example, at least one first pipe 211 may be integrally formed with the connection portion 181, and in this case, the first pipe 211 may be integrally formed of the same material as the connection portion 18.

The first pipe 211 has an inner diameter D1, and the second pipe 22 has an inner diameter D2 larger than D1. The openings 1812a to 1812D of the connection portion 181 correspond to the difference in the inner diameters, and as shown in fig. 4, the inner diameter of the connection portion 181 on the side of the upper surface 1811 is D2, and the inner diameter of the surface opposite to the upper surface 1811 is D1. Further, in the openings 1812a to 1812D, the inner diameter becomes narrower from D2 to D1 at a predetermined distance from the upper surface 1811 in the up-down direction H. Thereby, the connection portion 181 can connect the first pipe 211 and the second pipe 22 having different inner diameters.

The second pipe 22 is connected to the openings 1812a to 1812d, and is connected to the upper surface 16a of the case 11 by brazing or the like. The openings 1812a to 1812d are formed to have an inner diameter slightly larger than an outer diameter of the second pipe 22. Therefore, in the connection between the second pipe 22 and the openings 1812a to 1812d, a gap is formed between the outer wall of the second pipe 22 and the inner walls of the openings 1812a to 1812d. In this way, by forming the gap, even when the first pipe 21 is fixed to the upper surface 16a of the case 11 in an eccentric state, the eccentric state can be absorbed, and the connection between the first pipe 211 and the second pipe 22 via the opening 1812a can be achieved.

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the first pipe 211. Each of the first pipes 211a to 211d is provided with a notch-shaped opening 191 extending upward from the lower end 14b of the outflow pipe 14 (first pipe 211). As shown in fig. 2, the openings 191 are each oriented in the circumferential direction of the dispenser 10. Thus, the opening 191 is formed in a shape extending from the lower end 14b, so that machining can be easily performed. As shown in fig. 1, the opening 191 is located below the center position Q of the opening 191 in the vertical direction H of the gas-liquid separation space 12. This can prevent the opening 191 from drawing only the gas refrigerant without reaching the liquid phase in the gas-liquid separation space 12. That is, the liquid refrigerant can be reliably drawn from the opening 191.

The center position P of the opening 191 and the length in the longitudinal direction thereof are preferably designed based on the height of the gas-liquid interface 17 estimated from the capacity of the refrigeration cycle using the dispenser 10. Specifically, the opening 191 is preferably formed to have a position and a length such that the gas-liquid interface 17 is located between the upper end and the lower end of the opening 191. This makes it possible to appropriately maintain the liquid refrigerant flow rate ratio of the refrigerant flowing out of each outflow pipe 14. The lateral width of the opening 191 is equal to or less than half the circumference of the first pipe 211.

Next, the flow of the refrigerant in the distributor 10 will be described. The dispenser 10 is arranged with its lower direction corresponding to the direction of gravity. Therefore, the refrigerant flows into the tank 11 from the inflow pipe 13 in the gravitational direction, and flows out from the outflow pipe 14 in the direction opposite to the gravitational direction. The gas-liquid mixture refrigerant flowing downward into the gas-liquid separation space 12 contacts the upper surface 1811 of the connection portion 181 by flowing from the upper end 13a to the lower end 13b of the inflow pipe 13. Thereby, the flow direction of the gas-liquid mixture refrigerant changes from downward to the side wall 16c side. In this way, the upper surface 1811 functions as a contact surface where the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant contacts to change the flow direction. The mixed gas-liquid refrigerant then flows downward along the side wall 16c. In this way, the flow of the gas-liquid mixture refrigerant changes from downward to toward the side wall 16c side, thereby promoting gas-liquid separation. In addition, since the refrigerant flows down along the side wall 16c, turbulence of the gas-liquid interface 17 and generation of bubbles can be reduced. That is, the gas-liquid separation space 12 can be brought into a state where the liquid and the gas are well separated.

A region on the lower side of the opening 191 of the first pipe 211 (outflow pipe 14) is in contact with the liquid at the lower side of the gas-liquid interface 17, and a region on the upper side of the opening 191 is in contact with the gas at the upper side of the gas-liquid interface 17. Thus, liquid refrigerant and gaseous refrigerant are drawn from the outflow tube 14 at an appropriate liquid refrigerant flow ratio. That is, the distributor 10 according to the present embodiment can supply the refrigerant having an appropriate flow rate ratio of the liquid refrigerant to each flow path of the heat exchanger. In addition, according to the up-and-down fluctuation of the gas-liquid interface 17, the ratio of the area contacted by the gas to the area contacted by the liquid also fluctuates in the opening 191. In other words, the ratio of the gas refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant (liquid refrigerant flow rate ratio) flowing out of the opening 191 changes according to the height of the gas-liquid interface 17.

As described above, the distributor 10 according to the present embodiment can separate the gas from the liquid, and thus can flow the refrigerant having an appropriate liquid refrigerant flow rate ratio corresponding to the liquid refrigerant flow rate ratio in the gas-liquid separation space 12 from the outflow pipe 14 to each flow path of the heat exchanger even under the medium-load condition or the low-load condition.

As described in the prior art, in the technique of patent document 2, if the liquid refrigerant is not accumulated in the distributor in an amount exceeding the partition plate, the liquid refrigerant does not flow into the outflow pipe. In contrast, in the outflow pipe 14 of the present embodiment, the opening 191 is provided below the gas-liquid separation space 12 so that the center position P of the outflow pipe 14 is located below the center position Q of the gas-liquid separation space 12. Therefore, even in a state where the amount of liquid refrigerant existing in the gas-liquid separation space 12 is small, the outflow pipe 14 can draw an appropriate amount of liquid refrigerant.

As described above, the dispenser 10 is preferably set such that the downward direction coincides with the gravitational direction, but in the actual installation state, the downward direction of the dispenser 10 is slightly deviated from the gravitational direction. In this way, even in the state where the distributor 10 is inclined, in the distributor 10 of the present embodiment, the plurality of outflow pipes 14 can supply the refrigerant having the same liquid refrigerant flow rate ratio to each flow path of the heat exchanger.

In assembling the dispenser 10 of the present embodiment, the first pipe 211 is first connected to the connection portion 181, and then the second pipe 22 is brazed to the upper surface 16a of the case 11. When the second pipe 22 is brazed to the upper surface 16a of the case 11, the first pipe 211 is already connected to the connection portion 181. Therefore, in the brazing, it is only necessary to confirm that the connection portion 181 is joined to the second pipe 22, and the position of the gas-liquid interface 17 and the opening 191 can be easily adjusted. That is, the dispenser 10 can be assembled more easily than in the related art.

As a first modification of the dispenser 10 according to the first embodiment, the number of outflow pipes may be two or more, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiment. When the number of outflow pipes is four or less, the connection portion 181 described in the first embodiment can be used. For example, when the number of outflow pipes is two, the outflow pipe 14 is connected to only two openings 1812a and 1812c among the openings 1812a to 1812d of the connection portion 181. This makes it possible to construct a two-branched distributor. In this way, the number of branches can be freely changed by adjusting the number of outflow pipes attached to the case 11 while using the connection portion 181 as a common member. The number of outflow pipes may be six or more. In this case, the connection portions having the openings corresponding to the number of the outflow pipes may be used.

As a second modification, the shape of the opening 191 of the first pipe 211 is not limited to the embodiment. For example, as shown in fig. 6A, a long hole extending in the vertical direction H, which is the longitudinal direction of the first pipe 211, may be formed in the first pipe 212 as the opening 192. In this case, the lower end 14b of the outflow pipe 14 may be closed or opened. For example, as shown in fig. 6B, a plurality of holes 193a to 193g may be formed in the first pipe 213 as the opening 193. The holes 193a to 193g are circular and are provided at equal intervals. In this case, at least one of the gas refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant also flows into the holes 193a to 193g, and the flow rate of the liquid refrigerant in the opening 193 formed by the plurality of holes 193a to 193g can be made substantially equal to each outflow pipe 14. In this case, the center of the opening 193 is set to be the intermediate position (L/2) of the entire length L of the opening 193.

As a third modification, the positions, sizes, and shapes of the opening portions 191 of the plurality of outflow pipes 14 may be different from each other. For example, there are cases where it is desired to make the liquid refrigerant flow rate ratio of the refrigerant flowing in each flow path of the heat exchanger different. In this case, at least one of the positions and the sizes of the plurality of openings 191 may be controlled according to the required liquid refrigerant flow rate ratio. For example, the opening of one outflow pipe 14 may have a long hole shape, while the opening of the other outflow pipe 14 may have a slit shape.

As a fourth modification, the shape of the connection portion 181 is not limited to the embodiment. For example, as shown in fig. 7, the connection portion 182 may have a shape having a plurality of pieces 1821a, 1821b, 1821c, 1821d extending from the center toward the respective openings 1822a, 1822b, 1822c, 1822 d. In this case, the refrigerant flowing in from the inflow pipe 13 also contacts the connection portion 182, and the flow direction changes from downward to the side wall 16c side.

As a fifth modification, the upper surface 1811 of the connection portion 181 may not be a plane extending in the lateral direction of the case 11. For example, the upper surface 1811 may be a surface having a slope protruding in an upward direction. The upper surface 1811 may have a conical shape or a quadrangular shape, for example.

Fig. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the dispenser 10 of the sixth modification. As a sixth modification, the extension 60 may be formed on a side wall above the opening 191 in the first pipe 211. The extension 60 extends radially outward of the first pipe 211. The extension 60 is a plane substantially parallel to the bottom surface 16 b. The gas-liquid interface 17 changes according to the operating conditions of the refrigeration cycle, but by providing the extension 60 in the vicinity of the gas-liquid interface 17, fluctuation in the liquid level can be suppressed, and the refrigerant can be stably discharged from the opening 191.

As a seventh modification, the relationship between the diameters of the first pipe 211 and the second pipe 22 is not limited to the embodiment. That is, the diameter D1 of the first pipe 211 and the diameter D2 of the second pipe 22 may be equal, and the diameter D1 of the first pipe 211 may be larger than the diameter D2 of the second pipe 22.

(second embodiment)

Next, the differences from the dispenser 10 of the first embodiment will be mainly described with respect to the dispenser 20 of the second embodiment. Fig. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the dispenser 20 of the second embodiment. Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of the dispenser 20 shown in fig. 9. A groove 70 is formed in the bottom surface 16b of the case 11. As shown in fig. 10, an annular groove 70 is provided by being recessed from an end (outer end 70 a) on the side wall 16c side to an end (inner end 70 b) on the inner side in the radial direction of the circle of the bottom surface 16 b. Here, the groove 70 is an example of a concave portion. The width of the groove 70 in the radial direction, that is, the distance from the outer end 70a to the inner end 70b is larger than the outer diameter of the first pipe 211. The lower ends 14b of the four first pipes 211 are located in the groove 70. In this way, by forming the groove 70 and disposing the lower end 14b of the first pipe 211 in the groove 70, the first pipe 211 can be easily positioned, and the assembling property of the dispenser 20 can be improved. Further, by forming the recess portion as one groove 70 in a ring shape, processing can be easily performed, and adjustment for positioning the first pipe 211 in the recess portion can be easily performed. The lower end 14b of the first pipe 211 is brought into contact with the bottom surface 70c in the groove 70. However, the lower end 14b may be located in the groove 70 and may not contact the bottom surface 70 c.

As a first modification of the second embodiment, the shape of the recess is not limited to the annular groove 70, as long as the recess is formed in the bottom surface 16b of the case 11 in the region where the lower end 14b of the outflow pipe 14 is located. As another example, four recesses may be formed in the bottom surface 16b, which are circular in shape, around the lower end 14b of the outflow pipe 14.

Fig. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the dispenser 20 according to the second modification. As a second modification, the protrusion 80 may be formed in the groove 70. The protrusion 80 is disposed at a position where the lower end 14b of the outflow tube 14 is located. Accordingly, at least a part of the protrusion 80 is located inside the first pipe 211 (inside the pipe), and the lateral movement of the first pipe 211 is restricted. That is, the first pipe 211 can be stably provided to the bottom surface 16b of the case 11. The lower end 14b of the first pipe 211 is opened, but as another example, the lower end 14b of the first pipe 211 may be closed. In the closed state, a recess corresponding to the protrusion 80 is formed at the lower end 14 b. Thus, even when the first pipe 211 is closed, the protrusion 80 is inserted into the recess, so that the lateral movement of the first pipe 211 is restricted, and the installation of the first pipe 211 is stabilized.

(third embodiment)

Next, regarding the dispenser 30 of the third embodiment, points different from those of the other embodiments will be mainly described. Fig. 12 is a view showing a side wall 16c of the dispenser 30 of the third embodiment. In the distributor 30 according to the third embodiment, the inflow pipe 131 is connected to the opening 16d provided on the upper side of the side wall 16c, and communicates with the gas-liquid separation space 12 through the opening 16 d.

The gas-liquid refrigerant flowing in from the opening 16d flows down along the side wall 16c and spirally toward the bottom surface 16 b. Therefore, turbulence of the gas-liquid interface 17 caused by inflow of the refrigerant can be reduced, and generation of bubbles in the liquid phase accumulated below the gas-liquid separation space 12 can be avoided.

(fourth embodiment)

Next, the difference from the dispensers of the other embodiments will be mainly described with respect to the dispenser 40 of the fourth embodiment. Fig. 13 is an overall configuration diagram of a dispenser 40 according to the fourth embodiment. Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the connection portion 183 and the first pipe 211 provided in the dispenser 40 according to the fourth embodiment. Fig. 15 is a view of the upper surface 1831 of the connecting portion 183 as viewed from above. In the distributor 40 according to the fourth embodiment, the connecting portion 183 is provided with four openings 1832a to 1832d corresponding to the outflow pipe 14, and an opening 1833 extending in the vertical direction H is provided in the center of the connecting portion 183. The touching portion 15 is inserted into the opening 1833. Specifically, an insertion portion 15a corresponding to the shape of the opening 1833 is provided below the abutment portion 15, and the upper surface 15b of the abutment portion 15 is disposed on the connection portion 183 by inserting the insertion portion 15a into the opening 1833. The upper surface 15b is a surface having a slope protruding in the upward direction. The upper surface 15b is formed in a conical shape or a quadrangular shape, for example.

According to this structure, in the distributor 40 of the fourth embodiment, the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant flowing downward from the inflow pipe 13 into the gas-liquid separation space 12 contacts the upper surface 15b of the touching portion 15. Thereby, the flow direction of the gas-liquid mixture refrigerant changes from downward to the side wall 16c, and then flows down along the side wall 16c. In this way, the flow direction of the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant changes from downward to the side wall 16c side, thereby promoting gas-liquid separation. In addition, since the refrigerant flows down along the side wall 16c, turbulence of the gas-liquid interface 17 and generation of bubbles can be reduced. That is, the gas-liquid separation space 12 can be brought into a state where the liquid and the gas are well separated.

As a first modification of the fourth embodiment, the opening 1833 may not be perforated. That is, the connecting portion 183 may have a concave portion corresponding to the shape of the insertion portion 15 a.

As a second modification, the shape of the upper surface 15b of the abutment portion 15 is not limited to the embodiment. As another example, the upper surface 15b may be a curved surface. Further, as another example, the upper surface 15b may be a plane substantially parallel to the bottom surface 16 b.

As a third modification, the shape of the connecting portion 183 is not limited to the embodiment. For example, as shown in fig. 16, the upper surface 1841 of the connection portion 184 may be formed in a substantially square shape, and four openings 1842a to 1842d may be formed at positions corresponding to the respective vertices of the square. In addition, a notch 1843 extending to the center of the upper surface 1841 may be formed on one side. In this case, the contact portion 15 may be inserted into the substantially square center position of the connecting portion 184 in the notch portion 1843.

In this way, the shape of the connecting portion 183 is not limited to the embodiment, but is not limited to a circular shape or a square shape. The central region of the connection portion 184 may be vertically penetrated, and thus the opening may be formed in a hole shape or a slit shape. For example, in the circular connecting portion 183 described with reference to fig. 15 in the fourth embodiment, a notch portion extending from the outer periphery to the center may be formed instead of the opening portion 1833.

(fifth embodiment)

Next, regarding the dispenser 50 of the fifth embodiment, points different from those of the other embodiments will be mainly described. Fig. 17 is an overall configuration diagram of a dispenser 50 according to the fifth embodiment. The connecting portion 183 of the dispenser 50 of the fifth embodiment is the same as the connecting portion 183 of the fourth embodiment, and has an opening 1833 at the center. In the fourth embodiment, the inflow pipe 13 is connected so that the refrigerant flows upward into the tank 11 from the lower portion of the tank 11. Specifically, the inflow pipe 13 penetrates the bottom surface 16b and the connection portion 183. The lower end 13b of the inflow pipe 13 is positioned below the housing 11, and the upper end 13a of the inflow pipe 13 is positioned between the connecting portion 183 and the upper surface 16a in the housing 11.

According to this configuration, in the present embodiment, the gas-liquid mixture refrigerant flowing from the inflow pipe 13 into the gas-liquid separation space 12 contacts the upper surface 16a of the tank 11, changes the flow direction from upward toward the side wall 16c side, and then flows down along the side wall 16c. In this way, the flow direction is changed from upward toward the side wall 16c side, thereby promoting gas-liquid separation. In addition, since the refrigerant flows down along the side wall 16c, turbulence of the gas-liquid interface 17 and generation of bubbles can be reduced. That is, the gas-liquid separation space 12 can be brought into a state where the liquid and the gas are well separated. The connection portion 183 can be shared with the connection portion 183 of the dispenser 40 described in the fourth embodiment.

(sixth embodiment)

Fig. 18 is an overall configuration diagram of an air conditioner 300 according to the sixth embodiment. The air conditioner 300 is applied with any of the dispensers of the first to fifth embodiments. The air conditioner 300 includes an indoor unit 310 and an outdoor unit 320. The indoor unit 310 and the outdoor unit 320 are connected by a liquid tube 331 and a gas tube 332 to constitute a refrigeration cycle.

The indoor unit 310 includes an indoor heat exchanger 311, an indoor blower 312, and an indoor expansion valve 313. An indoor distributor 314 is provided between the indoor expansion valve 313 and the indoor heat exchanger 311. The outdoor unit 320 includes an outdoor heat exchanger 321, an outdoor blower 322, a compressor 323, a four-way valve 324, and an outdoor expansion valve 325. An outdoor distributor 326 is provided between the outdoor expansion valve 325 and the outdoor heat exchanger 321. Here, the indoor dispenser 314 and the outdoor dispenser 326 are any of the dispensers 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 described in the first to fifth embodiments.

During the heating operation, the refrigerant 341 in a high-temperature and high-pressure state in the compressor 323 is guided to the indoor heat exchanger 311 (condenser) in the indoor unit 310 via the four-way valve 324. Then, the high-temperature refrigerant flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 311 radiates heat to the indoor air supplied from the indoor blower 312, and the indoor space is warmed. At this time, the gas refrigerant having the heat removed therein gradually liquefies in the indoor heat exchanger 311, and the supercooled liquid refrigerant flows out from the outlet of the indoor heat exchanger 311 through the indoor distributor 314.

Then, the liquid refrigerant flowing out of the indoor unit 310 through the indoor expansion valve 313 is changed into a low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant by the expansion action when passing through the outdoor expansion valve 325. The low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant is distributed by the outdoor distributor 326 and is guided to a plurality of channels of the outdoor heat exchanger 321 (evaporator). The low-temperature refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 321 absorbs heat from the outside air supplied from the outdoor blower 322. At the outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger 321, the refrigerant is gasified and returned to the compressor 323. The heating operation of the air conditioner 300 is realized by a series of refrigeration cycles in which the refrigerant 341 circulates in the counterclockwise direction as described above.

On the other hand, during the cooling operation, the four-way valve 324 is switched to form a refrigeration cycle in which the refrigerant 341 circulates in the clockwise direction. In this case, the indoor heat exchanger 311 functions as an evaporator, and the outdoor heat exchanger 321 functions as a condenser.

(seventh embodiment)

Fig. 19 is an overall configuration diagram of a refrigerator 400 according to a seventh embodiment. The dispenser according to any one of the first to fifth embodiments is applied to the refrigerator 400. In the refrigerator 400, a refrigeration cycle is constituted by a compressor 401, a condenser 402, an expansion valve 403, a dispenser 404, and an evaporator 405. Here, the dispenser 404 is any one of the dispensers 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 described in the first to fifth embodiments.

The refrigerant in the high-temperature and high-pressure state in the compressor 401 is condensed in the condenser 402 to become a liquid refrigerant. Then, the low-temperature low-pressure liquid refrigerant decompressed by the expansion valve 403 is distributed to a plurality of channels by the distributor 404, and then supplied to the evaporator 405. In the evaporator 405, the gas refrigerant is changed into a gas refrigerant by heat exchange, and returned to the compressor 401. The cooler 406 cools the condenser 402 by flowing cooling water to the condenser 402.

As described above, according to the above embodiments, it is possible to provide a dispenser, an air conditioner, and a refrigerator that dispense refrigerant at an appropriate liquid refrigerant flow rate ratio.

While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments, and various modifications and alterations can be made within the scope of the present invention as described in the claims.

Description of symbols

10. 20, 30, 40, 50-distributor, 12-gas-liquid separation space, 13, 131-inflow pipe, 14-outflow pipe, 15-touching portion, 17-gas-liquid interface, 22-second piping, 181, 182, 183, 184-connecting portion, 1812a to 1812 d-opening, 1822a to 1822 d-opening, 1832a to 1832 d-opening, 1833-opening, 1842a to 1842 d-opening, 1843-opening, 191, 192, 193-opening, 211, 212, 213-first piping, 300-air conditioner, 400-refrigerator.

Claims (15)

1. An air conditioner is characterized by comprising:

a heat exchanger having a plurality of flow paths for refrigerant; and

a distributor for distributing the refrigerant to each flow path of the heat exchanger,

the dispenser includes:

an inflow pipe for flowing the refrigerant into the tank of the distributor; and

a plurality of outflow pipes for letting out the refrigerant in the tank,

the plurality of outflow pipes each have:

a first pipe having a first opening portion in which a ratio of the gas refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant flowing out is changed according to a height of a gas-liquid interface in the tank;

a second pipe extending from the inside of the case to the outside of the case; and

a connection unit for connecting the first pipe and the second pipe,

the first pipe and the second pipe are connected by being inserted into a second opening formed in the connecting portion.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein,

the connection portion is located downstream of the outflow pipe from the first opening.

3. An air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the inflow pipe allows the refrigerant to flow in from the upper part of the distributor,

the connection portion has a contact surface that changes a flow direction of the refrigerant flowing from the inflow pipe into the tank to a side wall side of the tank.

4. An air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the inflow pipe allows the refrigerant to flow in from the upper part of the distributor,

the distributor further has a contact portion provided between the inflow pipe and the connection portion, and configured to contact the refrigerant flowing from the inflow pipe into the tank.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein,

the connecting portion has a third opening portion,

the touching part is provided with an inserting part which is inserted into the third opening part.

6. An air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the inflow pipe allows the refrigerant to flow in from the lower part of the distributor,

the connecting part has a third opening through which the inflow pipe passes,

the inflow pipe is inserted into the third opening,

the upper end of the inflow pipe is located above the connection part.

7. An air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

a concave part is formed at the bottom of the box body,

the lower end of the outflow pipe is positioned in the concave part.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 7, wherein,

the recess is formed in a ring shape.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 7, wherein,

a protrusion is formed in the recess,

at least a part of the protruding portion is located inside the side wall of the outflow tube.

10. An air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the second tube has an inner diameter larger than an inner diameter of the first tube.

11. An air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the connection portion is formed of resin.

12. An air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the connection portion and the first pipe are integrally formed.

13. An air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the outlet pipe further includes a protrusion extending from a side wall of the first pipe toward an outer side in a radial direction of the first pipe, the protrusion being located downstream of the first opening of the first pipe.

14. A refrigerator is characterized by comprising:

a heat exchanger having a plurality of flow paths for refrigerant; and

a distributor for distributing the refrigerant to each flow path of the heat exchanger,

the dispenser includes:

an inflow pipe for flowing the refrigerant into the tank of the distributor; and

a plurality of outflow pipes for letting out the refrigerant in the tank,

the plurality of outflow pipes each have:

a first pipe having a first opening portion in which a ratio of the gas refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant flowing out is changed according to a height of a gas-liquid interface in the tank;

a second pipe extending from the inside of the case to the outside of the case; and

and a connection unit that connects the first pipe and the second pipe.

15. A distributor for distributing refrigerant to each flow path of a heat exchanger, comprising:

an inflow pipe for flowing the refrigerant into the tank of the distributor; and

a plurality of outflow pipes for letting out the refrigerant in the tank,

the plurality of outflow pipes each have:

a first pipe having a first opening portion in which a ratio of the gas refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant flowing out is changed according to a height of a gas-liquid interface in the tank;

a second pipe extending from the inside of the case to the outside of the case; and

and a connection unit that connects the first pipe and the second pipe.