JPH05264131A - Accumulator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To allow liquid refrigerant containing refrigerator oil stored in a dome of an accumulator to flow out in response to a velocity of gas flowing in a discharge tube irrespective of a high or low liquid level. CONSTITUTION:One end of an oil return tube 24 is coupled to a gas discharge tube 23, and its other end is opened in a bottom of a dome 21. A switching valve 26 and a throttle 25 are interposed in the tube 24.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an accumulator incorporated in a refrigerant circuit of an air conditioner, a refrigerator, a dehumidifier, a water heater or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art One example of a conventional refrigerant circuit of an air conditioner is shown in FIG. The gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 enters the condenser 2 and radiates heat to the outside air sent from the blower 3 to be condensed and liquefied. This liquid refrigerant is the expansion valve 4
After being adiabatically expanded by being squeezed by, it enters the evaporator 5, where it absorbs heat from the indoor air sent by the blower 6 and evaporates. This gas refrigerant returns to the compressor 1 via the accumulator 10.

The accumulator 10 includes a dome 11 and a U-shaped tube 12.
The suction pipe 13 is provided, and an oil return hole 14 is formed in the lower portion of the U-shaped pipe 12. A liquid refrigerant L containing refrigerating machine oil is stored in the bottom of the dome 11. The gas refrigerant enters the dome 11 through the suction pipe 13, where the refrigerating machine oil and the liquid refrigerant contained in the gas refrigerant are separated. And only the gas refrigerant is the inlet
It enters into the U-shaped tube 12 from 12a, passes through this, and is sucked into the compressor 1. . Refrigerating machine oil or liquid refrigerant separated from the gas refrigerant is stored in the bottom of the dome 11, enters the U-shaped tube 12 in small amounts from the oil return hole 14, and is accompanied by the gas refrigerant flowing through the compressor. Inhaled to 1.

[0004]

In the conventional accumulator described above, the oil return hole 14 is opened in the lower part of the dome 11, so that the oil return hole 14 is opened depending on the amount of the liquid refrigerant accumulated in the dome 11. The amount of refrigerating machine oil or liquid refrigerant passing through and returning to the compressor 1 changes. Therefore, when the compressor 1 is operated under a low load, the amount of the liquid refrigerant that accumulates in the dome 11 increases, so that the amount of the liquid refrigerant that returns to the compressor 1 becomes excessive and the temperature of the compressor 1 decreases, causing a failure. There was a risk of causing it. On the contrary, when the compressor 1 is operated under a high load, the amount of the liquid refrigerant accumulated in the dome 11 becomes small, so that the amounts of the refrigerating machine oil and the liquid refrigerant returning to the compressor 1 become too small and the temperature of the compressor 1 rises. There was a risk of causing poor lubrication and seizure of the compressor 1.

Further, while the compressor 1 is stopped, the liquid refrigerant enters the U-shaped pipe 12 through the oil return hole 14 and accumulates in the lower part thereof, so that this is sucked into the compressor 1 all at once when the compressor 1 is restarted. There was a problem in that it caused the liquid compression.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been invented to solve the above problems, and its gist is to provide one end of an oil return pipe in which an on-off valve and a throttle are provided with a gas. An accumulator characterized in that it is connected to a discharge pipe and has the other end opened to the inner bottom of the dome.
The other ends of the plurality of oil return pipes may be opened at different heights of the bottom of the dome.

[0007]

In the present invention, since the compressor has the above-mentioned structure, the opening / closing valve is opened during the steady operation of the compressor, and the pressure in the gas discharge pipe decreases according to the flow velocity of the gas flowing therein. The liquid refrigerant containing the refrigerating machine oil stored in the bottom of the dome as a driving force is sucked into the gas discharge pipe through the oil return pipe, the on-off valve, and the throttle by an amount corresponding to the flow velocity of the gas flowing in the gas discharge pipe. The gas flowing through the discharge pipe returns to the compressor.

Since the on-off valve is closed when the compressor is started, a large amount of liquid refrigerant containing refrigerating machine oil does not return to the compressor.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT One embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. The accumulator 20 is a dome 21, a suction pipe 22, and a gas discharge pipe.
23 and an oil return pipe 24, and a liquid refrigerant L containing refrigerating machine oil is stored in the bottom of the dome 21. One end of the oil return pipe 24 is connected to the gas discharge pipe 23, and the other end opens to the inner bottom of the dome 21. An on-off valve 26 and a throttle 25 composed of a capillary tube are interposed in the oil return pipe 24. The on-off valve 26 opens after a predetermined time has passed since the compressor 1 was started. Instead of the capillary tube 25, as shown in FIG.
As shown in, a small diameter flow control pipe 251 can be used.

During operation of the air conditioner, however, the gas refrigerant enters the dome 21 through the suction pipe 22, and the refrigerating machine oil and the liquid refrigerant contained in the gas refrigerant are separated therein. And
Only the gas refrigerant is sucked into the compressor 1 via the gas discharge pipe 23. Since the on-off valve 26 is opened during the steady operation of the compressor 1, the pressure in the gas discharge pipe 23 decreases according to the flow velocity of the gas refrigerant flowing therein. The liquid refrigerant L containing the refrigerating machine oil stored in the inner bottom portion of the dome 1 by using this pressure difference as a driving force passes through the oil return pipe 24 and the on-off valve 26, and its flow rate is adjusted by the throttle 25 to enter the gas discharge pipe 23. It returns to the compressor 1 with the gas refrigerant flowing inside.

Thus, the liquid return amount is determined according to the flow velocity of the gas refrigerant flowing in the gas discharge pipe 23, and does not change according to the amount of the liquid L in the dome 21 unlike the conventional one.
Since the on-off valve 26 is closed immediately after the compressor 1 is started, even if the pressure in the gas discharge pipe 23 suddenly drops, the dome 21
The liquid L therein is not sucked into the compressor 1 via the oil return pipe 24.

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, in addition to the oil return pipe 24, a second oil return pipe 24A is provided, one end of this oil return pipe 24A is connected to the gas discharge pipe 23, and the other end is connected to the oil return pipe 24. It is connected to the dome 21 above the connection position so as to open above the liquid level of the liquid L during steady operation of the compressor 1. An opening / closing valve 26A and a throttle 25A are provided in the second oil return pipe 24A. The other structure is the first shown in FIG.
The same reference numerals are given to corresponding members.

During steady operation of the compressor 1, the on-off valves 26 and 26
Since A is opened and the liquid level of the liquid L in the dome 21 is below the connection position of the second oil return pipe 24A, the liquid L in the dome 21 is
Is sucked into the gas discharge pipe 23 through the oil return pipe 24, the on-off valve 26, and the throttle 25. When the liquid level of the liquid L in the dome 21 rises above the connection position of the second oil return pipe 24A when the heating low load operation is started, if the liquid L in the dome 21 is the oil return pipe 24 only. Instead, it returns to the inside of the gas discharge pipe 23 through the second oil return pipe 24A, so that it is possible to prevent the heating rising time from being prolonged due to the shortage of the refrigerant circulation amount.

[0014]

According to the present invention, regardless of the amounts of the refrigerating machine oil and the liquid refrigerant stored in the dome, the compressor is supplied with the refrigerating machine oil and the liquid refrigerant in an amount corresponding to the flow velocity of the gas flowing in the gas discharge pipe. Since the liquid can be returned, it is possible to prevent damage to the compressor due to an excessive amount or an excessive amount of returned liquid. Further, the liquid compression of the compressor can be prevented by closing the opening / closing valve when the compressor is started. Further, by opening the other ends of the plurality of oil return pipes at different heights of the bottom of the dome, when the liquid level in the dome rises, the refrigerating machine oil and the liquid refrigerant are promptly passed through the plurality of oil return pipes. Can be put back into the compressor.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the above embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of a conventional air conditioner.

[Explanation of symbols]

 20 Accumulator 21 Dome 22 Suction pipe 23 Gas discharge pipe 24 Oil return pipe 25 Throttle 26 Open / close valve

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An accumulator characterized in that one end of an oil return pipe in which an on-off valve and a throttle are interposed is connected to a gas discharge pipe and the other end is opened to the inner bottom of the dome. 2. The accumulator according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of oil return pipes, wherein the other ends of the plurality of oil return pipes are opened at different heights of the inner bottom of the dome.
Ta.