JPH09133437A - Accumulator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make an accumulator compact in size on the assumption that a separator structure to prevent a return of a liquid refrigerant to a compressor is to be employed, and to reduce the pressure loss of a passing refrigerant. SOLUTION: The interior of a separator 6 is partitioned by a partition wall 14 and first and second chambers 15 and 16 laterally adjoining each other are formed, and the first and second chambers 15 and 16 are communicated with each other through an upper communicating part 17. An end part suction port 9 of a suction pipe 5 is caused to front on a second chamber 16. Penetration of a refrigerant to the second chamber 16, except penetration thereof through the communication part 17, is regulated or substantially regulated and inflow of a refrigerant through an opening part 21 of a lower end part to the first chamber 15 is allowed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is interposed between an evaporator and a compressor to prevent the liquid refrigerant from returning to the compressor, and also has a function as a storage unit for the excess refrigerant. Regarding the accumulator with things.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an accumulator (51) having a structure as shown in FIG. 3 has been known. In this accumulator (51), (52) is a liquid reservoir, and a refrigerant inlet portion (53) and a refrigerant outlet portion (54) are circumferentially phased on the upper side surface of the liquid reservoir (52). They are provided 180 degrees apart. The suction pipe (5
5) is arranged. One end of the suction pipe (55) is connected to the refrigerant outlet (54) in a communication state, and the middle part is arranged so as to bypass the lower part in the liquid reservoir (52). . The other end of the suction pipe (55) serves as a suction port (56) so that the liquid refrigerant accumulated in the lower portion of the liquid storage container (52) does not enter the liquid storage container (52). It is kept in the uppermost position, facing upward. With such a configuration, the gas refrigerant introduced inside through the refrigerant inlet portion (53) is sucked into the suction portion (56) of the suction pipe (55), and the suction pipe (56) and the refrigerant outlet portion (54). While being returned to the compressor through the compressor, the liquid refrigerant contained in the gas refrigerant introduced from the refrigerant inlet portion (53) falls and is accumulated in the lower portion of the liquid reservoir (52).
The refrigerant introduced through the refrigerant inlet (53) is separated into gas and liquid.

Further, the accumulator (51)
In the suction pipe (55), the liquid refrigerant contained in the gas refrigerant introduced from the refrigerant inlet portion (53) is prevented from being sucked into the suction port (56) following the flow of the gas refrigerant. A cup-shaped separator (57) having a cylindrical shape with a bottom is placed on the end portion of the suction port (56) side facing downward and covered.

In this case, in order to minimize the room for the liquid refrigerant in the gas refrigerant to be sucked into the suction port (56), the inner surface of the bottom portion of the cup-shaped separator (57) and the suction pipe (55) are separated. The space between the suction port (56) is designed to be very small.

Moreover, by itself, the liquid refrigerant that follows the gas refrigerant is still sucked into the suction port (56) through the narrow space between the inner surface of the bottom of the cup-shaped separator (57) and the suction port (56). In order to prevent this, the separator (57) has a peripheral side wall outer surface part (53) so that the liquid refrigerant in the gas refrigerant does not easily enter the separator (57). ), And so that even if it enters, it is projected far below the refrigerant inlet part (53) so that it can fall while rising in the separator (57). Designed to be quite large in size.

The suction pipe (55) is provided with a balancer hole (59), and the pipe portion having the balancer hole (59) is also kept in the separator (57).

[0007]

However, in the accumulator (51) having the above-mentioned structure, the inner surface of the bottom of the cup-shaped separator (57) and the suction port (56) of the suction pipe (55) are separated. Since the gap space is designed to be very small, there is a problem in that the gas refrigerant passing through this narrow region causes a very large pressure loss.

Moreover, since the vertical size of the separator (57) is designed to be quite large for the reasons described above, the gas refrigerant rises in the separator (57) toward the suction port (56). As a result, the pressure loss that occurs will be extremely large. In this case, if the lateral size of the separator (57) is increased, this pressure loss can be reduced. But,
Then, the space between the outer surface of the peripheral wall of the separator (57) and the refrigerant inlet (53) becomes narrow, and the gas refrigerant introduced from the refrigerant inlet (53) passes through this narrow space. The resulting pressure loss will be large. That is, if one of them is set up, the other will not be set up, and in any case, the pressure loss of the gas refrigerant becomes large. In this case, it is sufficient to increase the size of the accumulator (51), but this leads to an increase in size of the accumulator (51).

As shown in FIG. 4, as the other accumulator (51), the separator is omitted, and instead, the pipe end portion of the suction pipe (55) on the suction port (56) side is expanded. There is also proposed a structure in which the expanded suction port (56) is arranged as close as possible to the lower surface of the upper wall portion of the liquid reservoir (52).

According to this accumulator (51), since the suction port (56) is wide, even if it is arranged as close as possible to the lower surface of the upper wall portion of the liquid reservoir (52), the gas will not flow. The pressure loss caused by the refrigerant passing through this narrow area is suppressed to a small level, and since there is no separator,
There is no pressure loss of the gas refrigerant due to this. Therefore, the pressure loss of the gas refrigerant passing through the accumulator (51) can be reduced.

However, since there is no separator,
The liquid refrigerant can migrate toward the suction port (56) by utilizing a very wide space part around the entire circumference of the suction pipe (55), and therefore, as described above, the suction port (56) can be stored in the liquid container. Even if it is arranged close to the lower surface of the upper wall portion of the (52), it is difficult to suppress the suction of the liquid refrigerant into the suction port (56). Particularly, in an accumulator used in a refrigerating device such as an air conditioner in a vehicle such as an automobile, the liquid refrigerant in the inside jumps up due to vibrations during the vehicle operation, and this liquid refrigerant is sucked into the suction port (56 )
There was a risk of being sucked into.

In view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present invention is based on an accumulator that employs a separator structure effective for preventing the suction of the liquid refrigerant into the suction pipe suction port, and is compact in size. It is an object of the present invention to provide an accumulator having a structure that can reduce the pressure loss of the gas refrigerant passing through it.

[0013]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above problem is that a coolant inlet port is provided on an upper side surface of a liquid storage container, and a vertical cylindrical shape is provided at an upper end of the liquid storage container. In the separator body, in a mode in which the invasion of the refrigerant from the upper end is regulated or substantially regulated, and
In a mode in which the outer surface of the peripheral wall portion faces the refrigerant inlet portion, the separator body is provided, and the inside of the separator body is partitioned by being traversed by a partition wall oriented in the vertical direction, thereby making The first room on the side
On the other side, the second chambers are provided next to each other,
The first chamber and the second chamber are communicated with each other through a communication portion provided in an upper end region in the separator body, and the second chamber is exposed to an end suction port of a suction pipe, and The second chamber is regulated or substantially regulated in the invasion of the gas refrigerant except through the communication portion, and the first chamber is configured to permit the inflow of the gas refrigerant through the opening at the lower end thereof. The gas refrigerant introduced into the first chamber is introduced into the first chamber through the lower end opening of the first chamber, and then rises in the first chamber,
This is solved by the accumulator, which is introduced into the second chamber through the communication portion and is sucked into the suction port of the suction pipe.

That is, in the accumulator of this structure, the gas refrigerant is introduced into the first chamber through the lower end opening of the first chamber by the separator having the above-mentioned specific structure, and then the first chamber is opened. Ascend one room, through the communication part,
Introduced into the second chamber, which is laterally adjacent to the first chamber,
By being sucked into the suction port, the liquid refrigerant that tries to follow the flow of the gas refrigerant is removed from the gas refrigerant in the process, that is, at the stage before passing through the communication section at the latest. It is separated and the suction of the liquid refrigerant into the suction port is effectively prevented. In addition, even if the liquid refrigerant accumulated in the lower part of the liquid pool container is splashed up by vibration,
With the above structure, the liquid refrigerant does not enter the second chamber through the communication portion, and the liquid refrigerant can be effectively prevented from being sucked into the suction port.

Therefore, even if the space around the suction pipe suction port facing the second chamber is widened, the liquid refrigerant is not sucked into the suction port, and a large suction space is provided around the suction port. Can be secured, and the pressure loss of the gas refrigerant in this region can be reduced.

Since the communicating portion has a high degree of freedom in its design, the communicating portion is designed so that the pressure loss of the gas refrigerant passing therethrough is reduced and the passage of the liquid refrigerant is prevented. Things can be easily achieved.

Moreover, the separator structure as described above effectively prevents the liquid refrigerant from flowing into the second chamber even if the size of the separator body in the vertical direction is reduced, and thus the separator body The size in the vertical direction can be reduced, and the pressure loss of the gas refrigerant flowing upward from the opening in the lower end of the first chamber can be reduced. Therefore, the size in the horizontal direction of the separator body can also be reduced. The space between the refrigerant inlet portion and the outer surface of the peripheral wall of the separator body can be widened, and the pressure loss when the gas refrigerant introduced from the refrigerant inlet portion passes through this portion can be reduced. It also does not lead to an increase in the size of the accumulator, so that the accumulator is compactly constructed.

In this way, the accumulator becomes compact in size, and the pressure loss of the gas refrigerant passing therethrough is small.

[0019]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In the accumulator (1) according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, (2) is a liquid storage container,
(3) is a refrigerant inlet part, (4) is a refrigerant outlet part, (5) is a suction pipe, and (6) is a separator. In addition,
(7) is a drying unit that contains a desiccant.

The liquid reservoir (2) comprises a bottomed cylindrical container body (2a) having a predetermined depth, and a bottomed cylindrical lid closing the upper end of the container body (2a). The lid member (2b) is made of a material (2b) and is fitted to the upper end of the container body (2a) in an internally sealed state. Further, the refrigerant inlet portion (3) and the refrigerant outlet portion (4) are circumferentially aligned with each other on the side surface of the upper end portion of the liquid reservoir (2), that is, the peripheral side wall of the lid member (2b).
It is provided with a phase difference of 80 °.

The suction pipe (5) is arranged inside the liquid reservoir (2), one end of which is connected to the refrigerant outlet (4), and the other end serves as a suction port (9). ) In the upper end area and is facing upwards. The suction port (9) is formed into an elliptical shape by cutting the pipe end portion in an inclined shape, so that the pressure loss of the refrigerant sucked into the suction port (9) is reduced. The suction pipe (5) extends downward from the suction port (9), makes a U-turn near the bottom of the liquid reservoir (2) and extends upward, and then the refrigerant outlet (4). It is bent (10) near the outlet (4) side and connected to the outlet (4). A balancer hole (11) is provided on the upward peripheral side surface on the outer side in the direction of the radius of curvature of bending of the bent pipe portion (10).

The separator (6) comprises a tubular separator body (13) having a predetermined height. The separator body (13) is oriented vertically, and its upper end is attached in a peripherally sealed state at a position near the center of the top wall of the lid (2b) of the liquid reservoir (2). The entry of the refrigerant from the inside of the separator body (13) is or is substantially regulated. Further, in this arranged state, the separator main body (13) is designed to have a small vertical size within a range in which the outer surface of the peripheral side wall faces the refrigerant inlet portion (3).

The inside of the separator body (13) is partitioned by being crossed by a partition wall (14) oriented in the vertical direction, whereby the first chamber (15) is provided on one side in the internal lateral direction. The second chambers (16) are provided adjacent to each other on the other side. The first chamber (15) and the second chamber (16) are located at the upper end of the separator body (13) at the height position of the upper end of the partition wall (14). They are communicated with each other via a communication portion (17) formed by making the height lower than the height position.

The end of the suction pipe (5) on the suction port (9) side is moved upward into the second chamber (16) through the lower end of the separator body (13) corresponding to the second chamber (16). Are arranged so as to project toward the inside, whereby the suction port (9) faces the second chamber (16).

The lateral size of the second chamber (16) is designed to be larger than the lateral size of the suction pipe (5) over the entire longitudinal direction, and the lower end of the second chamber (16) is A wall (19) closes the region between the outer periphery of the suction pipe (5) and the lower end opening of the second chamber (16). It should be noted that the wall portion (19) has a small liquid drain hole through which the liquid refrigerant that has involuntarily entered the second chamber (16) through the communication portion (17) is drained downward from the second chamber (16). (20) (2
0) is provided. As a result, the second chamber (16)
The inside of the refrigerant is regulated or substantially regulated except through the communication section (17).

On the other hand, the other side of the suction pipe (5) is protruded into the first chamber (15) through the lower end opening (21) of the first chamber (15) to bend the curved pipe portion (10). The first room (1
5) is left inside, is led out of the separator (6) from a notch (22) formed in the peripheral wall of the separator (6), and is connected to the refrigerant outlet (4). With such a configuration, the balancer hole (11) of the bent pipe portion (10) is placed in the first chamber (15) obliquely upward or upward. The lower end of the first chamber (15) is not blocked, and the gas refrigerant is introduced from there.

In the accumulator (1) having the above structure,
Of the refrigerant introduced into the liquid reservoir (2) from the evaporator (not shown) through the refrigerant inlet (3), the gas refrigerant first hits the outer peripheral surface of the separator body (13), and then the separator body (13). Is moved downwards along
It flows into the first chamber (15) through the lower end opening (21) of the first chamber (15) of the separator (6). Since the lower end of the second chamber (16) is closed by the wall (19), this gas refrigerant will not flow into the second chamber (16) through the lower end. Then, this gas refrigerant rises upward in the first chamber (15), changes its direction at the upper end of the first chamber (15), and passes through the communication part (17) to the second chamber (16). ) Is flowed into. Then, it is sucked into the suction port (9) of the suction pipe (5), flows through the suction pipe (5), flows out from the refrigerant outlet portion (4), and is returned to the compressor (not shown).

On the other hand, the liquid refrigerant trying to follow the gas refrigerant is in the flow of the gas refrigerant as described above, and due to the unique internal partition structure and communication structure of the separator (6), at the latest, the communication portion ( Almost all of it is separated from the gas refrigerant before entering the second chamber (16) through the second chamber (16) and never enters the second chamber (16).
Therefore, the liquid refrigerant is prevented from being sucked into the suction port (9), and the return of the liquid refrigerant to the compressor is prevented.

On the other hand, regarding the pressure loss of the gas refrigerant passing through the accumulator (1), first, in the vicinity of the suction port (9) of the suction pipe (5), the suction port (9) is The pressure loss of the gas refrigerant in this region is very small due to the fact that the pipe end is cut into an inclined shape to be oval and a wide suction space is secured around the suction port (9). Of course, since the liquid refrigerant does not enter the second chamber (16) due to the unique internal partition structure and the communication structure as described above, the liquid refrigerant is not sucked into the suction port (9). .

Next, under the premise of the peculiar internal partition structure and communication structure of the separator (6) as described above, even if the size of the separator body (13) in the vertical direction is made small as shown in the figure. Since the liquid refrigerant does not enter the second chamber (16), the pressure loss of the gas refrigerant flowing upward in the first chamber (15) from the lower end opening (21) thereof should be reduced. Therefore, the size of the separator body (13) in the lateral direction can also be reduced, and the space between the refrigerant inlet portion (3) and the outer surface of the peripheral wall of the separator body (13) can be widened. The pressure loss when the gas refrigerant introduced from the inlet portion (3) passes through this portion can also be reduced. As a result, the accumulator (1) also becomes compact in size.

Further, in this embodiment, in particular, in the suction pipe (5), the pipe portion having the balancer hole (11) is arranged in the first chamber (15) of the separator (6). In such a configuration mode, not only the infiltration of the liquid refrigerant into the balancer hole (11) can be effectively prevented, but also the pipe portion having such a balancer hole (11) can be used as the separator (6). In spite of the covering, the separator (6) can be made compact and the accumulator (1) can be made compact under such a configuration.

Further, when used in an environment with vibration or the like, it is possible to effectively prevent the suction of the liquid refrigerant into the suction port (9) due to the splash of the liquid refrigerant due to the vibration or the like.

In the accumulator (1) according to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the inside of the separator body (13) is divided into the first chamber (15) and the second chamber (16) by the partition wall (14). The basic structure such as partitioning is the same as that of the accumulator (1) according to the first embodiment.

However, in this embodiment, first, the first chamber (1
5) has a second chamber (16) between it and the refrigerant inlet (3)
Are arranged in a mode in which And the suction port (9) of the suction pipe (5) is in the second chamber (16),
It is exposed at the lower end position of the second chamber (16),
The lower end of the second chamber (16) has substantially the same size as the suction port (9), and the peripheral wall portion excluding the partition wall (14) is inclined outward as it goes upward from the lower end. By doing so, the size becomes larger as it goes upward.

Since the first chamber (15) is arranged in such a manner that the second chamber (16) is kept between the first chamber (15) and the refrigerant inlet portion (3), the lower end of the first chamber (15) The entry of the liquid refrigerant through the opening (21) can be prevented more effectively, and therefore the size of the lower end opening (21) of the first chamber (15) can be increased and the inflow rate of the gas refrigerant can be increased. The liquid refrigerant can be further effectively prevented from entering and rising into the first chamber (15). Moreover,
Due to the arrangement, even if the first chamber (15) is laterally enlarged in this way, the refrigerant inlet portion (3) and the separator body (13)
The distance between and does not become smaller, and therefore does not increase the pressure loss of the gas refrigerant.

Further, since the suction port (9) of the suction pipe (5) faces the second chamber (16) at the lower end position of the second chamber (16), it is sucked into the suction port (9). The pressure loss of the resulting gas refrigerant can be very small. Of course, since the liquid refrigerant does not easily enter the second chamber (16) itself, the liquid refrigerant will not be sucked into the suction port (9) even with such a structure.

Furthermore, in the structure in which the suction port (9) of the suction pipe (5) is exposed to the inside of the second chamber (16) at the lower end position of the second chamber (16), the second chamber (16) is Since the lower end portion thereof has substantially the same size as the suction port (9) and the size thereof is gradually increased as it goes upward, the rectifying action causes the air to enter the second chamber (16). The introduced gas refrigerant is smoothly sucked into the suction port (9), which can further reduce the pressure loss of the gas refrigerant.

In addition, in order to increase the size of the inside of the second chamber (16) as it goes upward, the peripheral wall of the separator body (13) surrounding the second chamber (16) is placed outside. Since it is designed to be opened, at the same time, the separator main body (1
The outer surface portion (23) of 3) is also inclined laterally outward as it goes upward, whereby the refrigerant introduced from the refrigerant inlet portion (3) into the liquid reservoir (2) easily moves downward. Therefore, the pressure loss of the gas refrigerant can be reduced more effectively.

Further, by constructing the peripheral wall portion excluding the partition wall (14) to the outside in this way, the communication portion (17) is not widened in the vertical direction, but is laterally expanded. It is possible to secure a large passage area for the refrigerant in the communication part (17) and to reduce the pressure loss of the gas refrigerant passing through the communication part (17). It is possible to more effectively prevent the liquid refrigerant from entering the second chamber (16). In this case, it is preferable to design the passage size of the communication part (17) to be at least as large as the size of the suction port (9) but larger than that.

[0041]

As described above, in the accumulator of the present invention, the inside of the separator main body provided inside the accumulator is crossed by the partition wall oriented in the vertical direction so as to be partitioned in the lateral direction. First on one side
The chamber is provided with the second chamber adjacent to each other on the other side, and the first chamber and the second chamber are communicated with each other via a communication portion provided in an upper end region in the separator body, The chamber is exposed to the end suction port of the suction pipe, the second chamber is regulated or substantially regulated from entering the gas refrigerant except through the communication portion, and the first chamber is The gas refrigerant is allowed to flow in through the opening at the lower end, and the gas refrigerant introduced therein is introduced into the first chamber through the opening at the lower end of the first chamber and then rises in the first chamber. The gas is introduced into the second chamber through the communication part and is sucked into the suction port of the suction pipe.

Therefore, by the separator having such a specific structure, the gas refrigerant is introduced into the first chamber through the opening at the lower end of the first chamber, then rises in the first chamber, and passes through the communicating portion to the first chamber. Is introduced into the second chamber adjacent to each other in the lateral direction and is sucked into the suction port. Therefore, the liquid refrigerant that tries to follow the flow of the gas refrigerant is connected in the process, that is, at the latest. It is separated from the gas refrigerant before passing through the section, and as a result, it is possible to effectively prevent the liquid refrigerant from being sucked into the suction port.

Further, even in an environment in which the liquid refrigerant stored in the lower portion of the liquid reservoir is splashed up by vibration or the like, the structure as described above allows the liquid refrigerant to enter the second chamber through the communicating portion. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the liquid refrigerant from being sucked into the suction port.

Therefore, even if the space around the suction pipe suction port facing the second chamber is widened, the liquid refrigerant is not sucked into the suction port, and a wide suction space is provided around the suction port. Can be secured, and the pressure loss of the gas refrigerant in this region can be reduced.

Since the communicating portion has a large degree of freedom in design, therefore, the communicating portion is designed so that the pressure loss of the gas refrigerant passing therethrough is reduced and the passage of the liquid refrigerant is prevented. Things can be easily achieved.

Moreover, the separator structure as described above effectively prevents the liquid refrigerant from flowing into the second chamber even if the size of the separator main body in the vertical direction is reduced, and therefore the separator main body The size in the vertical direction can be reduced, and the pressure loss of the gas refrigerant flowing upward from the opening in the lower end of the first chamber can be reduced. Therefore, the size in the horizontal direction of the separator body can also be reduced. The space between the refrigerant inlet portion and the outer surface of the peripheral wall of the separator body can be widened, and the pressure loss when the gas refrigerant introduced from the refrigerant inlet portion passes through this portion can be reduced. It also does not lead to an increase in the size of the accumulator, so that the accumulator is compactly constructed.

In this way, the accumulator can be made compact in size and the pressure loss of the gas refrigerant passing therethrough can be made small.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1A and 1B show an accumulator according to a first embodiment, in which FIG. 1A is a longitudinal sectional view and FIG. 2B is I in FIG. 1A.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line I-line.

2A and 2B show an accumulator according to a second embodiment, in which FIG. 2A is a longitudinal sectional view and FIG. 2B is I in FIG.
A cross-sectional view taken along the line I-II, FIG. (C) is III-II in FIG.
It is a sectional view taken along the line I.

3A and 3B show an accumulator according to a conventional example, where FIG. 3A is a vertical sectional view and FIG. 3B is IV- of FIG.
IV line sectional arrow view, FIG. (C) is a VV line arrow sectional view of a figure (B).

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an upper portion of an accumulator according to another conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Accumulator 2 ... Liquid storage container 3 ... Refrigerant inlet part 5 ... Suction pipe 6 ... Separator 9 ... Suction port 14 ... Partition wall 15 ... 1st chamber 16 ... 2nd chamber 17 ... Communication part 21 ... Lower end opening

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A refrigerant inlet part is provided on an upper side surface part of the liquid reservoir, and an upper end part inside the liquid reservoir is provided.
A cylindrical separator body oriented in the up-and-down direction is provided in a mode in which entry of the refrigerant from the upper end part thereof is restricted or substantially controlled, and in a mode in which the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall part faces the refrigerant inlet part. The interior of the separator main body is partitioned by being traversed by a partition wall oriented in the vertical direction, so that the first chamber is provided on one side in the lateral direction and the second chamber is provided on the other side.
The chambers are provided adjacent to each other, and the first chamber and the second chamber are communicated with each other via a communication portion provided in an upper end region in the separator body, and the second chamber is sucked at the end portion of the suction pipe. The second chamber is regulated or substantially regulated from entering into the second chamber except through the communicating portion, and the first chamber is allowed to flow into the second chamber through the opening at the lower end thereof. Is allowed, and the gas refrigerant introduced therein is introduced into the first chamber through the lower end opening of the first chamber, then rises in the first chamber, and is introduced into the second chamber through the communicating portion. The accumulator is characterized by being sucked into the suction port of the suction pipe.