JPS58193059A - Heat pump type air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a heat pump type air conditioner, and in particular includes a slide valve that performs cooling/heating switching operation using the differential pressure between the discharge side pressure and the suction side pressure of a compressor. This paper relates to improvements to heat pump air conditioners that employ four-way valves.

[Technical background of the invention]

Among the heat/cooling type air conditioners, one is known in which a compressor, a four-way valve, an indoor heat exchanger, a pressure reducer, and an outdoor heat exchanger are connected. The flow of refrigerant through the four-way valve 1 as shown in the figure is shown. Conventionally, this four-way valve has a slide valve C installed inside the valve body as shown in Figures 2(,) and (b), and the sides of the valve body on both sides of the slide valve C in the sliding direction. The flow path switching part of the electromagnetic four-way valve d, which serves as a controller, and the communication pipe f
, g to connect the refrigerant circulation path connecting the valve body to the discharge port of the compressor t, and connecting the valve body to the suction port of the compressor t. Pipe i connecting the refrigerant circulation path.

They are constructed by connecting each using j.

During the heating operation, as shown in FIG. 2, the four-way electromagnetic valve d is energized to connect the communication pipe l and the communication pipe f, and the communication pipe j is also brought into communication with the communication pipe, whereby the slide valve C is connected. is slid by the pressure difference between the discharge side pressure (high pressure) and the suction side pressure (low pressure) of the compressor t, and a heating cycle is formed by switching the flow path by the slide valve C. In addition, during cooling operation including defrosting, as shown in FIG. 1(b), the slide valve is C slides due to the differential pressure, and a cooling cycle is formed by switching the flow path using a similar slide valve C. Note that k indicates a refrigerant circulation path toward the indoor heat exchanger m, and n indicates a refrigerant circulation path toward the outdoor heat exchanger O.

[Problems with background technology]

However, according to the above-mentioned technique in which the slide valve C is operated simply by a pressure difference, the pressure difference between high and low pressures occurs at the start and end of cooling/heating and defrosting operations, that is, when the four-way valve switches. is suddenly (instantaneous) inside the four-way valve 2.
There is a problem that it becomes unbalanced. When such a rapid balance movement is performed, the refrigerant noise and vibration during no-no-lance are significant, and high pressure is instantaneously applied to the compressor t via the slide valve C.
This causes abnormal vibrations and accompanying vibration noise in the surrounding piping, and a large amount of liquid refrigerant instantly returns to the compressor t. - As a result, there is an increase in noise, a significant deterioration in the durability of the four-way valve a and the compressor, and an increase in piping stress in the surrounding piping. Furthermore, since each operation starts rapidly, there is a drawback that power consumption increases.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its object is to provide a heat pump type air conditioner in which a four-way valve can be gradually balanced.

[Summary of the invention]

This invention configures a refrigerant path outside the valve body of a four-way valve,
By interposing this refrigerant path on the refrigerant circulation path from the four-way valve to the suction port of the compressor, the high-pressure side refrigerant that controls the operation of the slide valve is liquefied by cooling, and this liquefied refrigerant is used as a resistance medium for the four-way valve. The aim is to gradually balance the high and low pressures when switching.

[Embodiments of the invention]

The present invention will be described below based on an embodiment shown in the drawings. In Figure 3, 1 is a compressor, 2 is a four-way valve, 3 & is an indoor heat exchanger, and 4 is a capillary tube as a pressure reducer! , 5
is an outdoor heat exchanger. -C1 Each of these devices is sequentially connected through a refrigerant circulation path 6 to form a refrigeration cycle circuit 7. Furthermore, the heat pump type air conditioner configured in this manner is equipped with slide valves 3 on all four sides 5f2.

The structure of the four-way valve 2 is as shown in FIG. 4 (,).

That is, to explain the structure of the four-way valve 2, 8 in the figure
is a valve body with a linear valve chamber inside, and this valve body 8
The above-mentioned slide valve 3 having a communication recess 9 in the center and communication holes 10 and 10 on both sides is slidably provided in the valve chamber. In addition, a compressor 1 is installed on the upper side of the valve body 8.
A refrigerant circulation path 61 toward the discharge port of the compressor 1 is connected to the refrigerant circulation path 61, and a refrigerant circulation path 6b toward the indoor heat exchanger 3m located in the center from the left side and a refrigerant circulation path 6c toward the suction port of the compressor 1 are connected to the lower side. , the refrigerant circulation path 6d facing the outdoor heat exchanger 5 are connected side by side, and when the slide valve 3 moves to the right side, the refrigerant circulation path 6a and the refrigerant circulation path 6 are connected through the through hole 10 on the left side.
b communicate with each other, and at the same time, the refrigerant circulation path 6c and the refrigerant circulation path 6d communicate with each other through the recess 9. Further, when the slide valve 3 moves to the left side, the refrigerant circulation path 6m and the refrigerant circulation path 6d communicate through the through hole 10 on the right side, and at the same time, the refrigerant circulation path 6b and the refrigerant circulation path 6c communicate with each other through the recess 9. It has become. On the other hand, 11 in the figure is an electromagnetic four-way valve as a controller, and this electromagnetic four-way valve 1 has a recess 12b1 for communication in the casing 12a.
A flow path switching s13 is provided, which includes a valve body 12 having a through hole 12c1 and a groove 12d. A communication pipe 14a connecting the refrigerant circulation path 6a is connected to the groove 12d@ of the flow path switching portion 13, and a piston formed on the left side of the slide valve 3 is connected to the recess 12b and the through hole 12c@ from the left side. Communication pipe 14b connecting chamber 1/a, compressor 1
A communication pipe 14e connecting the suction side of the slide valve 3 and a communication pipe 14d connecting the piston chamber 15b formed on the right side of the slide valve 3 are connected to each other. When the valve body 12 moves forward, pressure m is transferred through the communication pipes 14g and 14d. The discharge side of the compressor 1 communicates with the piston chamber 15b, and the suction side of the compressor 1 communicates with the piston chamber 151 through communication v14b+14c, allowing switching to cooling (defrosting) operation. Further, when the valve body 12 is moved backward due to excitation, the discharge side of the compressor 1 and the piston chamber 15m communicate through the communication pipes 14m and 14b, and the communication pipes 14e and 14d communicate with each other.
Through this, the suction side of the compressor 1 and the piston chamber are communicated with each other, so that it is possible to switch to heating operation. Therefore, the slide valve 3 can switch between cooling and heating using the differential pressure between the discharge side pressure and the suction side pressure of the compressor 1. Note that 17 is a return spring for returning the valve body 12.

A refrigerant passage 18, which is the gist of the present invention, is provided on the outside of the valve body 8 of the four-way valve 2 configured as described above. The refrigerant passage 18 is a case 18 divided into two parts, which has a cylindrical shape that follows the outer shape of the valve body 8 as shown in FIG. 5, and has dimensions larger than the outer shape of the valve body 8.

IIIm is attached concentrically around the valve body 8,
It is constructed by providing a constant distance (between 1!lii) between the inner surfaces of the cases 18a and Z8cJ and the outer surface of the valve body 8. In addition, case I 8a.

When installing J Ila, it goes without saying that the piping that constitutes the refrigerant circulation path 6 is also installed, and the case 18
A through hole 19 for this purpose is provided in Ql, 18*. The refrigerant circulation path 6e from the valve body 8 is connected to one side of the cases 18m and 111m, and the refrigerant circulation path 6c is connected to the pressure Jlil! through the other side of the case 18a. 1 suction port. Therefore, the refrigerant passage 18 is interposed on the refrigerant circulation passage 6c from the four-way valve 2 to the suction port of the compressor 1, and the refrigerant to be sucked is always sucked into the compressor 1 through the refrigerant passage 18. It is now possible to Note that the communication pipe 24d is the refrigerant path 1.
It goes without saying that the refrigerant circulation path 18 is connected to the solenoid four-way valve 11 and the refrigerant circulation path cd coming out from the refrigerant circuit 8, and that the refrigerant path 18 is formed at intervals (gaps) that do not cause pressure loss for the refrigerant being sucked. Nor.

Incidentally, FIG. 4(b) shows the first side of the four-way valve 2.

Next, the operation of the heat pump type air conditioner configured as described above will be explained.

When performing heating operation, by switching the electromagnetic four-way valve 11 to the heating side and operating the compressor 1, the slide valve 3 is activated by the differential pressure between the refrigerant discharge pressure (high pressure) and suction pressure (low pressure). 2. The compressor 1 is connected by looping the indoor heat exchanger 3a, the capillary tube 4, and the outdoor heat exchanger 5.
The heating cycle is then configured. Heating is thus performed.

In addition, when performing cooling or defrosting operation, by switching the solenoid four-way valve 11 to the cooling side, the slide valve 3 is set to the differential compressor 1, four-way valve 2, and outdoor heat exchanger 5 between the refrigerant discharge pressure and suction pressure. , a cooling (defrosting) cycle that loops through the cavity ceiling 4 and the indoor heat exchanger 3 and returns to the compressor 1. In this way, cooling or defrosting is performed.

On the other hand, the situation of the four-way valve 2 during such operation is that during heating operation, as shown in FIG. Since the flowing refrigerant flows through the refrigerant path 18, the valve body 8 is cooled, and the gaseous refrigerant accumulated in the piston chamber 15m is liquefied by cooling, so that the refrigerant in the piston chamber 15a becomes incompressible. become.

In addition, during cooling (defrosting) operation, as shown in FIG. ,
Similarly, the gaseous refrigerant accumulated in the piston chamber 166 is liquefied by cooling and becomes incompressible.

However, the balance movement of the four-way valve 2, which is a problem during these warm and cool operations, is caused by the liquefied refrigerant and the small diameter of the communication pipes 14b and 14d when the warm and cool operations are stopped. The liquefied refrigerant becomes a resistance medium, and the refrigerant gradually flows out through the communication pipe 14b during heating and through the communication pipe 14d during cooling or defrosting, and as the slide valve 3 moves, the refrigerant gradually flows out. The balance will move.

In addition, when switching from heating operation to cooling operation after a stop period from heating operation or from cooling operation to cooling operation after the same stop period, the liquefied refrigerant that has flowed out into the communication pipe 14b or the communication pipe J4d may accumulate. Piston chamber 15
The refrigerant gradually returns to the piston chamber 15a or the piston chamber 15b through a small-diameter flow path and is gradually raised to a high pressure, and the liquefied refrigerant is used as a resistance medium to gradually balance the movement of the slide valve 3.

In addition, when switching from heating operation to defrosting operation, the liquefied refrigerant accumulated in the piston chamber 15a tries to flow out into the communication pipe 14b, due to the same resistance as when the operation is stopped, and the piston chamber suddenly The slide valve 3 is gradually moved in a balanced manner while suppressing the movement of the slide valve 3 to 15a@. Note that even when switching from defrosting operation to heating operation, the operation is exactly the same except that the slide valve 3 moves in the opposite direction.

For this reason, the four-way valve 2 gradually maintains the pressure balance inside the four-way valve 2 when switching between operations, including stopping and starting, without causing sudden and instantaneous balance movements like in the past. ie one that can achieve slow changes in pressure.

Therefore, the refrigerant noise and vibration that occur during balance operation can be significantly reduced, and at the same time, the refrigerant will not return suddenly to the suction port of the compressor 1, so there will be no abnormalities in the compressor 1 and its surrounding piping. Vibration can be prevented, the durability of the compressor 1 can be improved, and pipe stress can be reduced. Furthermore, since the slide valve 3 gradually moves with the balance, it is possible to prevent the switching noise of the four-way valve 2 from occurring, and at the same time, it is possible to improve the durability of the four-way valve 2. be. In addition, by gradually balancing the balance, the start-up of operation from the time of stopping the operation to the start of the heating operation, and the start-up of the operation when starting the cooling operation (excluding 1) can be started smoothly instead of abruptly. For example, in order to balance the heating power, the four-way valve 2 was used to sequentially shift from a small refrigerant passage area to a large refrigerant passage area, which clearly made the start-up of operation smooth. Similar results can be seen in Figure 8 regarding the start-up of operation at the time of starting, and the switching between operations is smooth, reducing power consumption at the time of switching and even before starting, and preventing liquid compression. There are advantages.

In addition, C shows the movement completion position of the conventional slide valve, and D shows the movement completion position of the slide valve when this invention is adopted. Also, the refrigerant passage 18 provided in the valve body 8 is connected from the four-way valve 2 to the compression 1flkl. Refrigerant circulation leading to the suction port W: By being installed on the rec, the discharge side refrigerant of the compressor 1 and the suction refrigerant can exchange heat through the four-way valve 2 to increase the temperature of the suction side refrigerant. This makes it possible to improve the refrigeration capacity and further improve the EER (ratio of refrigeration capacity to power consumption). Particularly at the start and end of defrosting (cooling) operation, there is an advantage that the refrigerant is smoothly balanced and the case temperature of the compressor 1 can be kept within an appropriate usage range.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, the refrigerant path is formed outside the valve body of the four-way valve, and this refrigerant path is interposed on the refrigerant circulation path from the four-way valve to the suction port of the compressor. The refrigerant on the high pressure side that controls the operation is liquefied by cooling, and this liquefied refrigerant works as a resistance medium in the four-way valve, gradually balancing the high and low pressures when switching the four-way valve. It becomes like this.

Therefore, the generation of refrigerant noise, vibration, and switching noise can be prevented, and the durability of the compressor and four-way valve can be improved, and furthermore, the piping stress in the surrounding piping can be reduced. Furthermore, since the balancing is done gradually, it is possible to prevent liquid compression, eliminate the cause of the failure, and at the same time smooth the start and end of operation of each refrigeration cycle, reducing power consumption during switching. be able to. In addition, by interposing the refrigerant path on the refrigerant circulation path, the temperature of the refrigerant on the suction side can be increased by heat exchange performed through the four-way valve, improving refrigerating capacity and EER.
Furthermore, the case temperature of the compressor can be kept within an appropriate temperature range.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 shows the configuration of a conventional heat pump type air conditioner, Fig. 2 (b) is a sectional view showing the structure and operating status of its four-way valve, and Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of the present invention. A configuration diagram showing a heat pump type air conditioner, Fig. 4 (a
) t (b) is a sectional view and side view showing the four-way valve, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a case in which a refrigerant path is configured in the four-way valve, and FIGS. A state diagram showing the operation status of the valve. Figure 7 is a pressure status diagram showing the start-up state of heating operation of the four-way valve in comparison with the start-up state of conventional operation. Figure 8 is a start-up state of defrosting operation. FIG. 3 is a pressure situation diagram showing a conventional operation start-up state in comparison with the conventional operation startup state. 1...Compressor, 2...Four-way valve, 3&...Indoor heat exchanger, S...Slide valve, 4...Capillary tube (pressure reducer), 5...Outdoor heat exchanger 6... Refrigerant circulation path, 8... Valve body, 18... Refrigerant path. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue Figure 5 (a) (b) Figure 7

Claims (1)

[Claims] A refrigeration cycle circuit is constructed by sequentially connecting a compressor, a four-way valve, an indoor heat exchanger, a pressure reducer, and an outdoor heat exchanger through a refrigerant circulation path, and the four-way valve is equipped with a slide valve inside the valve body. In the heat pump type air conditioner, the slide valve is configured to switch between cooling and heating using a pressure difference between the discharge side pressure and the suction side pressure of the compressor, and a refrigerant path is configured outside the valve body of the four-way valve. A heat pump type air conditioner, characterized in that this refrigerant path is interposed on a refrigerant circulation path from the four-way valve to the suction port of the compressor.