KR20070107264A - Apparatus of swiching refrigerant for air conditioner and the method for swiching refrigerant of use it - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus for switching refrigerant flow in an air conditioner and a method for switching refrigerant flow using the same are provided to enable selective opening and closing of solenoid valves which determine the flowing direction of refrigerant in change of operation mode for cooling or heating, thereby preventing damage of a compressor. An apparatus(300) for switching refrigerant flow in an air conditioner comprises a branch pipe(310), a first switching part(320), a second switching part(330), and two solenoid valves(324,334). The branch pipe branches refrigerant compressed and discharged from a compressor. The first switching part is connected to one end of the branch pipe, in selective communication with an indoor heat exchanger for guiding the refrigerant within the branch pipe to flow into the indoor heat exchanger. The second switching part is connected to another end of the branch pipe, in selective communication with an outdoor heat exchanger for guiding the refrigerant within the branch pipe to flow into the outdoor heat exchanger. Two solenoid valves are operated by electric signals and capable of performing selective application of the refrigerant flow at one side of the first and second switching parts. A method for switching refrigerant flow using the apparatus comprises the steps of: selecting a heating or cooling mode by controlling a cooling/heating switch; transmitting electric signals generated by control of the cooling/heating switch to the plurality of refrigerant switching apparatuses that selectively switch refrigerant flow; and selectively blocking the refrigerant flow by the refrigerant switching apparatus operated by the electric signals.

Description

Refrigerant switching device of air conditioner and refrigerant switching method using the same {Apparatus of swiching refrigerant for air conditioner and the method for swiching refrigerant of use it}

1 is an installation state diagram of an air conditioner according to the prior art

Figure 2a is a block diagram schematically showing a refrigerant flow by the operation of the refrigerant switching device in the air conditioner according to the prior art cooling operation.

Figure 2b is a block diagram schematically showing a refrigerant flow by the operation of the refrigerant switching device in the air conditioner according to the prior art heating operation.

Figure 3a is a block diagram showing a refrigerant flow when the air conditioner employing an embodiment of the present invention in the cooling mode.

Figure 3b is a block diagram showing a refrigerant flow when the air conditioner employed in another embodiment of the present invention in the cooling mode.

4 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is employed.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the air conditioner refrigerant switching device according to the present invention.

Figure 6a is a block diagram showing a refrigerant flow when the air conditioner employing an embodiment of the present invention in the heating mode.

Figure 6b is a block diagram showing a refrigerant flow when the air conditioner employing another embodiment of the present invention in the heating mode.

Figure 7 is a flow chart illustrating a step-by-step refrigerant switching method using an air conditioner refrigerant switching device according to the present invention.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

100. Outdoor unit 110. Base fan

112. Front Panel 114. Front Grill

116. Front upper bracket 120. Compressor

122. Oil separator 123. Oil return pipe

126. Valve Support 130. Supercooler

132. Accumulator 132'.Heating dedicated pipe

132 ". Cooling pipe 134,134 '. Front frame

136. Center frame 140. Control box

150. Barrier 152. Air Guide

154. Air guide cover 160. Top panel

162. Aeration 164. Shrouds

166. Discharge Grill 170. Blower Fan

172. Fan Motor 174. Motor Mount

180. Outdoor heat exchanger 182. Front heat exchanger

184. Rear heat exchanger 186. Drain pan

188. Side Panel 190. Rear Grill

192. Rear Panel 194. Rear Top Bracket

196. Rear frame 200. Indoor unit

202. Indoor heat exchanger 204. Expansion valve

210. Common fluid line 210 '. Basin

210 ". Outdoor liquid pipe 212. Common pipe

212 '. Branches 212 ". Outdoor

300. Refrigerant switching device 310. Branch pipe

320. First switching unit 322. Subsection 1

324. First solenoid valve 330. Second switching part

332. Subsection 2 334. Second solenoid valve

340. Switching valve 342. Heating valve

344. Cooling valve

The present invention relates to a refrigerant switching device of an air conditioner, and more particularly, by configuring a plurality of solenoid valves in the refrigerant switching device to selectively open and close according to an electrical signal, damage to the compressor due to poor refrigerant switching is due. It relates to a refrigerant switching device of the air conditioner to be prevented.

In general, an air conditioner is a cooling / heating system that cools a room by a repetitive action of inhaling hot air in a room, exchanging heat with a low temperature refrigerant, and then discharging it into the room. -Condenser-Expansion valve-Evaporator which forms a series of cycles.

Recently, in addition to heating and cooling, there are various additional functions such as the air purifying function that inhales and filters contaminated air in the room and makes it into clean air and reinjects it into the room, and the dehumidification function of making humid air into wet and dry air again. It also functions.

Meanwhile, as is well known, an air conditioner may be classified into a separate type air conditioner in which an outdoor unit and an indoor unit are separately installed, and an integrated air conditioner in which the outdoor unit and the indoor unit are integrally installed.

Recently, multi-type air conditioners have been released that can be effectively applied when two or more air conditioners are installed in a home or when an air conditioner is installed in each office in a building having several offices. This multi-type air conditioner is connected to a plurality of indoor units in one outdoor unit, it is possible to obtain the same effect as installing a plurality of separate air conditioner.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a state of installation of an air conditioner according to the prior art, and FIG. 2A is a block diagram schematically illustrating a refrigerant flow by operation of a refrigerant switching device during a cooling operation of the air conditioner according to the prior art. 2B is a block diagram schematically showing the refrigerant flow by the operation of the refrigerant switching device during the heating operation of the air conditioner according to the prior art.

Referring to these drawings, the outdoor unit 1 includes a compressor 10, an accumulator 20, an outdoor heat exchanger 30, and the like, and the indoor unit 50 includes an indoor heat exchanger 60 and an expansion valve 70. .

In the multi-type air conditioner, a plurality of indoor units 50 are connected to one outdoor unit 1, and the outdoor unit 1 and the indoor unit 50 have a high pressure pipe 80 having a high pressure and relatively low pressure. Connected to the low pressure pipe 90, respectively, one end of the high pressure pipe 80 and the low pressure pipe 90 is provided with a distributor (D).

The distributor D allows the refrigerant flowing from the outdoor unit 1 to be distributed to the plurality of indoor units 50, and may be configured in plural numbers according to the quantity of the indoor unit 50.

The compressor 10 is provided in the outdoor unit 1. The compressor 10 is to compress the refrigerant to be high temperature and high pressure, and is provided in plural numbers according to the capacity of the air conditioner.

A refrigerant switching device 40 is provided at the outlet side of the compressor 10. The refrigerant switching device 40 is provided for an air conditioner for both cooling and heating, and is configured to selectively switch the flow of the refrigerant during cooling or heating operation.

That is, when the air conditioner is in the cooling operation, the coil 41 is not energized but selectively energized only when it is heating, thereby switching the flow direction of the refrigerant using the pressure difference of the refrigerant.

In more detail, a first space 42a and a second space 42b are formed inside the upper portion of the refrigerant switching device 40, and the first space 42a and the second space 42b are horizontally formed. It is selectively sealed by the pilot valve 42 which linearly reciprocates.

Springs are provided at left and right ends of the pilot valve 42 to maintain the pilot valve 42 shielding the second space 42b. That is, the spring 43 provided at the left end of the pilot valve 42 generates a tensile force, and the spring 43 provided at the right end is configured to push the pilot valve 42 to the left direction.

Coils 41 are wound up and down the second space 42b. The coil 41 is installed to selectively energize when the user selects a cooling or heating mode by operating a switch (not shown). For example, in the cooling mode, the pilot valve 42 blocks the second space 42b by the elastic force of the spring 43 while the coil 41 is not energized.

In the heating mode, the coil 41 is energized to seal the second space 42b by moving the pilot valve 42 to the right.

The lower portion of the refrigerant switching device 40 is provided with a slide valve (44). The slide valve 44 slides from side to side to change the flow direction of the refrigerant, and is configured to selectively slide according to the position of the pilot valve 42.

That is, the slide valve 44 includes a first valve 45, a second valve 46, and a slider 47, and the first valve 45, the second valve 46, and the slider ( 47 is integrally formed. In addition, the first and second valves 45 and 46 are perforated with refrigerant flow holes 45a and 46a communicating with the first space 42a and the second space 42b, respectively. The slide valve 44 is simultaneously slid left and right by a pressure difference between the left side of the first valve 45 and the right side of the second valve 46.

Therefore, when the refrigerant flowing from the compressor 10 flows into the slide valve 44, the refrigerant entering the first valve 45 is decompressed due to the opening of the first space 42a, and the second valve 46. Since the second space 42b is clogged, the refrigerant entering the side maintains the discharge pressure, thereby pushing the slider 47 to the left (see FIG. 2A) with the pressure difference generated therein, to be in a cooling operation state.

On the contrary, when the air conditioner is in the heating mode, the coil 41 is energized so that the pilot valve 42 slides to the right as shown in FIG. 2B and the first space 42a is shielded.

When the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 10 flows into the slide valve 44, the refrigerant entering the first valve 45 is blocked by the first space 42a to maintain the discharge pressure. The refrigerant entering the valve 46 is decompressed because the second space 42b is opened.

Therefore, due to such a pressure difference, the slider 47 is moved to the right to be in a state as shown in FIG.

However, the air conditioner according to the prior art as described above has the following problems.

That is, the refrigerant switching device 40 of the air conditioner is configured to switch between cooling and heating due to the pressure difference inside the slide valve 44.

Therefore, in the case of the air conditioner having a large capacity, the slider 47 can be slid by generating a large pressure difference in the slide valve 44. However, in the case of the air conditioner having a small capacity, the slider 47 is large enough to slide the slider 47. There is a problem that no pressure difference occurs.

As a result, the refrigerant switching device 40 cannot reliably guide the flow direction of the refrigerant at the time of cooling / heating switching, and causes a breakage of the compressor 10 and a decrease in cooling / heating ability.

In addition, since the configuration of the refrigerant switching device 40 is complicated, the cost of the air conditioner increases, which is not preferable.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, by configuring a plurality of solenoid valve in the refrigerant switching device for switching the flow direction of the refrigerant during switching of cooling / heating operation according to the electrical signal It is to provide a refrigerant switching device of the air conditioner to selectively open and close.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerant switching device of an air conditioner, by which the refrigerant switching capability is improved, thereby preventing damage to the compressor.

According to a feature of the present invention for achieving the above object, the present invention, in the refrigerant switching device of the air conditioner is provided on the outlet side of the compressor for compressing the refrigerant which is a working fluid to guide the flow direction of the refrigerant The refrigerant switching device is configured to selectively switch the refrigerant flow in response to an electrical signal generated during the operation of the cooling / heating switch.

The refrigerant switching device is a branch pipe for branching the refrigerant compressed and discharged from the compressor, and coupled to one end of the branch pipe and selectively communicate with the indoor heat exchanger to guide the refrigerant inside the branch pipe to flow to the indoor heat exchanger. And a second switching unit coupled to one end of the branch pipe and selectively communicating with the outdoor heat exchanger to guide the refrigerant inside the branch pipe to flow to the outdoor heat exchanger.

One side of the first switching unit and the second switching unit is characterized in that it is provided with a solenoid valve for selectively applying the flow of the refrigerant by operating in accordance with the electrical signal.

Only one of the first switching unit and the second switching unit is selectively opened during cooling or heating operation.

The first switching unit is shielded by receiving an electrical signal generated when the heating switch is operated.

The second switching unit is shielded in response to an electrical signal generated during the cooling switch operation.

Refrigerant switching method using a refrigerant switching device of the air conditioner according to the present invention, the mode selection step of selecting the cooling or heating mode by operating the cooling / heating switch, and the electrical signal generated during the operation of the cooling / heating switch Including a signal transmission step that is delivered to a plurality of refrigerant switching device for selectively switching the refrigerant flow, and the refrigerant blocking step of selectively blocking the refrigerant flow by operating the refrigerant switching device receiving the electrical signal in the signal transmission step Characterized in that configured.

When the heating mode in the signal transmission step, the electrical signal is provided on one side of the refrigerant switching device is characterized in that it is transmitted to the second switching unit for guiding the refrigerant flow from the compressor to the outdoor heat exchanger.

In the cooling mode in the signal transmission step, the electrical signal is provided on one side of the refrigerant switching device is characterized in that it is transmitted to the first switching unit for guiding the refrigerant flow from the compressor to the indoor heat exchanger.

The refrigerant blocking step is characterized in that any one of the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve that operates according to the electrical signal to operate to block the flow of the refrigerant.

In the refrigerant blocking step, the cooling valve for guiding the refrigerant passing through the indoor heat exchanger to the accumulator is shielded.

In the refrigerant blocking step, the heating valve for guiding the refrigerant passing through the outdoor heat exchanger to the accumulator is shielded.

According to the refrigerant switching device of the air conditioner and the refrigerant switching method using the same according to the present invention having such a configuration, the damage of the compressor is prevented in advance, there is an advantage that can improve the heat exchange efficiency.

Figure 3a is a block diagram showing the flow of the refrigerant when the air conditioner employing one embodiment of the present invention in the cooling mode, Figure 3b is an air conditioner employing another embodiment of the present invention in the cooling mode A block diagram showing a refrigerant flow during operation is shown, and FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is employed.

As shown in these figures, the outdoor unit 100 includes a compressor 120, an accumulator 132, and an outdoor heat exchanger 180 and an outdoor solenoid valve including an inverter compressor 120 'and a constant speed compressor 120 ". 102, LEV: linear expansion valve, hereinafter referred to as 'outdoor LEV'), and the indoor unit 200 includes an indoor heat exchanger 202, an expansion valve 204, and the like.

In the multi-type air conditioner, a plurality of indoor units 200 are connected to one or more outdoor units 100. The common liquid pipe 210, which is a single pipe through which liquid refrigerant flows, is connected between the outdoor unit 100 and the indoor unit 200, The common engine 212, which is a single pipe through which gas refrigerant flows, is formed in communication.

The indoor unit 200 is formed with a branch liquid pipe 210 'through which liquid refrigerant flows, and a branch engine 212' through which gas refrigerant flows, and such a branch liquid pipe 210 'and a branch engine 212' are common. It is in communication with the liquid pipe 210 and the common engine 212.

In addition, the diameters of the plurality of branch liquid pipes 210 'and the branch engine 212' are different depending on the capacity of the indoor unit 200 to be connected.

Meanwhile, the outdoor unit 100 is formed with an outdoor liquid pipe 210 "through which liquid refrigerant flows, and an outdoor engine 212" through which gas refrigerant flows, and the outdoor liquid pipe 210 "and an outdoor engine 212" are respectively formed in the outdoor unit 100. Communicating with the common liquid pipe 210 and the common engine 212.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the outdoor unit 100 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 4.

The outdoor unit 100 has a base fan 110 forming a bottom surface at the bottom thereof to support a plurality of components, and a front panel 112 forming a front lower exterior is provided at the front end of the base fan 110. It is provided.

The front grill 114 is installed above the front panel 112. Therefore, the outside air is sucked through the front grill 114, and passes through the outdoor heat exchanger 180 to be described below. On the other hand, the upper front bracket 116 is further installed on the upper side of the front grill 114, the front end bracket 116 is fastened to the front end of the motor mount 174 to be described below.

The compressors 120 and 120 ′ described above are installed on an upper surface of the base fan 110. The compressors 120 and 120 'are configured to compress the refrigerant to be high temperature and high pressure, and are provided at left and right sides, respectively. That is, a relatively constant speed compressor 120 ″ for constant speed operation is installed on the right side, and an inverter compressor 120 ′ that is a variable speed heat pump is installed on the left side.

As the compressors 120 and 120 ', a low noise and excellent scroll compressor is used. In particular, the inverter compressor 120' is an inverter scroll compressor whose rotation speed is adjusted according to the load capacity. Therefore, when a small number of indoor units 200 are used and the load capacity is small, the inverter compressor 120 'is operated first, and the constant speed compressor is not available when the load capacity is gradually increased and cannot be handled by the inverter compressor 120'. 120 "is activated.

An oil separator 122 is provided at the outlet side of the constant speed compressor 120 " and the inverter compressor 120 '. The oil separator 122 filters the oil mixed in the refrigerant discharged from the compressors 120 and 120'. To be taken out to the compressors 120 and 120 '.

That is, oil used to cool frictional heat generated when the compressors 120 and 120 'are driven is discharged to the outlet of the compressors 120 and 120' together with a refrigerant. The oil in the refrigerant is separated into the oil separator 122. Separated from and sent back to the compressor (120, 120 ') through the oil return pipe (123).

In addition, a check valve 122 ′ is further installed at an outlet side of the oil separator 122 to prevent a backflow of the refrigerant. That is, when only one of the constant speed compressor 120 ″ or the inverter compressor 120 ′ is operated, the compressed refrigerant may not flow back into the stationary compressor 120 ′ or 120 ″.

A refrigerant switching device 300 is provided at the outlet side of the compressor. The refrigerant switching device 300 is arranged to change the flow direction of the refrigerant according to the cooling and heating operation, each port is connected to the outlet of the compressor (120, 120 '). Therefore, the refrigerant discharged from the constant speed compressor 120 ″ and the inverter compressor 120 ′ are collected in one place, and then flows into the refrigerant switching device 300.

The refrigerant switching device 300 will be described in detail below as the main configuration of the present invention.

The valve support 126 is installed at the center of the first half of the upper surface of the base pan 110. The valve support 126 serves to support and guide the outdoor liquid pipe 210 "and the outdoor engine 212", and the pipes 210 and 212 supported by the valve support 126 will be described below. It is drawn out through the pipe entrance 188 ′ of the side panel 188 and is connected to the outdoor unit 100.

An overcooler 130 is formed at the rear left end of the upper surface of the base fan 110. The supercooler 130 is to further cool the refrigerant heat exchanged in the outdoor heat exchanger 180 described above, and at any position of the outdoor liquid pipe 210 ″ connected to the outlet side of the outdoor heat exchanger 180. Is formed.

Although not shown, one side of the subcooler 130, that is, one side of the outdoor liquid pipe 210 ″ in which the refrigerant discharged from the outdoor heat exchanger 180 is guided to the indoor unit 200, is provided with a dryer. Serves to remove moisture contained in the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor liquid pipe (210 ").

An accumulator 132 is installed between a central portion of the base fan 110, that is, between the constant speed compressor 120 ″ and the inverter compressor 120 ′. The accumulator 132 filters the liquid refrigerant so that only the refrigerant in the gas state is present. It is to be introduced to the compressor 120.

In addition, the accumulator 132 may be configured to be introduced into the interior via different refrigerant pipes when operating in a heating or cooling mode, as shown in FIGS. 3B and 6B.

That is, the heating pipe 132 ′ and the cooling pipe 132 ″ which selectively guide the refrigerant flow during cooling / heating are separately configured, and during the cooling operation, the cooling pipe 132 ″ as shown by the arrow of FIG. 3B. The refrigerant flows to the accumulator 132, and may be configured to be guided through the heating pipe 132 ′ as shown in FIG. 6B during the heating operation.

An upper side of the accumulator 132 (see FIGS. 3A and 6A) is provided with a switching valve 340 for guiding the refrigerant flow direction when the air conditioner performs selective operation for cooling or heating.

The switching valve 340 is opened during the heating operation and the heating valve 342 for guiding the refrigerant through the outdoor heat exchanger 180 to enter the accumulator 132, and is opened during the cooling operation, the indoor heat exchanger ( And a cooling valve 344 for guiding the refrigerant passing through the 202 to the accumulator 132.

Accordingly, the cooling valve 344 and the heating valve 342 are not opened or shielded at the same time, and only one is selectively opened to enable cooling / heating switching of the air conditioner.

That is, when the refrigerant remaining in the liquid phase without being evaporated into gas among the refrigerant flowing from the indoor unit 200 directly flows into the compressors 120 and 120 ', the compressor is formed into a gaseous refrigerant having a high temperature and high pressure. ), The load is increased, which causes damage to the compressors 120 and 120 '.

3B and 6B, when the cooling tube 132 ″ and the heating tube 132 ′ are separated, a cooling valve 344 is installed in the cooling tube 132 ″ and the heating tube 132 is provided. ') Is provided with a heating valve 342.

Therefore, among the refrigerants introduced into the accumulator 132, the refrigerant which is not evaporated and remains in the liquid phase is stored in the lower part of the accumulator 132 because it is relatively heavier than the refrigerant in the gas phase, and only the gaseous refrigerant in the upper portion of the compressor 120, 120 Flows into ').

Front frames 134 and 134 'are formed at both ends of the base pan 110, respectively. The front frames 134 and 134 'are formed vertically long at the tip of the base fan 110, and are divided into a front left frame 134 installed at the left end and a front right frame 134' installed at the right end. .

The front frames 134 and 134 'serve to support the front upper bracket 116, the front grill 114, and the control box 140 to be described below. On the other hand, the center frame 136 is provided at the center of the front left frame 134 and the front right frame 134 '.

The barrier 150 is installed in the central frame 136. The barrier 150 divides the inside of the outdoor unit 100 into an upper space and a lower space. That is, the compressor 120 and 120 ′ are installed on the lower side and the outdoor heat exchanger 180 to be described below is partitioned.

The barrier 150 is provided on each side. The barrier 150 has a horizontal portion 150 'formed rearward from the center frame 136 and an inclined portion 150 "formed to be inclined downward from the rear end of the horizontal portion 150' at a predetermined angle. Is made of.

An air guide hole 152 is formed in the horizontal portion 150 ′ of the left barrier 150 of the barrier 150, and an air guide cover 154 is installed above the air guide hole 152.

The upper surface of the outdoor unit 100 is formed by the upper panel 160. The top panel 160 has a square flat plate shape and is provided in pairs on the left and right sides. In addition, the upper panel 160 has a ventilation hole 162 formed, and the edge of the ventilation hole 162 extends downward to form a cylindrical shroud 164. The shroud 164 is formed integrally with the upper panel 160, preferably made of a plastic material.

The shroud 164 is formed in a cylindrical shape to guide the air forcedly blown by the blowing fan 170 to be described below. Meanwhile, a circular discharge grill 166 corresponding to the ventilation hole 162 is mounted on the shroud 164, that is, the ventilation hole 162.

The blowing fan 170 is installed inside the shroud 164. The blowing fan 170 is rotated by the fan motor 172 provided at the bottom, and discharges the air therein upward. That is, when the fan motor 172 generates a rotational force by the power applied from the outside, the blowing fan 170 fixed to one end of the rotation shaft of the fan motor 172 is rotated to discharge the air upward.

The fan motor 172 is fixed by the motor mount 174. The motor mount 174 is composed of a fixed plate 174 'of a square plate and a support 174 "for supporting the fixed plate 174'. The support 174" is formed in a pair on the left and right, The fixing plate 174 'is mounted at the center of the pair of supports 174 ". The front and rear ends of the support 174 " are bent upward to explain the front upper bracket 116 and the following. It is fixed to the upper rear bracket 194, respectively.

An outdoor heat exchanger 180 is provided below the upper panel 160. The outdoor heat exchanger 180 is installed in pairs before and after the heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing inside and the outside air. That is, the front heat exchanger 182 is installed below the front end of the upper panel 160, and the rear heat exchanger 184 is installed below the rear end of the upper panel 160.

The lower half of the front heat exchanger 182 is bent backwards. That is, it consists of a vertical portion 182 'extending downwardly from the front end of the front panel 112 at a predetermined length, and an inclined portion 182 " formed to be inclined backward at a predetermined angle from the bottom of the vertical portion 182'. do.

Accordingly, the lower end of the inclined portion 182 ″ and the lower end of the rear heat exchanger 184 are adjacent to each other, and the lower end of the outdoor heat exchanger 180 has a predetermined distance from the base fan 110.

A drain pan 186 is provided below the bottom of the outdoor heat exchanger 180. The drain pan 186 is formed long to the left and right and collects the condensed water generated in the outdoor heat exchanger 180 and discharges it to the side.

Side panels 188 are installed at left and right ends of the upper surface of the base fan 110. The side panel 188 forms a side appearance of the outdoor unit 100, and pipe entrance holes 188 'are formed at the lower end before and after.

The rear grill 190 is installed at the rear end of the base fan 110. The rear grill 190 is formed to correspond to the size of the rear heat exchanger 184, the rear panel 192 is provided below the rear grill 190.

The upper rear bracket 194 is formed to the left and right at an upper end of the rear grill 190. The upper rear bracket 194 is installed on the upper front surface of the rear grill 190 to support the rear end of the support 174 ″ of the motor mount 174.

The rear frame 196 is installed at both ends of the rear upper bracket 194, that is, at the rear end corner of the base fan 110. The rear frame 196 is elongated upward and downward to support the rear grill 190, the rear panel 192, and the upper panel 160.

The control box 140 is installed on the rear upper portion of the front panel 112. The control box 140 has an outer shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and is formed in pairs one by one on the left and right. In addition, a space is formed therein so that a plurality of electronic components to be described below are embedded to control the operation of the outdoor unit 100.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the refrigerant switching device 300 will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

5 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the air conditioner refrigerant switching device according to the present invention.

' 외관 형상을 가지며 상부는 상기 압축기(120)의 출구와 연결 되고 좌우측 하단부는 상기 실외열교환기(180) 또는 실내열교환기(202)에 각각 연결된다.The refrigerant switching device 300 is configured to selectively switch the flow of the refrigerant by receiving an electrical signal generated during the operation of the cooling / heating switch (not shown) provided in the room, approximately '

It has an external shape and the upper part is connected to the outlet of the compressor 120 and the left and right lower ends are connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 180 or the indoor heat exchanger 202, respectively.

That is, the refrigerant switching device 300 is coupled to the branch pipe 310 for branching the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 120 and discharged at a high temperature and high pressure state, the branched lower end of the branch pipe 310 is the indoor heat exchange The first switch 320 and the second switch 330 is connected to the outdoor unit 202 or the outdoor heat exchanger 180 is configured.

' 내부 구조를 가진 관으로 형성되며, 상부의 내경(유입되는 관)이 하부의 내경(분지되는 관)보다 크게 구비된다.The branch pipe 310 is to allow the refrigerant introduced from the upper side is branched into two branches to be discharged to the outside, approximately '

'It is formed of a tube having an internal structure, the inner diameter of the upper portion (inlet tube) is provided larger than the inner diameter of the lower portion (branch tube).

Then, the first switching unit 320 and the second switching unit 330 is coupled to the lower end of the branch pipe (310). The first switching unit 320 is coupled to communicate with the inside of the branch pipe 310 and the indoor heat exchanger 202 to guide the refrigerant discharged from the branch pipe 310 to the indoor heat exchanger 202. Done.

That is, the upper end of the first switching unit 320 is coupled to the left side of the lower end of the branch pipe 310, the first tube 322 protruding to the left side from the outer surface of the first switching unit 320 is the indoor heat exchanger It is coupled with the common liquid pipe 210 connected to the inlet portion (at the heating operation) of the 202.

Therefore, the refrigerant via the refrigerant switching device 300 during the heating operation of the air conditioner can be guided to the indoor heat exchanger 202.

The second switching unit 330 is configured such that the air conditioner selectively permits the flow of the refrigerant during the cooling operation, as opposed to the first switching unit 320.

That is, the upper end of the second switching unit 330 is coupled to the right side of the lower end of the branch pipe 310 and the second tube 332 protruding to the right from the outer surface of the second switching unit 330 is an outdoor heat exchanger 180 It is connected to the refrigerant pipe (reference numeral P in FIG. 3A) connected to the inlet portion (at the time of cooling operation).

Therefore, when the air conditioner is operated in the cooling mode, the refrigerant passing through the refrigerant switching device 300 is guided to the outdoor heat exchanger 180 to achieve a cooling cycle.

In addition, one side of the first switching unit 320 and the second switching unit 330 operates according to an electrical signal (signal generated during an operation of a cooling / heating switch) to selectively apply a flow of refrigerant. The first solenoid valve 324 and the second solenoid valve 334 is provided.

The solenoid valves 324 and 334 are used to regulate the flow of fluid or gas in a fully closed or fully open manner. When an electrical signal is applied, the solenoid valves 324 and 334 generate a strong magnetic field in a solenoid coil (not shown) provided therein, thereby generating a By moving (not shown) it is possible to selectively shield the first tube 322 or the second tube (332).

Accordingly, the second switching unit 330 operates the second solenoid valve 334 to shield the second pipe 332 by an electrical signal generated when the heating switch is operated, and the first switching unit 320. The first solenoid valve 324 is operated by the electrical signal generated during the air conditioning switch operation to shield the first pipe (322).

The solenoid valves 324 and 334 provided in the first switching unit 320 and the second switching unit 330 are configured to selectively open only one of the two because the air conditioner cannot simultaneously perform cooling / heating. desirable.

Hereinafter, the operation of the air conditioner configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A to 7.

6A is a block diagram showing a refrigerant flow when the air conditioner employing one embodiment of the present invention is operated in a heating mode, and FIG. 6B shows the air conditioner employing another embodiment of the present invention operating in a heating mode. A block diagram showing the flow of the medium in the city is shown, and FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a refrigerant switching method using the air conditioner refrigerant switching device according to the present invention step by step.

3A and 7, a refrigerant switching method using a refrigerant switching device when an air conditioner is operated in a cooling mode will be described.

First, the flow direction of the refrigerant varies depending on which mode the air conditioner operates. Accordingly, in the refrigerant switching method, a mode selection step (S100) of selecting a cooling or heating mode by operating a cooling / heating switch is preferred. .

At the same time as the mode selection step (S100) is started, an electrical signal generated during the operation of the cooling / heating switch is transmitted to the refrigerant switching device 300, followed by a signal transmission step (S200), and the signal transmission step ( Any one of the first solenoid valve 324 and the second solenoid valve 334 received the electrical signal by S200 is shielded to perform the refrigerant blocking step (S300).

In more detail, when the cooling switch (not shown) is selected and operated in the cooling mode, the electrical signal is transmitted to the first solenoid valve 324 provided in the first switching unit 320, and the electrical signal thus transmitted. By operating the first solenoid valve 324 to block the refrigerant from the compressor compressor (120 120 120) does not flow to the indoor heat exchanger (202).

Then, the second solenoid valve 334 provided in the second switching unit 330 is in an open state. At the same time, it is obvious that the heating valve 342 is shielded and the cooling valve 344 should be kept open, and this operation of the heating valve 342 and the cooling valve 344 should be set in advance.

First, the refrigerant from the indoor unit 200 enters the accumulator 132 along the common liquid pipe 210 via the cooling valve 344. The gas refrigerant leaving the accumulator 132 is introduced into the compressors 120 and 120 '.

The refrigerant compressed by the compressors 120 and 120 ′ passes through the oil separator 122. In the oil separator 122, oil contained in the refrigerant is separated and recovered to the compressors 120 and 120 ′ through the oil recovery pipe 123.

That is, as the refrigerant is compressed in the compressors 120 and 120 ', oil is mixed in the refrigerant. Since the oil is in the liquid state and the refrigerant is in the gas state, the oil is separated from the oil separator 122 which is the gas-liquid separator.

The refrigerant passing through the oil separator 122 is introduced into the outdoor heat exchanger 180 through the second switching unit 330 opened through the branch pipe 310. Since the outdoor heat exchanger 180 functions as a condenser (in the cooling mode), the refrigerant is cooled through heat exchange with external air to become a liquid refrigerant. The refrigerant passing through the outdoor heat exchanger 180 is further cooled while passing through the subcooler 130.

The refrigerant passing through the supercooler 130 passes through a dryer (not shown) to remove moisture contained in the refrigerant, and then flows into the indoor unit 200 through the common liquid pipe 210.

When the refrigerant is supplied to the indoor unit 200 through the common liquid pipe 210, the refrigerant is supplied to each indoor unit 200 in operation through the branched liquid pipe 210 ′ branched from the common liquid pipe 210. The refrigerant is decompressed in the expansion valve 204 and heat exchanges in the indoor heat exchanger 202. At this time, since the indoor heat exchanger 202 serves as an evaporator, the refrigerant becomes low pressure gas through heat exchange.

The refrigerant discharged from the indoor heat exchanger 202 is collected through the branch engine 212 ′ to the common engine 212 and then flows into the outdoor unit 100. The refrigerant introduced into the outdoor unit 100 through the common engine 212 and the outdoor engine 212 ″ passes through the cooling valve 344 and then flows into the accumulator 132 to complete one cooling cycle. do.

If the inlet of the accumulator 132 is configured as shown in FIG. 3B, the refrigerant passing through the cooling valve 344 flows into the accumulator 132 through a cooling exclusive pipe 132 ″.

Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 6A, when the air conditioner is operated in a heating operation, when the air conditioner is operated in the heating operation, the refrigerant should flow in the opposite direction to the above, and the amount of refrigerant is controlled in the outdoor solenoid valve 102.

In the heating operation mode of the air conditioner, the refrigerant switching method using the refrigerant switching device 300 is applied in the same manner as the cooling mode. That is, a mode selection step (S100) in which a heating mode is selected by operating the heating switch (not shown), and a signal transmission step (S200) in which an electrical signal generated when the heating switch is operated is delivered to the refrigerant switching device 300. And, the refrigerant blocking step (S300) to operate the refrigerant switching device 300 received the electrical signal in the signal transmission step (S200) is carried out sequentially.

At this time, the cooling valve 344 and the second switching unit 330 is in a shielded state, the heating valve 342 and the first switching unit 320 is in an open state. That is, the second solenoid valve 334 is shielded by receiving an electrical signal generated when the heating switch (not shown) is operated to block the refrigerant flow, and the electrical signal is not transmitted to the first solenoid valve 324. It will remain open.

When the compressor compresses the refrigerant in this state, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 120 passes through the first pipe 322 after passing through the branch pipe 310. Thereafter, the refrigerant is introduced into the indoor unit 200 to exchange heat with cold air through the indoor heat exchanger 202. That is, the indoor air is heated.

In addition, the refrigerant exchanged with the indoor heat exchanger 202 is introduced into the compressor 120 after passing through the accumulator 132 since the heating valve 342 is opened as previously set. ) Is completed.

In addition, if the accumulator 132 is configured as shown in FIG. 6B, the refrigerant passing through the heating valve 342 flows into the accumulator 132 through the heating pipe 132 ′.

The scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-exemplified embodiments, and many other modifications based on the present invention will be possible to those skilled in the art within the above technical scope.

In the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerant switching device is configured to have two switching parts, but depending on the capacity of the air conditioner, three or more switching parts may be configured.

In the refrigerant switching device of the air conditioner according to the present invention as described in detail above, the flow direction of the coolant is guided without leakage during cooling or heating operation of the air conditioner.

Therefore, there is an advantage that the refrigerant switching failure is reduced, thereby preventing damage to the compressor.

In addition, there is an advantage that the heat exchange efficiency of the air conditioner is improved.

In addition, since the cost of the components of the refrigerant switching device is reduced, the manufacturing cost of the air conditioner is also expected to be reduced.

Claims (12)

In the refrigerant switching device of the air conditioner is provided on the outlet side of the compressor for compressing the refrigerant which is a working fluid to guide the flow direction of the refrigerant, The refrigerant switching device, Refrigerant switching device of the air conditioner, characterized in that configured to selectively switch the refrigerant flow in response to the electrical signal generated during the operation of the cooling / heating switch. The method of claim 1, wherein the refrigerant switching device, A branch pipe for branching the refrigerant compressed and discharged from the compressor; A first switching unit coupled to one end of the branch pipe and selectively communicating with an indoor heat exchanger to guide the refrigerant inside the branch pipe to flow to the indoor heat exchanger; And a second switching unit coupled to one end of the branch pipe and selectively communicating with the outdoor heat exchanger to guide the refrigerant in the branch pipe to flow to the outdoor heat exchanger. According to claim 2, wherein the first switching unit and the second switching unit, the refrigerant switching device of the air conditioner, characterized in that provided with a solenoid valve for selectively applying the flow of the refrigerant by operating in accordance with the electrical signal. The refrigerant switching device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein only one of the first switching unit and the second switching unit is selectively opened during cooling or heating operation. The refrigerant switching device of the air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the first switching unit is shielded by receiving an electrical signal generated when the heating switch is operated. The refrigerant switching device of the air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the second switching unit is shielded in response to an electrical signal generated when the cooling switch is operated. A mode selection step of selecting a cooling or heating mode by operating a cooling / heating switch; A signal transfer step of transmitting an electrical signal generated during the operation of the cooling / heating switch to a plurality of refrigerant switching devices for selectively switching refrigerant flow; Refrigerant switching method using a refrigerant switching device of the air conditioner characterized in that it comprises a refrigerant shut-off step of selectively blocking the flow of the refrigerant by operating the refrigerant switching device received the electrical signal in the signal transmission step. The air conditioner according to claim 7, wherein in the heating mode in the signal transfer step, an electrical signal is provided at one side of the refrigerant switching device and transmitted to a second switching unit for guiding a refrigerant flow from a compressor to an outdoor heat exchanger. Refrigerant Switching Method Using Refrigerant Switching Device. The air conditioner according to claim 8, wherein in the cooling mode in the signal transfer step, an electrical signal is provided at one side of the refrigerant switching device and transmitted to a first switching unit for guiding a refrigerant flow from a compressor to an indoor heat exchanger. Refrigerant switching method using the refrigerant switching device of the. 10. The air conditioner according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the refrigerant blocking step is a process in which any one of the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve operating according to an electrical signal is operated to block the flow of the refrigerant. Refrigerant switching method using a refrigerant switching device of the machine. The refrigerant switching method of claim 8, wherein the cooling valve for guiding the refrigerant passing through the indoor heat exchanger to the accumulator is shielded in the refrigerant blocking step. 10. The refrigerant switching method of claim 9, wherein the heating valve for guiding the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger to the accumulator is shielded in the refrigerant blocking step.

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