KR20140107751A - Ball valve assembly and air conditioner having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, provided are a ball valve assembly which can selectively open or close refrigerant pipes, control a fluid to flow in three directions, and enhance the airtightness and an air conditioner thereof. The air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: an indoor unit which is installed in an indoor space and enables the air drawn in from the indoor space to exchange heat with a refrigerant and be discharged to the indoor space; an outdoor unit which is installed on the outside and enables the refrigerant flowing in from the indoor unit to exchange heat with the outside air; a ball valve assembly which is connected to the refrigerant pipes in the outdoor unit and rotates a ball valve to control the refrigerant to flow in and out of the outdoor unit; and refrigerant piping which is configured to be connected to the ball valve assembly to connect the refrigerant pipes in the indoor unit and the outdoor unit.

Description

Technical Field The present invention relates to a ball valve assembly and an air conditioner having the same,

The present invention relates to a ball valve assembly capable of controlling a three-way flow path and an air conditioner having the same.

Background Art [0002] An air conditioner is a device for keeping indoor air comfortably in accordance with human activity by using a refrigeration cycle. The air conditioner is configured to cool indoor by repeated action of sucking warm air in the room and exchanging heat with low temperature refrigerant, , And is a device for heating the room by the opposite action.

The air conditioner can cool or heat the room by a cooling cycle in which the compressor, the condenser, the expansion valve, and the evaporator are circulated in the forward or reverse direction. The compressor provides a gaseous refrigerant at a high temperature and a high pressure, and the condenser provides a liquid refrigerant at a normal temperature and a high pressure. The expansion valve decompresses the liquid refrigerant in a liquid state at room temperature and high pressure, and the evaporator evaporates the cooled refrigerant to a low-temperature gas state.

The air conditioner may be divided into a separate type air conditioner in which an outdoor unit and an indoor unit are separately installed, and an integrated type air conditioner in which an outdoor unit and an indoor unit are integrally installed. In the case of a separate type air conditioner in which an outdoor unit and an indoor unit are separated from each other, a compressor and a condenser (outdoor heat exchanger) are generally provided in the outdoor unit, and an evaporator (indoor heat exchanger) is provided in the indoor unit. The refrigerant can circulate through the outdoor unit and the indoor unit through the piping connecting the indoor unit and the outdoor unit.

The indoor unit and the outdoor unit are separately provided before the air conditioner is installed, and the indoor unit and the outdoor unit can be connected by piping when the air conditioner is installed. Before the installation of the air conditioner, the refrigerant may be provided in a refrigerant pipe provided in the outdoor unit. When the outdoor unit and the indoor unit are connected by the piping, the refrigerant charged in the refrigerant pipe of the outdoor unit flows to the refrigerant pipe of the indoor unit, so that the refrigerant can be circulated in both the outdoor unit and the indoor unit.

The outdoor unit is provided with a refrigerant pipe through which the refrigerant can move, and at both ends of the refrigerant pipe, an outlet through which the refrigerant flows out to the indoor unit and an inlet through which the refrigerant flows into the indoor unit can be provided. A valve capable of selectively communicating a refrigerant pipe may be provided at the outlet and the inlet side. That is, before the air conditioner is installed, the refrigerant pipe is closed so that the refrigerant at the outdoor unit side is not leaked, and after the installation of the air conditioner, the refrigerant pipe of the outdoor unit and the refrigerant pipe of the indoor unit are opened A valve may be provided on the outlet side and the inlet side.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there can be provided a ball valve assembly capable of selectively opening and closing a refrigerant pipe, controlling the flow of fluid in three directions, improving airtightness and ease of use, and an air conditioner using the same have.

An air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: an indoor unit installed in an indoor space, wherein the air sucked in the indoor space is heat-exchanged with refrigerant and discharged to the indoor space; An outdoor unit installed outside the indoor unit, the outdoor unit having a refrigerant flowed from the indoor unit through heat exchange with outdoor air; A ball valve assembly connected to the refrigerant pipe provided in the outdoor unit and controlling the flow of the refrigerant into and out of the outdoor unit by rotating the ball valve; And a refrigerant pipe connected to the ball valve assembly and connecting a refrigerant pipe provided in the indoor unit and a refrigerant pipe provided in the outdoor unit.

The ball valve assembly includes a ball valve housing to which a refrigerant pipe provided in the outdoor unit and a refrigerant pipe provided in the indoor unit are connected. The ball valve includes a refrigerant pipe accommodated in the ball valve housing, Thereby selectively communicating the refrigerant pipe.

Wherein the ball valve housing is provided with a ball valve accommodating portion which is a space in which the ball valve is accommodated, a second body having a first body, a second body extending on the same straight line as the first body, And a third body extending on a straight line orthogonal to the first body.

The first body has a first connection hole, the second body has a second connection hole, the third body has a third connection hole, the first connection hole, the second connection hole, And the third connection hole communicates with each other around the ball valve accommodating portion.

The refrigerant pipe provided in the outdoor unit is connected to the first body.

The refrigerant pipe is connected to the first body through a connection device having an outer diameter equal to the inner diameter of the first connection hole and an inner diameter equal to the outer diameter of the refrigerant pipe.

The refrigerant pipe is connected to the third body.

The refrigerant pipe is connected to the third body through a connecting device whose outer diameter is the same as the inner diameter of the third connecting hole and whose inner diameter is the same as the outer diameter of the refrigerant pipe.

The ball valve includes a first hole capable of selectively communicating with the first connection hole, a second hole capable of selectively communicating with the second connection hole, and a third hole communicating with the third connection hole .

A fourth body extending on the same straight line as the third body is further provided, and a handle portion capable of rotating the ball valve is coupled to the fourth body.

An operation groove is provided on one side of the ball valve, and a part of the handle portion is inserted into the operation groove, so that the ball valve can rotate together with the handle portion.

The handle portion is formed with a protrusion that can interfere with rotation of the handle portion, and the ball valve is rotatable by 90 ° by the handle portion.

A contact member, which is in contact with the ball valve and maintains airtightness, is located inside the ball valve housing.

And the contact member is located on the first connection hole and the first connection hole side.

The contact member is made of a Teflon material having high wear resistance.

A stepped portion is formed inside the ball valve housing, and the contact member is located at the stepped portion.

A charging core is mounted on the second body.

A ball valve assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a ball valve housing having a ten-shaped hole communicating therewith; A ball valve accommodated in the ball valve housing and having a plurality of holes formed therein to selectively open and close at least one side of the hole to communicate with the other side of the hole; And a handle portion mounted on the ball valve to rotate the ball valve.

Wherein the handle portion comprises: a handle body having one side mounted on the ball valve; A grip portion protruding from the handle body so as to extend along a diameter of a cross section of the handle body; And a handle fixing part having a hole into which the grip part is inserted.

A protrusion is formed on an inner wall of the handle fixing part so that the grip part can be rotated by 90 degrees.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the airtightness of the ball valve assembly can be improved to prevent leakage of the refrigerant, prevent wear of components included in the ball valve assembly, Can be controlled in three directions. The opening and closing of the refrigerant can be conveniently opened and closed through the 90 ° rotation of the handle interlocked with the ball valve.

1 is a view illustrating an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view illustrating a ball valve assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a ball valve assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a perspective view illustrating a valve housing according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a cross-sectional view of the valve housing A-A 'according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a view illustrating a ball valve according to an embodiment of the present invention viewed from one direction.
FIG. 7 is a view illustrating a ball valve according to an embodiment of the present invention viewed from a different direction. FIG.
8 is a view illustrating a handle unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is an exploded perspective view of a handle portion according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a view illustrating a state in which the ball valve assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention is opened.
11 is a view illustrating a state in which the ball valve assembly is in a closed state according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a ball valve assembly and an air conditioner having the same according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 is a view illustrating an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an indoor unit 1 and an outdoor unit 2. The indoor unit (1) and the outdoor unit (2) can be connected by a refrigerant pipe (3). The refrigerant can circulate through a refrigerant pipe (3) through a refrigerant pipe (not shown) provided in the indoor unit (1) and a refrigerant pipe (not shown) provided in the outdoor unit (2).

The indoor unit (1) can discharge the refrigerant compressed and condensed in the outdoor unit (2) and the heat exchanged air to the room to maintain the room temperature at an appropriate temperature. The indoor unit 1 may include an expansion valve and an evaporator. The indoor air can be cooled by the refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator.

The outdoor unit 2 may include a compressor, a condenser, and a blower fan. An air intake port through which the outside air can be introduced or discharged may be formed at one side of the outdoor unit 2. The compressor compresses the refrigerant, and the compressed refrigerant flows into the condenser and is condensed. At this time, the blowing fan is driven, and the external air introduced through the air inlet can cool the heat generated in the condenser.

The outdoor unit 2 may be provided with an outlet 21 through which the refrigerant can flow out from the outdoor unit 2 and an inlet 22 through which the refrigerant can flow from the indoor unit 1. The outlet (21) and the inlet (22) may be provided with a ball valve assembly (4) capable of controlling the flow of refrigerant.

The outlet 21 and the inlet 22 may be closed by the ball valve assembly 4 before the air conditioner is installed. That is, before the indoor unit 1 and the outdoor unit 2 are connected by the refrigerant pipe 3, the outdoor unit 2 is controlled so that the refrigerant charged in the refrigerant pipe (not shown) The outflow portion 21 and the inflow portion 22 of the ball valve assembly 4 may be closed by the ball valve assembly 4. When the indoor unit 1 and the outdoor unit 2 are connected by the refrigerant pipe 3, the ball valve assembly 4 can be operated to open the outlet 21 or the inlet 22 of the outdoor unit 2. That is, the refrigerant pipe provided in the indoor unit (1) and the refrigerant pipe provided in the outdoor unit (2) can be connected through the refrigerant pipe (3). As a result, the refrigerant can circulate through the indoor unit (1), the outdoor unit (2), and the refrigerant pipe (3).

The refrigerant pipe 3 includes a first refrigerant pipe 31 connected to the outlet 21 and a second refrigerant pipe 32 connected to the inlet 22. The refrigerant may flow out of the outlet 21 of the outdoor unit 2 and enter the indoor unit 1 through the first refrigerant pipe 31. The refrigerant of the indoor unit 1 may move along the second refrigerant pipe 32 and may be introduced into the outdoor unit 1 through the inlet 22. [

When the air conditioner is operated to cool the indoor air to the proper temperature or lower, the compressor provided in the outdoor unit 2 compresses the refrigerant to high temperature and high pressure, and the compressed refrigerant moves to the condenser. The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant is condensed in the condenser to low-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant and flows out to the first refrigerant pipe (31) through the outlet (21). The refrigerant flows along the first refrigerant pipe (31) and flows into the indoor unit (1). The refrigerant expanded in the expansion valve provided in the indoor unit (1) is evaporated in the evaporator and can be cooled by performing heat exchange with the room air at a high temperature. The heat-exchanged refrigerant may flow along the second refrigerant pipe 32 and may be introduced into the outdoor unit 2 through the inlet 22.

The ball valve assembly 4 provided in the outflow portion 21 and the inflow portion 22 and capable of opening and closing the outflow portion 21 and the inflow portion 22 will be described below.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a ball valve assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a ball valve assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a cross- FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A 'of a valve housing according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

2 to 5, a ball valve assembly 4 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a valve housing 40, a ball valve 50, and a handle portion 60. A ball valve (50) can be inserted into the space formed inside the valve housing (40). A handle portion (60) may be provided on one side of the valve housing (40). The ball valve 50 is provided so as to be rotatable by the handle portion 60.

A refrigerant pipe 20 provided in the outdoor unit 2 and a refrigerant pipe 3 connecting the outdoor unit 2 and the indoor unit 1 may be connected to the valve housing 40. [ The refrigerant pipe (20) and the refrigerant pipe (3) can be selectively communicated. The refrigerant pipe (20) and the refrigerant pipe (3) can be selectively communicated by the operation of the ball valve (50).

The state where the refrigerant pipe 20 and the refrigerant pipe 3 are communicated by the ball valve 50 can be regarded as a state in which the ball valve 50 is opened and the refrigerant pipe 20 and the refrigerant pipe 3 are communicated with each other It can be said that the ball valve 50 is in a closed state.

The valve housing 40 may be provided with a charging core 82 for injecting refrigerant or for bringing the refrigerant pipe 3 into a vacuum state. The refrigerant pipe 3 can be made to be in a vacuum state before the refrigerant pipe 3 replenishes the refrigerant through the charging core 82 or the refrigerant pipe 3 is connected to the outdoor unit 2. [

4 and 5, the valve housing 40 includes a ball valve receiving portion 400, which is a space in which the ball valve 50 can be received. The first connection hole 41, the second connection hole 42, the third connection hole 43 and the fourth connection hole 44 may be formed around the ball valve receiving portion 400. The ball valve receiving portion 400 may be formed to communicate with the first connection hole 41, the second connection hole 42, the third connection hole 43, and the fourth connection hole 44.

For example, a ball valve receiving portion 400 is formed in the housing body 401 to accommodate the ball valve 50, and extends from the housing body 401 to connect the first body 410, 420, a third body 430, and a fourth body 440 may be formed. The first body 410 has a first connection hole 41 and the second body 420 has a second connection hole 42. The third body 430 has a third connection hole 43, And a fourth connection hole 44 is formed in the fourth body 440. At this time, the ball valve receiving portion 400 and the first connection hole 41, the second connection hole 42, the third connection hole 43, and the fourth connection hole 44 are all communicated to form a single space .

4 and 5, the first body 410, the second body 420, the third body 430, and the fourth body 440 extend from the housing body 401, . ≪ / RTI > For example, the first body 410 and the second body 420 may be formed to extend in the x-axis direction, and the third body 430 and the fourth body 440 may be formed to extend in the x- And may extend in the y-axis direction perpendicular to the body 420. The first connection hole 41, the second connection hole 42, the third connection hole 43 and the fourth connection hole 44 are connected to the ball valve receiving portion 400 and the ball valve receiving portion 400, As shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 4, the third body 430, the second body 420, and the fourth body 440 are referred to as a clockwise direction with respect to the first body 410.

3 to 5, the refrigerant pipe 20 accommodated in the outdoor unit 2 may be connected to the first connection hole 41 in the first body 410. The refrigerant pipe 20 may be mounted on the first body 410 so as to communicate with the first connection hole 41 by the connection device 70. The connecting device 70 is provided in a ring shape having a hole so that the refrigerant pipe 20 passes through the hole and the connecting device 70 is mounted on the first body 410, And may be mounted so as to communicate with the first connection hole 41.

When the outer diameter D1 of the refrigerant pipe 20 is smaller than the inner diameter D2 of the first connection hole 41, the connecting device 70 has the same inner diameter as the outer diameter D1 of the refrigerant pipe 20, The refrigerant tube 20 can be connected to the first body 410 by the connecting device 70 having an outer diameter equal to or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the first connection hole 41. [

The connecting device 70 includes a first connecting device 71, a second connecting device 72, and a third connecting device 75. The first connecting device 71 and the second connecting device 72 may be provided in a ring shape having holes. The third connection device 75 may be provided in the form of a pipe passing through the first connection device 71 and the second connection device 72. The inner diameter of one side of the third connecting device 75 may be provided corresponding to the outer diameter of the refrigerant pipe 20 of the outdoor unit connected to the third connecting device 75. Whereby the refrigerant pipe 20 of the outdoor unit can be connected to the connecting device 70. That is, by connecting the refrigerant pipe 20 of the outdoor unit to the third connection unit 75, the refrigerant pipe 20 of the outdoor unit can be connected to the ball valve assembly 3.

At one side of the second connecting device 72, a friction member 74 capable of contacting the ball valve 50 may be provided. The friction member 74 can be supported by the second step 72. The friction member 74 may be provided so as to protrude from the end of the second connecting device 72 and contact the ball valve 50 to maintain the airtightness.

A coupling hole 411 may be formed on one side of the first body 410. The ball valve housing 40 can be coupled to the outdoor unit 2 by a coupling member (not shown) passing through the coupling hole 411.

The third body 430 may be connected to the refrigerant pipe 3. The combination of the refrigerant pipe 20 and the first body 410 can be similarly applied to the combination of the refrigerant pipe 3 and the third body 430. Thus, the refrigerant pipe (3) can be mounted on the third body (430) so as to communicate with the third connection hole (43). The manner in which the refrigerant pipe 3 is coupled to the third body 430 is not limited to the above description.

A charging core 82 may be mounted on the second body 420. The charging core (82) may be equipped with a mechanism for making the inside of the refrigerant pipe (3) vacuum or for injecting the refrigerant. A sealing member is provided on the outer side of the charging core 82 to be inserted into the second connection hole 42 to maintain airtightness.

A stepped portion 402 may be formed on the inside of the body 420 where the ball valve receiving portion 400 is formed to accommodate the ball valve 50. The contact member 81 may be positioned on the stepped portion 402. The step portion 402 may be provided at a contact portion where the second body 420 and the housing body 401 meet. The contact member 81 positioned in the step 402 can be provided to be in contact with the ball valve 50. The stepped portion 402 formed inside the body 420 may be provided at a contact portion where the first body 410 and the body 420 meet. The contact member 74 may be provided at the step portion provided at the contact portion where the first body 410 and the body 420 meet to contact the ball valve 50.

The contact members 74 and 81, which contact the ball valve 50 when the ball valve 50 is rotated, may be made of Teflon. In addition, the ball valve 50 can make surface contact with the contact members 74 and 81. The contact members 74 and 81 are made of a Teflon material having high wear resistance and the ball valve 50 and the contact members 74 and 81 are in surface contact with each other, It is possible to prevent the contact members 74 and 81 from being easily worn and to improve the airtightness of the ball valve assembly 4. [

The handle body 60 may be mounted on the fourth body 440. The handle portion 60 is provided so as to be rotatable in both right and left directions. The ball valve 50 accommodated in the ball valve receiving portion 400 of the valve housing 40 can be rotated by rotating the handle portion 60.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the ball valve 50 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 6 is a view showing a ball valve according to an embodiment of the present invention viewed from one direction, and FIG. 7 is a view illustrating a ball valve according to an embodiment of the present invention viewed from another direction.

6 and 7, a ball valve 50 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first hole 51, a second hole 52, a third hole 53, and a fourth hole 54, . The ball valve 50 may be provided at one side thereof with an operation groove 55 into which the handle portion 60 can be inserted. A part of the handle portion 60 is inserted into the operating groove 55 and the ball valve 50 can be rotated by the user rotating the handle portion 60. [

The first hole 51 and the second hole 52 may be formed so that a straight line passing through the center of the first hole 51 and the second hole 52 extends in the x axis direction. The first hole 51 may be selectively communicated with the first connection hole 41 and the second hole 52 may be selectively communicated with the second connection hole 42. When the first hole 51 is communicated with the first connection hole 41, the second hole 52 may be provided so as to communicate with the second connection hole 42.

The third hole 53 and the operating groove 55 may be formed so that a straight line connecting the center of the third hole 53 and the operating groove 55 extends in the y axis direction. The third hole 53 may be communicated with the third connection hole 43. A handle portion 60 inserted through the fourth hole 44 may be mounted on the operating groove 55.

The fourth hole 54 may be formed in the z-axis direction. Specifically, the fourth hole 54 is a straight line connecting the first hole 51 and the second hole 52, and a straight line connecting the third hole 53 and the operating groove 55 on a straight line perpendicular to the straight line can do. And the fourth hole 54 can be selectively communicated with the second connection hole 42. [

FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a handle unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a handle unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the handle portion 60 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a handle body 61, a handle fixing portion 62, and sealing members 63 and 64. A grip portion 610 which can be operated by a user may be provided on one side of the handle body 61. The grip portion 61 may be formed by protruding to extend along the diameter of the end surface of the handle body 61.

A ball valve engaging portion 613 which can be inserted into the operating groove 55 formed in the ball valve 50 may be formed on the other side of the handle body 61. The ball valve engaging portion 613 is formed in the operating groove 55 As shown in FIG. The cross section of the ball valve engagement portion 613 may be polygonal or elliptical.

Sealing member engaging grooves 612 and 613 can be formed on the side surface of the handle body 61 so that the sealing members 63 and 64 can be fitted. The sealing member engaging grooves 611 and 612 include a first sealing member engaging groove 611 and a second sealing member engaging groove 612. The first sealing member 63 can be fitted into the first sealing member engaging groove 611 and the second sealing member 64 can be fitted into the second sealing member engaging groove 612.

The handle fixing portion 62 may be provided with a hole 621 through which the grip portion 610 is inserted and a fixing protrusion 622 protruding from the outer side surface of the handle fixing portion 62. [ The grip portion 610 of the handle body 61 is inserted into the hole 621 and rotated. The hole 621 may be formed such that the grip portion 610 is rotatable by 90 °. A protrusion 620 is formed on the inner wall of the handle fixing part 62 which forms the hole 621 in detail and the rotation of the grip part 610 can be interfered with the protrusion 620. The grip portion 610 is provided so as to be rotatable by 90 degrees so that the refrigerant pipe of the outdoor unit 2 can be selectively opened and closed.

The handle fixing portion 62 is provided with the grip portion 61 of the handle body 61 inserted into the hole 621 formed in the handle fixing portion 62 and the fixing protrusion 622 formed on the side surface of the fixing ring 620, The handle portion 60 can be coupled to the fourth body 440 by being inserted into a groove (not shown) formed inside the fourth body 440 of the housing 40. This allows the handle portion 60 to be mounted inside the fourth body 440 of the valve housing 40.

Hereinafter, a method of controlling the refrigerant passage by the ball valve assembly 4 will be described.

FIG. 10 is a view illustrating a state in which the ball valve assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is open; FIG. 11 is a view illustrating a state where the ball valve assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is in a closed state; to be.

The first body 410 of the valve housing 40 is connected to the refrigerant pipe 20 of the outdoor unit 2. A ball valve 50 is accommodated in the valve housing 40 and the ball valve 50 is rotatable by 90 ° by a handle 60.

Before the indoor unit 1 and the outdoor unit 2 are connected to each other, as shown in FIG. 11, the fourth hole 54 of the ball valve 50 faces the second connection hole 420, May be located. Holes are not formed in the direction opposite to the fourth holes 54 of the ball valve 50 so that the refrigerant pipe 20 of the outdoor unit 2 mounted on the first connection hole 41 side is in a closed state . As a result, the refrigerant filled in the refrigerant pipe (20) of the outdoor unit (2) may not leak to the outside. At this time, the third connection hole 43 is communicated with the third hole 53, and the second connection hole 42 is communicated with the fourth hole 54.

In order to connect the outdoor unit 2 and the indoor unit 1, the refrigerant pipe 3 may be mounted on the third body 430. A vacuum device may be connected to the second body 420 to make the interior of the refrigerant pipe 3 in a vacuum state before the outdoor unit 2 and the refrigerant pipe 3 are communicated with each other. Since the third connection hole 43 in which the refrigerant pipe 3 is mounted and the second connection hole 42 in which the vacuum device is connected are in a communicated state, the refrigerant pipe 3 can be evacuated through the vacuum device.

When the inside of the refrigerant pipe 3 is in a vacuum state, the user can hold the grip portion 610 and rotate the handle portion 60 by 90 °. When the handle portion 60 rotates, the ball valve 50 accommodated in the valve housing 40 can rotate by 90 °. The first connection hole 41 connected to the refrigerant pipe 20 and the first hole 51 of the ball valve 50 are communicated with each other as shown in FIG. . As a result, the refrigerant pipe 20 of the outdoor unit 2 is opened and can communicate with the refrigerant pipe 3 on the third connection hole 43 side. At this time, the second hole (52) communicates with the second connection hole (42). A charging device for supplementing the refrigerant may be connected to the second body 420 formed in the second connection hole 42. The user can supplement the refrigerant through the second connection hole 42. [

It is possible to selectively connect the refrigerant pipe 20 of the outdoor unit 2 and the refrigerant pipe 3 connecting the outdoor unit 2 and the indoor unit 1 through the three-way ball valve structure. The contact member contacting with the ball valve when the ball valve is rotated is made of Teflon and is in surface contact with the ball valve, thereby preventing the contact member from being easily worn and further improving the airtightness of the ball valve assembly. The handle portion is rotated by 90 degrees so that the ball valve assembly is opened and closed, so that the user can easily open and close the ball valve assembly.

1: indoor unit 2: outdoor unit
3: Refrigerant piping 40: Valve housing
50: Ball valve 60: Handle portion

Claims (20)

An indoor unit installed in the indoor space, wherein the air sucked in the indoor space is heat-exchanged with the refrigerant and is discharged into the indoor space;
An outdoor unit installed outside the indoor unit, the outdoor unit having a refrigerant flowed from the indoor unit through heat exchange with outdoor air;
A ball valve assembly connected to the refrigerant pipe provided in the outdoor unit and controlling the flow of the refrigerant into and out of the outdoor unit by rotating the ball valve; And
And a refrigerant pipe connected to the ball valve assembly and connecting a refrigerant pipe provided in the indoor unit and a refrigerant pipe provided in the outdoor unit. The method according to claim 1,
The ball valve assembly includes a ball valve housing to which a refrigerant pipe provided in the outdoor unit and a refrigerant pipe provided in the indoor unit are connected. The ball valve includes a refrigerant pipe accommodated in the ball valve housing, And selectively connects the refrigerant pipe. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the ball valve housing is provided with a ball valve accommodating portion which is a space in which the ball valve is accommodated, a second body having a first body, a second body extending on the same straight line as the first body, And a third body extending on a straight line orthogonal to the first body. The method of claim 3,
The first body has a first connection hole, the second body has a second connection hole, the third body has a third connection hole, the first connection hole, the second connection hole, And the third connection hole communicates with the center of the ball valve accommodating portion. 5. The method of claim 4,
And a refrigerant pipe provided in the outdoor unit is connected to the first body. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the refrigerant pipe is connected to the first body through a connection device having an outer diameter equal to an inner diameter of the first connection hole and an inner diameter equal to an outer diameter of the refrigerant pipe. 5. The method of claim 4,
And the refrigerant pipe is connected to the third body. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the refrigerant pipe is connected to the third body through a connecting device whose outer diameter is the same as the inner diameter of the third connecting hole and whose inner diameter is the same as the outer diameter of the refrigerant pipe. 5. The method of claim 4,
The ball valve may include a first hole capable of selectively communicating with the first connection hole, a second hole capable of selectively communicating with the second connection hole, and a third hole communicating with the third connection hole Air conditioner. 10. The method of claim 9,
Further comprising a fourth body extending on the same straight line as the third body, and a handle capable of rotating the ball valve is coupled to the fourth body. 11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein an operating groove is provided at one side of the ball valve and a part of the handle portion is inserted into the operating groove so that the ball valve can rotate together with the handle portion. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the handle portion is formed with a protrusion capable of interfering with rotation of the handle portion, and the ball valve is rotatable by 90 ° by the handle portion. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the ball valve housing is provided with a contact member which is in contact with the ball valve to maintain airtightness. 14. The method of claim 13,
And the contact member is located on the first connection hole and the first connection hole side. 14. The method of claim 13,
Wherein the contact member is made of a Teflon material having high abrasion resistance. 14. The method of claim 13,
Wherein a stepped portion is formed on an inner side of the ball valve housing, and the contact member is located on the stepped portion. 5. The method of claim 4,
And a charging core is mounted on the second body. A ball valve housing having a ten-shaped hole communicating therewith;
A ball valve accommodated in the ball valve housing and having a plurality of holes formed therein to selectively open and close at least one side of the hole to communicate with the other side of the hole; And
And a handle portion mounted to the ball valve to rotate the ball valve. 19. The method of claim 18,
Wherein the handle portion comprises: a handle body having one side mounted on the ball valve;
A grip portion protruding from the handle body so as to extend along a diameter of a cross section of the handle body; And
And a handle fixing portion having a hole into which the grip portion is inserted. 20. The method of claim 19,
And a protrusion is formed on an inner wall of the handle fixing part, so that the grip part can rotate by 90 °.

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