KR20150073571A - A service valve assembly for air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the present invention, a service valve for an air conditioner is provided. A connector is mounted on a tapered branch portion of a service valve body. The connector enables a pipe inserted through the connector from the outer side to be connected to the service valve. A sealing member corresponding to the branch portion is provided between the pipe and the branch portion for a gap between the pipe and the branch portion to be airtight.

Description

Technical Field [0001] The present invention relates to a service valve assembly for an air conditioner,

The present invention relates to a service valve assembly for an air conditioner.

The air conditioner is a device for sucking in indoor air, discharging it after harmonizing it. The air conditioner can discharge the sucked indoor air after heating, cooling, humidifying or dehumidifying the sucked indoor air.

When the air conditioner operates in the cooling mode, the indoor hot air is sucked and discharged to the outside, and the cooled air is discharged to the room by utilizing the heat exchange of the refrigerant. Generally, the air conditioner is divided into an indoor unit for finally discharging cold air and an outdoor unit for installing heat exchanging function, and a pipe connecting the two components.

A service valve may be provided between the indoor unit or the outdoor unit and the piping. The service valve is configured to be openable and closable, and when the amount of refrigerant flowing in the air conditioner is insufficient, the service valve can be opened and refrigerant can be injected.

In the meantime, the service valve is configured to connect the indoor unit with the piping connected to the outdoor unit, and the piping connected to the service valve can be connected by a welding method. However, when the connection is made by welding, There is a problem that workability is also poor.

In order to solve this problem, Korean Patent Laid-Open No. 10-2010-0037783 discloses a service valve in which an end portion of a branch portion is inclined and a connection pipe having an expansion portion corresponding to an inclined surface of the branch portion, The branch portion and the connection pipe are connected and fixed to each other by a flare nut which is fastened to the branch portion in a screwed manner in a tangent state.

However, in such a structure, when the connecting pipe having the expanded portion is rotated together with the flare nut, metal powder may be generated by friction, and such metal powder causes damage to the service valve when the metal powder flows into the service valve .

When the flare nut is excessively fastened or maintained in a long-term fastened state, the expanded portion may be stuck to the branch portion of the service valve. In this case, the connection pipe may be removed However, it is impossible to separate the whole service valve and the connection pipe, and a new product may be installed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a service valve assembly in which a connector is mounted to a tapered branch of a body of a service valve assembly, the pipe penetrating the connector from the outside to be inserted into the service valve can be connected to the service valve, And a sealing member corresponding to the branched portion is provided between the tube and the branch portion to provide a service valve assembly for an air conditioner.

The service valve assembly for an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an indoor unit connection portion to which an indoor unit side piping connected to an indoor unit is connected and a tapered tapered portion is formed at an end thereof, an outdoor unit connection portion connected to an outdoor unit side piping connected to the outdoor unit, A body including a coolant injecting part for injecting a coolant, and a flow adjusting part for opening and closing an internal flow path; A tapered contact portion coupled to the indoor unit connection portion and having an inclined surface corresponding to the tapered portion, the indoor unit side pipe being inserted and connected to a flow path inside the body; And a sealing member provided inside the connector and interposed between the tapered portion and the tapered contact portion and hermetically sealed between the connector and the indoor unit connection portion, wherein the sealing member is provided so as to correspond to the tapered portion and the tapered contact portion As shown in FIG.

And the inclined surface of the sealing member is longer than the width of the tapered portion and the tapered contact portion.

And the sealing member is formed of a dissimilar material different from the connector and the body.

And the sealing member is formed of a material that is heavier than the connector and the body.

And a sealing member fixing portion for receiving the end portion of the sealing member bent outward and fixing the sealing member is formed in the inner side surface of the connector.

A screw thread is formed on an outer circumferential surface of the indoor unit connection portion and an inner circumferential surface of the connector so that the connector is rotatably coupled and the taper portion and the taper contact portion press the sealing member from both sides when the connector is rotated .

The connector includes: a connection member on which an inlet port for inserting the indoor unit-side pipe by a predetermined length is formed; An intermediate member which is connected to the connecting member and the indoor unit connecting portion at both ends thereof and is moved in the direction to be closer to the connecting member and the indoor unit connecting portion, And a paralle assembly fixedly mounted on the inner side of the connecting member so as to penetrate the indoor unit side piping and fixing the indoor unit side piping, wherein the paralle assembly is configured such that when the connecting member and the intermediate member are coupled, So that the indoor unit side piping is pressed and fixed.

Wherein the ferrule assembly comprises: a locking ring for pressing the outer side of the tube when inserting the indoor unit side pipe to fix the position of the ferrule assembly; And a paralle which is integrally coupled to the locking ring and is hermetically sealed between the pipe and the connecting member while being deformed toward the center of the pipe when the connecting member and the intermediate member are fully engaged.

Wherein the connection member is formed in a tubular shape with an insulating material and is mounted on the insertion port so that the indoor unit side pipe is passed therethrough so that the inner surface of the pipe and the connecting member can be separated from each other.

And an inner side surface of the connecting member is connected to the inner side surface of the connecting member and the end portion of the parcel assembly by airtightness between the outer surface of the tube and the tube when the connecting member is coupled, And an O-ring is provided.

The O-ring includes: a central portion that contacts the inner circumference of the connecting member; And a pair of lateral protrusions protruding from both sides of the central part, one side of which is hermetically sealed between the tube and the connecting member, and the other side of which supports the ferrule assembly.

A ring-shaped coupling confirming member is provided on one side of the intermediate member, and a confirmation member accommodating portion for blocking the coupling confirming member when the coupling member is fully engaged is formed at an end of the coupling member.

Wherein the intermediate member includes an inclined portion formed to be inclined so that an inner diameter gradually becomes narrower at an opened end where the indoor unit side pipe is inserted; Wherein a parallel insertion portion is formed at an end of the inclined portion so as to have an inner diameter narrower than an outer diameter of the tube, and an end portion of the parallel assembly is moved to the parallel insertion portion through the inclined portion .

According to the proposed invention, a paralle assembly is provided in which the locking ring and the ferrule are integrally formed in a state in which the indoor unit pipe is inserted into the connecting member, so that the locking ring can hold the fixed position in the pipe inserted with the ferrule, It is possible to solve the problem that the position where the ferrule is mounted before the fitting operation is changed or lost and lost.

In addition, the space between the indoor unit pipe and the connection member inserted by the O-ring is sealed, and the locking ring is supported. Thus, the pipe can be easily removed or the position of the inserted pipe can be prevented from being changed. There is an advantage that it can be prevented.

Further, as the connecting member is rotationally coupled, the grip portion of the ferrule is deformed in contact with the inclined portion to press the outer surface of the inserted tube, and the grip portion is deformed while being inserted into the insertion portion through the inclined portion. There is an advantage that the fixing of the ferrule and the pipe can be performed in a solid state.

In addition, when the tube is inserted into the connecting member and the mating member by the insulating member, the connecting member can be separated from the connecting member. Particularly, even in the inside of the connecting member, So that the potential difference can be more effectively prevented.

In addition, the indoor unit piping can be easily assembled by connecting the connector to the body having the indoor unit connection portion coupled in an expanded manner, thereby improving the workability.

A sealing member is provided on the inside of the connector, so that when the intermediate member constituting the connector and the indoor unit connecting portion of the body are coupled to each other, not only the interspace is sealed by the sealing member, It is possible to prevent the sticking of the same kind of material or the sticking of the same kind of material to each other.

1 is a perspective view of a service valve assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is an exploded perspective view of the service valve assembly.
3 is an exploded perspective view of the service valve assembly.
4 is a cross-sectional view of the service valve assembly.
5 is a perspective view of an O-ring which is a main component of the service valve assembly.
6 is a sectional view of the O-ring.
7 is an exploded perspective view of a paralle assembly which is a main component of the service valve assembly.
8 is a cross-sectional view of the above-mentioned ferrule assembly.
9 is an exploded perspective view of the above-mentioned paralle assembly.
10 is an exploded perspective view showing the combination of the connector and the service valve assembly.
11 and 12 are cross-sectional views showing a connection state of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to exemplary drawings. It should be noted that, in adding reference numerals to the constituent elements of the drawings, the same constituent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals even though they are shown in different drawings. In the following description of the embodiments of the present invention, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the difference that the embodiments of the present invention are not conclusive.

In describing the components of the embodiment of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. These terms are intended to distinguish the constituent elements from other constituent elements, and the terms do not limit the nature, order or order of the constituent elements. When a component is described as being "connected", "coupled", or "connected" to another component, the component may be directly connected or connected to the other component, Quot; may be "connected," "coupled," or "connected. &Quot;

1 is a perspective view of a service valve assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the service valve assembly. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the service valve assembly. 4 is a sectional view of the service valve assembly.

As shown in the drawing, the service valve assembly 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is formed in a general shape by a body 100 to which the outdoor unit side piping 10 and the indoor unit side piping 20 are connected. The body 100 may be formed of a metal such as copper or aluminum. The body 100 may be fixedly attached to one side of the outdoor unit by a non-welding method using a member for fastening such as a bolt, a screw, or a rivet.

The body 100 may be formed in such a way that the flow paths formed in the transverse direction intersect with each other, and open to the upper and lower sides and both the right and left side chambers. The body 100 includes an indoor unit connection part 110 and a refrigerant injection part 120 provided on both sides of the center of the body 100 and a flow control part 130 provided on the body 100, And an outdoor unit connection unit 140 provided at a lower side of the body 100.

The indoor unit connection part 110 and the refrigerant injection part 120 and the flow path control part 130 and the outdoor unit connection part 140 may be located at the opposite positions and may be located on the same extension line. The passages formed in the indoor unit connection unit 110 and the flow control unit 130 and the refrigerant injection unit 120 and the outdoor unit connection unit 140 are all communicated at the inner center portion of the body 100 .

However, the positions of the indoor unit connection unit 110, the flow control unit 130, the refrigerant injection unit 120, and the outdoor unit connection unit 140 are not limited to those described above, and may be changed as necessary.

The indoor unit side pipe (20) is coupled to the indoor unit connection unit (110). An indoor passage 111 is formed inside the indoor unit connection part 110. The indoor passageway (111) communicates with the indoor unit side piping (20) so that the refrigerant flows or the air flows between the body (100) and the indoor unit.

A passage regulating passage 131 through which the opening / closing member 132 is inserted is formed inside the passage regulating part 130. The passage regulating passage 131 is formed so as to pass through the passage regulating portion 130 and to communicate with a passage inside the body 100.

The opening and closing member 132 may be inserted through the opening of the passage regulating passage 131 and may be screwed in the passage regulating passage 131. [ Accordingly, when the user uses the tool to rotate the opening and closing member 132 on the upper surface of the opening and closing member 132, the opening and closing member 132 moves up and down to selectively move the inner flow path of the body 100 So that it can be opened and closed.

The opening and closing member 132 is provided at its upper outer surface with an opening and closing member O-ring 133 that hermetically seals the inside of the opening and closing member 132 and the passage adjusting passage 131, And an operation opening 134 into which the tool is inserted for rotating operation of the opening / closing member 132 may be formed on the upper surface thereof.

The passage regulating cover 135 may be provided on the upper surface of the passage regulating part 130 and may be coupled with the upper end of the passage regulating part 130 in a screwed manner, So that the regulating portion passage 131 can be closed.

Meanwhile, the opening and closing member 132 provided in the passage regulating passage 131 may have various structures, and various other structures capable of opening and closing the internal passage of the body 100 may be applied. have. The passage regulating passage 131 may communicate with the outdoor passage 141 at the lower side.

The coolant injecting unit 120 may extend in a direction opposite to the indoor unit connecting unit, and the coolant injecting unit passageway 121 may be formed to open laterally. The refrigerant injection unit 120 is configured to inject refrigerant into the indoor unit piping 20 connected to the indoor unit and the indoor unit.

The coolant injecting unit 120 has a coolant injecting unit 121 formed therein. The valve core 122 may be inserted into the coolant injector passage 121. The inner side of the refrigerant injector passage 121 is stepped so that the valve core 122 can be reciprocated by a predetermined distance. Accordingly, the refrigerant injector passage 121 can be opened and closed according to the upward and downward movement of the valve core 122.

Of course, the structure of the valve core 122 and the coolant injection passage 121 may adopt another valve structure capable of selective fluid flow between the inside and the outside of the body 100. An injection port passage cover 123 for blocking the valve core 122 and the coolant injection port passage 121 is coupled to an end of the coolant injection port 120.

Meanwhile, the outdoor unit side piping (10) is inserted into the outdoor unit connection unit (140) and can be fixed by welding or the like when the body (100) is fixedly mounted. Of course, the outdoor unit side piping 10 connected to the outdoor unit connection unit 140 may be connected to the outdoor unit connection unit 140 by a method other than the illustrated method.

An outdoor unit fixing part (142) protruding in both directions is formed on the outside of the outdoor unit connecting part (140). The outdoor unit fixing parts 142 formed at both sides of the outdoor unit connecting part 140 can fix the body 100 to the outdoor unit by fastening members such as bolt rivets or screws.

The indoor unit connection unit 110 is equipped with a connector 200 for easily connecting the outdoor unit side piping 10. To this end, a tapered portion 211 having a tapered end shape is formed at a protruded left end of the indoor unit connection portion 110, and a tapered portion 211 is formed on a right side of the tapered portion 211, A thread 122 may be formed.

The tapered portion 211 can be easily connected to other pipes connected to the body 100 in an expanded manner. Therefore, connecting the connector 200 to the conventional service valve body 100 enables easy and simple connection of the indoor unit side piping 20.

The connector 200 connects the indoor unit piping 20 and the body 100 of the service valve so that the flow path can be connected. And an intermediate member 400 to which the indoor unit side piping 20 is inserted and an intermediate member 400 having one end connected to the connection member 300 and the other end connected to the indoor unit connection portion 110.

The projecting portion 410 of the intermediate member 400 is inserted inward through the open intermediate member receiving portion 301 of the connecting member 300. When the intermediate member 400 is provided with the coupling confirmation member 413 and when the coupling member 300 is fully engaged with the intermediate member 400, So that the engagement confirmation member 413 is not exposed to the outside.

Therefore, the operator can confirm whether or not the coupling confirmation member is exposed, so that the complete connection state of the connector 200 can be visually recognized. 1, when the connector 200 is completely connected, the ends of the connecting member 300 and the ends of the right connecting member 300 are brought into contact with each other so that there is no empty space, The connection state can be confirmed.

The coupling member 300 may include an O-ring 330 and a ferrule assembly 500, which will be described in detail below.

The indoor unit side piping 20 may be formed of a material such as aluminum, copper, or copper to allow fluid to flow therein. The indoor unit side piping 20 is configured to be inserted through the open side of the connecting member 300. An insulating member 310 through which the indoor unit side pipe 20 passes is provided on an opened side of the connecting member 300. Therefore, the indoor unit piping can be inserted into the connecting member 300 without substantial contact with the connecting member 300.

The insulating member 310, the connecting member 300, the intermediate member 400, and the ferrule assembly 500 are both provided in a hollow shape in which the interior is hollow, The indoor unit side piping 20 is inserted.

A sealing member 340 is disposed between the intermediate member 400 and the indoor unit connection part 110. The sealing member 340 is formed in a ring shape having an inclined surface corresponding to the tapered portion 211 of the indoor unit connection portion 110. The sealing member 340 is formed in a ring- And is configured to seal between the inner side surface and the tapered portion 211.

Hereinafter, the detailed configuration of the connector will be described in more detail.

 The connection member 300 and the intermediate member 400 are formed in the shape of a nut whose outer surface is connected to a plurality of planes. Therefore, when the connecting member 300 and the intermediate member 400 are completely coupled to each other, the end portions of the connecting member 300 and the intermediate member 400 are in contact with each other, Can be designed to be positioned.

The inside of the connecting member 300 is formed so as to be inserted into the indoor unit side pipe 20. The insulating member 310 is mounted on the opened outer side surface of the connecting member 300.

To this end, the connecting member 300 is formed with an insulating member seating portion 320, respectively. The insulating member seating part 320 is formed on the left side surface of the connecting member 300 and is formed to be recessed inward to receive the insulating member 310, So as to form a stepped shape in a corresponding shape.

The insulating member seating portion 320 may include a flange seating portion 321 and a receiving portion 322. The flange seating portion 321 is recessed inward from the left side surface of the connecting member 300 and is formed in a shape corresponding to the flange portion 311 of the insulating member 310. The receiving portion 322 is formed so that the insertion portion 312 of the insulating member 310 can be received.

The recessed depth of the flange seating portion 321 is formed to be equal to or thicker than the thickness of the flange portion 311 of the insulating member 310 so that the insulating member 310 is positioned at the time of seating the insulating member 310, Is formed so as not to protrude outward of the connecting member (300). That is, when the insulating member 310 is mounted, the insulating member 310 does not protrude outward, but is positioned inside the connecting member 300, so that interference with the outside does not occur.

The receiving portion 322 is formed in a shape corresponding to the inserting portion of the inserting member 310 and can be formed longer than the length of the inserting portion 312. Therefore, the indoor unit side pipe 20 inserted through the insulating member 310 is inserted by the insulating member 310 without being in contact with the connecting member 300, The indoor unit side piping 20 inserted into the inside of the connecting member 300 is supported by the paralle assembly 500 to be described below in detail so that the indoor unit side piping 20 is substantially in contact with the connecting member 300 ).

The insulating member 310 may be formed of a synthetic resin material such as Teflon, nylon, or polycarbonate to insulate the indoor unit pipe 20 from the connecting member 300.

The insulating member 310 is mounted on the insulating member mounting portion 320 and is press-fit into the insulating member mounting portion 320. Therefore, the insulating member 310 can be press-fitted into the insulating member seating portion 320 and can be fixed to the inner side of the connecting member 300 during the insertion operation of the indoor unit side pipe 20 or after the insertion operation. So that it is possible to maintain the state of being rigidly fixedly mounted on the support frame.

The insulating member 310 may include a flange portion 311 having one end extended outward and an insertion portion 312 extending from the inner end of the flange portion 311. The flange portion 311 is formed in a shape corresponding to the flange seating portion 321 so as to be seated on the flange seating portion 321. The insertion portion 312 is formed so as to be inserted into the receiving portion 322. At this time, the length of the insertion portion 312 may be shorter than the length of the receiving portion 322. Therefore, it is possible to stably accommodate the inserting portion 312 even when the insulating member 310 is press-fitted.

A protrusion 410 is provided at the left end of the intermediate member 400 so as to be inserted into the intermediate member receiving portion 301 opened in the connecting member 300. A thread 302 is provided on the inner side of the intermediate member receiving portion 301 and a thread 412 is formed on the outer side of the protruding portion 410 so as to be fastened to the intermediate member receiving portion 301.

When the connecting member 300 and the intermediate member 400 are rotated with respect to each other in the direction in which the threads of the intermediate member receiving portion 301 and the protruding portion 410 are screwed together, the connecting member 300 and the intermediate member 400 They can move in directions approaching each other. In this way, fitting can be completed only by a single operation in which the connecting member 300 and the intermediate member 400 are rotated in directions opposite to each other for the fitting of the connector, thereby reducing the labor of the operator and improving the working time / efficiency Can be expected.

The fastening structure of the connecting member 300 and the intermediate member 400 is not limited to the configuration shown in the embodiment. Any structure that can perform the locking operation after the movement and movement between the connecting member 300 and the intermediate member 400 can be applied as the fastening structure of the connecting member 300 and the intermediate member 400. However, it is preferable that the worker is provided with threads in terms of improving work convenience because the operator can conveniently perform the fastening operation only by rotating the connecting member 300 and the intermediate member 400 in opposite directions .

The intermediate member receiving portion 301 is provided inside the connecting member 300 to receive the protrusion of the intermediate member 400. The intermediate member receiving portion 301 is a space for receiving the protrusion of the intermediate member 400. The intermediate member receiving portion 301 receives the intermediate member 400 inside the connecting member 300, The connection member 300 is configured to be able to apply an external force while being moved toward the intermediate member 400.

The connection member 300 is formed with an O-ring seat 303 on which an O-ring 330 to be described later is seated. The O-ring seating part 303 is formed to be stepped or rounded to correspond to the outer shape of the O-ring 330 so that the O-ring 330 can be closely contacted inside the connection member 300.

A ferrule assembly receiving portion 304 in which the ferrule assembly 500 is positioned is formed between the O-ring seating portion 303 and the intermediate member receiving portion 301 in a stepped manner. The ferrule assembly receiving portion 304 is formed in a stepped manner with respect to the oar receiving portion 303 and the intermediate member receiving portion 301. The outer diameter of the ferrule assembly 500, As shown in FIG.

Therefore, when the direction in which the indoor unit side piping 20 is inserted is referred to as the outer side, the left o-ring seating portion 303, the parallel assembly receiving portion 304, and the intermediate member receiving portion 301 May be formed.

On the other hand, the confirmation member receiving portion 305 is formed at the open end of the connecting member 300. The confirmation member receiving portion 305 may be formed in a stepped or rounded shape so that the engagement confirmation member 413 mounted on the intermediate member 400 can be received.

The coupling confirmation member 413 is formed in a rubber ring shape and may be positioned on the protrusion 410 of the intermediate member 400. The coupling confirmation member 413 may be formed in a color other than black, for example, red to improve visibility.

Therefore, the coupling confirmation member 413 is exposed to the outside until the coupling member 300 is completely coupled with the intermediate member 400 by rotation, so that the user can easily confirm the coupling confirmation member 413. When the connection member 300 and the intermediate member 400 are completely engaged, the coupling confirmation member 413 is inserted into the verification member receiving portion 305, and the coupling confirmation member 413, as viewed from the outside, Is not exposed. At this time, the end portion of the confirmation member accommodating portion 305 comes into contact with the protruding portion of the intermediate member 400, so that the connecting member 300 and the intermediate member 400 are completely in contact with each other. At this time, a plurality of surfaces formed on the connecting member 300 and the intermediate member 400 are positioned on the same plane at positions corresponding to each other, So that it is possible to more easily confirm the coupling.

Meanwhile, the intermediate member 400 may be formed in a tube shape that can be inserted into the intermediate member receiving portion 301. A sealing portion 420 is formed at a substantially central portion of the inner side of the intermediate member 400 so as to be in contact with an end of the indoor unit side pipe 20 to be inserted.

When the indoor unit side piping 20 is inserted into the sealing portion 420, the indoor unit piping 20 is press-fitted into the end portion of the indoor unit side piping 20 to seal the space between the indoor unit side piping 20 and the intermediate member 400 A sealing projection 421 is formed.

An inclined portion 401 and a parallel insertion portion 402 are formed on the inner surface of the intermediate member 400. The inclined portion 401 is tapered so that the inner diameter of the intermediate member 400 decreases toward the inner side from both ends of the intermediate member 400. The parallel insertion portion 402 is formed at an end of the tapered portion 401 and is formed to extend to the same inner diameter as the inner diameter of the end portion of the inclined portion 401.

A pipe insertion portion 403 having an inner diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the indoor unit side pipe 20 is formed from the parallel insertion portion 402 to the sealing portion 420. The parallel insertion portion 402 is formed to be larger than the inner diameter of the tube insertion portion 403 and smaller than the outer diameter of the ferrule assembly 500.

Therefore, when the ferrule assembly 500 is moved, the end of the ferrule assembly 500 starts to contact the inclined portion 401 and is inserted into the inside of the ferrule insertion portion 402. At this time, the end of the ferrule assembly 500 is deformed by the pressure applied by the intermediate member 400, so that the outer circumferential surface of the indoor unit side pipe 20 can be pressed to seal and fix the indoor unit side pipe 20 .

On the other hand, an O-ring 330 is attached to the left o-ring seating portion 303. The o-ring 330 hermetically seals a space between the indoor unit side pipe 20 and the connection member 300 when the connection member 300 is coupled, supports the ferrule assembly, And is formed into a ring shape of the material.

5 is a perspective view of an O-ring which is a main constituent of the connector. 6 is a sectional view of the O-ring.

As shown in the drawing, the O-ring 330 has an opening 331 formed at a central portion thereof and is formed so as to be penetrated by the indoor unit side pipe 20. At this time, the opening 331 is formed to have a size corresponding to the outer diameter of the indoor unit side pipe 20, and the indoor unit side pipe 20 can be closely attached to the inner side surface of the opening 331 of the O- .

The O-ring 330 may include a central portion 332 protruding in the circumferential direction and a lateral protrusion 333 protruding from both sides of the central portion 332. The center portion 332 and the lateral protrusion 333 are both formed in a round shape and can be seated on the left o-ring seating portion 303.

Meanwhile, the O-ring 330 is pressurized when the connection member 300 is coupled to the O-ring seat 303, and the O- So that the inflow of foreign matter can be completely blocked.

Particularly, when the O-ring 330 is pressed, the lateral protrusion 333 is inserted into the space between the connecting member 300 and the indoor unit side pipe 20 to completely seal the inner protrusion 333, and the inner protrusion 333 Is able to support the locking ring 510 of the ferrule assembly 500.

The O-ring 330 is hermetically sealed between the connecting member 300 and the indoor unit side pipe 20 when the connector 200 is fitted to the O-ring 330, So that they can support it.

7 is an exploded perspective view of a ferrule assembly which is a main component of the connector. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the above-mentioned ferrule assembly. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the paralle assembly.

As shown in the figure, the paralle 500 is pierced by the indoor unit side piping 20 and is configured to be able to push and fix the indoor unit side piping 20 through which it passes.

The ferrule assembly 500 is configured such that a locking ring 510 and a ferrule 520 are coupled to each other and the ferrule assembly 500 in a coupled state can be mounted inside the connection member 300.

The paralle assembly 500 is configured to be able to be fixed without being detached from the indoor unit side piping 20 in a state where the indoor unit side piping 20 is disposed to pass therethrough. That is, the locking ring 510 can maintain the state where the ferrule 520 is mounted on the indoor unit side pipe 20 inserted to pass through the ferrule assembly 500.

In detail, the locking ring 510 may be formed in a ring shape of a metal material, and may include a ring mounting portion 511 and a tube restraint portion 512.

The ring mounting portion 511 may be formed along the outer circumference of the locking ring 510 and may be bent to surround the locking ring seating portion 522 of the ferrule 520. Particularly, in a state where the locking ring 510 is seated on the upper surface of the paralle 520, the ring mounting portion 511 is extended below the locking ring seating portion 522, The locking ring 510 can be integrally coupled with the ferrule 520 by wrapping the ring mounting portion 511 protruded from the lower end of the locking ring 511 inward.

The ring mounting portions 511 are continuously arranged so that a plurality of the ring mounting portions 511 are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. The ring mounting portions 511 are bent so that the locking ring 510 can stably be seated and fixed to the locking ring seating portion 522.

A plurality of pipe restricting portions 512 are continuously formed at predetermined intervals in the form of plate-like protrusions along the inner circumference of the locking ring 510 and are connected to the indoor unit side pipe 20 As shown in Fig. The pipe restraint part 512 is bent to be inclined in a direction in which the indoor unit side piping 20 is inserted and has a shape that becomes narrower toward the end of the pipe restraint part 512. The end of the pipe restraint part 512 may be formed to be sharp or may be inserted into the surface of the indoor unit side pipe 20 from the outside when the pipe is in contact with the indoor unit side pipe 20.

In the state where the locking ring 510 is engaged with the ferrule 520, the tube restricting portion 512 extends toward the inside of the ferrule 520. Therefore, the outer surface of the indoor unit side pipe 20 passing through the locking ring 510 and the ferrule 520 is brought into contact with the end of the pipe restraint part 512.

When the indoor unit side piping 20 is inserted, the end of the pipe restraint part 512 is brought into contact with the outer side surface of the indoor unit side piping 20. At this time, the pipe restraint part 512 is formed of a material harder than the indoor unit side pipe 20 and can be inserted into the outer side surface of the indoor unit side pipe 20.

Accordingly, in a state where the insertion of the indoor unit side pipe 20 is completed, the locking ring 510 can be fixed to the indoor unit side pipe 20 and the connecting member 300, 510, i.e., the position of the ferrule assembly 500 is fixed. The O-ring 330 supports the locking ring 510 when the connector 200 is fitted to the connector 200 by the action of the O-ring 330 positioned on the left side of the locking ring 510, Is supported by pushing the tube restraint part 512. [0064] As shown in FIG.

Meanwhile, when the connector 200 is fitted to the connector 200 by the rotation of the connecting member 300, the paralle 520 is pressed and fixed by the connecting member 300, So that the indoor unit side piping 20 can be maintained in a fixed state without being detached.

The paralle 520 includes a grip portion 521 for pressing the left tube by pressing the left tube, a locking ring seating portion 522 on which the locking ring 510 is seated, and a ferrule inclined surface 523).

The grip portion 521 is in turn brought into contact with the inclined portion 401 and the parallel insertion portion 402 of the intermediate member 400 in the fitting process and is deformed to reduce the outer diameter by the pressure applied by the intermediate member 400 . A circumferential groove 524 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the grip portion 521. Therefore, when an external force is applied from outside the paralle 520, the grip 521 can be easily deformed by the groove 524 to press the outer surface of the indoor unit side pipe 20. Particularly, the range of the grip portion 521 which can be deformed by the groove 524 is set so that when the connection member 300 is fully engaged, the indoor unit side pipe 20 is pressed by an appropriate depth, The indoor unit side piping 20 can be fixed and sealed within a range that does not hinder the fluid flow inside the indoor unit 20.

The locking ring seating part 522 forms an end of the ferrule 520 and may be stepped so that the ferrule 520 can be pushed by the O-ring 330 during fitting. That is, the outer diameter of the locking ring seating portion 522 is formed to be larger than the outer diameter of the grip portion 521, and may be larger than the inner diameter of the entrance of the slanted portion 401 of the intermediate member 400.

The paralle slope 523 is formed on the inner surface of the locking ring seating portion 522. The paralle slope 523 may be inclined inward and may be inclined in a direction in which the pipe restraint part 512 of the locking ring 510 seated on the locking ring seating part 522 is bent.

The ferrule inclined surface 523 elastically deforms the tube restricting portion 512 by pushing the O-ring 330 when the indoor unit side tube 20 is inserted through the ferrule assembly 500 May be formed to have a greater slope than the slope of the tube restraint part 512 to allow movement of the ferrule assembly 500.

When the locking ring 510 is mounted on the ferrule 520, the ring mounting portion 511 and the tube restricting portion 512, which are formed by bending, are inserted into the locking ring seating portion 522 of the ferrule 520, So that it can be coupled to the ferrule 520.

On the right side of the intermediate member 400, a connection portion receiving portion 430 into which the indoor unit connection portion 110 is inserted is formed. The connecting portion accommodating portion 430 is formed in a shape corresponding to the indoor unit connecting portion 110 and a thread 431 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the connecting portion accommodating portion 430 to form a threaded portion 431 formed on the outer circumferential surface of the indoor unit connecting portion 110. 212 < / RTI > That is, the intermediate member 400 can be coupled to the indoor unit connection part 110 by rotation.

The tapered contact portion 432 contacting the tapered portion 211 of the indoor unit connection portion 110 is formed at the front end of the connection portion receiving portion 430. The tapered contact portion 432 is formed to have an inclined surface corresponding to the tapered portion 211. When the intermediate member 400 is engaged with the tapered contact portion 432, So as to be in close contact with each other.

A sealing member fixing portion 433 is further formed at a portion where the connecting portion receiving portion 430 and the taper contacting portion 432 are in contact with each other. The end of the sealing member 340 may be bent and fixed when the sealing member 340 is mounted so that the end of the sealing member 340 can be held in the outward direction As shown in FIG.

Meanwhile, a sealing member 340 is provided on the inner side of the connection member receiving portion 322. The sealing member 340 may be formed of a metal material such as brass and is made of a material that is smoother than the intermediate member 400 and the body 100 so that when the connector 200 and the body 100 are coupled, It is possible to prevent dust from being generated. The sealing member 340 may be formed of a different material from the intermediate member 400 and the body 100. Even if the intermediate member 400 is strongly coupled to the body 100, Thereby preventing the sticking phenomenon. The sealing member 340 may be formed of a synthetic resin material such as Teflon if necessary.

The sealing member 340 may be hermetically sealed between the intermediate member 400 and the indoor unit connector 110 when the connector 200 is coupled to the body 100. The sealing member 340 is formed in a ring shape having an inclined surface corresponding to the tapered portion 211 and the tapered contact portion 432. The sealing member 340 is formed in a ring shape having at least a tapered portion 211 and a tapered contact portion 432, So that the intermediate member 400 and the end portions of the indoor unit connection portion 110 can be in contact with each other, thereby enabling stable airtightness.

The sealing member 340 is seated inside the tapered contact portion 432 when the intermediate member 400 is mounted on the inside of the intermediate member 400. When the sealing member 340 is seated, So that the end of the sealing member 340 can be received inside the sealing member fixing portion 433. [ The sealing member 340 may be fixed to the inner side of the intermediate member 400. When the indoor unit connecting portion 110 and the intermediate member 400 are coupled to each other, So that it can be positioned between the tapered contact portions 432.

Hereinafter, an indoor unit piping connection process in the present embodiment having the above-described configuration will be described.

10 is an exploded perspective view showing the combination of the connector and the service valve assembly. 11 and 12 are cross-sectional views illustrating a connection state of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention

The body 100 of the service valve assembly 1 is connected to one side of the outdoor unit in a state where the outdoor unit piping 10 is connected and the outdoor unit fixing unit 142 is fastened to a fastening member such as a screw .

In this state, the indoor unit piping 20 is coupled with the rigid connector 200 while the connector 200 is assembled, and the connector 200 coupled with the indoor unit piping 20 is connected to the body 100, . Of course, it is also possible to connect the connector 200 to the body 100 and to connect the indoor unit pipe 20.

11 and 12, the O-ring 330 and the ferrule assembly 500 are seated in the coupling member 300. The O- Then, the insulating member 310 is press-fitted into the insulating member seating part 320 formed in the connecting member 300, respectively. At this time, the insulating member 310 is inserted so as not to protrude outwardly of the connecting member 300, and is formed in the same plane as the outer surface of the connecting member 300 or somewhat enters the inside of the connecting member 300 As shown in FIG.

In this state, the indoor unit side pipe 20 is inserted so as to pass through the insulating member 310 mounted on the connecting member 300. At this time, the indoor unit side pipe 20 can be inserted by a predetermined depth, and the indoor unit side pipe 20 is inserted using a jig or a device for guiding the insertion.

On the other hand, when the indoor unit side pipe 20 is inserted, the indoor unit side pipe 20 passes through the O-ring 330 and the ferrule assembly 500.

The indoor unit side piping 20 may be fixed by the parcel assembly 500 while the indoor unit side piping 20 is completely inserted. And may be supported by the assembly 500 so as not to contact the inner surfaces of the connecting member 300 and the right connecting member 300. Of course, a part of the inner surface of the connecting member 300 and the right connecting member 300 supporting the O-ring 330 may be protruded to be in contact with the indoor unit side pipe 20, It can be in a non-existent state. At this time, the O-ring 330 hermetically seals the space between the connection member 300 and the indoor unit side pipe 20, and supports the ferrule assembly 500.

 The locking ring 510 constituting the ferrule assembly 500 digs into the surface of the indoor unit side pipe 20 so that the position of the ferrule assembly 500 can be fixed.

After the insertion of the indoor unit side piping 20 is completed, the connecting member 300 and the intermediate member 400 are connected to each other. 3 and 11, the end of the grip portion 521 of the ferrule assembly 500 is connected to the inlet side of the inclined portion 401 at an initial stage in which the connecting member 300 and the intermediate member 400 are coupled to each other, And the end portion of the indoor unit side piping 20 comes into contact with the sealing protrusion 421 of the sealing portion 420. The coupling confirmation member 413 is exposed to the outside, and the user confirms that the fitting of the connector 200 is not completely completed.

In this state, the connecting member 300 is further rotated so that the connecting member 300 and the intermediate member are moved in the direction of approaching each other.

As the linking member 300 and the intermediate member 400 approach each other, the O-ring 330 pushes the ferromagnetic assembly 500 toward the intermediate member 400. The distal end of the grip portion 521 contacts the sloped portion 401 of the intermediate member 400 and the distal end of the grip portion 521 contacts the sloped portion 401 of the intermediate member 400. [ The end portion of the intermediate member 400 digs the inclined portion 401 of the intermediate member 400 and begins to deform the indoor unit side pipe 20.

It is preferable that the indoor unit side piping 20 is tougher than the paralle assembly 500 so that the paralle assembly 500 can pierce the indoor unit side piping 20. As described above, the intermediate member 400 is formed with the inclined portion 401 on both sides of the intermediate member 400 and the groove 524 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the grip portion 521 in order to facilitate the padding action.

When the grip portion 521 is pushed inward in a state in which the grip portion 521 is in contact with the inclined portion 401 of the intermediate member 400, the grip portion 521 moves in a direction of the center of the indoor unit side pipe 20 along the inclined direction of the inclined portion 401 And a part of the indoor unit side piping 20 contacting the front end portion of the grip portion 521 is contracted inward. That is, by the contraction of the indoor unit side pipe 20, the grip portion 521 performs an operation of picking up the indoor unit side pipe 20.

The distal end of the grip portion 521 moves to the inside of the paralle insertion portion 402 through the inclined portion 401 as the paralle 500 moves further toward the intermediate member 400. The grip portion 521 is inserted between the inner side surface of the parallel insertion portion 402 and the outer side surface of the indoor unit side pipe 20 from the inside of the parallel insertion portion 402 through the inclined portion 401 And becomes a fixable state.

The shrinking action of the indoor unit side piping 20 is continuously performed until the ends of the connecting member 300 contact each other. When the ends of the connecting member 300 are brought into contact with each other, the ferrule assembly 500 can not move any more and the relative movement with the intermediate member 400 is terminated.

In this case, the inclined portion 401 of the intermediate member 400 can no longer press the grip portion 521, and the grip portion 521 is prevented from being further deformed. If the grip portion 521 is excessively deformed, the indoor unit side pipe 20 is also excessively deformed to reduce the inner diameter, thereby interfering with the flow of the fluid.

However, according to the present embodiment, when the connecting member 300 and the intermediate member 400 are completely coupled to each other, the ferrule assembly 500 can not move any more, and the groove formed in the grip portion 521 524 can maintain a constant amount of deformation of the grip portion 521 so that excessive deformation of the indoor unit side pipe 20 can be prevented.

As a result of the deformation of the indoor unit side piping 20, the contact portion between the paring assembly 500 and the indoor unit side piping 20 can be completely sealed.

1 and 12, in a state in which the connection member 300 is completely rotated so as to be in contact with each other and the fitting connection is completed, the coupling confirmation member 413 mounted on the connection member 300 is inserted into the right connection member 300, (Not shown). Therefore, depending on whether or not the right connection member 300 is exposed to the outside, it is possible to confirm whether or not the connection members 300 are in contact with each other to complete the fitting.

The ends of the connecting member 300 are completely in close contact with each other, making it impossible to rotate in a direction to be closer to each other, thereby preventing the indoor unit side pipe 20 from further deforming and causing loss of flow rate.

When the connection member 300 and the intermediate member 400 are completely connected to each other, the connection member 300 and the intermediate member 400 are in close contact with each other, The respective nut-shaped planes on the side surface are also located on the same plane, so that they can have a sense of unity in a completely combined state as a whole, and an accurate coupling state can be visually confirmed.

On the other hand, when the connection of the connector 200 is completed, the end of the indoor unit side piping 20 comes into contact with the sealing part 420. At this time, the sealing protrusion 421 is press-fitted into the end of the indoor unit side pipe 20, so that the indoor unit side pipe 20 is completely sealed. The paraller 520 and the indoor unit side piping 20 are airtight and the indoor unit side piping 20 is separated from the connecting member 300 by deformation of the end portion of the grip portion 521 of the paralle 520 .

The grip portion 521 of the ferrule 520 is deformed while passing through the inclined portion 401 to press the indoor unit side pipe 20 and inserted into the inside of the ferrule insertion portion 402, Is pressed by the intermediate member 400 so that the ferrule assembly 500 and the right side ferrule assembly 500 maintain a more stable fixed state. The O-ring 330 is sealed between the connection member 300 and the indoor unit side pipe 20.

The sealing member 340 is seated in the tapered contact portion 432 inside the intermediate member 400 and the end of the sealing member 340 is bent to be inserted into the sealing member fixing portion 433 State. In this state, the sealing member 340 is not easily separated, and the indoor unit connection part 110 and the connection part receiving part 430 of the intermediate member 400 can be held in a fixed position until they are coupled to each other.

The end of the tapered portion 211 is brought into contact with the sealing member 340 when the intermediate member 400 is rotated so as to be coupled to the connecting portion 110 of the indoor unit. When the intermediate member 400 is rotated to fix the intermediate member 400 and the indoor unit connection unit 110 so that the intermediate member 400 is completely coupled to the indoor unit connection unit 110, the sealing member 340 is separated from the tapered portion 211, So that the space between the intermediate member 400 and the indoor unit connection part 110 can be sealed.

Meanwhile, the connector 200 can be coupled to the service valve according to the assembling procedure as described above. If necessary, the indoor unit pipe and the nut are removed from the service valve, which is already assembled in an expanded manner, 200 and the indoor unit side piping 20 may be connected to each other. Alternatively, the connector 200 may be connected to the service valve coupled with the conventional expansion method by replacing the connector 200, The indoor unit side piping 20 may be connected.

Claims (13)

An outdoor unit connection unit connected to the outdoor unit side piping connected to the outdoor unit, a refrigerant inlet unit for injecting the refrigerant, and an outdoor unit connection unit for opening and closing the indoor unit A body including a flow regulating portion;
A tapered contact portion coupled to the indoor unit connection portion and having an inclined surface corresponding to the tapered portion, the indoor unit side pipe being inserted and connected to a flow path inside the body;
And a sealing member disposed inside the connector and interposed between the tapered portion and the tapered contact portion to seal the space between the connector and the indoor unit connection portion,
Wherein the sealing member is formed to have an inclined surface corresponding to the tapered portion and the tapered contact portion.
The method according to claim 1,
And the inclined surface of the sealing member is longer than the width of the tapered portion and the tapered portion.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the sealing member is formed of a different material from the connector and the body.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the sealing member is formed of a material that is softer than the connector and the body.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein a sealing member fixing portion for receiving the end portion of the sealing member bent outward and fixing the sealing member is formed in the inner side surface of the connector.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein an outer peripheral surface of the indoor unit connecting portion and an inner peripheral surface of the connector are formed with threads, and the connector is coupled by rotation,
Wherein the tapered portion and the tapered contact portion pressurize the sealing member from both sides when the connector is rotationally coupled.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the connector comprises:
A connecting member having an inlet port through which the indoor unit side pipe is inserted by a predetermined length;
An intermediate member which is connected to the connecting member and the indoor unit connecting portion at both ends thereof and is moved in the direction to be closer to the connecting member and the indoor unit connecting portion,
A paralle assembly fixedly mounted on the inner side of the connecting member so as to penetrate the indoor unit side piping and fixing the indoor unit side piping,
And the paralle assembly is pressed by the intermediate member when the connection member is coupled with the intermediate member to press and fix the indoor unit side pipe.
8. The method of claim 7,
The ferrule assembly includes:
A locking ring for pressing the outer surface of the tube when inserting the indoor unit side pipe to fix the position of the ferrule assembly;
And a paralle which is integrally coupled to the locking ring and is hermetically sealed between the pipe and the connecting member while being deformed toward the center of the pipe when the connecting member and the intermediate member are fully engaged, Valve assembly.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the connecting member is formed in a tubular shape with an insulating material and is provided with an insulating member mounted on the insertion port so as to allow the indoor unit side pipe to pass therethrough so that the inner surface of the pipe and the connecting member can be separated from each other. Service valve assembly for harmonics.

The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the connecting member is inserted between the inner side surface of the connecting member and the end of the ferrule assembly by the indoor unit side pipe,
Wherein an O-ring is hermetically sealed between the outer surface of the pipe and the pipe when the connection member is coupled, and the O-ring supports the ferrule assembly at the same time.
11. The method of claim 10,
The O-
A central portion contacting the inner circumference of the connecting member;
And a pair of lateral protrusions protruding from both sides of the central portion, one side of which is hermetically sealed between the tube and the connecting member, and the other side of which supports the ferrules.
The method according to claim 1,
A ring-shaped coupling confirmation member is provided at one side of the intermediate member,
Wherein an end of the connecting member is formed with a check member receiving portion that blocks the connection checking member when the connecting member is completely fastened.
The method according to claim 1,
In the intermediate member,
An inclined portion formed at an opened end where the indoor unit side pipe is inserted so as to be inclined so that the inner diameter gradually becomes narrower;
Wherein a parallel insertion portion is formed at an end of the inclined portion so as to have an inner diameter narrower than an outer diameter of the tube,
And the end of the ferrule assembly is moved to the ferrule insertion portion through the inclined portion in accordance with the coupling of the connecting member and the intermediate member.

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