KR20220112584A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an air conditioner. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the air conditioner includes: an outdoor unit in which a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger through which the refrigerant compressed by the compressor flows are placed; an indoor unit connected to the outdoor unit and having an air inlet and an air outlet; an indoor heat exchanger placed inside the indoor unit and exchanging heat with the air introduced through the air inlet; a first pipe connecting the outdoor heat exchanger with the indoor heat exchanger, and allowing the refrigerant discharged from the outdoor heat exchanger to flow therethrough; an expander expanding the refrigerant introduced into the indoor heat exchanger through the first pipe to undergo a heat exchange; and a second pipe connecting the expander with the indoor heat exchanger, and allowing the refrigerant passing through the expander to flow therethrough. The refrigerant introduced into the indoor heat exchanger through the first pipe, exchanges heat with condensate water produced from the indoor heat exchanger, and then, is expanded by the expander, and then, the refrigerant condensed by the outdoor heat exchanger is supercooled by the indoor heat exchanger before being introduced into the expander, which can lead to an advantage of improving heat exchange efficiency.

Description

air conditioner {Air conditioner}

The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly, to a supercooling end of an indoor heat exchanger.

An air conditioner is a device that configures a refrigerant cycle including a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion device, and an indoor heat exchanger, and performs cooling or heating by exchanging air introduced into the indoor unit.

In the case of a ventilation device that sucks in fresh outdoor air and supplies it to an indoor space, an excessive amount of condensed water is generated in the indoor heat exchanger because outdoor air with high humidity in summer is continuously introduced.

A large amount of condensed water generated in the indoor heat exchanger is not utilized and is discharged to the outside, and there is a problem in that the heat exchange efficiency of the indoor heat exchanger is lowered. In particular, a heater for dehumidification and heating is disposed inside the indoor unit, and since the heater is partially overlapped with the indoor heat exchanger in the air flow direction, the heat exchange efficiency at the supercooling end of the indoor heat exchanger through which air does not pass is extremely high. There was a problem with lowering.

Japanese Laid-Open Publication JP4495090B2 (Prior Document 1) discloses a structure for adjusting the position of a refrigerant pipe passing through a supercooling end in order to prevent a decrease in heat exchange efficiency due to condensate generated in an indoor heat exchanger. However, the prior document 1 does not disclose a method of utilizing condensed water as a structure for maximally suppressing heat exchange with condensed water in order to prevent a decrease in heat exchange efficiency due to condensed water. Therefore, there is a problem in that the waste heat or latent heat contained in the condensate is not used and wasted.

Japanese publication JP4495090B2

An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner with improved heat exchange efficiency.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner for recovering waste heat of wasted condensate.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that improves heat exchange efficiency through a simple structure.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner having an indoor heat exchanger in which a portion that is not heat exchanged is removed.

The problems of the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

In order to achieve the above object, an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: an outdoor unit in which a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger through which a refrigerant compressed from the compressor flows is disposed; an indoor unit connected to the outdoor unit and having an air inlet and an air outlet; and an indoor heat exchanger disposed inside the indoor unit and heat-exchanging the air introduced through the air inlet.

The air conditioner may include: a first pipe connecting the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger, and through which the refrigerant discharged from the outdoor heat exchanger flows; an expansion device for expanding the refrigerant flowing into the indoor heat exchanger through the first pipe and heat-exchanged; and a second pipe connecting the expansion device and the indoor heat exchanger, through which the refrigerant passing through the expansion device flows, to form a supercooling end between the first pipe and the expansion device.

The refrigerant flowing into the indoor heat exchanger through the first pipe exchanges heat with the condensed water generated in the indoor heat exchanger, is expanded in the expansion device, and is supercooled by the condensed water before the refrigerant flows into the expansion device. This can be improved.

The indoor heat exchanger may exchange heat with the refrigerant so that heat is transferred from the refrigerant introduced through the first pipe to the condensed water.

The first pipe may be connected to a supercooling end formed under the indoor heat exchanger.

The second pipe may be connected to the indoor heat exchanger at an upper side of the supercooling end.

The air conditioner may further include a drain pan disposed below the indoor heat exchanger and accommodating the condensed water.

The first pipe may cross the drain pan.

The air conditioner may further include a distributor into which the refrigerant expanded in the expansion device is introduced.

The second pipe may include a plurality of distribution pipes branched from the distributor and respectively connected to the indoor heat exchanger.

The air conditioner may further include a plurality of recovery pipes through which the refrigerant introduced into the indoor heat exchanger through the second pipe and exchanged heat flows toward the compressor.

The air conditioner may further include a Rich heat exchanger connected to the compressor and disposed downstream of the indoor heat exchanger.

The refrigerant heat-exchanged in the Rich heat exchanger may be joined to the first pipe and introduced into the indoor heat exchanger.

The air conditioner may include a heater disposed between the air inlet and the indoor heat exchanger; and a pedestal on which the heater is seated, at least a portion of which is disposed to face the indoor heat exchanger in a flow direction of air.

The indoor heat exchanger may include a supercooling end facing the pedestal, and a heat exchange zone positioned above the supercooling end and through which air introduced through the air inlet passes.

The first pipe may be connected to the supercooling end.

The details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and drawings.

According to the air conditioner of the present invention, there are one or more of the following effects.

First, since the refrigerant condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger is supercooled by the indoor heat exchanger before it flows into the expansion device, heat exchange efficiency is improved.

Second, there is also the advantage of not needing additional equipment by supercooling the refrigerant using wasted condensate.

Third, there is an advantage that a supercooling end can be formed only with the connection structure of the first pipe and the second pipe.

Fourth, there is an advantage in that unnecessary parts of the indoor heat exchanger that are not heat exchanged can be removed by using the supercooling end formed by the heater and the pedestal as the supercooling end.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

1 is a perspective view of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a conceptual diagram of the structure of an outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is an exploded view of an indoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a schematic diagram of a refrigerant cycle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is an internal structural diagram of an indoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a schematic diagram of a portion of a refrigerant cycle of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a conceptual view of an enlarged supercooling stage according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a graph for explaining the effect of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Advantages and features of the present invention and methods of achieving them will become apparent with reference to the embodiments described below in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be implemented in various different forms, and only these embodiments allow the disclosure of the present invention to be complete, and common knowledge in the art to which the present invention pertains It is provided to fully inform those who have the scope of the invention, and the present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings for explaining the air conditioner according to the embodiments of the present invention.

With reference to FIG. 1, the overall configuration of the air conditioner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be first described. FIG. 1 illustrates an air conditioner 1 in which the indoor unit 100 and the outdoor unit 200 are connected as viewed obliquely from above.

The air conditioner 1 includes an indoor unit 100 having an air inlet 101 and an air outlet 102 (refer to FIG. 3 ) formed thereon; It includes the indoor unit 100 and the outdoor unit 200 connected through the refrigerant pipes (30, 40, 50).

The indoor unit 100 may be disposed in an indoor space, and the outdoor unit 200 may be disposed in an outdoor space. However, the arrangement of the indoor unit 100 and the outdoor unit 200 is not limited thereto, and both the indoor unit 100 and the outdoor unit 200 may be arranged in an outdoor space.

The overall appearance of the indoor unit 100 may be a square column shape. The indoor unit 100 includes: a top cover 103 forming an upper surface of the indoor unit 100; a side panel 104 connected to the top cover 103; A front panel 105 forming a front surface of the indoor unit 100 may be included.

The top cover 103 , the side panel 104 , and the front panel 105 may form an outer surface of the indoor unit 100 and may have a plate shape.

The air inlet 101 may be formed by opening the front panel 105 forward and backward. Air in the outdoor space may be introduced into the indoor unit 100 through the air inlet 101 .

The outdoor unit 200 may be connected to the indoor unit 100 through refrigerant pipes 30 , 40 , and 50 through which refrigerant flows. The indoor unit 100 and the outdoor unit 200 may exchange refrigerant with each other through refrigerant pipes 30 , 40 , and 50 .

Hereinafter, an internal structure of the outdoor unit 200 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 . FIG. 2 schematically shows the internal configuration and refrigerant flow of the outdoor unit 200 when the air conditioner 1 is operated in the cooling mode.

The outdoor unit 200 includes a compressor 210 for compressing a refrigerant; an outdoor heat exchanger 220 for exchanging the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 210; An outdoor fan 230 for blowing outdoor air to the outdoor heat exchanger 220 may be included.

The compressor 210 may compress and discharge the introduced refrigerant in a high-temperature and high-pressure state, and may be connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 220 and the indoor unit 100 .

The outdoor heat exchanger 220 may exchange the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 210 with outdoor air. When the air conditioner 1 is operated in the cooling mode, the outdoor heat exchanger 220 can emit heat to the outdoor air, and when the air conditioner 1 is operated in the heating mode, the outdoor heat exchanger 220 is It can absorb heat from outdoor air.

The outdoor fan 230 may be disposed adjacent to the outdoor heat exchanger 220 to blow outdoor air to the outdoor heat exchanger 220 .

The outdoor unit 200 includes the indoor unit 200 through the first relay pipe 30 through which the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 210 flows and the second relay pipe 40 through which the refrigerant discharged from the outdoor heat exchanger 220 flows. ) is associated with

The outdoor unit 200 may be connected to the indoor unit 200 through a third relay pipe 50 through which a refrigerant in a low pressure state flows.

When the air conditioner 1 is operated in the cooling mode, a portion of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 210 is branched at the refrigerant branch point 240 and is supplied to the indoor unit 100 through the first relay pipe 30 . can The refrigerant flowing in the first relay pipe 30 may be a compressed refrigerant in a high-temperature and high-pressure state.

When the air conditioner 1 is operated in the cooling mode, the remainder branched at the refrigerant branch point 240 among the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 210 may flow to the outdoor heat exchanger 220 . The refrigerant flowing to the outdoor heat exchanger 220 may be condensed by heat exchange with outdoor air, and then may be supplied to the indoor unit 100 through the second relay pipe 40 . The refrigerant flowing in the second relay pipe 40 may be a refrigerant in a state of being compressed in the outdoor heat exchanger 220 after being compressed by the compressor 210 .

When the air conditioner 1 is operated in the cooling mode, the refrigerant heat-exchanged in the indoor heat exchanger 120 disposed inside the indoor unit 100 flows into the outdoor unit 200 through the third relay pipe 50 . can The refrigerant introduced into the outdoor unit 200 through the third relay pipe 50 may flow to the compressor 210 and be compressed by the compressor 210 .

When the air conditioner 1 is operated in the heating mode, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 210 is not branched at the refrigerant branch point 240 , but is supplied to the indoor unit 100 through the first relay pipe 30 . can be

When the air conditioner 1 is operated in the heating mode, the refrigerant heat-exchanged in the indoor heat exchanger 120 disposed inside the indoor unit 100 is introduced into the outdoor unit 200 through the second relay pipe 40 . can The refrigerant introduced into the outdoor unit 200 through the second relay pipe 40 may flow to the outdoor heat exchanger 220 , evaporate in the outdoor heat exchanger 220 , and then flow into the compressor 210 . .

Hereinafter, an internal structure of the indoor unit 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 3 . 3 is a perspective view showing the inside of the indoor unit 100 in a state in which the top cover 103 is removed.

The indoor unit 100 is provided with an air inlet 101 through which outdoor air is introduced and an air outlet 102 through which the air introduced through the air inlet 101 is supplied into the room. In the air conditioner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the air inlet 101 is opened toward the outdoor space, so that outdoor air can be continuously supplied through the air inlet 101 .

The indoor unit 100 includes: a switching unit 110 disposed inside the indoor unit 100 and connected to the first relay pipe 30 and the second relay pipe 40, respectively; an indoor heat exchanger 120 for exchanging the air introduced through the air inlet 101; a Rich heat exchanger 130 disposed on the downstream side of the indoor heat exchanger 120; an indoor fan 150 for blowing air introduced through the air inlet 101 to the air outlet 102; a control unit 160 for controlling the operation of the switching unit 110 , the indoor fan 150 , the compressor 210 , and the outdoor fan 230 ; a drain unit 170 circulating the condensed water generated in the indoor heat exchanger 120; and a filter 180 for filtering out foreign substances contained in the air introduced through the air inlet 101 .

The switching unit 110 may be connected to each of the first relay pipe 30 , the second relay pipe 40 , and the third relay pipe 50 . The switching unit 110 may control the refrigerant flow in the first relay pipe 30 , the second relay pipe 40 , and the third relay pipe 50 . The switching unit 110 may switch the flow direction of the refrigerant flowing in the first relay pipe 30 , the second relay pipe 40 , and the third relay pipe 50 according to the heating/cooling mode.

The switching unit 110 may change the heating/cooling mode of the air conditioner 1 . When the air conditioner 1 is operated in the cooling mode, the switching unit 110 may supply the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 210 to the reheat heat exchanger 130 . When the air conditioner 1 is operated in the heating mode, the switching unit 110 may supply the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 210 to the indoor heat exchanger 120 .

The switching unit 110 may be disposed in a space S formed between the plurality of heat exchangers 120 and 130 and the side panel 104 . The switching unit 110 may be expressed differently as being disposed in a space S formed outside the flow path formed between the air inlet 101 and the air outlet 102 .

The indoor heat exchanger 120 exchanges heat with the refrigerant introduced through the air inlet 101 and is disposed on the downstream side of the air inlet 101 . The indoor heat exchanger 120 may be disposed to face the air inlet 101 . The indoor heat exchanger 120 absorbs heat from the air introduced through the air inlet 101 in the cooling mode, and supplies heat to the air introduced through the air inlet 101 in the heating mode.

The Rich heat exchanger 130 exchanges heat with the refrigerant introduced through the air inlet 101 , and is disposed on the downstream side of the indoor heat exchanger 120 . The Rich heat exchanger 130 may be disposed to face the indoor heat exchanger 120 . The Rich heat exchanger 130 may supply heat to the air that has passed through the indoor heat exchanger 120 in the cooling mode, and may not operate in the heating mode.

The indoor fan 150 may be disposed on the downstream side of the reheat heat exchanger 130 , and outdoor air may be introduced into the indoor unit 100 through the air inlet 101 and discharged through the air outlet 102 . to provide suction power.

The control unit 160 may be disposed outside the flow path formed between the air inlet 101 and the air outlet 102 . The control unit 160 may control whether the indoor fan 150 and the outdoor fan 230 are operated and the intensity thereof. The control unit 160 may control the switching unit 110 to control the heating/cooling mode of the air conditioner 1 . The control unit 160 may adjust the operating frequency of the compressor 210 .

The filter 180 is disposed at the air inlet 101 to filter out foreign substances passing through the air inlet 101 . The filter 180 may use a pre-filter, and may be manufactured in a shape corresponding to the air inlet 101 .

The drain unit 170 includes a drain pan 171 in which the condensed water generated in the indoor heat exchanger 120 is accommodated; a pump 172 for extruding the condensed water contained in the drain pan 171; and a discharge pipe 173 through which the condensed water accommodated in the drain pan 171 is extruded to the outside of the indoor unit 100 .

The drain pan 171 may be a water tank of a square column shape with an open top. The drain pan 171 may be disposed to be spaced apart from the lower side of the indoor heat exchanger 120 , and may be disposed to cover the lower portion of the indoor heat exchanger 120 .

At least a portion of the drain pan 171 may be disposed outside the flow path formed between the air inlet 101 and the air outlet 102 . At least a portion of the drain pan 171 may be disposed to protrude toward the space S in which the switching unit 110 is disposed.

The drain pan side wall 171a disposed to face the side panel 104 may be located outside the air inlet 101 .

The pump 172 may be disposed in the drain pan 171 , and may extrude the condensed water accommodated in the drain pan 171 to the discharge pipe 173 .

The pump 172 may be disposed outside the flow path formed between the air inlet 101 and the air outlet 102 .

The discharge pipe 173 may be connected to the pump 172 to extend toward the side panel 104 , and may be connected to the side panel 104 . An outlet port 104a for discharging condensed water flowing in the discharge pipe 173 to the outside of the indoor unit 100 may be formed in the side panel 104 , and the water outlet port 104a protrudes to the outside of the side panel 104 . can be formed.

Hereinafter, a refrigerant cycle when the air conditioner 1 is operated in the cooling mode will be described with reference to FIG. 4 . 4 is a schematic view showing the refrigerant flow in the cooling mode.

The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 210 is partially branched at the refrigerant branch point 240 and flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 220 to be condensed. The refrigerant flowing into the outdoor heat exchanger 220 and condensed is introduced into the switching unit 110 through the second relay pipe 40 . The refrigerant introduced into the switching unit 110 through the second relay pipe 40 flows into the expansion device 121 through the first pipe 61 . The expansion device 121 may expand the refrigerant introduced through the first pipe 61 to reduce the pressure. The refrigerant decompressed in the expansion device 121 may be introduced into the indoor heat exchanger 120 through the second pipe 62 and evaporated. The refrigerant evaporated in the indoor heat exchanger 120 flows into the switching unit 110 through the recovery pipe 63 , and the refrigerant flowing into the switching unit 110 flows into the compressor 210 through the third relay pipe 50 . ) is introduced into

The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 210 is partially branched at the refrigerant branch point 240 and flows into the switching unit 110 through the first relay pipe 30 . The refrigerant flowing into the switching unit 110 through the first relay pipe 30 flows into the Rich heat exchanger 130 through the first Rich flow path 71 and is condensed. The refrigerant condensed in the rich heat exchanger 130 flows into the switching unit 110 through the second rich flow path 72 , and the refrigerant introduced into the switching unit 110 through the second rich flow path 72 . is joined to the first pipe 61 and flows into the indoor heat exchanger 120 .

Hereinafter, an internal structure of the indoor unit 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 5 . FIG. 5 shows the internal structure of the indoor unit 100 in terms of air flow. The air introduced through the air inlet 101 flows from left to right with reference to FIG. 5 toward the air outlet 102 .

The air inlet 101 may be formed to be opened in the front panel 105 and may have an upper end 101a of the inlet and a lower end 101b of the inlet.

The filter 180 may be disposed inside the front panel 105 , and may be disposed to correspond to the air inlet 101 .

The indoor heat exchanger 120 may be disposed downstream of the air inlet 101 . The indoor heat exchanger 120 may exchange heat with the air introduced through the air inlet 101 . The indoor heat exchanger 120 may cool the air introduced through the air inlet 101 to a dew point temperature in the cooling mode. The indoor heat exchanger 120 may dehumidify the air introduced through the air inlet 101 in the cooling mode.

The Rich heat exchanger 130 may be disposed downstream of the indoor heat exchanger 120 . In the cooling mode, the rich heat exchanger 130 may supply heat to the air that has passed through the indoor heat exchanger 120 . In the cooling mode, the reheat heat exchanger 130 may heat the air that has passed through the indoor heat exchanger 120 to a temperature higher than the dew point temperature.

The drain unit 170 may be disposed below the indoor heat exchanger 120 , and condensed water generated in the indoor heat exchanger 120 may be accommodated. The air cooled to the dew point temperature while passing through the indoor heat exchanger 120 may be phase-changed into liquid condensed water and fall to the drain unit 170 . The condensed water may fall to the drain unit 170 along the outer wall of the indoor heat exchanger 120 .

A heater assembly 190 may be disposed between the air inlet 101 and the indoor heat exchanger 120 .

The heater assembly 190 may include a heater 191 for heating the air introduced through the air inlet 101 , and a pedestal 192 on which the heater 191 is mounted.

The heater 191 may dehumidify or primarily heat the air introduced through the air inlet 101 .

The pedestal 192 may be disposed below the heater 191 to support the heater 191 . The pedestal 192 may be disposed such that at least a part thereof faces the indoor heat exchanger 120 in the air flow direction. The pedestal upper end 192a forming the upper surface of the pedestal 192 may be located above the heat exchanger lower end 120c forming the lower surface of the indoor heat exchanger 120 . That is, the horizontal line L1 passing through the lower end 120c of the heat exchanger may be located above the horizontal line L2 passing through the upper end of the pedestal 192a.

The indoor heat exchanger 120 includes a supercooling end 120a facing the pedestal 192, and a heat exchange zone 120b located above the supercooling end 120a and through which air introduced through the air inlet 101 passes. can be formed.

The supercooling end 120a may refer to a portion of the indoor heat exchanger 120 from the heat exchanger lower end 120c to the height at which the pedestal upper end 192a is located. The supercooled end 120a may have a height G equal to the height difference between the pedestal upper end 192a and the heat exchanger lower end 120c. The air introduced through the air inlet 101 may not pass through the supercooling end 120a. The air introduced through the air inlet 101 may be blocked by the pedestal 192 to restrict the flow to the supercooling end 120a.

The heat exchange zone 120b may mean the remaining portion of the indoor heat exchanger 120 excluding the supercooling end 120a. The heat exchange zone 120b may refer to a portion of the indoor heat exchanger 120 located above the upper end of the pedestal 192a. The air introduced through the air inlet 101 may pass through the heat exchange zone 120b.

Hereinafter, a refrigerant cycle including the supercooling stage 120a will be described with reference to FIG. 6 . 6 is a simplified view of the flow of the refrigerant in the cooling mode. In order to focus on the supercooling stage 120a, a refrigerant cycle in which the switching unit 110 and the Rich heat exchanger 130 are omitted is illustrated in FIG. 6 . The refrigerant cycle including the switching unit 110 and the Rich heat exchanger 130 has been described in the description of FIG. 4 .

The first pipe 61 through which the refrigerant discharged from the outdoor heat exchanger 220 flows includes an inlet pipe 61a connecting the outdoor heat exchanger 220 and the indoor heat exchanger 120 and the indoor heat exchanger 120 . It may include a discharge pipe (61b) from which the supercooled refrigerant exits.

The first pipe 61 may pass through the supercooling end 120a. The inlet pipe 61a may extend from the outdoor heat exchanger 220 and be connected to the supercooling end 120a. The discharge pipe 61b may extend from the supercooling end 120a toward the expansion device 121 . The first pipe 61 may cross the drain unit 170 disposed below the indoor heat exchanger 120 . The first pipe 61 may cross the drain pan 171 .

The refrigerant passing through the supercooling stage 120a may exchange heat with condensed water falling on the indoor heat exchanger 120 . The refrigerant passing through the supercooling stage 120a may be cooled by dissipating heat as condensed water.

The expansion device 121 may expand the refrigerant that has passed through the supercooling stage 120a to reduce the pressure. The expansion device 121 may be connected to the discharge pipe 61b, and may expand the supercooled refrigerant.

The second pipe 62 through which the refrigerant that has passed through the expansion device 121 flows includes a low-pressure pipe 62a connecting the expansion device 121 and the distributor 122 , and the distributor 122 and the indoor heat exchanger 120 . ) may include a plurality of distribution pipes (62b) for connecting.

The distributor 122 may distribute the refrigerant introduced through the low pressure pipe 62a to the plurality of distribution pipes 62b. The refrigerant introduced into the distributor 122 through the low pressure pipe 62a may be branched into a plurality of distribution pipes 62b and may be introduced into the indoor heat exchanger 120 through each of the distribution pipes 62b.

The refrigerant flowing into the indoor heat exchanger 120 through the plurality of distribution pipes 62b may absorb heat from the air passing through the heat exchange zone 120b. The air passing through the heat exchange zone 120b may be cooled by discharging heat as a refrigerant, and then supplied into the room through the air outlet 102 .

The recovery pipe 63 connecting the indoor heat exchanger 120 and the compressor 210 is introduced into the indoor heat exchanger 120 through each of the plurality of distribution pipes 62b and the heat-exchanged refrigerant flows into the indoor heat exchanger 120 . It may include a plurality of first return pipes 63a coming out from the, and a second recovery pipe 63b in which the refrigerant exiting through the plurality of first recovery pipes 63a is combined and flows toward the compressor 210. have.

The plurality of first return pipes 63a may be disposed to correspond to the plurality of distribution pipes 62b. The number of the plurality of first return pipes 63a and the plurality of distribution pipes 62b may be the same.

The refrigerant discharged from the indoor heat exchanger 120 through each of the plurality of first return pipes 63a may be merged in the second recovery pipe 63b and introduced into the compressor 210 .

Hereinafter, the refrigerant piping before and after the supercooling stage 120a will be described with reference to FIG. 7 . 7 is a view selectively showing the refrigerant pipe near the supercooling end (120a).

The refrigerant heat-exchanged in the Rich heat exchanger 130 may be laminated to the first pipe 61 and introduced into the supercooling end 120a.

The second Rich flow path 72 through which the refrigerant heat-exchanged in the Rich heat exchanger 130 flows may be joined to the first pipe 61 through the junction 72a formed in the first pipe 61 . . The second rich flow path 72 may join the inflow pipe 61a and flow into the supercooling end 120a.

The inlet pipe 61a includes a first inlet pipe 61a1 through which the refrigerant flows before being merged with the second rich flow path 72, and a second inflow pipe 61a1 through which the refrigerant flows after joining with the second rich flow path 72. It may include an inlet pipe (61a2).

The refrigerant introduced into the supercooling stage 120a through the inlet pipe 61a may be cooled by heat exchange with the condensed water.

The supercooling stage 120a may include a supercooling path 123 through which the introduced refrigerant flows inside the indoor heat exchanger 120 . The refrigerant introduced into the supercooling end 120a through the inlet pipe 61a may be cooled while passing through the supercooling path 123 .

The supercooling pass 123 includes a first pass 123a to which the inlet pipe 61a is connected and extending in the left-right direction (refer to FIG. 3), and a second pass spaced apart from the first pass 123a and extending in the left-right direction. (123b), a third path (123c) spaced apart from the second path (123b) and extending in the left and right direction, and a return pipe (123d) connecting the first path (123a) and the second path (123b) is included. can do. The left-right direction may mean a direction that intersects both the flow direction and the up-down direction of the air.

The first path 123a, the second path 123b, and the third path 123c may extend in parallel with each other. The refrigerant introduced into the supercooling end 120a through the inlet pipe 61a may pass through the first path 123a, the second path 123b, and the third path 123c in sequence. The refrigerant passing through the first path 123a may flow into the second path 123b through the return pipe 123d, and the refrigerant passing through the second path 123b is opposite to the return pipe 123d. It may be introduced into the third path 123c through another return pipe (not shown) that connects the second path 123b and the third path 123c at the position where it is located. The refrigerant passing through the third path 123c may be introduced into the expansion device 121 through the discharge pipe 61b. The second path 123b may be located above the first path 123a and the third path 123c. A height difference may be formed between the first path 123a, the second path 123b, and the third path 123c.

The refrigerant passing through the supercooling path 123 may flow in a zigzag shape. The flow direction of the refrigerant passing through the first path 123a and the flow direction of the refrigerant passing through the second path 123b may be opposite to each other. The flow direction of the refrigerant passing through the second path 123b and the flow direction of the refrigerant passing through the third path 123c may be opposite to each other.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 8, the effect of the supercooling stage 120a will be described. 8 is a diagram showing the P-h diagram in which the refrigerant cycle is circulated.

Point (a) is the state of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 210 . Point (b) is the state of the refrigerant condensed by the outdoor heat exchanger 220 . Point (b') is the state of the refrigerant supercooled by the supercooling stage 120a. Point (c) is the state of the refrigerant decompressed by the expansion device 121 when it does not go through the supercooling stage 120a. Point (c') is a state decompressed by the expansion device 121 when it has passed through the supercooling end 120a. Point (d) is the state of the refrigerant flowing into the compressor 210 through the indoor heat exchanger 120 .

The refrigerant condensed through the outdoor heat exchanger 220 may be cooled to a first temperature T1. The first temperature T1 may be 39 degrees Celsius.

The supercooling stage 120a may be condensed once more by heat-exchanging the refrigerant condensed through the outdoor heat exchanger 220 with condensed water. The refrigerant passing through the supercooling stage 120a may be cooled from the first temperature T1 to the second temperature T2. The second temperature T2 may be 36 degrees Celsius.

Through secondary cooling at the supercooling stage 120a, the refrigerant flowing into the indoor heat exchanger 120 may be introduced into the indoor heat exchanger 120 at a lower temperature than when it does not go through the supercooling stage 120a. . Accordingly, more heat can be absorbed from the air introduced through the air inlet 101 and heat-exchanged in the indoor heat exchanger 120 , and the cooling performance of the air conditioner 1 can be increased.

In the above, preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, but the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and in the technical field to which the present invention pertains without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the claims. Various modifications may be made by those of ordinary skill in the art, and these modifications should not be individually understood from the technical spirit or perspective of the present invention.

61: first pipe 62: second pipe
63: distribution pipe 100: indoor unit
110: switching unit 120: indoor heat exchanger
121: expansion device 130: Rich heat exchanger
150: indoor fan 160: control unit
170: drain unit 180: filter
190: heater assembly 200: outdoor unit
210: compressor 220: outdoor heat exchanger
230: outdoor fan 240: cooling distribution point

Claims (11)

an outdoor unit in which a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger through which the refrigerant compressed from the compressor flows is disposed;
an indoor unit connected to the outdoor unit and having an air inlet and an air outlet;
an indoor heat exchanger disposed inside the indoor unit and configured to exchange heat with air introduced through the air inlet;
a first pipe connecting the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger, and through which the refrigerant discharged from the outdoor heat exchanger flows;
an expansion device for expanding the refrigerant introduced into the indoor heat exchanger through the first pipe and heat-exchanged; and
and a second pipe connecting the expansion device and the indoor heat exchanger, and through which the refrigerant passing through the expansion device flows;
The refrigerant introduced into the indoor heat exchanger through the first pipe,
An air conditioner that is expanded by the expansion device after heat exchange with the condensed water generated in the indoor heat exchanger.
The method of claim 1,
The indoor heat exchanger,
An air conditioner for exchanging a refrigerant such that heat is transferred from the refrigerant introduced through the first pipe to the condensed water.
The method of claim 1,
The first pipe is
It is connected to the supercooling end formed in the lower part of the indoor heat exchanger,
The second pipe,
An air conditioner connected to the indoor heat exchanger from an upper side of the supercooling stage.
The method of claim 1,
and a drain pan disposed below the indoor heat exchanger and accommodating the condensed water,
The first pipe is
An air conditioner crossing the drain pan.
The method of claim 1,
Further comprising a distributor into which the refrigerant expanded in the expansion device is introduced,
The second pipe,
and a plurality of distribution pipes branched from the distributor and respectively connected to the indoor heat exchanger.
The method of claim 1,
and a plurality of recovery pipes through which the refrigerant introduced into the indoor heat exchanger through the second pipe and exchanged heat flows toward the compressor.
The method of claim 1,
The air conditioner further comprising a Rich heat exchanger connected to the compressor and disposed on a downstream side of the indoor heat exchanger.
8. The method of claim 7,
The refrigerant heat-exchanged in the Rich heat exchanger joins the first pipe and flows into the indoor heat exchanger.
The method of claim 1,
a heater disposed between the air inlet and the indoor heat exchanger; and
The air conditioner further comprising a pedestal on which the heater is seated and at least a portion of which is disposed to face the indoor heat exchanger in a flow direction of the air.
10. The method of claim 9,
The indoor heat exchanger,
An air conditioner having a supercooling end facing the pedestal, and a heat exchange zone positioned above the supercooling end and through which air introduced through the air inlet passes.
11. The method of claim 10,
The first pipe is
An air conditioner connected to the supercooling end.

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