WO2021214849A1

WO2021214849A1 - Air conditioner, freezer, and distributor

Info

Publication number: WO2021214849A1
Application number: PCT/JP2020/017126
Authority: WO
Inventors: 麻理内田; 浩之豊田; 佐々木　重幸; 広米田; 禎夫関谷; 博光清野
Original assignee: 日立ジョンソンコントロールズ空調株式会社
Priority date: 2020-04-21
Filing date: 2020-04-21
Publication date: 2021-10-28
Also published as: JP6977184B1; JPWO2021214849A1; CN113906262B; CN113906262A

Abstract

[Problem] An objective of the present invention is to distribute a refrigerant at an appropriate liquid refrigerant flow ratio. [Solution] The present invention is provided with a heat exchanger having a plurality of flow paths for a refrigerant, and a distributor which distributes the refrigerant to the flow paths of the heat exchanger, wherein: the distributor has an inflow pipe through which the refrigerant flows into a housing of the distributor, and a plurality of outflow pipes through which the refrigerant in the housing flows out; and each of the plurality of outflow pipes has a first pipe, which has a first opening in which the proportions of a gas refrigerant and a liquid refrigerant flowing out therefrom changes in accordance with the height of a gas-liquid interface in the housing, a second pipe which extends from inside the housing to outside the housing, and a connection section which connects the first pipe and the second pipe.

Description

Air conditioner, refrigerator and distributor

The present invention relates to an air conditioner, a refrigerator and a distributor.

Most air conditioners that support air conditioning use a cross-fin tube type heat exchanger that consists of a circular copper heat transfer tube and aluminum strip-shaped fins. This heat exchanger exchanges heat between the refrigerant and air by flowing a fluorocarbon-based refrigerant in a copper heat transfer tube.

On the other hand, in radiators for automobiles and air conditioners dedicated to air conditioning, parallel flow type heat exchangers are used for the purpose of reducing size, weight, performance, and cost. In this heat exchanger, two header tubes are provided at the openings at both ends of a plurality of flat heat transfer tubes with aluminum fins brazed on the outer surface, and refrigerant is supplied from the inflow side header tube to the outflow side header tube. It is to be fluidized.

In order to make effective use of the heat exchanger, a distributor capable of optimizing the amount of gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flowing through each heat transfer tube constituting the heat exchanger is desired. On the other hand, Patent Document 1 discloses a distributor that distributes according to the heat load of the refrigerant circuit downstream of the distributor by providing a plurality of communication pipes having an opening in the gas-liquid mixing portion. There is. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a refrigerant shunt including an inflow pipe, an outflow pipe, and a partition plate arranged at the bottom. In this refrigerant shunt, the distribution accuracy is improved by separating the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant into a liquid refrigerant and a gas refrigerant and then merging them.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-162901 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-137223

However, under low load conditions and medium load conditions, the flow of the refrigerant becomes slow, and the liquid and gas separate and flow through the piping. In the technique of Patent Document 1, since the refrigerant is distributed in this state, the ratio of the liquid is high in one flow path and the ratio of the gas is high in the other flow path. There is a problem that the refrigerant cannot be distributed by the flow rate ratio.

Further, in the technique of Patent Document 2, the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant is sucked up from the outflow pipe after separating the gas and liquid, but in order for the outflow pipe to suck up the liquid refrigerant, the liquid refrigerant flowing into the distributor from the inflow port Needs to flow beyond the divider to below the outflow pipe. That is, in a state where a certain amount of liquid refrigerant is not stored in the distributor, the liquid refrigerant cannot exceed the partition plate, and therefore, the liquid refrigerant is distributed to each flow path of the heat exchanger at an appropriate liquid refrigerant flow rate ratio. There is a problem that it is difficult. As described above, in the prior art, there is a problem that the refrigerant may not be distributed at an appropriate liquid refrigerant flow rate ratio.

The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to distribute a refrigerant at an appropriate liquid refrigerant flow rate ratio.

The present invention is an air conditioner, comprising a heat exchanger having a plurality of flow paths of the refrigerant and a distributor for distributing the refrigerant to each flow path of the heat exchanger, and the distributor is the distributor. It has an inflow pipe for inflowing refrigerant into the housing of the vessel and a plurality of outflow pipes for flowing out the refrigerant in the housing, and each of the plurality of outflow pipes corresponds to the height of the gas-liquid interface in the housing. A first pipe having a first opening in which the ratio of the gas refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant flowing out is changed, a second pipe extending from the inside of the housing to the outside of the housing, the first pipe and the second pipe. It has a connecting part for connecting pipes.

Another embodiment of the present invention is a refrigerator, comprising a heat exchanger having a plurality of flow paths of the refrigerant and a distributor for distributing the refrigerant to each flow path of the heat exchanger. The distributor has an inflow pipe for flowing the refrigerant into the housing and a plurality of outflow pipes for discharging the refrigerant in the housing, and each of the plurality of outflow pipes has a high gas-liquid interface in the housing. A first pipe having a first opening in which the ratio of the gas refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant flowing out correspondingly changes, a second pipe extending from the inside of the housing to the outside of the housing, the first pipe and the above. It has a connecting portion for connecting the second pipe.

Another embodiment of the present invention is a distributor that distributes the liquid to each flow path of the heat exchanger, and has an inflow pipe that allows the liquid to flow into the housing of the distributor and a plurality of pipes that discharge the liquid from the housing. Each of the plurality of outflow pipes has a first opening in which the ratio of the outflow gas refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant changes according to the height of the gas-liquid interface in the housing. It has a pipe, a second pipe extending from the inside of the housing to the outside of the housing, and a connecting portion for connecting the first pipe and the second pipe.

According to the present invention, the refrigerant can be distributed at an appropriate liquid refrigerant flow rate ratio.

It is an overall block diagram of the distributor which concerns on 1st Embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the distributor. It is a perspective view of the connection part and the 1st pipe. It is the figure which looked at the upper surface of the connection part from the top. It is a figure which shows the 1st pipe. It is a figure which shows the opening which concerns on the 2nd modification of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the opening which concerns on the 2nd modification of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the connection part which concerns on the 4th modification. It is the schematic sectional drawing of the distributor which concerns on 6th modification. It is the schematic sectional drawing of the distributor which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of the distributor of the second embodiment. It is the schematic sectional drawing of the distributor which concerns on 2nd modification of 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the side wall of the distributor which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is an overall block diagram of the distributor which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a perspective view of the connection part and the 1st pipe which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the upper surface of the connection part. It is a figure which shows the connection part which concerns on the 3rd modification of 4th Embodiment. It is an overall block diagram of the distributor which concerns on 5th Embodiment. It is an overall block diagram of the air conditioner which concerns on 6th Embodiment. It is an overall block diagram of the refrigerator which concerns on 7th Embodiment.

(First Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of the distributor 10 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the distributor 10 shown in FIG. The distributor 10 distributes the refrigerant to a plurality of heat transfer tubes of the heat exchanger in the refrigeration cycle. The distributor 10 of the present embodiment can supply a refrigerant having an appropriate liquid refrigerant flow ratio to both the parallel flow type heat exchanger and the fin tube type heat exchanger.

The distributor 10 has a housing 11, one inflow pipe 13, and four outflow pipes 14. The housing 161 is a substantially cylindrical housing having the vertical direction H as the longitudinal direction, and has an upper surface 16a, a lower surface 16b, and a side wall 16c. The inflow pipe 13 and the outflow pipe 14 are provided along the vertical direction H of the distributor 10. Further, the inflow pipe 13 and the outflow pipe 14 are provided so as to penetrate the upper surface 16a of the housing 11. That is, the upper end 13a of the inflow pipe 13 is located outside the housing 11, and the lower end 13b of the inflow pipe 13 is located inside the housing 11. Similarly, the upper end 14a of the outflow pipe 14 is located outside the housing 11, and the lower end 14b of the outflow pipe 14 is located inside the housing 11. The inflow pipe 13 allows the refrigerant to flow into the gas-liquid separation space 12 inside the distributor 10 from the upper surface 16a side (upper portion) of the distributor 10. The outflow pipe 14 causes the refrigerant to flow out from the distributor 10 toward the heat exchanger.

The outflow pipe 14 has a first pipe 211 and a second pipe 22. The first pipe 211 is located on the bottom surface 16b side, and the second pipe 22 is connected to the upper part of the first pipe 211 and is provided so as to penetrate the upper surface 16a of the housing 11. The first pipe 211 and the second pipe 22 are connected by a connecting portion 181 in the housing 11. The connecting portion 181 is arranged below the lower end 13b of the inflow pipe 13. Further, the connecting portion 181 is arranged above the opening 191 of the first pipe 211, that is, downstream of the opening 191 of the first pipe 211 in the outflow pipe 14.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the plurality of first pipes 211a to 211d (plurality of outflow pipes 14) are arranged so as to surround the inflow pipe 13. In FIG. 2, the four first pipes 211 are shown as 211a to 212d in order to distinguish them. More specifically, the inflow pipe 13 is arranged at the center position in the lateral direction of the housing 11, and the four first pipes 211a to 211d are arranged on the side wall 16c side of the inflow pipe 13. Further, each of the first pipes 211a to 211d is arranged at equal intervals on a predetermined circumference centered on the center position of the housing 11. However, the first pipes 211a to 211d do not necessarily have to be arranged at equal intervals. The arrangement of the four second pipes 22 connected to the four first pipes 211a to 211d is the same as the arrangement of the plurality of first pipes 211a to 211d. That is, the second pipe 22 is also arranged at equal intervals on a predetermined circumference on the side wall 16c side of the inflow pipe 13.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the connection portion 181 and the first pipe 211. FIG. 4 is a top view of the upper surface 1811 of the connecting portion 181. As shown in FIG. 3, the connecting portion 181 is a substantially cylindrical component having the vertical direction H as the height direction, and a flat upper surface 1811 extending in the radial direction of the housing 11 is provided on the upper portion. There is. As shown in FIG. 1, the upper surface 1811 is a surface substantially perpendicular to the vertical direction H, that is, substantially parallel to the upper surface 16a and the bottom surface 16b.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the connecting portion 181 is formed with an opening 1812 penetrating from the upper surface 1811 to the lower surface. In FIGS. 3 and 4, the four openings 1812 formed in the connecting portion 181 are shown as 1812a, 1812b, 1812c, and 1812d to distinguish them. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the four openings 1812a to 1812d are arranged at equal intervals on a predetermined circumference on the circular upper surface 1811. That is, the four openings 1812a to 1812d are provided at positions corresponding to the arrangement of the four outflow pipes 14.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper ends 2111 of each of the four first pipes 211 (211a to 211d) are connected to the lower side of the connecting portion 181. The first pipes 211a to 21d are connected to the connecting portion 181 by brazing or the like so as to be connected to the openings 1812a to 1812d of the connecting portion 181 respectively.

The connection portion 181 shall be made of a metal material. Further, as another example, the connecting portion 181 may be made of a material such as resin. When the material is a resin, it is desirable to use a resin in which the deterioration of the resin by the refrigerant sealed in the refrigeration cycle is within an allowable range.

Further, as a processing method of the connection portion 181, a machined structure or a laminated structure (resin molded product) by a 3D printer or the like can be considered. In the case of a resin molded product, variations such as the orientation and shape of the opening can be increased as compared with the method of directly processing the opening on the pipe surface.

As another example, at least one first pipe 211 may be formed integrally with the connection portion 181. In this case, the first pipe 211 is also made of the same material as the connection portion 18. Then, it is integrally processed and formed.

The inner diameter of the first pipe 211 is D1, and the inner diameter of the second pipe 22 is D2, which is larger than D1. The openings 1812a to 1812d of the connecting portion 181 correspond to this difference in inner diameter, and as shown in FIG. 4, the inner diameter of the connecting portion 181 on the upper surface 1811 side is D2, and the inner diameter on the surface opposite to the upper surface 1811 is D1. It has become. Then, in the openings 1812a to 1812d, the inner diameter is narrowed from D2 to D1 at a predetermined distance from the upper surface 1811 in the vertical direction H. As a result, the connecting portion 181 can connect the first pipe 211 and the second pipe 22 having different inner diameters.

Further, the second pipe 22 is connected to the openings 1812a to 1812d, and is further connected to the upper surface 16a of the housing 11 by brazing or the like. The openings 1812a to 1812d are formed so that the inner diameter thereof is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the second pipe 22. Therefore, in the connection between the second pipe 22 and the openings 1812a to 1812d, a gap is formed between the outer wall of the second pipe 22 and the inner wall of the openings 1812a to 1812d. By forming the gap in this way, even when the first pipe 21 is fixed to the upper surface 16a of the housing 11 in an eccentric state, it absorbs the gap and passes through the opening 1812a. It is possible to connect the first pipe 211 and the second pipe 22.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the first pipe 211. Each of the first pipes 211a to 211d is provided with a notch-shaped opening 191 extending upward from the lower end 14b of the outflow pipe 14 (first pipe 211). As shown in FIG. 2, the openings 191 are all provided so as to face the circumferential direction of the distributor 10. In this way, by forming the opening 191 into a shape extending from the lower end 14b, processing can be facilitated. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the opening 191 is provided so that the center position P in the vertical direction H of the opening 191 is located below the center position Q in the vertical direction of the gas-liquid separation space 12. There is. As a result, it is possible to prevent the opening 191 from reaching the liquid phase in the gas-liquid separation space 12 and sucking up only the gas refrigerant. That is, the liquid refrigerant can be reliably sucked up from the opening 191.

Further, the central position P of the opening 191 and its longitudinal length are preferably designed according to the height of the gas-liquid interface 17 estimated from the capacity of the refrigeration cycle in which the distributor 10 is used. Specifically, it is preferable to provide the opening 191 at a position and length such that the gas-liquid interface 17 is located between the upper end and the lower end of the opening 191. As a result, the liquid-refrigerant flow rate ratio of the refrigerant flowing out from each outflow pipe 14 can be appropriately maintained. Further, it is assumed that the width of the opening 191 in the lateral direction is half or less of the circumference of the first pipe 211.

Next, the flow of the refrigerant in the distributor 10 will be described. The distributor 10 is installed so that its downward direction corresponds to the direction of gravity. Therefore, the refrigerant flows from the inflow pipe 13 into the housing 11 along the direction of gravity, and flows out from the outflow pipe 14 along the direction opposite to the direction of gravity. The gas-liquid mixed refrigerant that has flowed downward from the upper end 13a to the lower end 13b of the inflow pipe 13 and has flowed downward into the gas-liquid separation space 12 comes into contact with the upper surface 1811 of the connecting portion 181. As a result, the direction of the flow of the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant is changed from the downward direction to the side wall 16c side. In this way, the upper surface 1811 functions as a collision surface on which the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant collides and changes the direction of the flow. The gas-liquid mixed refrigerant then flows down along the side wall 16c. In this way, the flow of the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant is changed from the downward direction to the side wall 16c side, so that gas-liquid separation is promoted. Further, since the refrigerant falls down along the side wall 16c, it is possible to reduce the disturbance of the gas-liquid interface 17 and the generation of air bubbles. That is, the gas-liquid separation space 12 can be in a state in which the liquid and the gas are well separated.

The lower region of the opening 191 of the first pipe 211 (outflow pipe 14) is in contact with the liquid at the lower side of the gas-liquid interface 17, and the upper region of the opening 191 is the upper side of the gas-liquid interface 17. Is in contact with gas. Therefore, the liquid refrigerant and the gas refrigerant are sucked up from the outflow pipe 14 at an appropriate liquid refrigerant flow rate ratio. That is, the distributor 10 according to the present embodiment can supply a refrigerant having an appropriate liquid refrigerant flow rate ratio to each flow path of the heat exchanger. Further, the ratio of the area in contact with the gas to the area in contact with the liquid in the opening 191 also changes according to the vertical fluctuation of the gas-liquid interface 17. In other words, the ratio of the gas refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant flowing out from the opening 191 (liquid refrigerant flow ratio) changes according to the height of the gas-liquid interface 17.

As described above, since the distributor 10 according to the present embodiment separates the gas and liquid, an appropriate liquid-refrigerant flow rate according to the liquid-refrigerant flow rate ratio in the gas-liquid separation space 12 even under medium load conditions and low load conditions. The ratio refrigerant can be discharged from the outflow pipe 14 to each flow path of the heat exchanger.

As described in the prior art, in the technique of Patent Document 2, the liquid refrigerant does not flow into the outflow pipe unless the amount of the liquid refrigerant exceeding the partition plate is accumulated in the distributor. On the other hand, in the outflow pipe 14 of the present embodiment, the opening 191 is provided in the gas-liquid separation space 12 so that the center position P of the outflow pipe 14 is located below the center position Q of the gas-liquid separation space 12. It is provided below. Therefore, even when the amount of the liquid refrigerant existing in the gas-liquid separation space 12 is small, the outflow pipe 14 can suck up an appropriate amount of the liquid refrigerant.

Further, as described above, it is desirable that the distributor 10 is installed so that the downward direction thereof and the direction of gravity coincide with each other, but in the actual installation state, the downward direction of the distributor 10 and the direction of gravity are slightly different. It shifts. Even when the distributor 10 is tilted in this way, in the distributor 10 of the present embodiment, the plurality of outflow pipes 14 can supply the refrigerant having the same liquid refrigerant flow rate ratio to each flow path of the heat exchanger. ..

Further, when assembling the distributor 10 of the present embodiment, the first pipe 211 and the connecting portion 181 are first connected, and then the second pipe 22 is brazed to the upper surface 16a of the housing 11. When the second pipe 22 is brazed to the upper surface 16a of the housing 11, the first pipe 211 is already connected to the connection portion 181. Therefore, at the time of brazing, it is sufficient to confirm that the connecting portion 181 and the second pipe 22 are joined, and the positions of the gas-liquid interface 17 and the opening 191 can be easily adjusted. That is, the distributor 10 can be assembled more easily than before.

As a first modification of the distributor 10 according to the first embodiment, the number of outflow pipes may be two or more, and is not limited to the embodiment. When the number of outflow pipes is 4 or less, the connection portion 181 described in the first embodiment can be used. For example, when the number of outflow pipes is two, the outflow pipe 14 is connected only to the two

openings

1812a and 1812c of the openings 1812a to 1812d of the connection portion 181. As a result, a two-branch distributor can be configured. In this way, the number of branches can be freely changed by using the connecting portion 181 as a common component and adjusting the number of outflow pipes attached to the housing 11. Further, the number of outflow pipes may be 6 or 8 or more. In this case, a connecting portion having an opening corresponding to the number of outflow pipes may be used.

As a second modification, the shape of the opening 191 of the first pipe 211 is not limited to the embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, the first pipe 212 may be formed with an elongated hole extending in the longitudinal direction of the first pipe 211, that is, in the vertical direction H, as the opening 192. In this case, the lower end 14b of the outflow pipe 14 may be closed or may be open. Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 6B, a plurality of holes 193a to 193g may be formed as the opening 193 in the first pipe 213. Further, it is assumed that the holes 193a to 193g are circular and are provided at equal intervals. Also in this case, at least one of the gas refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant flows in from each of the holes 193a to 193g, and the liquid refrigerant flow rate ratio in the opening 193 composed of the plurality of holes 193a to 193g is made substantially equal in each outflow pipe 14. Can be done. In this case, the center of the opening 193 is an intermediate position (L / 2) of the total length L of the opening 193.

As a third modification, the positions, sizes, and shapes of the openings 191 of the plurality of outflow pipes 14 may be different from each other. For example, it may be desired to make the liquid-refrigerant flow rate ratio of the refrigerant flowing out to each flow path of the heat exchanger different. In such a case, at least one of the positions and sizes of the plurality of openings 191 may be controlled according to the required liquid-refrigerant flow rate ratio. Further, for example, the opening of one outflow pipe 14 may have an elongated hole shape, while the opening of the other outflow pipe 14 may have a slit shape.

As a fourth modification, the shape of the connecting portion 181 is not limited to the embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the connecting portion 182 may have a shape having a plurality of

piece portions

1821a, 1821b, 1821c, 1821d extending from the center to the

respective openings

1822a, 1822b, 1822c, 1822d. Also in this case, the refrigerant flowing in from the inflow pipe 13 comes into contact with the connection portion 182, and the direction of the flow is changed from the downward direction to the side wall 16c side.

As a fifth modification, the upper surface 1811 of the connecting portion 181 does not have to be a flat surface extending in the lateral direction of the housing 11. For example, the upper surface 1811 may be a surface having an upwardly convex gradient. The upper surface 1811 may be provided, for example, in a conical shape or a quadrangular shape.

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the distributor 10 according to the sixth modification. As a sixth modification, the overhanging portion 60 may be formed on the side wall above the opening 191 in the first pipe 211. The overhanging portion 60 projects outward in the radial direction of the first pipe 211. The overhanging portion 60 is a plane substantially parallel to the bottom surface 16b. The gas-liquid interface 17 changes depending on the operating conditions of the refrigeration cycle, but since the overhanging portion 60 is provided in the vicinity of the gas-liquid interface 17, rippling of the liquid surface is suppressed and the refrigerant flows out from the opening 191. Can be stabilized.

As a seventh modification, the relationship between the diameters of the first pipe 211 and the second pipe 22 is not limited to the embodiment. That is, the diameter D1 of the first pipe 211 and the diameter D2 of the second pipe 22 may be equal, and the diameter D1 of the first pipe 211 may be larger than the diameter D2 of the second pipe 22.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, the distributor 20 according to the second embodiment will be mainly described as being different from the distributor 10 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the distributor 20 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of the distributor 20 shown in FIG. A groove 70 is formed on the bottom surface 16b of the housing 11. As shown in FIG. 10, in the radial direction of the circle of the bottom surface 16b, a recess is formed from the end (outer end 70a) on the side wall 16c side to the inner end (inner end 70b), and an annular groove 70 is provided. Here, the groove 70 is an example of a recessed portion. The radial width of the groove 70, that is, the distance from the outer end 70a to the inner end 70b is larger than the outer diameter of the first pipe 211. The lower ends 14b of the four first pipes 211 are located in the grooves 70. By forming the groove 70 and arranging the lower end 14b of the first pipe 211 so as to be located in the groove 70 in this way, the positioning of the first pipe 211 is facilitated and the assembleability of the distributor 20 is improved. Can be good. Further, by forming the recessed portion as one annular groove 70, processing can be facilitated, and adjustment for locating the first pipe 211 in the recessed portion can be facilitated. Further, it is assumed that the lower end 14b of the first pipe 211 is in contact with the bottom surface 70c in the groove 70. However, the lower end 14b may be located in the groove 70 and may not be in contact with the bottom surface 70c.

As a first modification of the second embodiment, it is sufficient that a recess is formed in the region of the bottom surface 16b of the housing 11 where the lower end 14b of the outflow pipe 14 is located, and the shape is an annular groove. It is not limited to 70. As another example, four circular recesses may be formed at four locations on the bottom surface 16b where the lower end 14b of the outflow pipe 14 is located.

FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the distributor 20 according to the second modification. As a second modification, the protrusion 80 may be formed in the groove 70. The protrusion 80 is arranged at a position where the lower end 14b of the outflow pipe 14 is located. As a result, at least a part of the protrusion 80 is located inside (inside the pipe) of the first pipe 211, so that the lateral movement of the first pipe 211 is restricted. That is, the installation of the first pipe 211 on the bottom surface 16b of the housing 11 can be stabilized. The lower end 14b of the first pipe 211 is open, but as another example, the lower end 14b of the first pipe 211 may be closed. When closed, it is assumed that a recess corresponding to the protrusion 80 is formed at the lower end 14b. As a result, even when the protrusion 80 is inserted into the recess, the lateral movement of the first pipe 211 is restricted, and the installation of the first pipe 211 is stabilized. Can be done.

(Third Embodiment)
Next, the distributor 30 according to the third embodiment will be mainly described as being different from the distributor according to the other embodiments. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a side wall 16c of the distributor 30 according to the third embodiment. In the distributor 30 according to the third embodiment, the inflow pipe 131 is connected to the opening 16d provided on the upper side of the side wall 16c and communicates with the gas-liquid separation space 12 through the opening 16d.

The gas-liquid refrigerant flowing in from the opening 16d spirally flows down toward the bottom surface 16b along the side wall 16c. Therefore, the disturbance of the gas-liquid interface 17 due to the inflow of the refrigerant can be reduced, and it is possible to avoid the generation of air bubbles in the liquid phase accumulated under the gas-liquid separation space 12.

(Fourth Embodiment)
Next, the distributor 40 according to the fourth embodiment will be mainly described as being different from the distributor according to the other embodiments. FIG. 13 is an overall configuration diagram of the distributor 40 according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the connection portion 183 and the first pipe 211 provided in the distributor 40 according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 15 is a top view of the upper surface 1831 of the connecting portion 183. In the distributor 40 according to the fourth embodiment, in the connecting portion 183, in addition to the four openings 1832a to 1832d corresponding to the outflow pipe 14, an opening 1833 extending in the vertical direction H is provided in the center of the connecting portion 183. It is provided. A collision portion 15 is inserted into the opening portion 1833. Specifically, an insertion portion 15a corresponding to the shape of the opening 1833 is provided on the lower side of the collision portion 15, and the upper surface 15b of the collision portion 15 is formed by inserting the insertion portion 15a into the opening 1833. It is arranged on the connection portion 183. The upper surface 15b is a surface having an upwardly convex gradient. The upper surface 15b is provided, for example, in a conical shape or a quadrangular shape.

With such a configuration, in the distributor 40 of the fourth embodiment, the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant that has flowed downward from the inflow pipe 13 into the gas-liquid separation space 12 comes into contact with the upper surface 15b of the collision portion 15. As a result, the direction of the flow of the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant is changed from downward to the side wall 16c side, and flows down along the side wall 16c. In this way, the direction of the flow of the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant is changed from the downward direction to the side wall 16c side, so that the gas-liquid separation is promoted. Further, since the refrigerant falls down along the side wall 16c, it is possible to reduce the disturbance of the gas-liquid interface 17 and the generation of air bubbles. That is, the gas-liquid separation space 12 can be in a state in which the liquid and the gas are well separated.

As a first modification of the fourth embodiment, the opening 1833 does not have to penetrate. That is, the connecting portion 183 may have a recessed portion corresponding to the shape of the inserting portion 15a.

As a second modification, the shape of the upper surface 15b of the collision portion 15 is not limited to the embodiment. As another example, the upper surface 15b may be a curved surface. As another example, the upper surface 15b may be a plane substantially parallel to the bottom surface 16b.

As a third modification, the shape of the connecting portion 183 is not limited to the embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 16, the upper surface 1841 of the connecting portion 184 may be formed in a substantially square shape, and four openings 1842a to 1842d may be formed at positions corresponding to each apex of the square. Further, a notch portion 1843 extending to the center of the upper surface 1841 may be formed on one side thereof. In this case, the collision portion 15 may be inserted at the center position of the substantially square of the connection portion 184 in the cutout portion 1843.

As described above, the shape of the connecting portion 183 is not limited to the embodiment, and is not limited to the circle and the square. Further, in the central region of the connecting portion 184, the opening may be formed in a hole shape or a notch shape as long as it penetrates vertically. For example, in the circular connecting portion 183 as described with reference to FIG. 15 in the fourth embodiment, a notch portion extending from the outer circumference to the center may be formed instead of the opening portion 1833.

(Fifth Embodiment)
Next, the distributor 50 according to the fifth embodiment will be mainly described as being different from the distributor according to the other embodiments. FIG. 17 is an overall configuration diagram of the distributor 50 according to the fifth embodiment. The connecting portion 183 of the distributor 50 according to the fifth embodiment is the same as the connecting portion 183 according to the fourth embodiment, and has an opening 1833 in the center. Further, in the fourth embodiment, the inflow pipe 13 is connected so that the refrigerant flows into the housing 11 from the lower part to the upper part of the housing 11. Specifically, the inflow pipe 13 is provided so as to penetrate the bottom surface 16b and the connecting portion 183. The lower end 13b of the inflow pipe 13 is located below the housing 11, and the upper end 13a of the inflow pipe 13 is located between the connection portion 183 and the upper surface 16a in the housing 11.

With such a configuration, in the present embodiment, the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant that has flowed into the gas-liquid separation space 12 from the inflow pipe 13 comes into contact with the upper surface 16a of the housing 11 and the direction of flow is from upward to the side wall 16c side. It is changed and flows down along the side wall 16c. In this way, the direction of the flow is changed from the upward direction to the side wall 16c side, so that gas-liquid separation is promoted. Further, since the refrigerant falls down along the side wall 16c, it is possible to reduce the disturbance of the gas-liquid interface 17 and the generation of air bubbles. That is, the gas-liquid separation space 12 can be in a state in which the liquid and the gas are well separated. Further, the connection unit 183 can be shared with the connection unit 183 of the distributor 40 described in the fourth embodiment.

(Sixth Embodiment)
FIG. 18 is an overall configuration diagram of the air conditioner 300 according to the sixth embodiment. The distributor according to any one of the first to fifth embodiments is applied to the air conditioner 300. The air conditioner 300 includes an indoor unit 310 and an outdoor unit 320. The indoor unit 310 and the outdoor unit 320 are connected by a liquid pipe 331 and a gas pipe 332 to form a refrigeration cycle.

The indoor unit 310 includes an indoor heat exchanger 311, an indoor blower 312, and an indoor expansion valve 313. An indoor distributor 314 is provided between the indoor expansion valve 313 and the indoor heat exchanger 311. The outdoor unit 320 includes an outdoor heat exchanger 321, an outdoor blower 322, a compressor 323, a four-way valve 324, and an outdoor expansion valve 325. An outdoor distributor 326 is provided between the outdoor expansion valve 325 and the outdoor heat exchanger 321. Here, it is assumed that the indoor distributor 314 and the outdoor distributor 326 are any of the

distributors

10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 described in the first to fifth embodiments.

During the heating operation, the refrigerant 341 that has become hot and high pressure in the compressor 323 is guided to the indoor heat exchanger 311 (condenser) in the indoor unit 310 via the four-way valve 324. Then, the high-temperature refrigerant flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 311 dissipates heat to the indoor air supplied from the indoor blower 312, thereby warming the room. At this time, the gas refrigerant that has been deprived of heat gradually liquefies in the indoor heat exchanger 311, and the overcooled liquid refrigerant flows out from the outlet of the indoor heat exchanger 311 via the indoor distributor 314. do.

After that, the liquid refrigerant flowing out from the indoor unit 310 via the indoor expansion valve 313 becomes a gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant in a low temperature / low pressure state due to the expansion action when passing through the outdoor expansion valve 325. The low-temperature / low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant is distributed by the outdoor distributor 326 and guided to a plurality of flow paths of the outdoor heat exchanger 321 (evaporator). Then, the low-temperature refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 321 absorbs heat from the outside air supplied from the outdoor blower 322. At the outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger 321 the refrigerant gasifies and returns to the compressor 323. The heating operation of the air conditioner 300 is realized by a series of refrigeration cycles in which the refrigerant 341 circulates counterclockwise as described above.

On the other hand, during the cooling operation, the four-way valve 324 is switched to form a refrigeration cycle in which the refrigerant 341 circulates clockwise. In this case, the indoor heat exchanger 311 acts as an evaporator and the outdoor heat exchanger 321 acts as a condenser.

(7th Embodiment)
FIG. 19 is an overall configuration diagram of the refrigerator 400 according to the seventh embodiment. The distributor according to any one of the first to fifth embodiments is applied to the refrigerator 400. In the refrigerator 400, a refrigerating cycle is composed of a compressor 401, a condenser 402, an expansion valve 403, a distributor 404, and an evaporator 405. Here, it is assumed that the distributor 404 is any of the

distributors

10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 described in the first to fifth embodiments.

The refrigerant that has become hot and high pressure in the compressor 401 is condensed in the condenser 402 to become a liquid refrigerant. After that, the low-temperature low-pressure liquid refrigerant decompressed by the expansion valve 403 is distributed to a plurality of flow paths by the distributor 404 and then supplied to the evaporator 405. In the evaporator 405, heat is exchanged to become a gas refrigerant and return to the compressor 401. The cooler 406 cools the condenser 402 by flowing cooling water through the condenser 402.

As described above, according to each of the above-described embodiments, it is possible to provide a distributor, an air conditioner, and a refrigerator that distribute the refrigerant at an appropriate liquid refrigerant flow rate ratio.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments, and various modifications are made within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims.・ Can be changed.

10, 20, 30, 40, 50 Distributor 12 Gas-liquid separation space 13,131 Inflow pipe 14 Outflow pipe 15 Collision part 17 Gas-liquid interface 22 Second pipe 181,182,183,184 Connection part 1812a-1812d Opening 1822a to 1822d Openings 1832a to 1832d Openings 1833 Openings 1842a to 1842d Openings 1843 Cutouts 191,192,193 Openings 211,212,213 First piping 300 Air conditioner 400 Refrigerator

Claims

A heat exchanger with multiple flow paths of refrigerant,
A distributor for distributing the refrigerant to each flow path of the heat exchanger is provided.
The distributor
An inflow pipe that allows the refrigerant to flow into the housing of the distributor,
It has a plurality of outflow pipes for discharging the refrigerant in the housing, and has a plurality of outflow pipes.
Each of the plurality of outflow pipes
A first pipe having a first opening in which the ratio of the gas refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant flowing out varies depending on the height of the gas-liquid interface in the housing.
A second pipe extending from the inside of the housing to the outside of the housing,
An air conditioner having a connection portion for connecting the first pipe and the second pipe.
The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the connection portion is located on the downstream side of the outflow pipe with respect to the first opening.
The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first pipe and the second pipe are connected by being inserted into a second opening formed in the connection portion.
The inflow pipe allows the refrigerant to flow in from the upper part of the distributor.
The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the connecting portion has a collision surface that changes the direction of the flow of the refrigerant flowing into the housing from the inflow pipe to the side wall side of the housing. ..
The inflow pipe allows the refrigerant to flow in from the upper part of the distributor.
The distributor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a collision portion provided between the inflow pipe and the connection portion and with which the refrigerant flowing from the inflow pipe into the housing collides. Air conditioner.
The connection has a third opening and
The air conditioner according to claim 5, wherein the collision portion has an insertion portion to be inserted into the third opening.
The inflow pipe allows the refrigerant to flow in from the lower part of the distributor.
The connection has a third opening through which the inflow pipe passes.
The inflow pipe is inserted into the third opening and
The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the upper end of the inflow pipe is located above the connection portion.
A recess is formed at the bottom of the housing.
The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the lower end of the inflow pipe is located in the recessed portion.
The air conditioner according to claim 8, wherein the recessed portion is formed in an annular shape.
A protrusion is formed in the recess,
The air conditioner according to claim 8 or 9, wherein at least a part of the protrusion is located inside the side wall of the inflow pipe.
The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the inner diameter of the second pipe is larger than the inner diameter of the first pipe.
The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the connection portion is made of resin.
The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the connection portion and the first pipe are integrally formed.
Further, an overhanging portion extending from the side wall of the first pipe toward the outside in the radial direction of the first pipe is further provided on the downstream side of the outflow pipe from the first opening of the first pipe. , The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 11.
A heat exchanger with multiple flow paths of refrigerant,
A distributor for distributing the refrigerant to each flow path of the heat exchanger is provided.
The distributor
An inflow pipe that allows the refrigerant to flow into the housing of the distributor,
It has a plurality of outflow pipes for discharging the refrigerant in the housing, and has a plurality of outflow pipes.
Each of the plurality of outflow pipes
A first pipe having a first opening in which the ratio of the gas refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant flowing out varies depending on the height of the gas-liquid interface in the housing.
A second pipe extending from the inside of the housing to the outside of the housing,
A refrigerator having a connecting portion for connecting the first pipe and the second pipe.
A distributor that distributes the refrigerant to each flow path of the heat exchanger.
An inflow pipe that allows the refrigerant to flow into the housing of the distributor,
It has a plurality of outflow pipes for discharging the refrigerant in the housing, and has a plurality of outflow pipes.
Each of the plurality of outflow pipes
A first pipe having a first opening in which the ratio of the gas refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant flowing out varies depending on the height of the gas-liquid interface in the housing.
A second pipe extending from the inside of the housing to the outside of the housing,
A distributor having a connecting portion for connecting the first pipe and the second pipe.