US 10,648,715 B2Granted

Outdoor heat exchanger and air conditioner comprising the same

AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.

InventorsHojong Jeong, Jeongseob Shin

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Abstract

An outdoor heat exchanger includes a passage of a refrigerant that has a length varied depending on an operational mode. The outdoor heat exchanger is included in an air conditioner and configured to operate as a condenser in a cooling operation of the air conditioner and as an evaporator in a heating operation of the air conditioner. The outdoor heat exchanger includes a plurality of plates, a plurality of first refrigerant tubes, a plurality of second refrigerant tubes, and a plurality of third refrigerant tubes. In the cooling operation, a condensed refrigerant flows in the plurality of first refrigerant tubes, the plurality of second refrigerant tubes, and the plurality of third refrigerant tubes. In the heating operation, an evaporated refrigerant flows in the plurality of first refrigerant tubes and the plurality of third refrigerant tubes, but does not flow in the plurality of second refrigerant tubes.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An outdoor heat exchanger comprising:

a plurality of plates;
a plurality of first refrigerant tubes penetrating the plurality of plates and aligned in a single row;
a plurality of second refrigerant tubes penetrating the plurality of plates and aligned in a single row while being spaced apart from the plurality of first refrigerant tubes;
a plurality of third refrigerant tubes penetrating the plurality of plates and aligned in a single row while being spaced apart from the plurality of first refrigerant tubes;
a plurality of first return bands directly connecting the plurality of first refrigerant tubes and the plurality of second refrigerant tubes, but not directly connecting the plurality of first refrigerant tubes and the plurality of third refrigerant tubes;
a plurality of second return bands directly connecting the plurality of first refrigerant tubes and the plurality of third refrigerant tubes, but not directly connecting the plurality of second refrigerant tubes and the plurality of third refrigerant tubes;
a distribution module connected to the plurality of third refrigerant tubes;
a condensation header pipe connected to the plurality of second refrigerant tubes;
and
an evaporation header pipe connected to the plurality of first return bands,
wherein the distribution module is configured such that, when the distribution module supplies a refrigerant to the plurality of third refrigerant tubes, the refrigerant is condensed when it flows in the plurality of first refrigerant tubes, the plurality of second refrigerant tubes, the plurality of third refrigerant tubes, and the first and second return bands, and condensed refrigerant flows into the condensation header pipe,
wherein the evaporation header pipe is configured such that, when the evaporation header pipe supplies a refrigerant to the plurality of first return bands, the refrigerant is evaporated when it flows in the plurality of first refrigerant tubes, the plurality of third refrigerant tubes, and the first and second return bands, and evaporated refrigerant that flows into the distribution module does not flow in the plurality of second refrigerant tubes,
and wherein the plurality of second refrigerant tubes is provided at a front of the plurality of first refrigerant tubes, and the plurality of third refrigerant tubes is provided at a rear of the plurality of first refrigerant tubes,
the rear of the plurality of first refrigerant tubes being at a side at which the distribution module is provided and the front of the plurality of first refrigerant tubes being at a side opposite to the rear of the plurality of first refrigerant tubes.

11 more elements

An air conditioner configured to perform each of a cooling operation and a heating operation, comprising:

a compressor to compress a refrigerant;
an indoor heat exchanger provided in an indoor space to exchange heat between indoor air and a refrigerant;
an outdoor heat exchanger provided in an outdoor space to exchange heat between outdoor air and a refrigerant;
a switching valve configured such that, in a cooling operation, guides the refrigerant compressed by the compressor to the outdoor heat exchanger by connecting the compressor to the outdoor heat exchanger and that, in a heating operation, guides the refrigerant compressed by the compressor to the indoor heat exchanger by connecting the compressor to the indoor heat exchanger, and
an outdoor expansion valve configured to expand a refrigerant condensed by the indoor heat exchanger in the heating operation, wherein the outdoor heat exchanger comprises:
a plurality of plates;
a plurality of first refrigerant tubes penetrating the plurality of plates and aligned in a single row;
a plurality of second refrigerant tubes penetrating the plurality of plates and aligned in a single row while being spaced apart from the plurality of first refrigerant tubes;
a plurality of third refrigerant tubes penetrating the plurality of plates and aligned in a single row while being spaced apart from the plurality of first refrigerant tubes;
a plurality of first return bands directly connecting the plurality of first refrigerant tubes and the plurality of second refrigerant tubes;
a plurality of second return bands separate from the first return bands and directly connecting the plurality of first refrigerant tubes and the plurality of third refrigerant tubes;
a distribution module connected to the plurality of third refrigerant tubes;
a condensation header pipe connected to the plurality of second refrigerant tubes;
and
an evaporation header pipe connected to the plurality of first return bands,
wherein the distribution module is configured such that, in the cooling operation, the distribution module supplies a refrigerant to the plurality of third refrigerant tubes, and the refrigerant is condensed when it passes through the plurality of third refrigerant tubes, the plurality of second return bands, the plurality of first refrigerant tubes, the plurality of first return bands, and the plurality of second refrigerant tubes, and the plurality of third refrigerant tubes, and the condensed refrigerant flows into the condensation header pipe,
wherein the evaporation header pipe is configured such that, in the heating operation, the evaporation header pipe supplies a refrigerant to the plurality of first return bands, and the refrigerant is evaporated when it passes through the plurality of first refrigerant tubes, the plurality of second return bands, and the plurality of third refrigerant tubes, and the evaporated refrigerant flows into the distribution module without flowing in the plurality of second refrigerant tubes,
and wherein the plurality of second refrigerant tubes is provided at a front of the plurality of first refrigerant tubes, and the plurality of third refrigerant tubes is provided at a rear of the plurality of first refrigerant tubes, the rear of the plurality of first refrigerant tubes being a side at which the distribution module is provided and the front of the plurality of first refrigerant tubes being a side opposite to the rear.

15 more elements

A heat exchange assembly, including:

a plurality of first refrigerant tubes provided between and spaced apart from a plurality of second refrigerant tubes and a plurality of third refrigerant tubes;
a plurality of first return bands directly connecting the plurality of first and second refrigerant tubes;
a plurality of second return bands directly connecting the plurality of first and third refrigerant tubes;
a plurality of plates penetrated by the pluralities of the first, second, and third refrigerant tubes;
a distribution module connected to the plurality of third refrigerant tubes;
a condensation header pipe connected to the plurality of second refrigerant tubes;
and
an evaporation header pipe connected to the plurality of first return bands,
wherein a first refrigerant flow path is formed from the distribution module to the condensation header pipe through the first, second, and third pluralities of refrigerant tubes, wherein a second refrigerant flow path is formed from the evaporation header pipe to the distribution module through the first and third refrigerant tubes, but not through the second refrigerating tube,
and wherein the plurality of second refrigerant tubes is provided at a front of the plurality of first refrigerant tubes, and the plurality of third refrigerant tubes is provided at a rear of the plurality of first refrigerant tubes, the rear of the plurality of first refrigerant tubes being a side at which the distribution module is provided and the front of the plurality of first refrigerant tubes being a side opposite to the rear.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.