# US 2019/0170374 A1 · Air conditioner > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0170374 A1 - Document ID: US20190170374A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/210,783 - Filed: 2018-12-05 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-05 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Mun Sub KIM; Hyeong Joon SEO; Hyeong Jin LEE; Du Han JUNG - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190170374A1 ## CPC - F24F 13/02: Ducting arrangements - F24F 1/26: Refrigerant piping - F24F 13/00: Details common to, or for air-conditioning, air-humidification, ventilation or use of air currents for screening - F25B 1/04: with compressor of rotary type ({F25B1/005,} F25B1/10 take precedence) - F25B 13/00: Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle (defrosting cycles F25B47/02) - F25B 41/40: Fluid line arrangements - F25B 41/20: Disposition of valves, e.g. of on-off valves or flow control valves (expansion valves F25B41/31) - F25B 2313/006: two pipes connecting the outdoor side to the indoor side with multiple indoor units - F25B 2313/02741: using one four-way valve - F25B 2500/01: Geometry problems, e.g. for reducing size - F25B 2500/05: Cost reduction - F25B 2500/13: Vibrations - F25B 2500/17: Size reduction - F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02) - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS ## Abstract An air conditioner comprises a compressor configured to have an inlet, through which a refrigerant is sucked in, the sucked refrigerant being compressed by the compressor, and an outlet, through which the compressed refrigerant is discharged, a four-way valve configured to switch flow paths in cooling and heating operations, the four-way valve having a valve body, a D port protruding from the valve body in a first direction to be connected to the outlet, and an S port 26 protruding from the valve body in a second direction, which is opposite to the first direction, to be connected to the inlet, and a compressor pipe having a discharging pipe to connect the outlet and the D port and a sucking pipe to connect the inlet and the S port, one of the discharging pipe and the sucking pipe has two curved portions and the other has one curved portion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An air conditioner comprising: a compressor configured to have an inlet, through which a refrigerant is sucked in, the sucked refrigerant being compressed by the compressor, and an outlet, through which the compressed refrigerant is discharged; a four-way valve configured to switch flow paths in a cooling operation and a heating operation, the four-way valve having a valve body, a D port protruding from the valve body in a first direction to be connected to the outlet, and an S port protruding from the valve body in a second direction, which is opposite of the first direction, to be connected to the inlet; and a compressor pipe having a discharging pipe to connect the outlet and the D port and a sucking pipe to connect the inlet and the S port, wherein one of the discharging pipe and the sucking pipe has two curved portions and an other one of the discharging pipe and the sucking pipe has one curved portion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein a center axis of the D port and a center axis of the S port are included in a plane including a center axis of the inlet and a center axis of the outlet. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein a center axis of the D port and a center axis of the S port are formed at an angle with respect to a plane including a center axis of the inlet and a center axis of the outlet. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the center axis of the inlet and the center axis of the outlet are parallel to each other. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the center axis of the D port and the center axis of the S port correspond to each other. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the valve body has a cylindrical shape, and the D port and the S port protrude in directions perpendicular to an axial direction of the valve body. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The air conditioner of claim 5, wherein the D port and the S port respectively protrude from a center portion of the valve body. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the four-way valve is slantingly arranged such that the D port is positioned higher than the S port. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the discharging pipe comprises a first linear pipe portion coupled to the D port, a second linear pipe portion coupled to the outlet, a third linear pipe portion extending between the first linear pipe portion and the second linear pipe portion, a first curved pipe portion to connect the first and third linear pipe portions, and a second curved pipe portion to connect the second and third linear pipe portions. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the sucking pipe comprises a first linear pipe portion coupled to the S port, a second linear pipe portion coupled to the inlet, and a curved pipe portion to connect the first linear pipe portion and the second linear pipe portion. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the four-way valve is slantingly arranged such that the S port is positioned higher than the D port. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the S port and the D port are positioned at a corresponding height. ### Claim 13 An air conditioner comprising: a compressor configured to have an inlet, through which a refrigerant is sucked in, the sucked refrigerant being compressed by the compressor, and an outlet, through which the compressed refrigerant is discharged; an outdoor heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger; and a four-way valve configured to switch flow paths in a cooling operation and a heating operation, the four-way valve having a D port coupled to the outlet, an S port coupled to the inlet, a C port coupled to the outdoor heat exchanger, and an E port coupled to the indoor heat exchanger, wherein the D port is directly coupled to the outlet or the S port is directly coupled to the inlet. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The air conditioner of claim 13, wherein the S port is inserted and coupled to the inlet. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The air conditioner of claim 14, wherein the four-way valve comprises a valve body having a cylindrical shape, wherein the D port protrudes in a first direction, which is perpendicular to an axial direction of the valve body, and wherein the S port comprises a first linear port portion protruding in a second direction opposite to the first direction, a second linear port portion coupled to the inlet, and a curved port portion to connect the first and second linear port portions. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The air conditioner of claim 15, wherein the first linear port portion and the second linear port portion form an angle of about 20 degrees to about 90 degrees. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The air conditioner of claim 15, further comprising: an outdoor heat exchanger pipe to connect the outdoor heat exchanger and the C port, wherein the C port comprises a fourth linear port portion parallel to the first linear port portion, a fifth linear port portion coupled to the outdoor heat exchanger pipe, and a second curved port portion to connect the fourth linear port portion and the fifth linear port portion, and wherein the second curved port portion is bent in an opposite direction of the curved port portion. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The air conditioner of claim 15, further comprising: an indoor heat exchanger pipe to connect the indoor heat exchanger and the E port, wherein the E port comprises a fourth linear port portion parallel to the first linear port portion, a fifth linear port portion coupled to the indoor heat exchanger pipe, and a second curved port portion to connect the fourth linear port portion and the fifth linear port portion, and wherein the second curved port portion is bent in an opposite direction of the curved port portion. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The air conditioner of claim 13, wherein the D port is inserted and coupled to the outlet. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The air conditioner of claim 19, wherein the four-way valve comprises a valve body having a cylindrical shape, wherein the D port comprises a first linear port portion protruding in a first direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the valve body, a second linear port portion coupled to the outlet, and a curved port portion to connect the first linear port portion and the second linear port portion.