Air conditioning system with variable condenser reheat and refrigerant flow sequencer
AssigneeLennox Industries Inc.
InventorOved Hanson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vapor-compression air conditioning system comprising a blower positioned in a return air flow path from a conditioned space, a reheat heat exchanger positioned in the return air flow path and downstream from the blower, a system reversing valve fluidly coupled to the reheat heat exchanger, and a refrigerant flow sequencer interposed the system reversing valve and the reheat heat exchanger. A method of manufacturing an air conditioning system is also provided.
Claims16
A vapor-compression type air conditioning system configured as a bi-directional heat pump, comprising:
- a blower positioned in a return air flow path from a conditioned space;
- a reheat heat exchanger positioned in said return air flow path and downstream from said blower;
- a system reversing valve fluidly coupled to said reheat heat exchanger;
- a refrigerant flow sequencer interposed said system reversing valve and said reheat heat exchanger, wherein said refrigerant flow sequencer includes:
- a flow restrictor retainer coupleable to a first refrigerant tube and having a longitudinal cavity therethrough having an internal diameter, said flow restrictor retainer having a circular collar and an annular shoulder around an end of said longitudinal cavity;
- a sequencer shell body coupleable to said flow restrictor retainer and to a second refrigerant tube, said sequencer shell body having a shell body cavity therein;
- a flow restrictor slidably captured between said flow restrictor retainer and said sequencer shell body, said flow restrictor is devoid of any through orifice, said flow restrictor having first and second ends and a midsection, said first end substantially cylindrical in form and of lesser diameter than said midsection, said midsection having an outer diameter equal to or greater than said internal diameter of said longitudinal cavity, and said second end having an external taper;
- and
- an O-ring coupled to said flow restrictor around said external taper.
A method of manufacturing an air conditioning system configured as a bi-directional heat pump, comprising:
- positioning a blower in a return air flow path from a conditioned space;
- positioning a reheat heat exchanger in said return air flow path and downstream from said blower;
- fluidly coupling a system reversing valve to said reheat heat exchanger;
- interposing a refrigerant flow sequencer between said system reversing valve and said reheat heat exchanger, wherein said refrigerant flow sequencer includes:
- a flow restrictor retainer coupleable to a first refrigerant tube and having a longitudinal cavity therethrough having an internal diameter, said flow restrictor retainer having a circular collar and an annular shoulder around an end of said longitudinal cavity;
- a sequencer shell body coupleable to said flow restrictor retainer and to a second refrigerant tube, said sequencer shell body having a shell body cavity therein;
- a flow restrictor slidably captured between said flow restrictor retainer and said sequencer shell body, said flow restrictor is devoid of any through orifice, said flow restrictor having first and second ends and a midsection, said first end substantially cylindrical in form and of lesser diameter than said midsection, said midsection having an outer diameter equal to or greater than said internal diameter of said longitudinal cavity, and said second end having an external taper;
- and
- coupling an O-ring to said flow restrictor around said external taper.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.