# US 8,783,059 B2 · Refrigerating air-conditioning apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,783,059 B2 - Document ID: US8783059B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/219,315 - Filed: 2011-08-26 - Published: 2011-12-22 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2005-10-06 - Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation - Applicants: Masaki Toyoshima; Susumu Yoshimura; Shinichi Wakamoto; Osamu Morimoto - Inventors: Masaki Toyoshima; Susumu Yoshimura; Shinichi Wakamoto; Osamu Morimoto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8783059B2 ## CPC - F25B 43/006: {Accumulators} - F25B 31/004: {oil recirculating arrangements} - F25B 13/00: Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle (defrosting cycles F25B47/02) - F25B 47/00: Arrangements for preventing or removing deposits or corrosion, not provided for in another subclass - F25B 2313/006: two pipes connecting the outdoor side to the indoor side with multiple indoor units - F25B 2400/02: Centrifugal separation of gas, liquid or oil - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS ## Abstract A refrigerating air-conditioning apparatus, at least provided with no possibility that a foreign material returns to a compressor from an accumulator at a time of the pipeline-cleaning operation firstly, and provided with a possibility to perform a collecting operation for the foreign material in a short time secondary, is provided. The heat-source side unit includes an accumulator provided with a function to separate and collect the foreign material in an existing pipeline, a collecting container for collecting the foreign material separated by the accumulator, and an oil return pipeline for returning refrigerating machine oil to the compressor via a flow amount adjusting device, installed at a lower portion of the accumulator, and at a time of ordinary cooling or heating operation, the refrigerating machine oil is caused to flow into the oil return pipeline, and at a time of pipeline cleaning and foreign material-collecting operations, the flow amount adjusting device is fully closed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A refrigerating air-conditioning apparatus constructed by connecting a heat-source side unit and a load-side unit by an existing refrigerant pipeline, wherein the heat-source side unit comprises a compressor, a four-way valve that changes a direction of a flow of refrigerant discharged from the compressor, an accumulator provided in a low-pressure side main refrigerant circuit pipeline from the four-way valve to a suction side of the compressor, the accumulator having a function to separate and collect a foreign material in an existing pipeline, and a collecting container for collecting the foreign material separated by the accumulator, wherein an inlet-side refrigerant pipeline of the accumulator, which is in the low-pressure side main refrigerant circuit pipeline from the four-way valve to the suction side of the compressor, and the collecting container, are connected by a degassing pipe, and a portion where the degassing pipe is connected to the low-pressure side main refrigerant circuit pipeline has an inner diameter being throttled to have a diameter less than a diameter of front and rear portions thereof. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The refrigerating air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the portion having the throttled inner diameter where the degassing pipe is connected to the low-pressure side main refrigerant circuit pipeline is throttled into 90% or less than the inner diameter of the pipeline in the front and rear thereof by cross-section area. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The refrigerating air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a bottom surface of the accumulator and an upper part of the collecting container are connected by a pipeline, and a pipeline connecting portion of the collecting container is disposed at a position lower than the bottom surface of the accumulator. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The refrigerating air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at a connecting portion for connecting the degassing pipe to the low-pressure side main refrigerant circuit pipeline, the degassing pipe is connected to the low-pressure side main refrigerant circuit pipeline at an angle from horizontal to vertical relative to the low-pressure side main refrigerant circuit pipeline. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The refrigerating air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an oil separator is provided at a high-pressure side of the heat-source side unit, and wherein an oil tank is provided in a middle of a pipeline for oil return, connecting the oil separator and the compressor of the heat-source side unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The refrigerating air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the accumulator or the collecting container is sheathed or internally equipped with a heater. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The refrigerating air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a bypass pipe is provided from a high-pressure side from the compressor to the four-way valve, to a portion in front of the accumulator, or to the accumulator, via a bypass valve. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The refrigerating air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the foreign material is drawn into the collecting container by generating a pressure difference between the collecting container and the accumulator, by means of opening and closing the bypass valve or a throttling device housed in the heat-source side unit or the load-side unit.