JPH0894213A - Accumulator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To minimize the amount of a gas refrigerant entering an upper space in a container and reduce a flow rate of the gas refrigerant an inlet tube by opening an inlet tube and an outlet tube into the upper space above a liquid refrigerant stored at a lower part in the oblong container and connecting a bypass tube allowing only the gas refrigerant to flow therethrough to both the inlet tube and the outlet tube. CONSTITUTION: An inlet tube 10 and an outlet tube 11 of an accumulator 8 are connected to each other in the vicinity of a container 81 by a bypass tube 12 allowing only a gas refrigerant to flow therethrough. By means of this connection, the gas refrigerant is partly diverted at a diverting part where the inlet tube 10 is connected to the bypass tube 12, and only a part of the gas refrigerant thus diverted passes through the bypass tube 12 to flow into the outlet tube 11 while the remaining gas refrigerant accompanied with the mist of a liquid refrigerant enters an upper space 82 of the accumulator 8. As a result, a small amount of the gas refrigerant flows into the container 81. Accordingly, a flow rate of the gas refrigerant also becomes slow, and the mist 83 of the liquid refrigerant is efficiently separated from the gas refrigerant in the upper space 82 to be dropped under its own weight and to be stayed on the bottom of the container 81. Therefore, only the gas refrigerant can be sucked into the outlet tube 11.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an accumulator suitable for air conditioners and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art One example of a conventional refrigerant circuit for an air conditioner is shown in FIG. During the cooling operation of the air conditioner, the gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 enters the outdoor heat exchanger 3 via the four-way valve 2 as shown by the solid arrow, and radiates heat to the outside air sent from the outdoor fan 14 here. By doing so, it is condensed and liquefied.

This liquid refrigerant passes through a check valve 4 and a throttle 6 for cooling.
After being adiabatically expanded by being squeezed by, the indoor heat exchanger 7
Then, the room air sent from the room fan 15 is cooled and evaporated and vaporized. This gas refrigerant enters the accumulator 8 through the four-way valve 2, where the non-evaporated liquid refrigerant contained in the gas refrigerant is separated, and then returns to the compressor 1.

During heating operation of the air conditioner, the four-way valve 2 is switched in the opposite manner to the above, so that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 has the four-way valve 2, the indoor heat exchanger 7, as shown by the broken line arrow. The cooling throttle 6, the heating throttle 5, the outdoor heat exchanger 3, the four-way valve 2, and the accumulator 8 are passed in this order and returned to the compressor 1.

A horizontal accumulator as shown in FIG. 4 (B) may be used for the sake of downsizing of the accumulator 8 or installation space thereof. The accumulator 8 includes a horizontally long container 81, an inlet pipe 10 connected to an upper portion of one side wall thereof, and an outlet pipe 11 connected to an upper portion of the other side wall thereof.
And the oil return pipe 9 connected to the bottom of the container 81. The tip end opening of the inlet pipe 10 is opened horizontally to the right on the left side of the upper space 82, and the tip end opening of the outlet pipe 11 is the upper space 82.
On the right side of the, it opens to the left almost horizontally.

The gas refrigerant containing the liquid refrigerant is jetted into the upper space 82 of the container 81 from the tip end opening thereof through the inlet pipe 10, and the mist 83 of the liquid refrigerant contained in this gas refrigerant falls due to gravity and the container 81 Collect on the inner bottom. Then, only the gas refrigerant flows out through the outlet pipe 11.

The liquid refrigerant 84 accumulated at the bottom of the container 81 gradually returns to the inside of the dome of the compressor 1 through the oil return pipe 9 and the flow rate adjusting throttle 13 interposed therein.

[0008]

In the above conventional accumulator, when the flow velocity of the gas refrigerant flowing from the inlet pipe 10 into the container 81 is high, the mist 83 of the liquid refrigerant does not fall into the outlet pipe 11. There is a risk that the air will be sucked and returned to the compressor 1, causing a so-called liquid back phenomenon and damaging the compressor 1.

When the liquid surface of the liquid refrigerant 84 accumulated at the bottom of the container 81 rises, the gas refrigerant ejected from the inlet pipe 10 causes the liquid surface 85 to swell greatly to generate droplets. May be inhaled on 11.

[0010]

The present invention has been invented to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its gist is to provide an inlet for the upper space of the liquid refrigerant stored in the lower part of the horizontally long container. In the accumulator in which the pipe and the outlet pipe are opened, the oil return pipe connected to the bottom of the container is provided with a throttle for adjusting the flow rate, and the other end is connected to the outlet pipe or the dome of the compressor. The accumulator is characterized in that a bypass pipe for flowing only a gas refrigerant is connected between the pipe and the outlet pipe.

Another feature is that the bypass pipe is branched in a Y shape from the inlet pipe and rises upward.

Another feature is that the bypass pipe is erected vertically upward from an inlet pipe arranged horizontally.

Another feature is that the bypass pipe is connected to the inner diameter side of the curved inlet pipe.

Still another feature is that the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are each horizontally extended in the upper space to close their tips and to lower them at a predetermined interval along the pipe axial direction. A plurality of holes that open in the opposite direction are provided, and the inlet pipe is arranged at a lower position than the outlet pipe.

[0015]

In the present invention, the gas refrigerant containing the liquid refrigerant flowing through the inlet pipe is branched at the branching portion, a part of the gas refrigerant flows into the outlet pipe through the bypass pipe, and the remaining gas refrigerant is The liquid refrigerant enters the upper space in the container through the inlet pipe. Thus, the amount of gas refrigerant entering the upper space inside the container is reduced,
Since the flow velocity is reduced, the mist of the liquid refrigerant contained in the gas refrigerant is efficiently separated from the gas refrigerant in the upper space and drops to the bottom inside the container to be stored. The liquid refrigerant stored in the bottom portion of the container gradually returns to the outlet pipe or the dome of the compressor through the oil return pipe and the flow rate adjusting throttle provided therein.

[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT One embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 1 (A) and 1 (B), the inlet pipe 10 and the outlet pipe 11 of the accumulator 8 are connected to each other in the vicinity of the container 81 by a bypass pipe 12 through which only the gas refrigerant flows.

Since only the gas refrigerant flows into the bypass pipe 12, the bypass pipe 12 is connected to the inlet pipe 10 as shown in FIG. 2 (A).
Can be branched into a Y-shape and raised upward.
With this configuration, the mist 83 of the liquid refrigerant contained in the gas refrigerant flows down in the inlet pipe 10 and therefore does not flow into the bypass pipe 12.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, the bypass pipe 12 can be erected vertically upward from the horizontally arranged inlet pipe 10. In this way, the mist of liquid refrigerant
Since 83 flows on the inner bottom surface of the inlet pipe 10, it does not flow into the bypass pipe 12.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2C, the inlet pipe 10 may be curved, and the bypass pipe 12 may be connected to the inside of this curved portion, that is, the inner diameter side. By doing so, the mist 83 of the liquid refrigerant is caused by the centrifugal force acting on the mist 83 to cause the inlet pipe 10
Since it flows on the inner diameter side, it does not flow into the bypass pipe 12.

One end of the oil return pipe 9 may be connected to the dome of the compressor 1 as shown in FIG. 1 (A).
It can also be connected to the outlet pipe 11, as shown in FIG. Other configurations are similar to those of the conventional one shown in FIG. 4, and corresponding members are designated by the same reference numerals.

However, the gas refrigerant containing the mist of the liquid refrigerant coming from the four-way valve 2 through the inside of the inlet pipe 10 is branched from the bypass pipe 12 so that only a part of the gas refrigerant is branched to the bypass pipe 12.
And flows into the outlet pipe 11, and the remaining gas refrigerant enters the upper space 82 of the accumulator 8 with the mist of the liquid refrigerant.

As a result, the amount of the gas refrigerant flowing into the container 81 is small, and the flow velocity thereof is also slow, so that the mist 83 of the liquid refrigerant is efficiently separated from the gas refrigerant in the upper space 82 and falls by gravity. Is collected at the bottom of the container 81 and only the gas refrigerant is sucked into the outlet pipe 11.

A second embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. In this second embodiment, the inlet pipe 10 and the outlet pipe
11 extends horizontally in the upper space 82 of the container 81, and the inlet pipe 10 is positioned slightly lower than the outlet pipe 11.
The tips of the inlet pipe 10 and the outlet pipe 11 are closed, and the lower portion thereof is provided with a large number of holes 10 at predetermined intervals along the pipe axial direction.
A and 11A are drilled and open downward. The other structure is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG.

In this second embodiment, the upper space 82
Since the inflow area of the gas refrigerant into the upper space 82 and the outflow area from the upper space 82 are large, the flow velocity of the gas refrigerant in the upper space 82 becomes slower, so that the mist of the liquid refrigerant can be completely separated from the gas refrigerant and the inside of the container 81 can be separated. It is possible to prevent the liquid surface of the liquid refrigerant 84 stored at the bottom from undulating.

[0025]

According to the present invention, since the bypass pipe for flowing only the gas refrigerant is connected between the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe, a part of the gas refrigerant flows into the outlet pipe through the bypass pipe, and the remaining gas. The refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant enter the upper space in the container. Thus, the amount of gas refrigerant entering the upper space inside the container is reduced,
Since the flow velocity is reduced, the liquid surface of the liquid refrigerant stored in the lower part of the container is less wavy, and the mist of the liquid refrigerant contained in this gas refrigerant is efficiently separated from the gas refrigerant in the upper space of the container. It will be dropped into the turnip in the container. As a result, liquid back to the compressor can be prevented and damage to the compressor can be prevented.

Each of the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe is horizontally extended in the upper space to close its tip and to provide a plurality of holes which are open downward at predetermined intervals along the pipe axial direction. And, if the inlet pipe is arranged at a lower position than the outlet pipe, the flow velocity of the gas refrigerant in the upper space in the container can be further slowed down, so that the mist of the liquid refrigerant can be more reliably separated from the gas refrigerant and the lower part in the container It is possible to prevent ripples on the liquid surface of the liquid refrigerant stored in.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, (A) is a refrigerant circuit diagram of an air conditioner, and (B) is an enlarged sectional view of an accumulator.

2 (A), (B), and (C) are schematic configuration diagrams showing branch portions of an inlet pipe and a bypass pipe, respectively.

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, (A) is a vertical sectional view of the accumulator, (B) is a sectional view taken along the line BB of (A), and (C) is of (A). It is sectional drawing which follows the CC line.

FIG. 4 shows a conventional example, (A) is a refrigerant circuit diagram of an air conditioner, and (B) is a vertical sectional view of an accumulator.

[Description of Drawings]

 8 Accumulator 81 Container 10 Inlet pipe 11 Outlet pipe 12 Bypass pipe 9 Oil return pipe 13 Flow adjustment throttle 1 Compressor

Front Page Continuation (72) Inventor Susumu Yamashita 3-chome, Asahicho, Nishibiwajima-cho, Nishikasugai-gun, Aichi Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Air Conditioning Factory

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An inlet pipe and an outlet pipe are opened in an upper space of a liquid refrigerant stored in a lower portion of a horizontally long container, and an oil return pipe connected to the bottom of the container is provided with a flow regulating throttle. An accumulator having the other end connected to the outlet pipe or the dome of the compressor, wherein a bypass pipe for flowing only a gas refrigerant is connected between the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe. 2. The bypass pipe is diverged from the inlet pipe into a Y-shape to rise upward.
Accumulator described. 3. The accumulator according to claim 1, wherein the bypass pipe is erected vertically upward from a horizontally arranged inlet pipe. 4. The accumulator according to claim 1, wherein the bypass pipe is connected to an inner diameter side of the curved inlet pipe. 5. A plurality of holes that horizontally extend the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe, respectively, close the ends of the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe, and open downward at predetermined intervals along the pipe axial direction. The accumulator according to claim 1, wherein the inlet pipe is provided at a lower position than the outlet pipe.