Patent ID: 9689578
Date: 2017-06-27
CPC Classifications: F24F,F25B,Y10T

Claim:
1. A refrigerant distribution unit for an air conditioner, comprising: a refrigerant pipe configured to be connected to an outdoor-unit-side pipe for an outdoor unit; a plurality of indoor-unit-side pipes for indoor units; a plurality of branch refrigerant pipes, wherein each of the plurality of branch refrigerant pipes includes a branch gas pipe and a branch liquid pipe; wherein each branch refrigerant pipe is respectively configured to be connected to a corresponding indoor-unit-side pipe; a distribution portion which distributes a refrigerant from the refrigerant pipe to the plurality of branch refrigerant pipes; a main unit which stores the distribution portion and includes a first side face from which the refrigerant pipe extends and a second side face from which the branch gas pipes and the branch liquid pipes extend, the second side face being opposed to the first side face and forming a reference plane, a third side face adjacent to the first side face and the second side face from which the refrigerant pipe and the plurality of branch refrigerant pipes extend, and a fourth side face adjacent to the first side face and the second side face from which the refrigerant pipe and the plurality of branch refrigerant pipes extend, the third side face being opposed to the fourth side face; an electric component box, the electric component box having a first sidewall and a second sidewall, wherein the first and second sidewalls are separated by a distance along the reference plane; a cable connecting the electric component box to the main unit; and an insulator case provided within the main unit, the insulator case comprising a bottom surface and a first recessed portion formed in the bottom surface, wherein the electric component box is capable of being provided on either of the third side face or the fourth side face of the main unit, wherein each branch gas pipe has a first joint portion configured to connect the branch gas pipe to one of the plurality of indoor-unit-side pipes, wherein each branch liquid pipe has a second joint portion configured to connect the branch liquid pipe to one of the plurality of indoor-unit-side pipes, wherein the branch gas pipes and the branch liquid pipes extend from the second side face of the main unit in such a manner that the branch gas pipes and the branch liquid pipes are spaced from each other and are parallel to each other, wherein each first joint portion is disposed at a different distance than each of the other first joint portions from the reference plane, wherein each second joint portion is disposed at a different distance than each of the other second joint portions from the reference plane, wherein the branch gas pipes have different lengths and are disposed parallel and adjacent to each other sequentially from a shortest length to a longest length, wherein the branch liquid pipes have different lengths and are disposed parallel and adjacent to each other sequentially from a shortest length to a longest length, wherein the refrigerant pipe configured to be connected to the outdoor-unit-side pipe for an outdoor unit includes a gas pipe and a liquid pipe, wherein all of the portions of the gas pipe and the liquid pipe outside the main unit are linear and arranged parallel to each other with a constant distance therebetween, wherein the gas pipe and the liquid pipe of the refrigerant pipe are spaced from each other in a horizontal direction, wherein the branch gas pipe and the branch liquid pipe of each of the plurality of branch refrigerant pipes are spaced from each other in a vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction, wherein the third side face of the main unit comprises a slot which extends from an edge of the third side face to a middle portion of the third side face, wherein the fourth side face of the main unit comprises a slot which extends from an edge of the fourth side face towards a middle portion of the fourth side face, wherein the electric component box further comprises a hole, wherein the slot of the third side face of the main unit, the slot of the fourth side face of the main unit, and the hole of the electric component box are configured to receive the cable, wherein the first recessed portion extends along the bottom surface of the insulator case from the slot in the third side face of the main unit to the slot in the fourth side face of the main unit.