Abstract:
Disclosed herein is a refrigerant distributing device for a multi-type air conditioner, which can discharge an evenly mixed refrigerant to a plurality of indoor units. The refrigerant distributing device comprises an inlet pipe to supply a refrigerant, a distributor, and a plurality of outlet pipes. The distributor comprises an inlet port connected with the inlet pipe, a mix zone having a predetermined space formed therein such that the refrigerant induced through the inlet port forms a vortex flow within the mix zone so as to be evenly mixed, and a plurality of outlet ports separably connected with the mix zone to discharge the refrigerant having passed through the mix zone to an outside. The plurality of outlet pipes selectively connects at least one outlet ports of the distributor and each outlet pipe, for adjusting the amount of refrigerant supplied to each outlet pipe based on the capacity of each indoor unit connected with each outlet pipe.

Description:
[0001]     This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application Nos. 10-2005-0019799 and 10-2005-0019801 filed on Mar. 9, 2005, which are hereby incorporated by references as if fully set forth herein.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to a refrigerant distributing device for a multi-type air conditioner, and more particularly, to a refrigerant distributing device for a multi-type air conditioner, which distributes a refrigerant supplied from an outdoor unit to a plurality of indoor units.  
         [0004]     2. Discussion of the Related Art  
         [0005]     An air conditioner is installed in a room to heat or cool or purify indoor air, thereby providing a fresh indoor environment.  
         [0006]     Generally, the air conditioner comprises compressor, condenser, expansion valve, evaporator, and the like, which are connected by a refrigerant pipe along which the refrigerant flows when the air conditioner is operated.  
         [0007]     Recently, a multi-type air conditioner comprising a plurality of indoor units operated by a single outdoor unit has been increasingly used.  
         [0008]     In the conventional multi-type air conditioner, the refrigerant discharged from one or more compressors is gathered into a single refrigerant pipe, divided and then distributed into the respective indoor units by a refrigerant distributor.  
         [0009]      FIGS. 1 and 2  show the structure of a refrigerant distributing device of the conventional multi-type air conditioner.  
         [0010]     In  FIG. 1 , a conventional refrigerant distributing device comprises an inlet pipe  2  connected to an outdoor unit to supply a refrigerant, a distributor  1  to distribute the refrigerant induced through the inlet pipe  2 , and a plurality of outlet pipes  3  to guide the refrigerant distributed by the distributor  1  to a plurality of indoor units.  
         [0011]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the distributor  1  comprises a single inlet port  1   a,  and a plurality of outlet ports  1   b . The inlet port  1   a  is connected with the inlet pipe  2  (see  FIG. 1 ), and the outlet ports  1   b  are connected with the outlet pipes  3  (see  FIG. 1 ).  
         [0012]     The distributor  1  has a plurality of flow paths  1   c  branched therein to allow the refrigerant induced through the inlet port  1   a  to be distributed to the respective outlet ports  1   b . Thus, when the refrigerant is supplied to the inlet port  1   a  through the inlet pipe  2 , the refrigerant is divided by the respective flow paths  1   c  within the distributor  1 , and is distributed to the respective outlet ports  1   b . Then, the refrigerant is supplied to the respective indoor units through the outlet pipes  3 .  
         [0013]     However, such a conventional refrigerant distributing device has problems as follows.  
         [0014]     First, the refrigerant flowing into the distributor  1  through the inlet pipe  2  comprises a liquid refrigerant and a gaseous refrigerant. In the refrigerant, the gaseous refrigerant having a low specific gravity tends to flow through an upper flow path of the flow paths in the distributor  1 , while the liquid refrigerant tends to flow through a lower flow path within the distributor  1 .  
         [0015]     As a result, the refrigerant is unevenly distributed through the respective flow paths  1   c  of the distributor  1 , causing uneven heat exchanging efficiency of the indoor units.  
         [0016]     Second, the conventional refrigerant distributing device cannot adjust an amount of refrigerant supplied through the respective outlet pipes. As a result, the conventional refrigerant distributing device has a problem in that the amount of refrigerant cannot be suitably distributed according to cooling capacity of the indoor units located in respective rooms.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0017]     Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a refrigerant distributing device for a multi-type air conditioner that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.  
         [0018]     An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerant distributing device for a multi-type air conditioner, which can discharge an evenly mixed refrigerant irrespective of an installation position of indoor units or a state of the refrigerant.  
         [0019]     It is another object of the present invention to provide the refrigerant distributing device for the multi-type air conditioner, which can supply the refrigerant after uniformly mixing the refrigerant, an amount of which is suitably adjusted according to cooling capacity of indoor units installed in respective rooms.  
         [0020]     Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.  
         [0021]     To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a refrigerant distributing device for a multi-type air conditioner, comprising: an inlet pipe to supply a refrigerant; a distributor comprising an inlet port connected with the inlet pipe and a plurality of outlet ports branched with a plurality of flow paths from the inlet port to discharge the refrigerant having been drawn to an outside; a plurality of outlet pipes to separately guide the refrigerant discharged from the distributor to a plurality of indoor units; and a plurality of connecting pipes to selectively connect at least one outlet ports of the distributor and each outlet pipe, for adjusting the amount of refrigerant supplied to each outlet pipe based on the capacity of each indoor unit connected with each outlet pipe.  
         [0022]     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a refrigerant distributing device for a multi-type air conditioner comprises: an inlet pipe to supply a refrigerant; a distributor comprising an inlet port connected with the inlet pipe, a mix zone having a predetermined space formed therein such that the refrigerant induced through the inlet port forms a vortex flow within the mix zone so as to be evenly mixed, and a plurality of outlet ports separably connected with the mix zone to discharge the refrigerant having passed through the mix zone to an outside; and a plurality of outlet pipes to separately guide the refrigerant discharged through the outlet ports of the distributor to a plurality of indoor units.  
         [0023]     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a refrigerant distributing device for a multi-type air conditioner comprises: an inlet pipe to supply a refrigerant; a distributor comprising an inlet port connected with the inlet pipe, a mix zone having a plurality of grooves formed in a spiral shape on an inner surface thereof such that the refrigerant induced through the inlet port forms a vortex flow so as to be evenly mixed within the mix zone, and a plurality of outlet ports in a spiral shape in an axial direction from inner ends connected with the grooves to the outlets thereof and seperatably connected with the respective grooves of the mix zone to divide and discharge the refrigerant having passed through the mix zone to an outside;  
         [0024]     a plurality of outlet pipes to separately guide the refrigerant discharged through the outlet ports of the distributor to a plurality of indoor units; and a plurality of connecting pipes to selectively connect the respective outlet pipes with at least one outlet port of the distributor.  
         [0025]     It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0026]     The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention. In the drawings:  
         [0027]      FIG. 1  is a view illustrating the structure of a conventional refrigerant distributing device for an air conditioner;  
         [0028]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view illustrating an inner structure of the refrigerant distributing device shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0029]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view illustrating the construction of a multi-type air conditioner in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0030]      FIG. 4  is a constructional view illustrating the multi-type air conditioner in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0031]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view illustrating one embodiment of a distributor of the refrigerant distributing device in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0032]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the distributor shown in  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0033]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the shape of a mix zone of the distributor shown in  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0034]      FIG. 8  is a view illustrating the distributor shown in  FIG. 5  in which the distributor is shown at a side of outlet ports;  
         [0035]      FIG. 9  is a view illustrating one example of a branch structure of the refrigerant distributing device for the multi-type air conditioner in accordance with the present invention; and  
         [0036]      FIG. 10  is a view illustrating another example of a branch structure of the refrigerant distributing device for the multi-type air conditioner in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0037]     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.  
         [0038]     First, as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a multi-type air conditioner according to the present invention comprises multiple indoor units  10 , and an outdoor unit  20 . The indoor units  10  are installed in respective rooms, and the outdoor unit  20  is connected with the indoor units  10  via refrigerant pipes and a distributor  30 .  
         [0039]     Each of the indoor units  10  comprises an indoor heat exchanger  12  by which heat exchange is performed between indoor air and a refrigerant.  
         [0040]     The outdoor unit  20  comprises an outdoor heat exchanger  22  by which heat exchange is performed between outdoor air and the refrigerant, a compressor  24  to compress and supply the refrigerant, and a four-way valve  28  to selectively supply the refrigerant compressed by the compressor  24  to the indoor heat exchangers  12  or the outdoor heat exchanger  22 .  
         [0041]     Operation of the multi-type air conditioner will be described hereinafter.  
         [0042]     First, after being compressed by the compressor  24 , the refrigerant passes through the four-way valve  28 . At this time, a controller (not shown) of the multi-type air conditioner controls the four-way valve  28  according to an operation mode of the air conditioner to force the refrigerant to flow towards the outdoor heat exchanger  22  or towards the indoor heat exchangers  12 .  
         [0043]     For example, when the multi-type air conditioner is operated in a cooling mode, the four-way valve  28  allows the refrigerant to be supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger  22  such that the outdoor heat exchanger  22  can be operated as a condenser. On the other hand, when the multi-type air conditioner is operated in a heating mode, the four-way valve  28  allows the refrigerant to be supplied to the indoor heat exchangers  12  such that the indoor heat exchangers  12  can be operated as the condenser.  
         [0044]     When the multi-type air conditioner is operated in the cooling mode, the refrigerant supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger  22  through the compressor  24  condenses via condensation. Then, the condensed refrigerant expands via an expansion valve (not shown), and is supplied to each indoor heat exchanger  12  installed in each room. After being supplied to the indoor heat exchanger  12 , the refrigerant evaporates while being heat-exchanged with indoor air, thereby cooling the room.  
         [0045]     On the other hand, when the multi-type air conditioner is operated in the heating mode, the refrigerant supplied to each indoor heat exchanger  12  through the compressor  24  condenses via heat exchange with indoor air. During condensation of the refrigerant, the refrigerant emits heat into the room, thereby heating the room.  
         [0046]     Meanwhile, as described above, it is necessary for the multi-type air conditioner to suitably distribute the refrigerant supplied from the single outdoor unit to the plural indoor units  10 . The distributor  30  performs the function of distributing the refrigerant. After receiving the refrigerant supplied through an inlet pipe  40  connected with the outdoor unit  20 , the distributor  30  evenly mixes the refrigerant, and appropriately distributes the mixed refrigerant to outlet pipes  60  connected with the respective indoor units  10 .  
         [0047]     The structure and operation of the distributor  30  will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.  5  to  8  hereinafter.  
         [0048]     The inlet pipe  40  is connected with an inlet of the distributor  30 , and the plural outlet pipes  60 ,  62  and  64  are connected with an outlet of the distributor  30 . The outlet pipes  60 ,  62  and  64  are connected with the distributor  30  by a plurality of connecting pipes  50 .  
         [0049]     The distributor  30  has a substantially cone shape. The distributor  30  has a single flow path formed at the inlet connected with the inlet pipe  40 , and a plurality of flow paths formed at the outlet connected with the connecting pipes  50 .  
         [0050]     More specifically, the distributor  30  comprises an inlet port  32  formed at a portion thereof with which the inlet pipe  40  is connected, a mix zone  34  to uniformly mix the refrigerant having flown through the inlet port  32 , and a plurality of outlet ports  36  to divide the refrigerant having passed through the mix zone  34 .  
         [0051]     The mix zone  34  has a plurality of grooves  38  formed in a spiral shape on an inner surface thereof such that the refrigerant induced through the inlet port  32  flows in a spiral shape in the mix zone  34 . Here, the respective spiral grooves  38  are communicated with each other, and have outlet ports which are correspondingly in communication with inner ends of the respective outlet ports  36 .  
         [0052]     In other words, each of the spiral grooves  38  forms a continuous flow path along with each of the outlet ports  36 . Here, the outlet ports of the spiral grooves  38  are divided from each other at portions connected with the respective outlet ports  36 .  
         [0053]     As such, the mix zone  34  is a space to uniformly mix the refrigerant induced through the inlet port  32 , and is formed as the flow paths constituting the respective outlet ports  36  are communicated with each other.  
         [0054]     In addition, the flow paths of the outlet ports  36  branched from the outlet of the mix zone preferably have a spiral shape with respect to a central axis of the distributor  30 .  
         [0055]     Accordingly, the spiral flow paths are formed from the inlet of the mix zone  34  to the respective outlet ports  36 . Here, preferably, there is a phase difference of about 90 degrees between an inlet of each groove  38  of the mix zone  34  and an outlet of each outlet port  36  corresponding to each groove  38 .  
         [0056]     A mixing process of a refrigerant within the distributor  30  will be described as follows.  
         [0057]     First, when the refrigerant flows into the inlet ports  32 , the refrigerant is rotated by the grooves  38  in the mix zone  34 , and forms a vortex flow. At this time, since the respective grooves  38  are communicated with each other within the mix zone  34 , the refrigerant in each groove  38  is mixed with the refrigerant flowing through adjacent grooves  38  while flowing in a spiral shape.  
         [0058]     Accordingly, when the refrigerant mixture of a gaseous refrigerant and a liquid refrigerant is supplied to the distributor  30 , the distributor  30  allows the gaseous refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant to be evenly mixed via the vortex flow formed by the grooves  38  therein while preventing the refrigerant of a specific property from being biased to one side therein.  
         [0059]     After being evenly mixed through the mix zone  34 , the refrigerant is divided into the flow paths of the respective outlet pipes  60  at the outlet of the mix zone  34 , and then discharged to the outlet pipes  60  through the outlets of the respective outlet ports  36 .  
         [0060]     Meanwhile, the inlet port  32  is formed with a stopper  32   a  which blocks the inlet pipe  40  inserted thereto.  
         [0061]     In addition, distal ends of the plural outflow ports  36  are circumferentially arranged at a constant interval, and each of the outlet ports  32  is formed with a stopper  36   a  which blocks each of the connecting pipes  50  inserted thereto.  
         [0062]     The connecting pipes  50  are connected with the respective outlet ports  36  to guide the evenly mixed refrigerant towards the outlet pipes  60 ,  62  and  64 . Here, the connecting pipes  50  are connected with the outlet pipes  60 ,  62  and  64  in several bundles.  
         [0063]     The present invention can adjust an amount of refrigerant distributed to the respective outlet pipes  60 ,  62  and  64  through the distributor  30  according to connection relationship between the connecting pipes  50  and the outlet pipes  60 ,  62  and  64 .  
         [0064]     For example, as shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , when the number of outlet ports  36  is twelve, and the number of outlet pipes  60 ,  62  and  64  connected with the indoor heat exchangers  12  is three, four connecting pipes  50  are connected with each of the outlet pipes  60 ,  62  and  64  as a single bundle.  
         [0065]     In this case, preferably, among outlet ports shown in  FIG. 8  (here, twelve outlet ports are referred as first to twelfth outlet ports in the clockwise direction, and are indicated by reference numerals  36 - 1  to  36 - 12  for convenience of understanding), a first outlet pipe  60  is connected with the connecting pipes  50  which are connected with first, fourth, seventh and tenth outlet ports  36 - 1 ,  36 - 4 ,  36 - 7  and  36 - 10 , respectively, and a second outlet pipe  62  is connected with the connecting pipes  50  which are connected with second, fifth, eighth and eleventh outlet ports  36 - 2 ,  36 - 5 ,  36 - 8  and  36 - 11 , respectively. In addition, a third outlet pipe  64  is connected with the connecting pipes  50  which are connected with third, sixth, ninth and twelfth outlet ports  36 - 3 ,  36 - 6 ,  36 - 9  and  36 - 12 , respectively. With the outlet pipes connected with the connecting pipes in this order, the refrigerant can be evenly distributed from the respective outlet ports arranged in a circular shape.  
         [0066]     In addition, as shown in  FIGS. 8 and 10 , when the number of outlet pipes  60 ,  62  and  64  is three, and it is desired to distribute an amount of refrigerant at a ratio of 1:1:2 through the respective outlet pipes  60 ,  62  and  64 , three connecting pipes  50  are connected with the respective outlet pipes  60  and  62 , and other connecting pipes  50  are connected with the remaining outlet pipe  64 , thereby constituting uneven branches.  
         [0067]     In this case, the first outlet pipe  60  is connected with the connecting pipes  50  which are connected with the first, fifth and ninth outlet ports  36 - 1 ,  36 - 5  and  36 - 9 , respectively, and the second outlet pipe  62  is connected with the connecting pipes  50  which are connected with the second, sixth and tenth outlet ports  36 - 2 ,  36 - 6  and  36 - 10 , respectively. The third outlet pipe  64  is connected with the connecting pipes  50  which are connected with the third, forth, seventh, eighth, eleventh and twelfth outlet ports  36 - 3 ,  36 - 4 ,  36 - 7 ,  36 - 8 ,  36 - 11  and  36 - 12 , respectively.  
         [0068]     As apparent from the above description, one of the advantageous effects of the present invention is that, when the refrigerant flows into the mix zone through the inlet port of the distributor, the mix zone causes the refrigerant to flow in vortex, so that the refrigerant is distributed to the respective outlet ports after being evenly mixed in the mix zone, thereby preventing efficiency of heat-exchange from being lowered due to uneven distribution of the refrigerant into the respective indoor units.  
         [0069]     Accordingly, the refrigerant distributing device for the multi-type air conditioner according to the present invention has another advantageous effect in that the refrigerant distributing device can not only supply the refrigerant which is evenly mixed depending on the number of indoor units installed in the respective rooms, but also supply the refrigerant, an amount of which is suitably adjusted according to different capacities of the indoor units.  
         [0070]     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.