Patent Description:
In general, an air conditioner is provided with an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, which are electrically connected such that electric signals can be transferred to each other. However, in case where a plurality of indoor units are connected in parallel to one outdoor unit or a refrigerant pipe is installed in a wall of a building and a plurality of indoor units are connected in parallel to the refrigerant pipe, it is usually difficult to electrically connect each of indoor units to outdoor units, number of which is less than the number of indoor units.

Accordingly, a communication technology for pipes is being currently introduced to allow electric signals to be transmitted and received using a refrigerant pipe, as a communication medium, which connects a plurality of indoor units to a less number of outdoor units. For example, a communication device for pipes may be configured such that both ends of a gas-side refrigerant pipe (hereinafter, referred to as 'gas pipe' and both ends of a liquid-side refrigerant pipe (hereinafter, referred to as liquid pipe' are connected to indoor units and an outdoor unit, respectively, in an insulating manner, and signal lines which are connected to a control board of the indoor units and a control board of the outdoor unit are connected to the gas pipe and the liquid pipe. Consequently, the gas pipe and the liquid pipe can be used as communication media between the indoor units and the outdoor unit.

Here, the refrigerant pipe is provided with a core assembly which is installed to increase communication performance. The core assembly is typically configured such that a pair of cores each having a semicircular section is accommodated in core holders and coupled to surround a refrigerant pipe, and the core holders are coupled to signal terminals which electrically connect the refrigerant pipe to each control board to each other. The signal terminals are fixed or detachably coupled to the core holders in a contact state with the refrigerant pipe.

<FIG> is a perspective view illustrating one example of the related art core assembly, and <FIG> is a sectional view illustrating a state that the core assembly of <FIG> is coupled to a pipe. As illustrated in <FIG>, the related art core assembly <NUM> includes cores <NUM> each provided with a pipe insertion recess 2a at a center thereof and having a semicircular sectional shape, core holders <NUM> each having a semicircular sectional shape and provided with a pipe insertion recess 3a, in which the corre-sponding core <NUM> is inserted, signal terminals <NUM> closely coupled onto both ends of an inner circumferential surface of one of the core holders <NUM>, respectively, and a terminal pin 3b provided on one end of an outer circumferential surface of the one of the core holder <NUM> and allowing a connection with a connector <NUM>, which is connected to each control board (not illustrated) via signal lines 5a.

In the core assembly <NUM> according to the related art, the core holders <NUM> are coupled to a gas pipe or a liquid pipe <NUM> (hereinafter, the gas pipe and the liquid pipe are collectively referred to as a refrigerant pipe and a reference numeral representatively denotes the liquid pipe) in a manner of surrounding the refrigerant pipe <NUM>, such that the signal terminals <NUM> are closely adhered between an inner circumferential surface of each core holder <NUM> and an outer circumferential surface of the refrigerant pipe <NUM>.

The terminal pin 3b is provided at the one of the core holder <NUM>, and an inner end of the terminal pin 3b is connected to the signal terminal <NUM>. An outer end of the terminal pin 3b is electrically connected to the connector <NUM> which is inserted into the terminal pin 3b for connection. Accordingly, the signal terminal <NUM> coupled to the core assembly <NUM> and the signal line 5a extending from each control board are electrically connected to each other, such that electric signals between the control boards are transferred to the refrigerant pipe <NUM>. <CIT> relates to an air conditioner that transmits signals using piping between an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, and more particularly to a core assembly of an air conditioner having an impedance to an electric signal. <CIT> relates to an air conditioner having a humidifying unit, in which the amount of humidity can be maintained and the overall diameter of the lines can be designed to be minimized. <CIT> relates to a piping communication system. <CIT> relates to a communication apparatus, air conditioning system having the same and communication method thereof using refrigerant pipes. <CIT> relates to a signal transmitting device of an air conditioner comprising a core assembly and a signal terminal. <CIT> relates to a core assembly for an air conditioner, and an air conditioner having the same.

In the related art core assembly, the electric signal can be smoothly transferred only when the signal terminal <NUM> keeps on contacted by the refrigerant pipe <NUM>. However, an assembly error of the core assembly <NUM>, deterioration of the pipe or vibration causes the signal terminal <NUM> to be completely separated or intermittently spaced from the re-frigerant pipe <NUM>, which results in a non-smooth signal transmission.

Also, the outdoor unit of the air conditioner is usually installed at an outside of a building. Accordingly, when the signal line 5a and the signal terminal <NUM> are connected to the terminal pin 3b, the connector <NUM> and the like, a breakdown or degradation of communication performance of the communication device is likely to be caused due to permeation of rainwater or foreign materials between the terminal pin 3b and the connector <NUM>.

Therefore, an aspect of the detailed description is to provide a communication device for pipes, which is capable of maintaining high communication performance even without a direct contact between a signal terminal and a refrigerant pipe, and an air conditioner having the same.

Another aspect of the detailed description is to provide a communication device for pipes, which is capable of preventing beforehand a breakdown or degradation of performance, caused due to rainwater or foreign materials even if being installed at an outside of a building, and an air conditioner having the same.

The invention is specified by the independent claim <NUM>.

Here, the core assembly may have an annular sectional shape with both ends open, and the signal line may be inserted through the core assembly from one side opening end to the other side opening end.

The signal line is wound by at least once on inner and outer circumferential surfaces of the core assembly.

The core assembly may be provided with at least one through hole formed along a lengthwise direction thereof.

The signal line is wound by passing through the inner circumferential surface of the core assembly and the through hole.

The core assembly has a core made of a magnetic material, and an inner circumferential surface of the core may face an outer circumferential surface of the refrigerant pipe. Also, the signal line is located between the inner circumferential surface of the core and the outer circumferential surface of the refrigerant pipe.

The core may have both side surfaces and an outer circumferential surface surrounded by a core holder made of an insulating material, and the core holder may be provided with a signal line mounting hole formed therethrough along a lengthwise direction thereof such that the signal line is inserted through the signal line mounting hole.

The signal line mounting hole may be formed through each of outer and inner portions of the core holder based on the core.

A communication device for pipes of an air conditioner may transmit and receive communication signals using induced electromotive force, which is generated by winding a signal line around a core assembly. This may facilitate for connection between the core assembly and the signal line, without the need of a direct contact between a signal terminal and a refrigerant pipe. In addition, as an inner diameter of a pipe insertion recess of the core assembly is greater than an outer diameter of a refrigerant pipe, one type of core assembly can be commonly applied to various standards of refrigerant pipes.

Also, even if the communication device is installed at the outside of a building, the connection between the signal line and the core assembly in the winding manner may prevent rainwater or foreign materials from permeating between the signal line and the core assembly, and accordingly prevent in advance a breakdown or degradation of communication performance due to the permeation.

In addition, the signal line may be fixedly inserted through a signal line mounting hole, which is formed through the core assembly, thereby preventing in advance a movement of the core assembly even though the refrigerant pipe vibrates.

Hereinafter, description will be given of a communication device for pipes (or a signal transmission device) of an air conditioner in accordance with one exemplary embodiment disclosed herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<FIG> is a block diagram illustrating one exemplary embodiment of an air conditioner having a communication device for pipes in accordance with the present invention.

As illustrated in <FIG>, an air conditioner according to one exemplary embodiment may include an outdoor unit <NUM> and an indoor unit <NUM>. The outdoor unit <NUM> and the indoor unit <NUM> may be located with interposing an outer wall of a building therebetween, and connected to each other through a gas pipe <NUM> and a liquid pipe <NUM>.

The outdoor unit <NUM> may include, within a case thereof, an outdoor unit-side heat exchanging unit <NUM>, an outdoor unit-side controller <NUM>, and an outdoor unit-side signal transfer unit <NUM>. The indoor unit <NUM> may include, within a case thereof, an indoor unit-side heat exchanging unit <NUM>, an indoor unit-side controller <NUM>, and an indoor unit-side signal transfer unit <NUM>.

Here, the outdoor unit-side controller <NUM> and the indoor unit-side controller <NUM> may exchange control signals through the medium of an alternating current (AC) signal. For example, an AC control signal which is output from the outdoor unit-side controller <NUM> may be transmitted to the indoor unit-side controller <NUM> through the gas pipe <NUM> or the liquid pipe <NUM> or both of the pipes <NUM> and <NUM> via the outdoor unit-side signal transfer unit <NUM>. On the other hand, an AC control signal which is output from the indoor unit-side controller <NUM> may be transmitted to the outdoor unit-side controller <NUM> through the gas pipe <NUM> or the liquid pipe <NUM> or both of the pipes <NUM> and <NUM> via the indoor unit-side signal transfer unit <NUM>.

<FIG> is a perspective view illustrating one exemplary embodiment of a core assembly of a signal transfer unit provided in an outdoor unit of the air conditioner illustrated in <FIG>, <FIG> is a front view illustrating a state that the core assembly illustrated in <FIG> is coupled to a pipe, and <FIG> is a sectional view taken along the line 'I-I' of <FIG>. Hereinafter, the outdoor unit-side signal transfer unit installed in the liquid pipe will be representatively described.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the signal transfer unit <NUM> according to this exemplary embodiment includes a core assembly <NUM> coupled to surround the liquid pipe <NUM>, and a signal line <NUM> wound around the core assembly <NUM> and having both ends connected to the outdoor unit-side controller <NUM>.

The core assembly <NUM> includes a core <NUM> made of a magnetic material and surrounding the liquid pipe <NUM>, and a core holder <NUM> accommodating the core <NUM> therein such that the core <NUM> keeps on surrounding the liquid pipe <NUM> and simultaneously the signal line <NUM> is located between the liquid pipe <NUM> and the core <NUM>.

The core <NUM> may be implemented with a pair of partial cores <NUM> and <NUM> each of which is made of a magnetic material to generate single turn winding inductance and has a semicircular sectional shape. However, the shape of the core <NUM> may be formed to have various sectional shapes, such as a <NUM>/<NUM> circular sectional shape, as well as the semicircular sectional shape.

The core <NUM> may be implemented as a troidal core. For example, a troidal core which has an inner radius R1, an outer radius R2, a height h, and magnetic permeability µ, has a self inductance L of L= (µh/2π ln (R2/R1) and an impedance of Z = j2πfL with respect to an AC signal of a frequency f. Therefore, with respect to an AC control signal transmitted by the outdoor unit-side controller <NUM>, a transmission line terminated with an impedance of <NUM>*Z is formed at the side of the outdoor unit-side heat exchanging unit <NUM> by an operation of the core through which the liquid pipe <NUM> penetrates. Therefore, when an AC signal flows along the liquid pipe <NUM> installed between the outdoor unit <NUM> and the indoor unit <NUM>, the AC signal exhibits an attenuation characteristic according to a distance due to a transmission line impedance Z<NUM> of the pipe itself. And, the transmission line impedance Z<NUM> is proportional to the distance, and an AC signal which is used for sensing a distance of the liquid pipe <NUM> has reduced signal strength by the transmission line impedance Z<NUM> and the signal transfer unit <NUM>. That is, if the impedance value of the signal transfer unit <NUM> and strength of AC control signals of transmitting and receiving ends are known, distance information may be obtained. Accordingly, the liquid pipe may be used as a transmission path of a distance sensing signal and this may allow for automatic calculation of a piping distance between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, which is used for calculating an amount of refrigerant.

The core holder <NUM> may also have a semicircular sectional shape, similar to the core <NUM>. The core holder <NUM> may be divided into two parts along a center axis of a lengthwise direction thereof, so as to be formed with a plurality of partial holders <NUM> and <NUM> which are assembled into a cylindrical shape with accommodating the core <NUM> therebetween. The pair of partial holders <NUM> and <NUM> may be coupled by hinges at one side thereof in a widthwise direction so as to be rotatable with respect to each other. On the other hand, the pair of partial holders <NUM> and <NUM> may be provided with a plurality of coupling grooves 121b and a plurality of coupling protrusions 122b at the other side thereof, respectively, such that the pair of partial holders <NUM> and <NUM> can be detachably coupled to each other. However, the core may be integrally molded with the core holder.

Here, the core <NUM> and the core holder <NUM> are provided with pipe insertion recesses 111a, 112a, 121a and 122a formed at a center thereof to surround the liquid pipe <NUM>. An inner diameter D2 of the pipe insertion recesses 111a and 112a may be formed greater than an outer diameter D1 of the liquid pipe <NUM>, so as to be commonly applied to various standards of pipes. Here, in order to prevent the core assembly <NUM> from freely spinning with respect to the liquid pipe <NUM>, an elastic member (not illustrated) for supporting the core assembly <NUM> onto the liquid pipe <NUM> may be installed between an inner circumferential surface of the core assembly <NUM> (namely, the pipe insertion recesses) and an outer circumferential surface of the liquid pipe <NUM>. The elastic member may be installed with a predetermined gap from along an inner circumferential surface of the core assembly such that a center of the elastic member and a center of the core assembly are aligned with each other. Or, the elastic member may be installed eccentric to one side of the inner circumferential surface of the core assembly such that the center of the elastic member is eccentric from the center of the core assembly.

Meanwhile, the core holder <NUM> is wound by the signal line <NUM>, without a separate signal terminal for electrical connection between the liquid pipe <NUM> and the signal line <NUM>. For example, the signal line <NUM> may be inserted from one side opening end 120a of the core holder <NUM>, extend along an inner circumferential surface of the pipe insertion recesses 121a and 122a and then drawn out through the other opening end 120b, such that both ends thereof are electrically connected to the outdoor unit-side controller <NUM>.

Instead of the connection between the signal line <NUM> and the outdoor unit-side controller <NUM> in a manner of inserting the signal line <NUM> into the one side opening end 120a of the core holder <NUM>, extending it through the pipe insertion recesses 121a and 122a and drawing it out through the other opening end 120b, in order to stably maintain the position of the signal line <NUM> and simultaneously increase induced electromotive force, the signal line <NUM> may also preferably be connected to the outdoor unit-side controller <NUM> after both ends thereof intersect with each other within the pipe insertion recesses 111a, 112a, 121a and 122a in a shape of surrounding the core holder <NUM> more than once from the outer circumferential surface to the inner circumferential surface of the core holder <NUM>.

A non-explained reference numeral 120c denotes a hinge.

Hereinafter, description will be given of operation effects of the communication device for pipes and the air conditioner according to the exemplary embodiments.

That is, while the partial holders <NUM> and <NUM> are open to both sides thereof based on the hinges 120c of the core holder <NUM>, the pipe insertion recess 112a of the one partial core <NUM> and the pipe insertion recess 122a of the one partial holder <NUM> are inserted to be aligned with the liquid pipe <NUM>.

Then, after winding the signal line <NUM> in a lengthwise direction of the core holder <NUM> along the pipe insertion recesses 111a and 121a of the other partial core <NUM> and partial holder <NUM>, the partial core <NUM> and the partial holder <NUM> are rotated toward the other partial core <NUM> and the partial holder <NUM>, and the coupling protrusions 122b of the other partial holder <NUM> are inserted into the coupling grooves 121b of the one partial holder <NUM> in an aligning manner.

A communication signal of the outdoor unit-side controller <NUM> which is applied through the signal line <NUM> coupled to the core assembly <NUM> may be transmitted to the liquid pipe <NUM> using the induced electromotive force of the magnetic core <NUM> (the Lenz's law), and a communication signal which is applied from the indoor unit-side controller <NUM> to the liquid pipe <NUM> may be induced on the signal line <NUM> to be received by the outdoor unit-side controller <NUM>.

In this manner, as the signal line is coupled to the core assembly in a non-contact manner other than a contact manner, the connection between the core assembly and the signal line may be facilitated. In addition, the inner diameter of the pipe insertion recess of the core assembly may be formed greater than the outer diameter of the liquid pipe. This may allow one type of core assembly to be commonly applied to various standards of liquid pipes.

Also, the coupling between the signal line and the core assembly in the winding manner may prevent rainwater or foreign materials from permeating between the signal line and the core assembly even if a device, such as the outdoor unit, is installed at the outside of a building, accordingly minimizing a breakdown or degradation of communication performance of the communication device for pipes, which may be caused due to the permeation.

Hereinafter, description will be given of another exemplary embodiment of a core holder wound with a signal line in a communication device for pipes according to the present disclosure. <FIG> is a perspective view illustrating another exemplary embedment of the core holder illustrated in <FIG>. <FIG> is a sectional view taken along the line II-II in a state that the core holder illustrated in <FIG> is mounted to a liquid pipe.

That is, the foregoing embodiment has illustrated that the signal line is wound on the core holder after being inserted through the pipe insertion recesses, but this embodiment illustrates that a signal line mounting hole is formed through the core holder in a lengthwise direction of the core holder such that the signal line can be firmly, stably coupled to the core holder by being wound on the core holder.

For example, referring to <FIG>, the core holder <NUM> according to this exemplary embodiment may be provided with at least one signal line mounting hole 121d formed through each of an inner portion and an outer portion of the core holder <NUM> based on the core <NUM>. The signal line <NUM> may be inserted into the signal line mounting hole 120d and firmly fixed thereto.

The signal line mounting hole 120d, as illustrated in <FIG>, may be formed in an arcuate shape such that the signal line can be wound therealong by plural times. In some cases, a plurality of signal line mounting holes may be formed along a circumferential direction of the core holder <NUM>, such that one string of signal line is inserted into each hole.

A configuration and operation effects of the core assembly according to this exemplary embodiment are the same or similar to those of the foregoing embodiment, so detailed description thereof will be omitted. Here, in this exemplary embodiment, the signal line may be inserted into the signal line mounting hole and firmly wound therealong, which may prevent the core assembly from moving even if a refrigerant pipe vibrates.

Claim 1:
A communication device for pipes of an air conditioner, the device comprising:
a refrigerant pipe (<NUM>) for connecting an outdoor unit (<NUM>) and an indoor unit (<NUM>) to each other;
a core assembly (<NUM>) comprising a core (<NUM>) made of a magnetic material and a core holder (<NUM>), the core assembly coupled to the refrigerant pipe (<NUM>) in a surrounding manner; and
a signal line (<NUM>) that is configured to transfer electric signals transmitted and received through the refrigerant pipe (<NUM>) to controllers (<NUM>, <NUM>) controlling the outdoor unit (<NUM>) and the indoor unit (<NUM>), respectively,
the signal line (<NUM>) is inserted between the outer circumferential surface of the refrigerant pipe (<NUM>) and an inner circumferential surface of the core assembly (<NUM>) facing the outer circumferential surface of the refrigerant pipe (<NUM>), and
the signal line is configured to be electrically connected to the controllers (<NUM>, <NUM>),
characterized in that
the signal line (<NUM>) is arranged within and outside a pipe insertion recesses (111a, 112a, 121a and 122a) of the core (<NUM>) and the core holder (<NUM>) in a shape of surrounding the core assembly (<NUM>) at least once from the outer circumferential surface to the inner circumferential surface of the core assembly (<NUM>).