Air conditioner

{
  "publication_number": "US10184706B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Air conditioner",
  "abstract": "An air conditioner is provided. The air conditioner, which comprises a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger, a four-way valve, an accumulator, and an oil separator, and cools or heats a room by circulating a refrigerant. The air conditioner comprises a first block which is disposed on a first channel of the refrigerant between the oil separator and the four-way valve, and the first block is modular and includes a plurality of first control parts, and a second block which is disposed on a second channel of the refrigerant between the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger, and the second block is modular and includes a plurality of second control parts.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An air conditioner having a compressor, an oil separator, a four-way valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger, and an accumulator, and the air conditioner configured to cool or heat a room by circulating a refrigerant, the air conditioner comprising: a first block which is disposed on a first channel of the refrigerant between the oil separator and the four-way valve, the first block being modular and having a plurality of first control parts configured to control the refrigerant as the refrigerant passes through the first channel; and a second block which is disposed on a second channel of the refrigerant between the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger, the second block being modular and having a plurality of second control parts configured to control the refrigerant as the refrigerant passes through the second channel.",
    "2. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the first block comprises a first housing having a part of the plurality of first control parts fixed outside the first housing, and other parts of the plurality of first control parts disposed inside the first housing.",
    "3. The air conditioner of claim 2, wherein the first housing has a plurality of first communication parts protruding outside the first housing to communicate with the plurality of first control parts, and wherein a part of the plurality of first control parts is fixed to a part of the plurality of first communication parts by welding.",
    "4. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first control parts comprise at least one of a first check valve, a first solenoid valve, a high-pressure switch, and a high-pressure sensor.",
    "5. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the second block comprises a second housing having a part of the plurality of second control parts fixed outside the second housing, and other parts of the plurality of second control parts disposed inside the second housing.",
    "6. The air conditioner of claim 5, wherein the second housing has a plurality of second communication parts protruding outside the second housing to communicate with the plurality of second control parts, and wherein a part of the plurality of second control parts is fixed to a part of the plurality of second communication parts by welding.",
    "7. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the plurality of second control parts comprise at least one of a second check valve, a filter, a subcooler, a sub-expansion valve, a second solenoid valve, a third solenoid valve, and an outdoor expansion valve.",
    "8. The air conditioner of claim 1, further comprising: a third block which is disposed on a third channel of the refrigerant between the accumulator and the compressor, the third block being modular and having a plurality of third control parts.",
    "9. The air conditioner of claim 8, wherein the third block comprises a third housing having the plurality of third control parts fixed outside the third housing.",
    "10. The air conditioner of claim 9, wherein the third housing has a plurality of third communication parts protruding outside the third housing to communicate with the plurality of third control parts, and wherein the plurality of third control parts are fixed to the plurality of third communication parts by welding.",
    "11. The air conditioner of claim 8, wherein the plurality of third control parts comprise at least one of a low-pressure sensor and a fourth solenoid valve.",
    "12. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein plural compressors including the compressor are provided, wherein plural oil separators including the oil separator are provided to correspond with the plural compressors, and wherein the oil separators and the accumulator are fixed to each other and move in one body.",
    "13. The air conditioner of claim 12, wherein the oil separator is fixed to the accumulator by a bracket to be at a distance from the accumulator.",
    "14. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein a portion of the refrigerant which passes through the first bock has a higher temperature than that of another portion of the refrigerant which passes through the second block.",
    "15. The air conditioner of claim 8, wherein a portion of the refrigerant which passes through the first block has a higher temperature than that of another portion of the refrigerant which passes through the second block, and the other portion of the refrigerant which passes through the second block has a higher temperature than that of a respective portion of the refrigerant which passes through the third block."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "1. Field\n\nApparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to an air conditioner, and more particularly, to an air conditioner provided with a modularized block.\n\n2. Description of the Related Art\n\nAir conditioners are devices for cooling or heating a room by circulating a refrigerant between an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. In order to cool or heat, a refrigeration cycle is typically applied.\n\nThe outdoor unit of such an air conditioner includes a plurality of parts, such as a compressor, an oil separator, an accumulator, a four-way valve, an expansion valve, a check valve, a solenoid valve, etc., and these parts are connected with one another by means of a pipe. In this case, each of the parts receives a vibration of the compressor from the pipe directly or indirectly and thus vibrates. Therefore, the parts have their respective natural frequencies, and, if the parts have the same natural frequency, there is a problem that the pipe is broken due to a resonance phenomenon.\n\nA related-art method for preventing a pipe from being broken by minimizing such a resonance phenomenon is elongating the pipe connecting each part and configuring the pipe complexly. In addition, a welding operation is required to connect the pipe and the parts and a working space for the welding operation is required. Therefore, there is a problem that the size of the outdoor unit increases.\n\nTherefore, there is a limit to the size of the usable compressor due to an unnecessary space occupied by the pipe in the outdoor unit, and thus there is a limit to cooling and heating efficiency.",
  "cpc": [
    "F25B 49/02",
    "F24F 11/89",
    "F25B 13/00",
    "F25B 2400/075",
    "F25B 2400/077",
    "F25B 2400/13",
    "F25B 2500/13",
    "F25B 2500/18",
    "F25B 2500/31",
    "F25B 2600/0261",
    "F25B 2600/25",
    "F25B 2700/1931",
    "F25B 2700/1933"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "F25B 43/02",
    "F25B 13/00",
    "F25B 49/02"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Samsung Electronics Co Ltd"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Yong-Hyun Kil",
    "Jung-Ho Kim",
    "Hyun-woo Park",
    "Kyung-hoon Kim",
    "Kwang-Ho Choi"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2015-09-10",
  "publication_date": "2019-01-22",
  "grant_date": "2019-01-22",
  "priority_date": "2014-10-29",
  "application_number": "US-201514850429-A",
  "family_id": "54252081",
  "cited_by_count": 1,
  "citations": [
    "US3721475A",
    "US5996369A",
    "US20080006266A1",
    "US7162884B2",
    "US7591145B1",
    "US20080053121A1",
    "US8869549B2",
    "EP2578965A1"
  ]
}