FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
[See section 10, Rule 13]
DISTRIBUTOR, HEAT EXCHANGER AND AIR CONDITIONER
MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION, A CORPORATION ORGANISED AND
EXISTING UNDER THE LAWS OF JAPAN, WHOSE ADDRESS IS 7-3,
MARUNOUCHI 2-CHOME, CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO 100-8310, JAPAN
THE FOLLOWING SPECIFICATION PARTICULARLY DESCRIBES THE
INVENTION AND THE MANNER IN WHICH IT IS TO BE PERFORMED
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DESCRIPTION
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a distributor, a heat exchanger and an air
5 conditioner.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Conventionally, a distributor is configured to distribute refrigerant to each of a
plurality of heat transfer tubes with a space being interposed between the plurality of
heat transfer tubes. PTL 1 discloses a distributor in which a plurality of plate
10 members are stacked to form a flow path of refrigerant.
CITATION LIST
PATENT LITERATURE
[0003] PTL 1: Japanese Patent No. 6214789
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
15 TECHNICAL PROBLEM
[0004] As the number of the plate members laminated in the conventional distributor
increases, the distributor becomes larger in size.
[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a distributor, a heat exchanger
and an air conditioner, each of which is compact in size.
20 SOLUTION TO PROBLEM
[0006] The distributor of the present disclosure distributes refrigerant to each of a
plurality of heat transfer tubes with a space being interposed between the plurality of
heat transfer tubes. The distributor includes: a first flow path through which the
refrigerant flowing in from an inflow port flows in a first direction toward the heat
25 transfer tubes disposed on the side of an outflow port; two second flow paths branched
from the first flow path in a direction intersecting the first flow path; two third flow
paths, through each of which the refrigerant from a corresponding one of the two
second flow paths flows in a second direction opposite to the first direction; two fourth
flow paths, each of which is formed to protrude in the second direction from a main
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body of the distributor on the side of the inflow port, and through each of which the
refrigerant from a corresponding one of the two third flow paths flows in a third
direction intersecting each of the two third flow paths; and two fifth flow paths, through
each of which the refrigerant from a corresponding one of the two fourth flow paths
5 flows in the first direction.
ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION
[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a distributor, a heat
exchanger, and an air conditioner, each of which is compact in size.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
10 [0008] Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an air conditioner according to a first
embodiment;
Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating a heat exchanger according to the first
embodiment;
Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a distributor according to the
15 first embodiment;
Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating a flow of refrigerant;
Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating a flow of refrigerant;
Fig. 6 is a view illustrating a first plate member;
Fig. 7 is a view illustrating a cross section of the first plate member taken along
20 a line VII-VII; and
Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating a distributor according to a second embodiment.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail
with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments to be described below, when a
25 reference is made to a number, an amount or the like, the scope of the present
disclosure is not necessarily limited to the number, the amount or the like unless
otherwise specified. The same or equivalent components are denoted by the same
reference numerals, and the description thereof may not be repeated. It is intended
from the beginning that the embodiments may be combined appropriately.
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[0010] First Embodiment
Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an air conditioner 100 according to a first
embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating a heat exchanger 10 according to the
first embodiment. Fig. 1 illustrates the functional connection and arrangement of each
5 unit in the air conditioner 100, and does not necessarily define the physical connection
and arrangement of each unit. Hereinafter, the description will be carried out by
assuming that the heat exchanger according to the first embodiment is used in the air
conditioner 100, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the
heat exchanger may be used in a refrigeration cycle apparatus with a refrigerant
10 circulation circuit. Although the air conditioner 100 is described as being capable to
switch between a cooling operation and a heating operation, the air conditioner 100 is
not limited thereto, and may be configured to perform only the cooling operation or the
heating operation.
[0011]
15 The air conditioner 100 according to the first embodiment will be described in
detail. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the air conditioner 100 includes a compressor 21, a
four-way valve 22, an outdoor heat exchanger (heat exchanger on heat source side) 23,
a throttle device 24, an indoor heat exchanger (heat exchanger on load side) 25, an
outdoor fan (fan on heat source side) 26, an indoor fan (fan on load side) 27, and a
20 controller 28. The air conditioner 100 is constructed by an indoor unit 100A that
includes the indoor heat exchanger 25 and an outdoor unit 100B that includes the
outdoor heat exchanger 23 which are connected by an extension pipe 29. In the air
conditioner 100, the compressor 21, the four-way valve 22, the outdoor heat exchanger
23, the throttle device 24, and the indoor heat exchanger 25 are connected by
25 refrigerant pipes to form a refrigerant circulation circuit. In Fig. 1, the flow of
refrigerant during the cooling operation is indicated by dotted arrows, and the flow of
refrigerant during the heating operation is indicated by solid arrows.
[0012] The compressor 21, the four-way valve 22, the throttle device 24, the outdoor
fan 26, the indoor fan 27, various sensors and the like are connected to the controller 28.
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The controller 28 switches the flow path of the four-way valve 22 so as to switch the
cooling operation and the heating operation.
[0013] The flow of the refrigerant during the cooling operation will be described. The
high-pressure high-temperature gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 21
5 flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 23 through the four-way valve 22, and is
condensed by exchanging heat with air supplied by the outdoor fan 26. The
condensed refrigerant becomes a high-pressure liquid refrigerant, flows out from the
outdoor heat exchanger 23, and is converted into a low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase
refrigerant by the throttle device 24. The low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase
10 refrigerant flows into the indoor heat exchanger 25 and is evaporated by exchanging
heat with the air supplied by the indoor fan 27, thereby cooling the room. The
evaporated refrigerant becomes a low-pressure gas refrigerant, flows out from the
indoor heat exchanger 25, and is sucked into the compressor 21 through the four-way
valve 22.
15 [0014] The flow of the refrigerant during the heating operation will be described. The
high-pressure high-temperature gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 21
flows into the indoor heat exchanger 25 through the four-way valve 22, and is
condensed by exchanging heat with air supplied by the indoor fan 27, thereby heating
the room. The condensed refrigerant becomes a high-pressure liquid refrigerant,
20 flows out from the indoor heat exchanger 25, and is converted into a low-pressure gasliquid two-phase refrigerant by the throttle device 24. The low-pressure gas-liquid
two-phase refrigerant flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 23, and is evaporated by
exchanging heat with the air supplied by the outdoor fan 26. The evaporated
refrigerant becomes a low-pressure gas refrigerant, flows out from the outdoor heat
25 exchanger 23, and is sucked into the compressor 21 through the four-way valve 22.
[0015] The heat exchanger 10 illustrated in Fig. 2 is used as at least one of the outdoor
heat exchanger 23 and the indoor heat exchanger 25. When the heat exchanger 10
functions as an evaporator, the refrigerant flows in from the distributor 1 and flows out
to the header 2. When the heat exchanger 10 functions as an evaporator, the gas-
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liquid two-phase refrigerant flows from the refrigerant pipe into the distributor 1, and is
branched into each heat transfer tube 4 of the heat exchanger 10. When the heat
exchanger 10 functions as a condenser, the liquid refrigerant from each heat transfer
tube 4 flows into the distributor 1 and is merged therein, and then flows out into the
5 refrigerant pipe.
[0016]
The heat exchanger 10 according to the first embodiment will be described in
detail. In the following description, the distributor 1 is configured to distribute the
refrigerant into the heat exchanger 10, and however, the distributor 1 may be
10 configured to distribute the refrigerant into any other device. The configurations,
operations and the like to be described below are merely examples, and the distributor 1
is not limited to these configurations, operations and the like. Detailed structures will
be simplified or omitted as appropriate. The descriptions for the same or similar
components will be simplified or omitted as appropriate.
15 [0017] As illustrated in Fig. 2, the heat exchanger 10 includes the distributor 1, the
header 2, a plurality of fins 3, and a plurality of heat transfer tubes 4.
[0018] The distributor 1 includes one refrigerant inflow unit 1A and a plurality of
refrigerant outflow units 1B. The header 2 includes a plurality of refrigerant inflow
units 2A and one refrigerant outflow unit 2B. The refrigerant inflow unit 1A of the
20 distributor 1 and the refrigerant outflow unit 2B of the header 2 are connected to the
refrigerant pipes of the refrigeration cycle apparatus. The plurality of heat transfer
tubes 4 are connected between the refrigerant outflow unit 1B of the distributor 1 and
the refrigerant inflow unit 2A of the header 2.
[0019] Each heat transfer tube 4 is a flat tube with a plurality of flow paths formed
25 therein. Each heat transfer tube 4 is made of aluminum, for example. One end of
each heat transfer tube 4 on the side of the distributor 1 is connected to the refrigerant
outflow unit 1B of the distributor 1. The plurality of fins 3 are attached to the
plurality of heat transfer tubes 4. Each of the plurality of fins 3 is made of aluminum,
for example. The plurality of fins 3 are attached to the plurality of heat transfer tubes
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4 by brazing. Although Fig. 2 illustrates that the number of the plurality of heat
transfer tubes 4 is eight, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In addition, the
heat transfer tube 4 may have another shape such as a circular tube with a plurality of
flow paths formed therein. The heat transfer tubes 4 and the fins 3 may be made of
5 other metal such as copper.
[0020]
The flow of the refrigerant in the heat exchanger 10 according to the first
embodiment will be described below. When the heat exchanger 10 functions as an
evaporator, the refrigerant flown through the refrigerant pipe flows into the distributor
10 1 through the refrigerant inflow unit 1A and is distributed by the distributor 1 into the
plurality of heat transfer tubes 4 through the plurality of refrigerant outflow units 1B.
The refrigerant flowing in the plurality of heat transfer tubes 4 exchanges heat with air
or the like supplied by a blower. The refrigerant flown through the plurality of heat
transfer tubes 4 flows into the header 2 through the plurality of refrigerant inflow units
15 2A and is merged therein, and then flows out into the refrigerant pipe through the
refrigerant outflow unit 2B. When the heat exchanger 10 functions as a condenser,
the refrigerant flows in a direction opposite to the flow mentioned above.
[0021]
The configuration of the distributor 1 of the heat exchanger 10 according to the
20 first embodiment will be described below. Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view
illustrating the distributor 1 according to the first embodiment. As illustrated in Fig. 3,
the distributor 1 includes a first plate member 11, a second plate member 12, a third
plate member 13, a fourth plate member 14, and a fifth plate member 15. The first
plate member 11, the second plate member 12, the third plate member 13, the fourth
25 plate member 14 and the fifth plate member 15 are laminated and joined together by
brazing. Each of the first plate member 11, the second plate member 12, the third
plate member 13, the fourth plate member 14, and the fifth plate member 15 has a
thickness of, for example, about 1 to 10 mm, and is made of aluminum.
[0022] The first plate member 11 includes a plurality of convex portions 11A, 11B,
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11C, 11D, 11E and 11F, each of which protrudes frontward from the main body 111.
The first plate member includes an inflow pipe 1C protruding frontward and a
refrigerant inflow unit 1A connected to the inflow pipe 1C. The second plate member
12 is provided with a plurality of circular holes 12A, 12B, 12C, 12D and 12E. The
5 third plate member 13 is provided with long holes 13A and 13C extending in the leftright direction and S-shaped holes 13B and 13D. The fourth plate member 14 is
provided with long holes 14A, 14B, 14C and 14D extending in the left-right direction.
The fifth plate member 15 is provided with a plurality of through holes extending in the
left-right direction which serve as the plurality of refrigerant outflow units 1B.
10 [0023] Each plate member is processed by press working or cutting. The first plate
member 11 is processed, for example, by press working. Each of the second plate
member 12, the third plate member 13, the fourth plate member 14, and the fifth plate
member 15 is processed, for example, by cutting.
[0024] The distributor 1 is disposed in such a manner that the flow direction of the
15 refrigerant in each of the plurality of heat transfer tubes 4 connected to the heat
exchanger 10 is horizontal. The distributor 1 may be disposed in such a manner that
the flow direction of the refrigerant in each of the plurality of heat transfer tubes 4
connected to the heat exchanger 10 is vertical. The distributor 1 may be disposed in
such a manner that the flow direction of the refrigerant in each of the plurality of heat
20 transfer tubes 4 connected to the heat exchanger 10 is oblique.
[0025]
In Fig. 3, a part of the flow of the refrigerant is indicated by arrows. The
direction of each arrow indicates the flow direction of the refrigerant. Hereinafter, a
part of the flow of the refrigerant will be described. The refrigerant that has flown
25 through the inflow pipe 1C flows from the refrigerant inflow unit 1A into the hole 12A
of the second plate member 12, collides with the surface of the fourth plate member 14,
and thereby is branched in the left-right direction along the hole 13A of the third plate
member 13. The branched refrigerant flows through the hole 12B of the second plate
member 12 from the rear direction toward the front direction, and collides with the
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convex portion 11A and the convex portion 11B of the first plate member 11.
[0026] Among the refrigerant that collides with the convex portions, the refrigerant that
collides with the convex portion 11B of the first plate member 11 flows obliquely
downward along the convex portion 11B. The refrigerant flowing obliquely
5 downward flows through the hole 12C of the second plate member 12, collides with the
surface of the fourth plate member 14, and thereby is branched in the left-right
direction along the hole 13C of the third plate member 13. The branched refrigerant
flows through the hole 12D of the second plate member 12 from the rear direction
toward the front direction, and collides with the convex portion 11D and the convex
10 portion 11F of the first plate member 11.
[0027] Among the refrigerant that collides with the convex portions, the refrigerant that
collides with the convex portion 11F of the first plate member 11 flows obliquely
downward along the convex portion 11F. The refrigerant flowing obliquely
downward flows through the hole 12E of the second plate member 12, collides with the
15 surface of the fourth plate member 14, and thereby is branched into the upper side and
the lower side of the S shape along the hole 13D of the third plate member 13. The
refrigerant in the upper side of the S-shape flows through the hole 14C of the fourth
plate member 14, and then flows through the refrigerant outflow unit 1B of the fifth
plate member 15 into the heat transfer tube 4. The refrigerant in the lower side of the
20 S-shape flows through the hole 14D of the fourth plate member 14, and then flows
through the refrigerant outflow unit 1B of the fifth plate member 15 into the heat
transfer tube 4.
[0028]
The flow of the refrigerant in the distributor 1 will be described in detail with
25 reference to Figs. 4 and 5. Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrams illustrating the flow of the
refrigerant. In Fig. 4, arrows are used to schematically illustrate a flow path of the
refrigerant from a side direction of the distributor 1. In Fig. 4, a part of the flow path
is omitted for simplicity. As illustrated in Fig. 4, the first plate member 11, the second
plate member 12, the third plate member 13, the fourth plate member 14, and the fifth
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plate member 15 in the distributor 1 are stacked in this order from the front side to the
rear side. Regarding the convex portions of the first plate member 11, for the
convenience of explanation, the convex portion 11A, the convex portion 11B, the
convex portion 11E, and the convex portion 11F are illustrated, but the convex portion
5 11C and the convex portion 11D are not illustrated.
[0029] The refrigerant from the refrigerant inflow unit 1A flows through the first flow
path 30a in a direction from the front side to the rear side. The refrigerant flown
through the first flow path 30a is branched at the third plate member 13 (a first branch),
and thereby flows into the two second flow paths 30b which intersect the first flow path
10 30a. The refrigerant flown through the two second flow paths 30b flows into the two
third flow paths 30c in a direction from the rear side to the front side which is opposite
to the flow direction of the refrigerant in the first flow path 30a.
[0030] The refrigerant flown through the two third flow paths 30c is guided by the
convex portion 11A and the convex portion 11B of the first plate member 11, and
15 thereby flows into the two fourth flow paths 30d which intersect the two third flow
paths 30c. The refrigerant flown through the two fourth flow paths 30d flows into the
two fifth flow paths 30e in a direction from the front side to the rear side.
[0031] The refrigerant flown through the two fifth flow paths 30e is branched at the
third plate member 13 (a second branch), and thereby flows into the four sixth flow
20 paths 30f which intersect the two fifth flow paths 30e. The refrigerant flown through
the four sixth flow paths 30f flows into the four seventh flow paths 30g in a direction
from the rear side to the front side which is opposite to the flow direction of the
refrigerant in the fifth flow path 30e.
[0032] The refrigerant flown through the four seventh flow paths 30g is guided by the
25 convex portions 11E and the convex portions 11F of the first plate member 11 and the
convex portions 11C and the convex portions 11D (none is illustrated in Fig. 4) of the
first plate member 11, and thereby flows into the four eighth flow paths 30h which
intersect the four seventh flow paths 30g. The refrigerant flown through the four
eighth flow paths 30h flows into the four ninth flow paths 30i in a direction from the
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front side to the rear side.
[0033] The refrigerant flown through the four ninth flow paths 30i is branched at the
third plate member 13 (a third branch), and thereby flows into the eight tenth flow
paths 30j which intersect the four ninth flow paths 30i. The refrigerant flown through
5 the eight tenth flow paths 30j flows into the eight tenth flow paths 30k in a direction
from the front side to the rear side which is the same as the flow direction of the
refrigerant in the ninth flow paths 30i.
[0034] In order to clearly illustrate how the refrigerant is branched, the first plate
member 11, the second plate member 12, the third plate member 13, and the fourth
10 plate member 14 are unfolded and arranged side by side in Fig. 5. The refrigerant
flows in the first flow path 30a formed by the first plate member 11, the second plate
member 12, and the third plate member 13 in a direction from the front side to the rear
side. The refrigerant flown through the first flow path 30a flows into the two second
flow paths 30b formed in the third plate member 13 (the first branch).
15 [0035] The refrigerant flown through the two second flow paths 30b flows into the
third flow path 30c formed by the third plate member 13, the second plate member 12,
and the first plate member 11 in a direction from the rear side to the front side. The
refrigerant flown through the two third flow paths 30c flows into the two fourth flow
paths 30d formed in the first plate member 11.
20 [0036] The refrigerant flown through the two fourth flow paths 30d flows into the two
fifth flow paths 30e formed by the first plate member 11, the second plate member 12,
and the third plate member 13 in a direction from the front side to the rear side. The
refrigerant flown through the two fifth flow paths 30e flows into the four sixth flow
paths 30f formed in the third plate member 13 (the second branch).
25 [0037] The refrigerant flown through the four sixth flow paths 30f flows into the four
seventh flow paths 30g formed by the third plate member 13, the second plate member
12, and the first plate member 11 in a direction from the rear side to the front side.
The refrigerant flown through the four seventh flow paths 30g flows into the four
eighth flow paths 30h formed in the first plate member 11.
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[0038] The refrigerant flown through the four eighth flow paths 30h flows into the four
ninth flow paths 30i formed by the first plate member 11, the second plate member 12,
and the third plate member 13 in a direction from the front side to the rear side. The
refrigerant flown through the four ninth flow paths 30i flows into the eight tenth flow
5 paths 30j formed in the third plate member 13 (the third branch).
[0039] The refrigerant flown through the eight tenth flow paths 30j flows into the eight
eleventh flow paths 30k formed by the third plate member 13 and the fourth plate
member 14 in a direction from the front side to the rear side.
[0040]
10 The first plate member 11 according to the first embodiment will be described
below. Fig. 6 is a view illustrating the first plate member 11. Fig. 7 is a view
illustrating a cross section of the first plate member 11 taken along the line VII-VII in
Fig. 6.
[0041] As illustrated in Fig. 6, the first plate member 11 includes a refrigerant inflow
15 unit 1A formed by a through hole, and a plurality of convex portions 11A, 11B, 11C,
11D, 11E and 11F protruding from the main body 111 having a rectangular
parallelepiped shape.
[0042] As illustrated in Fig. 7, the cross section of the first plate member 11 taken
along line VII-VII includes a hole 114 and a hole 117 which are provided respectively
20 in two trapezoidal portions protruding from the main body 111 for the refrigerant to
flow through. An angle α formed between the main body 111 and a side surface 112
of the convex portion 11A is 90° or more. An angle β formed between the main body
111 and a side surface 115 of the convex portion 11C is 90° or more.
[0043] A corner 120 formed between the main body 111 and the side surface 112 of the
25 convex portion 11A has an arc shape. A corner 121 formed between the main body
111 and the side surface 115 of the convex portion 11C has an arc shape.
[0044] In the first plate member 11, an upper surface 113 of the convex portion 11A
and an upper surface 116 of the convex portion 11C have the same height. When a jig
is used to fix the distributor 1 to the heat transfer tube 4 by brazing, a pressure is
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applied from the upper surface of the first plate member 11. In the distributor 1, since
the heights of the upper surfaces of the respective convex portions are the same, the
pressure can be uniformly distributed. With such a configuration, it is possible for the
distributor 1 to prevent the brazing material from flowing into the flow path to interfere
5 with the distribution of the refrigerant, which makes it possible to improve the
performance of the heat exchanger 10.
[0045] When the heat exchanger 10 functions as an evaporator, the distributor 1 may
be configured in such a manner that the cross-sectional area of the eighth flow path 30h
provided as the hole 117 in the convex portion 11C is equal to or smaller than the
10 cross-sectional area of the fourth flow path 30d provided as the hole 114 in the convex
portion 11A. For example, as illustrated in Fig. 7, the cross-sectional area of the
eighth flow path 30h provided in the convex portion 11C is smaller than the crosssectional area of the fourth flow path 30d provided in the convex portion 11A.
[0046] In recent years, in order to reduce the amount of refrigerant and improve the
15 performance of a heat exchanger, the heat transfer tube has been made smaller. As the
heat transfer tube has been made smaller in the heat exchanger, a distributor is required
to be compatible with multi-branching. However, if the distributor is made
compatible with multi-branching, the distributor may become large in size, and thereby,
the performance of the heat exchanger is deteriorated due to a reduction in the
20 mounting area of the heat exchanger.
[0047] In the distributor 1 of the present disclosure, a plurality of convex portions 11A,
11B, 11C, 11D, 11E and 11F are formed on the first plate member 11. According to
the distributor 1 of the present disclosure, since the flow path is formed in the first plate
member 11 on the outermost side, it is possible to reduce the number of stacked plates.
25 Thus, according to the distributor 1 of the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the
mounting area of the heat exchanger by reducing the size of the distributor 1, which
makes it possible to improve the performance of the heat exchanger. According to the
distributor 1 of the present disclosure, it is possible to achieve weight reduction and
cost reduction by reducing the size of the distributor 1.
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[0048] Second Embodiment
Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating a distributor 110 according to a second
embodiment. The distributor 110 according to the second embodiment is formed by
connecting two distributors 1 according to the first embodiment in the vertical direction.
5 The flow of the refrigerant is the same as that in the first embodiment.
[0049] Since the refrigerant flows from two refrigerant inflow units, i.e., an upper
refrigerant inflow unit 1A and a lower refrigerant inflow unit 1A into the distributor
110, it is possible for the distributor 110 to distribute the refrigerant to more heat
transfer tubes 4.
10 [0050]
The present disclosure relates to a distributor 1 for distributing refrigerant to
each of a plurality of heat transfer tubes 4 with a space being interposed between the
plurality of heat transfer tubes 4. The distributor 1 at least includes: a first flow path
30a through which the refrigerant flowing in from a refrigerant inflow unit 1A flows in
15 a first direction toward the heat transfer tubes 4 disposed on the side of a refrigerant
outflow unit 1B; two second flow paths 30b branched from the first flow path 30a in a
direction intersecting the first flow path 30a; two third flow paths 30c, through each of
which the refrigerant from a corresponding one of the two second flow paths 30b flows
in a second direction opposite to the first direction; two fourth flow paths 30d, each of
20 which is formed to protrude in the second direction from a main body 111 of the
distributor 1 on the side of the refrigerant inflow unit 1A, and through each of which
the refrigerant from a corresponding one of the two third flow paths flows 30c in a third
direction intersecting each of the two third flow paths 30c; and two fifth flow paths 30e,
through each of which the refrigerant from a corresponding one of the two fourth flow
25 paths 30d flows in the first direction.
[0051] With such a configuration, a flow path protruding from the main body 111 in
the second direction is formed in the distributor 1. Therefore, it is possible to reduce
the size of the distributor 1 by reducing the overall thickness of the distributor 1 as
compared with a conventional distributor in which the flow path is formed by a through
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hole provided in the main body 111.
[0052] Preferably, the distributor 1 is disposed in such a manner that the flow direction
of the refrigerant in each of the plurality of heat transfer tubes 4 connected to the heat
exchanger 10 is horizontal.
5 [0053] With such a configuration, it is possible to reduce the size of the distributor 1 in
the horizontal direction.
[0054] Preferably, the distributor 1 further includes: four sixth flow paths 30f, two of
which are branched from one of the two fifth flow paths 30e in a direction intersecting
the fifth flow path 30e and the other two of which are branched from the other one of
10 the two fifth flow paths 30e in the direction intersecting the fifth flow path 30e; four
seventh flow paths 30g, through each of which the refrigerant from a corresponding
one of the four sixth flow paths 30f flows in the second direction; four eighth flow
paths 30h, each of which is formed to protrude in the second direction from the main
body 111 on the side of the refrigerant inflow unit 1A, and through each of which the
15 refrigerant from a corresponding one of the four seventh flow paths 30g flows in the
third direction intersecting each of the four seventh flow paths 30g; and four ninth flow
paths 30i, through each of which the refrigerant from a corresponding one of the four
eighth flow paths 30h flows in the first direction. When the heat exchanger 10
functions as an evaporator, in the distributor 1, the cross-sectional area of each of the
20 four eighth flow paths 30h is equal to or smaller than the cross-sectional area of each of
the two fourth flow paths 30d.
[0055] When the cross-sectional area of the flow path on the upstream side is the same
as that of the flow path on the downstream side, the flow volume of the refrigerant
decreases after each branch, and the flow velocity of the refrigerant on the downstream
25 side is lower than the flow velocity of the refrigerant on the upstream side. The
distributor 1 is configured in such a manner that the cross-sectional area of the flow
path on the downstream side is smaller than that of the flow path on the upstream side.
Thus, it is possible for the distributor 1 to prevent the refrigerant from being difficult to
flow upward due to gravity even when the flow volume of the refrigerant is reduced
- 16 -
due to repeated branches, which makes it possible to improve the flow velocity of the
refrigerant on the downstream side. Thus, the distributor 1 can distribute the
refrigerant uniformly to the flow path.
[0056] The distributor 1 has a convex portion 11A protruding outward from the main
5 body 111, and in a cross section orthogonal to the direction in which the refrigerant
flows through the two fourth flow paths 30d, an angle formed between the main body
111 and the side surface 112 of the convex portion 11A is 90° or more, and the corner
portion 121 formed between the main body 111 and the side surface 112 has an arc
shape.
10 [0057] With such a configuration, it is possible to improve the pressure resistance of
the distributor 1, and it is possible to reduce the size of the distributor 1 by reducing the
thickness of the first plate member 11.
[0058] The distributor 1 includes a first plate member 11, a second plate member 12, a
third plate member 13, a fourth plate member 14, and a fifth plate member 15, each of
15 which is provided with holes.
[0059] With such a configuration, it is possible to form a flow path of the refrigerant in
the distributor 1 by appropriately combining the holes of the respective plate members.
[0060] The heat exchanger 10 of the present disclosure includes the distributor 1 or the
distributor 110 described in the embodiment. With such a configuration, it is possible
20 to increase the mounting area of the heat exchanger 10 by an amount corresponding to
the reduced size of the distributor 1 or the distributor 110, which makes it impossible to
improve the performance of heat exchange.
[0061] The air conditioner 100 of the present disclosure includes the heat exchanger 10
described above. With such a configuration, it is possible to increase the mounting
25 area of the air conditioner 100 by an amount corresponding to the reduced size of the
distributor 1 or the distributor 110, which makes it impossible to improve the
performance of heat exchange.
[0062]
In the distributor 1, a plurality of convex portions 11A, 11B, 11C, 11D, 11E and
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11F protruding forward from the main body 111 of the first plate member 11 form flow
paths through which the refrigerant flows. In the distributor 1, a concave portion
where the plate member is cut out may be used as a flow path of the refrigerant. In
the distributor 1, instead of the convex portion, a pipe portion through which the
5 refrigerant flows may be connected to the main body 111. The distributor 1 may be
configured to include a combination of a convex portion, a concave portion, and a pipe
portion.
[0063] In the distributor 1, the height of the convex portion protruding forward from
the main body 111 of the first plate member 11 may be changed so that the cross10 sectional area on the downstream side becomes equal to or smaller than the crosssectional area on the upstream side. Specifically, in the distributor 1, it is only
required to make the height of the convex portion on the upstream side higher than the
height of the convex portion on the downstream side.
[0064] The distributor 1 may be configured to dispense with the fourth plate member
15 14 or the fifth plate member 15 among the first plate member 11, the second plate
member 12, the third plate member 13, the fourth plate member 14, and the fifth plate
member 15.
[0065] It should be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative
and non-restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is defined by
20 the terms of the claims rather than the description of the embodiments above, and is
intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the
terms of the claims.
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST
[0066] 1, 110: distributor; 1A, 2A: refrigerant inflow unit; 1B, 2B: refrigerant
25 outflow unit; 1C: inflow tube; 2: header; 3: fin; 4: heat transfer tube; 10: heat
exchanger; 11: first plate member; 12: second plate member; 13: third plate
member; 14: fourth plate member; 15: fifth plate member; 11A, 11B, 11C, 11D,
11E, 11F: convex portion; 12A, 12B, 12C, 12D, 12E, 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D, 14A, 14B,
14C, 14D, 114, 117: hole; 21: compressor; 22: 4-way valve; 23: outdoor heat
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exchanger; 24: device; 25: indoor heat exchanger; 26: outdoor fan; 27: indoor
fan; 28: controller; 29: extension pipe; 30a: first flow path; 30b: second flow
path; 30c: third flow path; 30d: fourth flow path; 30e: fifth flow path; 30f: sixth
flow path; 30g: seventh flow path; 30h: eighth flow path; 30i: ninth flow path;
5 30j: tenth flow path; 30k: eleventh flow path; 111: main body; 112, 115: side
surface; 113: top surface; 120, 121: corner
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WE CLAIM:
1. A distributor for distributing refrigerant to each of a plurality of heat
transfer tubes with a space being interposed between the plurality of heat transfer tubes,
5 the distributor at least comprising:
a first flow path through which the refrigerant flowing in from an inflow port
flows in a first direction toward the heat transfer tubes disposed on the side of an
outflow port;
two second flow paths branched from the first flow path in a direction
10 intersecting the first flow path;
two third flow paths, through each of which the refrigerant from a
corresponding one of the two second flow paths flows in a second direction opposite to
the first direction;
two fourth flow paths, each of which is formed to protrude in the second
15 direction from a main body of the distributor on the side of the inflow port, and through
each of which the refrigerant from a corresponding one of the two third flow paths
flows in a third direction intersecting each of the two third flow paths; and
two fifth flow paths, through each of which the refrigerant from a corresponding
one of the two fourth flow paths flows in the first direction.
20
2. The distributor according to claim 1, wherein
the distributor is disposed in such a manner that the flow direction of the
refrigerant in each of the plurality of heat transfer tubes connected to a heat exchanger
is horizontal.
25
3. The distributor according to claim 2, wherein
the distributor further includes:
four sixth flow paths, two of which are branched from one of the two fifth flow
paths in a direction intersecting the fifth flow path and the other two of which are
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branched from the other one of the two fifth flow paths in the direction intersecting the
fifth flow path;
four seventh flow paths, through each of which the refrigerant from a
corresponding one of the four sixth flow paths flows in the second direction;
5 four eighth flow paths, each of which is formed to protrude in the second
direction from the main body on the side of the inflow port, and through each of which
the refrigerant from a corresponding one of the four seventh flow paths flows in the
third direction intersecting each of the four seventh flow paths; and
four ninth flow paths, through each of which the refrigerant from a
10 corresponding one of the four eighth flow paths flows in the first direction,
when the heat exchanger functions as an evaporator, in the distributor, the
cross-sectional area of each of the four eighth flow paths is equal to or smaller than the
cross-sectional area of each of the two fourth flow paths.
15 4. The distributor according to claim 3, wherein
the distributor has a convex portion protruding outward from the main body,
in a cross section orthogonal to the direction in which the refrigerant flows
through the two fourth flow paths, an angle formed between the main body and a side
surface of the convex portion is 90° or more, and an intersection formed between the
20 main body and the side surface has an arc shape.
5. The distributor according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein
the distributor includes a plurality of plate members, each of which is provided
with holes.
25
6. A heat exchanger comprising the distributor according to any one of claims
1 to 5.
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7. An air conditioner comprising the heat exchanger according to claim 6.