Refrigeration – Reversible – i.e. – heat pump – With flow control or compressor details
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-04
2001-10-02
Doerrler, William (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Reversible, i.e., heat pump
With flow control or compressor details
C137S625430, C137S625290
Reexamination Certificate
active
06295828
ABSTRACT:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. §119 from my application entitled APPARATUS FOR SELECTING DIRECTIONAL REFRIGERANT PASSAGE OF A COOLING AND HEAT PUMP TYPE AIR-CONDITIONER filed with the Korean Industrial Property Office on Sep. 8, 1999 and there duly assigned Ser. No. 38189/1999.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a channel switching apparatus for switching a flow direction of a fluid, and more particularly to an apparatus for switching a refrigerant channel of an air conditioner having both cooling and warming functions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A refrigeration cycle in an air conditioner serves as a heating pump for a warming operation and a cooler for a cooling operation. Depending on a flow direction of a refrigerant, the air conditioner performs the cooling operation or the warming function by using a characteristic of the refrigeration cycle. Accordingly, the air conditioner having cooling and warming functions needs a refrigerant channel switching apparatus for switching the flow direction of the refrigerant and reversing the refrigeration cycle.
The refrigeration cycle of the air conditioner having cooling and warming functions is shown in
FIG. 1. A
compressor
1
compresses a refrigerant and discharges the compressed refrigerant into either an outdoor heat exchanger
2
or an indoor heat exchanger
4
. A refrigerant channel switching device
5
is disposed between compressor
1
and heat exchanger
2
or
4
to switch the flow direction of the refrigerant from compressor
1
to either outdoor heat exchanger
2
or indoor heat exchanger
4
or from either outdoor heat exchanger
2
or indoor heat exchanger
4
to compressor
1
. An expansion valve
3
is disposed between each output port of outdoor heat exchanger
2
and indoor heat exchanger
4
to connect the output ports and form a closed loop or a passageway of the refrigerant which is discharged from outdoor heat exchanger
2
or indoor heat exchanger
4
and a closed loop. A reference numeral
6
is an outdoor blower, and
7
is an indoor blower.
The refrigeration cycle initially performs the cooling operation, in which the refrigerant circulates in the direction of a solid arrow as shown in FIG.
1
. Accordingly, the refrigerant discharged from compressor
1
circulates through refrigerant channel switching device
5
, outdoor heat-exchanger
2
, expansion valve
3
, indoor heat-exchanger
4
, refrigerant channel switching device
5
, and compressor
1
. Thus, the cooling operation is performed by indoor heat-exchanger
4
while outdoor heat-exchanger
2
serves as a condenser, and indoor heat-exchanger
4
serves as evaporator.
For the warming operation, the flow direction of the refrigerant is reversely shifted by the refrigerant channel switching device
5
. Accordingly, the refrigerant circulates in the direction of a dotted arrow as shown on FIG.
1
. The refrigerant discharged from the compressor
1
circulates through refrigerant channel switching device
5
, indoor heat-exchanger
4
, expansion valve
3
, outdoor heat-exchanger
2
, refrigerant channel switching device
5
, and the compressor
1
. Thus, the warming operation is performed in indoor heat-exchanger
4
while outdoor heat-exchanger
2
serves as an evaporator, and indoor heat-exchanger
4
serves as a condenser.
The refrigerant channel switching device used in the air conditioner having cooling and warming functions must switch the flow direction of the refrigerant without leakage of the refrigerant and include a precise switching mechanism for matching the input ports and output ports of the device. The conventional refrigerant channel switching device has the drawback of a complicated assembling process due to a complicated structure and a great number of parts. Particularly, due to their structural characteristics, it is very difficult to manufacture parts of the mechanism, assemble the complicated apparatus, and maintain the precise switching operation of the apparatus.
Furthermore, the conventional refrigerant channel switching device has a deteriorated reliability rate of its valve when used for a long period of time because the mechanism has to maintain a secure contact between the mechanism and the ports of the apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved refrigerant channel switching apparatus suitable to an air conditioner having a cooling function and a warming function.
It is another object to provide an refrigerant channel switching apparatus capable of switching a cooling function to a warming function.
It is yet another object to provide an refrigerant channel switching apparatus which requires less number of parts and includes a significantly reduced number of parts.
It is still another object to provide an refrigerant channel switching apparatus capable of being simply assembled.
It is a further object to provide an refrigerant channel switching apparatus capable of accurately switching a flow direction of the refrigerant without leakage of the refrigerant.
It is another further object to provide an refrigerant channel switching apparatus capable of being sealed in an air conditioner having a cooling function and a warming function.
It is a still another further object to provide an refrigerant channel switching apparatus capable of reducing a noise generated from the apparatus during switching a flow direction of the refrigerant.
It is an also object to provide an refrigerant channel switching apparatus capable of maintaining high reliability of the apparatus for a long period of time in an air conditioner having a cooling function and a warming function.
These and other objects may be achieved by providing a refrigerant channel switching apparatus including a main valve body having at least one operation chamber and a direction shifting chamber; a channel switching member rotatably disposed in the main valve body to rotates in alternate directions for selectively switching the refrigerant channel of the direction shifting chamber; and a pilot valve for alternately rotating the channel switching member by using high pressure refrigerant.
First and second connecting ports formed on the operation chamber at equal intervals is connected to the pilot valve. A plurality of connecting ports are formed on the direction shifting chamber. A high pressure connecting port is connected to a refrigerant discharging port of a compressor, a low pressure connecting port is connected to a refrigerant suctioning port of the compressor, and bidirectional connecting ports are connected to indoor and outdoor heat-exchangers, respectively.
The channel switching member includes upper and lower plates spaced-apart from each other at a certain space interval. The center bar and the operational guide member are integrally formed on the upper plate and are positioned in the operation chamber. A chamber partition is integrally formed between the upper and lower plates and is positioned in direction shifting chamber. By the rotation of the channel switching member in alternate directions, the partition of the direction shifting chamber rotates about an axis passing through a center line of main valve body to shift the channel in the direction shifting chamber. By shifting the channel, the high pressure connecting port is communicated with either the indoor heat-exchanger connecting port or the outdoor heat-exchanger connecting port.
The pilot valve includes a cylindrical valve body, a piston movably disposed in the valve body to linearly move in a reciprocal manner, a spring elastically biasing the piston toward a certain direction, a solenoid coil attached to the outer circumference of the valve body to move the piston against the elastic force of the spring, and a plurality of connecting ports formed on an outer circumference of the vale body and spaced-apart from each other at equal space intervals. A third connecting port connected to
Bushnell, Esq. Rober E.
Doerrler William
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
Shulman Mark S.
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