JP6172258B2 - Exit switching valve and air conditioner using the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an outlet switching valve that switches a flow mode of a fluid or distributes fluid in multiple directions, and an air conditioner including the outlet switching valve.

  In order to divide the fluid flow into a plurality of parts, to return to the original flow, or to stop the progress thereof, a combination of a plurality of on-off valves and flow dividers is required, and the configuration becomes complicated. In particular, in the refrigeration cycle disclosed in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-267356) and Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-148830), the arrangement space of the on-off valve and the flow divider is limited. In addition, since the refrigerant flowing into the evaporator needs to be properly divided, the cost of routing work is increased.

  For this reason, it may be considered to employ a flow dividing control valve as disclosed in Patent Document 3 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-243299), but in recent years, a multi-pass evaporator that forms three or more passes is also available. It has appeared, and the aforementioned diversion control valve cannot cope with more than 3 passes.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a small outlet switching valve having a branching structure capable of branching a fluid into at least three and capable of selecting a plurality of flow paths, and an air conditioner including the same. There is to do.

An air conditioner according to a first aspect of the present invention is an air conditioner that uses a vapor compression refrigeration cycle in which refrigerant circulates in the order of a compressor, a condenser, a decompression mechanism, and an evaporator, An outlet switching valve connected to the evaporator, a drain pan disposed below the evaporator, and a control unit for controlling the outlet switching valve are provided. The outlet switching valve is an outlet switching valve in which an inlet and at least three outlets are formed, and includes a valve body and a rotation mechanism. The valve body selectively closes the flow path from the inlet to each outlet by rotating. The rotating mechanism rotates the valve body to switch the communication state between the inlet and each outlet. The control unit controls the rotation of the valve body through the rotation mechanism. The communication state includes a first state and a second state. The first state is a state in which the fluid flowing in from the inlet flows out from only one outlet. In the second state, the fluid that flows in from the inlet flows out from the three outlets. The evaporator has at least three paths through which the refrigerant flows. The refrigerant heading from the pressure reducing mechanism to the evaporator is guided to one or more paths by the outlet switching valve. When the outlet switching valve is in the first state, the refrigerant flows in a path closest to the drain pan.

In this air conditioner, the flow path is switched by the rotation of the valve body, the switching structure can be stored within a predetermined diameter range, and compared to a switching valve in which three or more outlets are arranged on a straight line, It is small. Therefore, since it has a flow dividing structure that can divide the fluid into at least three, and a plurality of modes of flow paths can be selected, the open / close valves and flow dividers that have been conventionally provided are aggregated, It is small in size, and it is possible to design a structure that allows easy piping work. Moreover, since the dew condensation water produced | generated with the heat exchanger tube of the path nearest to a drain pan reaches | attains a drain pan in a short time, it can prevent that dew condensation water re-evaporates by the time it reaches a drain pan.

  An air conditioner according to a second aspect of the present invention is an air conditioner that uses a vapor compression refrigeration cycle in which refrigerant circulates in the order of a compressor, a condenser, a decompression mechanism, and an evaporator, An outlet switching valve connected to the evaporator and a control unit for controlling the outlet switching valve are provided. The outlet switching valve is an outlet switching valve in which an inlet and at least three outlets are formed, and includes a valve body and a rotation mechanism. The valve body selectively closes the flow path from the inlet to each outlet by rotating. The rotating mechanism rotates the valve body to switch the communication state between the inlet and each outlet. The control unit controls the rotation of the valve body through the rotation mechanism. The communication state includes a first state and a second state. The first state is a state in which the fluid flowing in from the inlet flows out from only one outlet. In the second state, the fluid that flows in from the inlet flows out from the three outlets. The evaporator has at least three paths through which the refrigerant flows. The refrigerant heading from the pressure reducing mechanism to the evaporator is guided to one or more paths by the outlet switching valve. The height position of the inlet of the path into which the refrigerant exiting the outlet switching valve is introduced is lower than the outlet of the path.

  In this air conditioner, the flow path is switched by the rotation of the valve body, the switching structure can be stored within a predetermined diameter range, and compared to a switching valve in which three or more outlets are arranged on a straight line, It is small. Therefore, since it has a flow dividing structure that can divide the fluid into at least three, and a plurality of modes of flow paths can be selected, the open / close valves and flow dividers that have been conventionally provided are aggregated, It is small in size, and it is possible to design a structure that allows easy piping work. Further, since the refrigerant flows from a low pass position to a high pass position, dew condensation during dehumidification occurs on the low pass position side. That is, the dew condensation water is generated at a position closer to the drain pan and reaches the drain pan in a relatively short time, so that the dew condensation water can be prevented from re-evaporating before reaching the drain pan.

An air conditioner according to the third aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner according to the first aspect or the second aspect, the outlet switching valve, fluid flowing from the inlet (9) is gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant .

In this air conditioner , since the outlet switching valve distributes the fluid to each outlet, the air conditioner is useful as a flow divider for the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant.

An air conditioner according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner according to the first aspect or the second aspect, the outlet switching valve, the outlet are arranged at equal intervals from the inlet to the same distance .

In this air conditioner , since all the flow paths from the fluid inlet to each outlet of the outlet switching valve can be set to be equal, there is no variation in flow resistance for each flow path, and drift is suppressed.

An air conditioner pertaining to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the first aspect comprises the air conditioner according to any one of the fourth aspect, the outlet switching valve, end extends in the vertical direction is connected to an inlet further includes an inlet tube that.

In this air conditioner , the fluid entering the valve body of the outlet switching valve is evenly affected by the gravitational acceleration until just before the inlet, so for example, when the refrigerant is in a gas-liquid two-phase state, Compared to the valve that introduces fluid from the front, back, left, and right of the intersection, the gas and liquid are diverted in an evenly mixed state.

An air conditioner according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner according to any one of the first aspect to the fifth aspect , and the control unit is configured such that the temperature of the air-conditioning target space is a predetermined temperature during the cooling operation. The communication state of the outlet switching valve is set to the second state until the value reaches. Further, the control unit sets the communication state of the outlet switching valve to the first state after the temperature of the air-conditioning target space reaches a predetermined temperature during the cooling operation.

  In this air conditioner, the second state of flowing in multiple passes to maintain high sensible heat capacity via the outlet switching valve, and the first state of flowing in one path to dehumidify while suppressing excessive sensible heat capacity. Since it can be switched selectively to the state, an appropriate refrigerant flow can be formed according to the cooling sensible heat load.

  An air conditioner according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner according to the sixth aspect, wherein the communication state of the outlet switching valve is such that the refrigerant flowing from the inlet flows out from only the two outlets, and 2 It further includes a third state in which the refrigerant flows through only one path. The controller switches the communication state of the outlet switching valve from the second state to the third state before the temperature of the air-conditioning target space reaches a predetermined temperature.

  In this air conditioner, the second state of flowing in multiple passes to maintain high sensible heat capacity via the outlet switching valve, the third state of flowing in two paths to suppress sensible heat capacity, In order to dehumidify while suppressing the sensible heat capacity, it is possible to selectively switch to the first state that flows through one path, so that an appropriate refrigerant flow can be formed according to the cooling sensible heat load.

In the air conditioner pertaining to an eighth aspect of the present invention, the first aspect comprises the air conditioner according to any one of the fourth aspect, the outlet switching valve, the rotation on the side opposite to the inlet across the valve body The mechanism is arranged.

  In this air conditioner, piping connected to the outlet switching valve can be gathered on one side on the inlet side of the outlet switching valve, so that piping work is facilitated.

In the air conditioner according to the first aspect of the present invention, the flow path is switched by the rotation of the valve body, and the switching structure can be accommodated within a predetermined diameter range, and three or more outlets are arranged on a straight line. Compared to the switching valve to be used, it is small. Therefore, since it has a flow dividing structure that can divide the fluid into at least three, and a plurality of modes of flow paths can be selected, the open / close valves and flow dividers that have been conventionally provided are aggregated, It is small in size, and it is possible to design a structure that allows easy piping work. Moreover, since the dew condensation water produced | generated with the heat exchanger tube of the path nearest to a drain pan reaches | attains a drain pan in a short time, it can prevent that dew condensation water re-evaporates by the time it reaches a drain pan.

  In the air conditioner according to the second aspect of the present invention, the flow path is switched by the rotation of the valve body, and the switching structure can be accommodated within a predetermined diameter range, and three or more outlets are arranged on a straight line. Compared to the switching valve to be used, it is small. Therefore, since it has a flow dividing structure that can divide the fluid into at least three, and a plurality of modes of flow paths can be selected, the open / close valves and flow dividers that have been conventionally provided are aggregated, It is small in size, and it is possible to design a structure that allows easy piping work. Further, since the refrigerant flows from a low pass position to a high pass position, dew condensation during dehumidification occurs on the low pass position side. That is, the dew condensation water is generated at a position closer to the drain pan and reaches the drain pan in a relatively short time, so that the dew condensation water can be prevented from re-evaporating before reaching the drain pan.

In the air conditioner according to the third aspect of the present invention, the outlet switching valve distributes the fluid to each outlet, so that it is useful as a flow divider for the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant.

In the air conditioner according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since all the flow paths from the fluid inlet to each outlet of the outlet switching valve can be set to be equal, there is no variation in flow resistance for each flow path, and there is a drift. It is suppressed.

In the air conditioner according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the fluid entering the valve body of the outlet switching valve is equally affected by the gravitational acceleration until just before the inlet, so that, for example, the refrigerant was in a gas-liquid two-phase state. In some cases, the gas and liquid are diverted in an evenly mixed state as compared to a valve that introduces fluid from front, rear, left, and right that intersects the vertical direction.

  In the air conditioner according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, in order to dehumidify while suppressing the excessive sensible heat capacity, the second state flowing through multiple passes to maintain high sensible heat capacity via the outlet switching valve. Since it can selectively switch to the first state that flows in one path, an appropriate refrigerant flow can be formed according to the cooling sensible heat load.

  In the air conditioner according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the second state flows through multiple passes to maintain high sensible heat capacity via the outlet switching valve, and two passes to suppress sensible heat capacity. Since it is possible to selectively switch between the third state to flow and the first state to flow in one pass in order to dehumidify while suppressing excessive sensible heat capacity, an appropriate refrigerant flow according to the cooling sensible heat load Can be formed.

In the air conditioner according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, piping connected to the outlet switching valve can be gathered on one side on the inlet side of the outlet switching valve, thereby facilitating piping operation.

The block diagram of the air conditioner which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. Schematic which shows the path | route through which the refrigerant | coolant divided by the exit switching valve flows into each path | pass of an indoor heat exchanger. The perspective view of the flow-path switching valve used for the air conditioner which concerns on this embodiment. The exploded sectional view of an outlet change valve. Sectional drawing of the said outlet switching valve which shows the positional relationship of each outlet of a main body at the time of all the path | pass distribution states of an outlet switching valve, and each valve body outlet of a valve body. Sectional drawing of the said outlet switching valve which shows the positional relationship of each outlet of a main body and each valve body outlet of a valve body at the time of the 2 path | pass distribution state of an outlet switching valve. Sectional drawing of the said outlet switching valve which shows the positional relationship of each outlet of a main body at the time of 1 path | pass distribution state of an outlet switching valve, and each valve body outlet of a valve body. The graph which shows the operation | movement of air_conditionaing | cooling operation.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are specific examples of the present invention and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

(1) Overall Configuration of Air Conditioner 100 FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an air conditioner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the air conditioner 100 includes an indoor unit 105 and an outdoor unit 103. The indoor unit 105 and the outdoor unit 103 are connected by a refrigerant communication pipe to constitute a vapor compression refrigerant circuit.

(2) Detailed configuration (2-1) Outdoor unit 103
The outdoor unit 103 is mainly installed outdoors, and is equipped with a four-way switching valve 63, a compressor 65, an outdoor heat exchanger 67, and an expansion valve 69.

(2-1-1) Four-way selector valve 63
The four-way switching valve 63 is a valve that switches the direction of the refrigerant flow when switching between the cooling operation and the heating operation. During the cooling operation, the four-way switching valve 63 connects the discharge side of the compressor 65 and the gas side of the outdoor heat exchanger 67 and connects the suction side of the compressor 65 and the gas side of the indoor heat exchanger 61. . During the heating operation, the four-way selector valve 63 connects the discharge side of the compressor 65 and the gas side of the indoor heat exchanger 61 and connects the suction side of the compressor 65 and the gas side of the outdoor heat exchanger 67. Connecting.

(2-1-2) Compressor 65
The compressor 65 is a variable capacity compressor adopting an inverter system, and sucks low-pressure gas refrigerant, compresses it into high-pressure gas refrigerant, and discharges it.

(2-1-3) Expansion valve 69
The expansion valve 69 decompresses the high-pressure liquid refrigerant radiated in the indoor heat exchanger 61 before heating the outdoor heat exchanger 67 during the heating operation. Further, the expansion valve 69 reduces the pressure of the high-pressure liquid refrigerant radiated in the outdoor heat exchanger 67 before sending it to the indoor heat exchanger 61 during the cooling operation.

(2-1-4) Outdoor heat exchanger 67
The outdoor heat exchanger 67 is a heat exchanger that functions as a refrigerant condenser during the cooling operation and functions as a refrigerant evaporator during the heating operation.

(2-2) Indoor unit 105
The indoor unit 105 is equipped with an indoor heat exchanger 61 and an outlet switching valve 50.

(2-2-1) Indoor heat exchanger 61
The indoor heat exchanger 61 is a fin-and-tube heat exchanger, and heats air by functioning as a refrigerant condenser during heating operation. In the cooling operation, the air is cooled by functioning as a refrigerant evaporator. The indoor heat exchanger 61 has six paths through which the refrigerant flows.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating paths through which the refrigerant diverted by the outlet switching valve 50 flows through each path of the indoor heat exchanger 61. In FIG. 2, the indoor heat exchanger 61 has a substantially inverted V shape in which both ends are bent downward in a side view. A drain pan 73 is disposed below the indoor heat exchanger 61.

The indoor heat exchanger 61 includes six heat exchange units, and one path through which the refrigerant flows is formed for each heat exchange unit. For convenience of explanation, the six refrigerant paths are defined as the first path 611, the second path 612, the third path 613, the fourth path 614, the fifth path 615, and the sixth path 616 , and the path closest to the drain pan 73 is the first. One pass 611 is assumed.

(2-2-2) Outlet switching valve 50
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the outlet switching valve 50 used in the air conditioner 100 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 3, the outlet switching valve 50 includes a main body 10, a valve body 20, and a motor 30. The main body 10 is a hollow cylindrical member having one end closed and the other end opened. For convenience of explanation, the cylindrical portion is referred to as the body portion 10a of the main body 10, and the closed end portion is referred to as the bottom portion 10b.

  The bottom portion 10b is formed with seven holes that penetrate from the outer bottom surface to the inside of the trunk portion 10a, and pipes for pipe connection are fitted into each hole and brazed. One of these seven holes is a hole for introducing the refrigerant into the body portion 10 a and is referred to as an inlet 9. The other six are holes through which the refrigerant flows out, and are called the first outlet 11, the second outlet 12, the third outlet 13, the fourth outlet 14, the fifth outlet 15, and the sixth outlet 16, respectively.

  The pipes connected to the inlet 9, the first outlet 11, the second outlet 12, the third outlet 13, the fourth outlet 14, the fifth outlet 15, and the sixth outlet 16 are respectively connected to the inlet connecting pipe 9a, the first outlet. The outlet connection pipe 11a, the second outlet connection pipe 12a, the third outlet connection pipe 13a, the fourth outlet connection pipe 14a, the fifth outlet connection pipe 15a, and the sixth outlet connection pipe 16a are referred to.

(3) Detailed configuration of the outlet switching valve 50 FIG. 4 is an exploded sectional view of the outlet switching valve 50. In FIG. 4, the outlet switching valve 50 includes a main body 10, a valve body 20, a valve lid 27, and a motor 30.

(3-1) Main body 10
The main body 10 has a valve chamber 111 and a valve seat 113. The valve chamber 111 is a cylindrical cavity, in which the valve body 20 is accommodated, and the valve body 20 rotates along the circumferential surface of the valve chamber 111. The valve seat 113 points to the inner surface side of the bottom 10b of the main body 10, and includes an inlet 9 in the center and a first outlet 11, a second outlet 12, a third outlet 13, and a fourth outlet 14 so as to radially surround the inlet 9. , A fifth outlet 15 and a sixth outlet 16 are provided.

  Also, the inlet connection pipe 9a, the first outlet connection pipe 11a, the second outlet connection pipe 12a, the third outlet connection pipe 13a, the fourth outlet connection pipe 14a, the fifth outlet connection pipe 15a, and the sixth outlet connection pipe 16a are The main body 10 is brazed to the corresponding inlet or each outlet from the outer bottom surface side.

  The inlet connection pipe 9a is connected to the expansion valve 69. The first outlet connecting pipe 11a, the second outlet connecting pipe 12a, the third outlet connecting pipe 13a, the fourth outlet connecting pipe 14a, the fifth outlet connecting pipe 15a, and the sixth outlet connecting pipe 16a are each subjected to indoor heat exchange. The first path 611, the second path 612, the third path 613, the fourth path 614, the fifth path 615, and the sixth path 616 of the device 61 are connected.

(3-2) Valve body 20
The valve body 20 forms a hollow portion 20a by a valve body bottom portion 21 forming the bottom thereof, a valve body body portion 23 forming a circumferential wall of the valve body 20 and a valve body upper portion 25 forming a ceiling of the valve body 20. Yes.

(3-2-1) Valve body bottom 21
The valve body bottom portion 21 is provided with seven holes penetrating toward the hollow portion 20a. The seven holes are a valve body inlet 209 provided at the center of the valve body bottom 21, a first valve body outlet 211, a second valve body outlet 212, a third valve body outlet 213, They are the 4 valve body exit 214, the 5th valve body exit 215, and the 6th valve body exit 216 (refer to Drawing 5A-Drawing 5C).

  That is, the refrigerant that has entered the hollow portion 20a from the valve body inlet 209 is the first valve body outlet 211, the second valve body outlet 212, the third valve body outlet 213, the fourth valve body outlet 214, and the fifth valve body outlet 215. , And the sixth valve body outlet 216 exits through all or all of them.

  As for the shape of each valve body outlet, the first valve body outlet 211 is a long hole having a central angle of about 55 °, and the second valve body outlet 212 is a long hole having a central angle of about 35 °. Others are yen.

(3-2-2) Valve body trunk 23
When the valve body 20 rotates in the valve chamber 111 of the main body 10, the valve body body 23 rotates while sliding with the inner peripheral surface of the valve chamber 111.

(3-2-3) Upper valve body 25
The valve body upper part 25 corresponds to the lid of the valve body 20 and is fixed to the opening of the valve body body part 23 so as not to idle with respect to the valve body body part 23. Therefore, when the valve body upper part 25 rotates, the valve body 20 rotates.

  The valve body upper portion 25 has a refrigerant dispersion portion 251 and a power bearing 253. The refrigerant dispersion part 251 is a part that radially disperses the refrigerant flowing from the valve body inlet 209, and the surface facing the hollow part 20a corresponds to this in the present embodiment.

(3-2-3-1) Refrigerant dispersion unit 251
The refrigerant dispersion portion 251 has various forms such as a flat surface, a conical surface in which the center of the surface protrudes toward the hollow portion 20a, and a conical surface in which the center of the surface is recessed toward the side away from the hollow portion 20a. Represents a conical surface type in which the center of the projection protrudes toward the hollow portion 20a.

(3-2-3-2) Power bearing 253
The power bearing 253 is a bearing that protrudes toward the motor 30 from the center of the valve body upper portion 25, and receives the rotational force of the motor 30 to rotate the valve body 20. The power bearing 253 has a bearing hole 253a into which the rotating shaft 30a of the motor 30 is inserted.

(3-3) Valve lid 27
The valve lid 27 closes the valve chamber 111 and prevents the valve body 20 from being detached from the valve chamber 111.

  A through hole 27 a through which the power bearing 253 passes is provided in the center of the valve lid 27. The rotating shaft 30a of the motor 30 reaches the power bearing 253 of the valve body upper portion 25 through the through hole 27a.

(3-4) Motor 30
The motor 30 is a stepping motor or a gear motor that uses a stepping motor as a power source. The motor 30 of this embodiment is a stepping motor.

(4) Connection state of outlet switching valve 50 and indoor heat exchanger 61 In the outlet switching valve 50, the inlet 9 of the main body 10 and the valve body inlet 209 of the valve body 20 always face each other completely. Here, completely facing refers to a state in which one opening face entirely overlaps the other opening face.

  Further, the position of the valve body 20 with respect to the main body 10 depends on a preset position, that is, the first valve body outlet 211, the second valve body outlet 212, the third valve body outlet 213, the fourth valve of the valve body bottom 21. Body outlet 214, fifth valve body outlet 215, and sixth valve body outlet 216 and first outlet 11, second outlet 12, third outlet 13, fourth outlet 14, fifth outlet 15, and sixth of body 10 Depending on how to face the outlet 16, each path of the indoor heat exchanger 61 is switched to the all-pass circulation state, the two-pass circulation state, or the one-pass circulation state.

  In order to prevent the valve seat 113 and the valve body bottom portion 21 from being separated from each other by the dynamic pressure generated when the refrigerant flowing into the valve body 20 from the inlet 9 collides with the refrigerant dispersion portion 251, A compression coil spring 28 is interposed between the through hole 27a and the power bearing 253.

(4-1) All-pass flow state of outlet switching valve 50 FIG. 5A shows the positional relationship between each outlet of the main body 10 and each valve body outlet of the valve body 20 when the outlet switching valve 50 is in all-pass flow state. It is sectional drawing of an outlet switching valve.

  5A, when the position of the valve body outlet 211 is the first position, the first valve body outlet 211, the second valve body outlet 212, the third valve body outlet 213, and the fourth valve body outlet 214 of the valve body 20. The fifth valve body outlet 215 and the sixth valve body outlet 216 are respectively the first outlet 11, the second outlet 12, the third outlet 13, the fourth outlet 14, the fifth outlet 15, and the sixth outlet 16 of the main body 10. Completely confront.

  This is called the all-pass flow state of the outlet switching valve 50. Here, when the first position is defined, the counterclockwise end of the valve body outlet 211 coincides with the counterclockwise end of the first outlet 11 of the main body 10.

  When the outlet switching valve 50 is in the all-pass flow state, the refrigerant flowing from the inlet 9 is the first outlet 11, the second outlet 12, the third outlet 13, the fourth outlet 14, the fifth outlet 15, and the sixth outlet. 16 flows to the first path 611, the second path 612, the third path 613, the fourth path 614, the fifth path 615, and the sixth path 616 of the indoor heat exchanger 61.

(4-2) Two-pass flow state of outlet switching valve 50 FIG. 5B shows the positional relationship between the outlets of the main body 10 and the valve body outlets of the valve body 20 when the outlet switching valve 50 is in a two-pass flow state. It is sectional drawing of the said outlet switching valve shown.

  In FIG. 5B, when the position of the valve body outlet 211 is the second position, the first valve body outlet 211 and the second valve body outlet 212 of the valve body 20 are respectively the first outlet 11 and the second outlet of the main body 10. Fully confront with each of the twelve.

  This is called a two-pass flow state of the outlet switching valve 50. Here, when the second position is defined, the clockwise end of the valve body outlet 212 coincides with the clockwise end of the second outlet 12 of the main body 10.

  When the outlet switching valve 50 is in a two-pass circulation state, the refrigerant flowing from the inlet 9 flows from the first outlet 11 and the second outlet 12 to the first path 611 and the second path 612 of the indoor heat exchanger 61, respectively.

(4-3) One-pass flow state of outlet switching valve 50 Furthermore, FIG. 5C shows the positional relationship between each outlet of the main body 10 and each valve body outlet of the valve body 20 when the outlet switching valve 50 is in a one-pass flow state. It is sectional drawing of the said outlet switching valve shown.

  In FIG. 5C, when the position of the valve body outlet 211 is the third position, the first valve body outlet 211 of the valve body bottom 21 completely faces the first outlet 11 of the main body 10.

  This is called a one-pass flow state of the outlet switching valve 50. Here, when the third position is defined, the clockwise end of the valve body outlet 211 coincides with the clockwise end of the first outlet 11 of the main body 10.

  When the outlet switching valve 50 is in a one-pass circulation state, the refrigerant flowing from the inlet 9 flows from the first outlet 11 to the first path 611 of the indoor heat exchanger 61.

(5) Flow of refrigerant during operation (5-1) Flow of refrigerant during heating operation Here, the flow of refrigerant during the heating operation will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 1, the control unit 81 switches the four-way switching valve 63 to a heating operation path (indicated by a solid line), connects the discharge side of the compressor 65 and the gas side of the indoor heat exchanger 61, and the compressor 65. Are connected to the gas side of the outdoor heat exchanger 67. Further, the control unit 81 reduces the opening of the expansion valve 69 to the extent that the refrigerant is depressurized, and sets the outlet switching valve 50 to the all-pass flow state.

  Under the above conditions, the refrigerant is sucked into the compressor 65 and discharged after being compressed to a high pressure. The high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 65 is sent to the indoor heat exchanger 61 through the four-way switching valve 63.

  In the indoor heat exchanger 61, the refrigerant flows into a first path 611, a second path 612, a third path 613, a fourth path 614, a fifth path 615, and a sixth path 616, and is condensed by heat exchange with room air. To do. The high-pressure refrigerant condensed in the indoor heat exchanger 61 is collected at the outlet switching valve 50 and then sent to the expansion valve 69 where the pressure is reduced to a low pressure.

  The refrigerant evaporates by exchanging heat with outdoor air in the outdoor heat exchanger 67. The low-pressure refrigerant evaporated in the outdoor heat exchanger 67 is again sucked into the compressor 65 through the four-way switching valve 63.

(5-2) Flow of refrigerant during cooling operation (5-2-1) Operation in all-pass circulation state Here, the flow of refrigerant during the cooling operation will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 1, the control unit 81 switches the four-way switching valve 63 to a cooling operation path (indicated by a dotted line), connects the discharge side of the compressor 65 and the gas side of the outdoor heat exchanger 67, and the compressor 65. Are connected to the gas side of the indoor heat exchanger 61.

  Further, the control unit 81 reduces the opening of the expansion valve 69 to the extent that the refrigerant is depressurized, and sets the outlet switching valve 50 to the all-pass flow state.

  Under the above conditions, the refrigerant is sucked into the compressor 65 and discharged after being compressed to a high pressure. The high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 65 is sent to the outdoor heat exchanger 67 through the four-way switching valve 63. The refrigerant is condensed by exchanging heat with outdoor air in the outdoor heat exchanger 64.

  The condensed high-pressure refrigerant is decompressed to a low pressure by the expansion valve 69 and becomes a gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant and flows into the inlet connection pipe 9a of the outlet switching valve 50. Since the outlet switching valve 50 is in an all-pass flow state, it enters the hollow portion 20a of the valve body 20 from the inlet connection pipe 9a through the inlet 9 and the valve body inlet 209, strikes the refrigerant dispersion portion 251, and is dispersed radially. From the first valve element outlet 211, the second valve element outlet 212, the third valve element outlet 213, the fourth valve element outlet 214, the fifth valve element outlet 215, and the sixth valve element outlet 216, respectively, Via the first outlet 11, the second outlet 12, the third outlet 13, the fourth outlet 14, the fifth outlet 15 and the sixth outlet 16, respectively, the first path 611, the second path 612 of the indoor heat exchanger 61, The third path 613, the fourth path 614, the fifth path 615, and the sixth path 616 flow.

  The refrigerant flowing through each path evaporates by exchanging heat with room air. The low-pressure refrigerant evaporated in each pass of the indoor heat exchanger 61 gathers after leaving each pass, and is sucked into the compressor 65 through the four-way switching valve 63.

(5-2-2) Operation in a Two-Pass Circulation State FIG. 6 is a graph showing the operation of the cooling operation. In FIG. 6, the upper graph shows a state in which the room temperature decreases toward the set temperature as time passes. The middle graph shows a state in which the humidity decreases toward the set humidity over time. Furthermore, the lower graph shows a state in which the use state of the path of the indoor heat exchanger 61 changes to all paths, two paths, and one path as time passes.

  The operation in the above-described all-pass circulation state is the section I shown in FIG. 6, and the sensible heat capacity is controlled by the compressor rotational speed so as to approach the set temperature.

  As shown in FIG. 6, when it is determined that the room temperature has decreased toward the set temperature and the room temperature has become the first threshold value or less, the control unit 81 changes the communication state of the outlet switching valve 50 from the all-pass flow state in a stage. Switch to the two-pass distribution state.

  In the section III immediately before switching from the all-pass circulation state to the two-pass circulation state shown in FIG. 6, in order to switch the number of passes, the compressor rotation speed is lowered to prevent condensation in the indoor unit 105 as a preliminary preparation.

  In the section I after the outlet switching valve 50 shown in FIG. 6 is switched from the all-pass circulation state to the two-pass circulation state, the sensible heat capacity is controlled by the compressor rotational speed so as to approach the set temperature.

(5-2-3) Operation in One-Pass Circulation State Further, when it is determined that the room temperature has further decreased toward the set temperature and the room temperature has fallen below a second threshold value that is smaller than the first threshold value, the outlet switching valve 50 Is switched from the two-pass distribution state to the one-pass distribution state.

  In the section III immediately before switching from the two-pass distribution state to the one-pass distribution state shown in FIG. 6, condensation is prevented in the indoor unit 105 by reducing the compressor rotation speed as a preliminary preparation for switching the number of passes.

  The latent heat capacity is controlled by the valve opening degree of the expansion valve 69 so that the section II shown in FIG. 6 after the outlet switching valve 50 is switched from the 2-pass flow state to the 1-pass flow state approaches the set temperature. After that, it enters the stable region (IV section).

  The control unit 81 performs the above-described control during the cooling operation, but it is not always necessary that the outlet switching valve 50 is switched from the all-pass circulation state to the two-pass circulation state and then switched to the one-pass circulation state. The distribution state may be switched to the one-pass distribution state.

(6) Features (6-1)
The outlet switching valve 50 has a structure in which the flow path is switched by the rotation of the valve body 20, and the switching structure can be accommodated within a predetermined diameter range, compared to a switching valve in which three or more outlets are arranged in a straight line. Small size.

(6-2)
Since the outlet switching valve 50 distributes the fluid to each outlet, the outlet switching valve 50 is useful as a flow divider for a gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant.

(6-3)
In the outlet switching valve 50, since all the flow paths from the fluid inlet to each outlet can be set equal, there is no variation in flow resistance for each flow path, and drift is suppressed.

(6-4)
In the outlet switching valve 50, the fluid that enters the valve body 20 is evenly affected by the gravitational acceleration until just before the inlet. Therefore, for example, when the refrigerant is in a gas-liquid two-phase state, it intersects the vertical direction. Compared to the valve that introduces fluid from the front, rear, left, and right, the gas and liquid are diverted in an evenly mixed state.

(6-5)
Since the air conditioner 100 has a branching structure capable of branching the refrigerant into at least three and can select a plurality of modes of flow paths, a conventionally provided on-off valve and shunt are provided separately. In summary, it is possible to design a structure that is small and easy to route piping.

(6-6)
In the air conditioner 100, an all-pass circulation state in which the refrigerant flows through all the paths in order to maintain high sensible heat capacity through the outlet switching valve 50, and one path to dehumidify while suppressing excessive sensible heat capacity. Therefore, it is possible to selectively switch to the one-pass flow state in which the refrigerant flows through the refrigerant, so that an appropriate refrigerant flow can be formed according to the cooling sensible heat load.

(6-7)
In the air conditioner 100, an all-pass flow state in which the refrigerant flows through all the paths in order to maintain high sensible heat capacity via the outlet switching valve 50, and two paths that flow in two paths to suppress the sensible heat capacity. Since it is possible to selectively switch between the circulation state and the one-pass circulation state that flows in one pass to dehumidify while suppressing excessive sensible heat capacity, the flow of an appropriate refrigerant can be changed according to the cooling sensible heat load. Can be formed.

(6-8)
In the air conditioner 100, the dew condensation water generated by the heat transfer tube in the path closest to the drain pan 73 reaches the drain pan 73 in a short time, and therefore, the dew condensation water is prevented from re-evaporating before reaching the drain pan 73. Can do.

(6-9)
In the air conditioner 100, since the refrigerant flows from a low pass position to a high pass position, dew condensation during dehumidification occurs on the low pass position side. That is, the dew condensation water is generated at a position closer to the drain pan 73 and reaches the drain pan in a relatively short time, so that the dew condensation water can be prevented from re-evaporating before reaching the drain pan 73.

(6-10)
In the air conditioner 100, the outlet switching valve 50 has the motor 30 disposed on the opposite side of the inlet with the valve body 20 interposed therebetween, and therefore the pipe connected to the outlet switching valve 50 is connected to one side on the inlet side of the outlet switching valve 50. The piping can be easily routed.

9 Inlet 9a Inlet connection pipe 11 First outlet 12 Second outlet 13 Third outlet 14 Fourth outlet 15 Fifth outlet 16 Sixth outlet 20 Valve element 30 Motor (rotating mechanism)
50 Outlet switching valve 61 Indoor heat exchanger (evaporator)
65 Compressor 67 Outdoor heat exchanger (condenser)
69 Expansion valve (pressure reduction mechanism)
73 Drain pan 81 Control unit 100 Air conditioner

JP-A-10-267356 JP 2003-148830 A JP 2002-243299 A

Claims (8)

An air conditioner using a vapor compression refrigeration cycle in which refrigerant circulates in the order of a compressor (65), a condenser (67), a pressure reducing mechanism (69), and an evaporator (61),
An outlet switching valve (50) connected between the pressure reducing mechanism (69) and the evaporator (61);
A drain pan (73) disposed below the evaporator (61);
A control unit (81) for controlling the outlet switching valve (50);
With
The outlet switching valve (50)
A switching valve formed with an inlet (9) and at least three outlets,
A valve body (20) that selectively closes a flow path from the inlet (9) to each outlet by rotating;
A rotating mechanism (30) that rotates the valve body (20) to switch the communication state between the inlet (9) and each outlet;
Have
The controller (81) controls the rotation of the valve body (20) via the rotation mechanism (30),
In the communication state,
A first state in which the fluid flowing in from the inlet (9) flows out from only one outlet;
A second state in which the fluid flowing in from the inlet (9) flows out from the three outlets;
Is included,
The evaporator (61) has at least three paths through which the refrigerant flows,
The refrigerant heading from the pressure reducing mechanism (69) to the evaporator (61) is guided to one or more of the paths by the outlet switching valve (50),
When the outlet switching valve (50) is in the first state and the second state, the refrigerant flows through the path closest to the drain pan (73).
Air conditioner (100).   An air conditioner using a vapor compression refrigeration cycle in which refrigerant circulates in the order of a compressor (65), a condenser (67), a pressure reducing mechanism (69), and an evaporator (61),
  An outlet switching valve (50) connected between the pressure reducing mechanism (69) and the evaporator (61);
  A control unit (81) for controlling the outlet switching valve (50);
With
  The outlet switching valve (50)
  A switching valve formed with an inlet (9) and at least three outlets,
  A valve body (20) that selectively closes a flow path from the inlet (9) to each outlet by rotating;
  A rotating mechanism (30) that rotates the valve body (20) to switch the communication state between the inlet (9) and each outlet;
Have
  The controller (81) controls the rotation of the valve body (20) via the rotation mechanism (30),
  In the communication state,
    A first state in which the fluid flowing in from the inlet (9) flows out from only one outlet;
    A second state in which the fluid flowing in from the inlet (9) flows out from the three outlets;
Is included,
  The evaporator (61) has at least three paths through which the refrigerant flows,
  The refrigerant heading from the pressure reducing mechanism (69) to the evaporator (61) is guided to one or more of the paths by the outlet switching valve (50),
  The height position of the inlet of the path where the refrigerant exiting the outlet switching valve (50) is introduced is lower than the outlet of the path.
Air conditioner (100). In the outlet switching valve (50), the fluid flowing from the inlet (9) is a gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant.
The air conditioner (100) according to claim 1 or 2 . In the outlet switching valve (50), the outlets are arranged at equal intervals at positions equidistant from the inlet (9).
The air conditioner (100) according to claim 1 or 2. The outlet switching valve (50) further includes an inlet pipe (9a) extending in a vertical direction and having a terminal end connected to the inlet (9).
The air conditioner (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . The control unit (81) is in cooling operation,
The communication state of the outlet switching valve (50) is changed to the second state until the temperature of the air-conditioning target space reaches a predetermined temperature,
The communication state of the outlet switching valve (50) is set to the first state after the temperature of the air-conditioning target space reaches a predetermined temperature.
The air conditioner (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . The communication state of the outlet switching valve (50) further includes a third state in which the refrigerant flowing in from the inlet (9) flows out from only the two outlets and flows through only the two paths,
The controller (81) switches the communication state of the outlet switching valve (50) from the second state to the third state before the temperature of the air-conditioning target space reaches a predetermined temperature.
The air conditioner (100) according to claim 6. In the outlet switching valve (50), the rotating mechanism (30) is disposed on the opposite side of the inlet (9) with the valve body (20) in between.
The air conditioner (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4 .

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