Energy accumulator and heat pump system having energy accumulator

Abstract

The invention relates to an energy accumulator and a heat pump system with the energy accumulator. The accumulator includes a body having an upper body and a lower body. The upper and lower bodies are coupled to each other to have a chamber in the bodies. The accumulator includes: a refrigerant inlet port disposed on the upper body and allowing a mixed refrigerant of a liquid refrigerant and a gaseous refrigerant to flow into the chamber; a refrigerant outlet port provided on the upper body and allowing a gaseous refrigerant separated from the liquid refrigerant to flow out; and a baffle assembly having a vertical baffle vertically disposed in the chamber to prevent a horizontal flow of the liquid refrigerant, a suction pipe to guide a gaseous refrigerant separated from the liquid refrigerant to the refrigerant outlet port, and a horizontal baffle horizontally disposed in the chamber to prevent a vertical flow of the liquid refrigerant.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0120425, filed on September 11, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to an accumulator and a heat pump system having the accumulator. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to an accumulator that can separate a gaseous refrigerant from a mixed refrigerant of a liquid refrigerant and a gaseous refrigerant and supply the gaseous refrigerant to a compressor. In addition, the present disclosure relates to a heat pump system having the accumulator. Background Art

[0004] The accumulator may be mainly used in a heat pump system. In particular, since the accumulator used in the vehicle heat pump system may be exposed to various environments, an accumulator made of aluminum may be mainly used in the system in consideration of the pressure resistance, durability, and corrosion resistance of the accumulator. In addition, the aluminum accumulator may be mounted to the vehicle using a fixing bracket. The accumulator and its related components may be fixed to the vehicle by a method such as welding. Therefore, it becomes more difficult to fix the accumulator and its related components to the vehicle.

[0005] In addition, the aluminum accumulator may have a large weight, which may also result in an increase in the weight of a fixing bracket for fixing the accumulator. Therefore, the overall load of the vehicle may increase, which may reduce the fuel efficiency or all-electric range (AER) of the vehicle.

[0006] Aluminum accumulators can transfer heat between the refrigerant therein and the external environment, which may reduce the performance of the heat pump system. In addition, the shape of the components of the accumulator may be restricted, making oil circulation difficult, which may reduce the durability of the compressor.

[0007] The above information disclosed in this Background section is provided only to help with understanding the background of the present disclosure and therefore may include information that is not included in the prior art that is known to one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. Summary of the invention

[0008] The present disclosure provides an accumulator made of plastic, which can reduce heat transfer between a refrigerant in the accumulator and an external environment.

[0009] The present disclosure also provides a heat pump system with an accumulator to improve the fuel efficiency or all-electric range (AER) of a vehicle.

[0010] According to an embodiment, the accumulator includes: a main body including an upper main body provided on an upper side and a lower main body provided on a lower side. The upper main body and the lower main body are coupled to each other to have a chamber in the main body. The accumulator also includes: a refrigerant inlet port provided on the upper main body and configured to allow a mixed refrigerant of liquid refrigerant and gaseous refrigerant to flow into the chamber. The accumulator also includes: a refrigerant outlet port provided on the upper main body and configured to allow a gaseous refrigerant separated from the liquid refrigerant to flow out. In addition, the accumulator includes: a baffle assembly provided in the chamber, configured to block the flow of the liquid refrigerant and coupled to the main body.

[0011] In one embodiment, the baffle assembly may include: a vertical baffle vertically disposed in the chamber and configured to prevent horizontal flow of liquid refrigerant; a suction pipe configured to guide gaseous refrigerant separated from the liquid refrigerant to a refrigerant outlet port; and a horizontal baffle horizontally disposed in the chamber and configured to prevent vertical flow of the liquid refrigerant.

[0012] In one embodiment, the horizontal baffle may separate the chamber into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. A filter may be disposed in the horizontal baffle, configured to filter foreign matter in the refrigerant, and configured to fluidically communicate the upper chamber with the lower chamber.

[0013] In another embodiment, the suction pipe may include: a suction pipe inlet, through which the gaseous refrigerant flows into the suction pipe; and a suction pipe outlet, through which the gaseous refrigerant is discharged to the refrigerant outlet port. The suction pipe inlet and the suction pipe outlet may be arranged in the upper chamber, and the suction pipe may extend downward from the suction pipe inlet to the lower chamber, and extend upward again to the suction pipe outlet arranged in the upper chamber.

[0014] In one embodiment, a guide may be disposed around an inlet of the suction pipe and configured to prevent liquid refrigerant from flowing into the suction pipe.

[0015] The outlet end of the refrigerant inlet port may be disposed lower than the suction pipe inlet.

[0016] The dryer may be mounted on the upper surface of the horizontal baffle.

[0017] In one embodiment, the vertical baffle includes a vertical baffle panel, which may have a first groove and a second groove formed in an upper end portion, spaced apart from each other and each having an open upper portion. The refrigerant inlet port may be inserted into the first groove, and the refrigerant outlet port may be inserted into the second groove.

[0018] The bottom surface of the first groove may include an inclined surface.

[0019] A bottom surface of the second groove may be connected to the suction pipe, and one of the refrigerant outlet port and the suction pipe is inserted into the other of the refrigerant outlet port and the suction pipe.

[0020] In one embodiment, at least one through hole may be formed in the vertical baffle.

[0021] The oil hole may be provided at a lower portion of the suction pipe, and may be configured to be in fluid communication with a lower portion of the lower chamber.

[0022] The body and baffle assembly may each be made of plastic.

[0023] The vertical baffle and the suction pipe may be integrated with each other and connected to the horizontal baffle.

[0024] The vertical baffle plate and the suction pipe integrated with each other may be manufactured as a first vertical baffle plate and a second vertical baffle plate and then coupled to each other.

[0025] The horizontal baffle may be coupled to a portion where the upper body and the lower body are coupled to each other.

[0026] According to another embodiment, a heat pump system includes: an evaporator configured to evaporate refrigerant; and an accumulator configured to receive a mixed refrigerant of liquid refrigerant and gaseous refrigerant from the evaporator and separate the gaseous refrigerant from the mixed refrigerant. The system also includes: a compressor configured to receive the gaseous refrigerant from the accumulator and compress the gaseous refrigerant. The accumulator includes: a main body having an upper main body disposed on the upper side and a lower main body disposed on the lower side. The upper main body and the lower main body are coupled to each other to have a chamber in the main body. The accumulator also includes: a refrigerant inlet port disposed on the upper main body and configured to allow a mixed refrigerant of liquid refrigerant and gaseous refrigerant to flow into the chamber. The accumulator also includes: a refrigerant outlet port disposed on the upper main body and configured to allow the gaseous refrigerant separated from the liquid refrigerant to flow out. In addition, the accumulator includes: a baffle assembly disposed in the chamber, configured to block the flow of the liquid refrigerant and coupled to the main body.

[0027] The refrigerant inlet port may be connected to the evaporator, and the refrigerant outlet port may be connected to the compressor.

[0028] As described above, the accumulator according to the present disclosure can be made of plastic to reduce heat transfer between the refrigerant in the accumulator and the external environment. Therefore, the temperature and pressure fluctuations in the heat pump system can be reduced, so that the temperature and pressure can be easily controlled and the performance of the system can be improved. In addition, the accumulator can be made of plastic, which can reduce the weight of the accumulator, thereby improving the fuel efficiency and all-electric cruising range (AER) of the vehicle.

[0029] The baffle assembly prevents excessive movement of liquid refrigerant due to vehicle movement, thereby preventing liquid refrigerant from flowing into the compressor.

[0030] Furthermore, the gaseous refrigerant supplied to the compressor may include oil to prevent compressor failure.

[0031] Other effects that can be obtained or predicted by the embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed directly or implicitly in the detailed description of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Various effects predicted based on the embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed in the detailed description described below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The embodiments described herein may be better understood by referring to the following description in conjunction with the drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer to identical or functionally similar elements.

[0033] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of an accumulator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the perspective view perspectively showing a lower body of the accumulator.

[0034] Figure 2 Show the upper body from Figure 1 Exploded view of the accumulator separated.

[0035] Figure 3 Show the lower body from Figure 2 Exploded view of the accumulator separated.

[0036] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a baffle assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 5 is another perspective view of a baffle assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 6 Shown is the flow path of the refrigerant between the evaporator, compressor and accumulator of a heat pump system.

[0039] Figure 7 is an exploded view of a baffle assembly according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] It should be understood that the drawings referred to above are not necessarily drawn to scale, and present relatively simplified representations of various features illustrating the basic principles of the present disclosure. For example, the specific design features of the present disclosure including specific dimensions, directions, positions and shapes are determined in part by the specific intended application and use environment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The terms used herein are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular terms used herein are intended to include plural forms. It should also be understood that when the terms "include" and / or "comprise" are used in the specification, these terms specify the presence of the features, quantities, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, quantities, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof. The term "and / or" used herein includes any one or all combinations of the related listed items.

[0042] When a component, device, element, etc. of the present disclosure is described as having a purpose or performing an operation, function, etc., the component, device or element should be considered herein as being “configured to” satisfy the purpose or perform the operation or function.

[0043] According to the present disclosure, an accumulator may include: a main body, including an upper main body and a lower main body that are connected to each other to have a chamber in the main body. The accumulator may also include: a baffle assembly, including a vertical baffle arranged vertically in the chamber to prevent the horizontal flow of liquid refrigerant, a suction pipe that guides the gaseous refrigerant separated from the liquid refrigerant to the outside, and a horizontal baffle arranged horizontally in the chamber to prevent the vertical flow of the liquid refrigerant. The baffle assembly is connected to the main body. The main body and the baffle assembly can each be made of plastic. Therefore, heat transfer between the inside and outside of the accumulator can be reduced, which can reduce temperature and pressure fluctuations in the heat pump system. Therefore, the temperature and pressure in the heat pump system can be easily controlled, and the performance of the system can be improved. In addition, most or all of the components of the accumulator can be made of plastic, so that the manufacture and assembly of the accumulator are easier, which can reduce the production cost and weight of the accumulator, thereby improving the fuel efficiency and all-electric cruising range (AER) of the vehicle.

[0044] The horizontal baffle can physically separate the chamber into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. The suction pipe can include a suction pipe inlet and a suction pipe outlet, both of which are arranged in the upper chamber, extending downward from the suction pipe inlet to the lower chamber, and extending upward from the lower chamber to the suction pipe outlet arranged in the upper chamber again. The oil hole can be arranged at the lower part of the suction pipe, particularly the lowermost end, and communicated with the lower part of the lower chamber. The gaseous refrigerant in the upper chamber can flow into the suction pipe through the suction pipe inlet, and move from the upper chamber to the lower chamber in the suction pipe, and then move to the upper chamber again. In the process, the oil in the lower chamber can mix with the gaseous refrigerant through the oil hole. The gaseous refrigerant mixed with the oil can be supplied to the compressor, thereby preventing the compressor from failing.

[0045] Hereinafter, the present disclosure is described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0046] Figure 1is a schematic perspective view of an accumulator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the perspective view perspectively showing a lower body of the accumulator. Figure 2 Show the upper body from Figure 1 Exploded view of the accumulator separated. Figure 3 Show the lower body from Figure 2 Exploded view of the accumulator separated. Figure 4 is a perspective view of a baffle assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 is another perspective view of a baffle assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 6 Shown is the flow path of the refrigerant between the evaporator, compressor and accumulator of a heat pump system.

[0047] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the accumulator 10 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may include a main body 20 and a baffle assembly 30. The main body 20 and the baffle assembly 30 may each be made of plastic. In more detail, the components of the main body 20 and the baffle assembly 30 may be manufactured using a plastic manufacturing method and combined with each other by using a plastic bonding method. The plastic manufacturing method may be injection molding, insert molding, etc., but is not limited thereto. Similarly, the plastic bonding method may include fitting, bonding, fusion, etc., but is not limited thereto. Any method known to those skilled in the art to date may be applied as long as these methods are methods of manufacturing and combining the main body 20 and the baffle assembly 30 of plastic that can perform the functions of the present disclosure. The main body 20 and the baffle assembly 30 of the accumulator 10 may be made of plastic and connected to each other. Therefore, this construction reduces heat transfer between the inside and outside of the accumulator 10, and reduces temperature and pressure fluctuations in the heat pump system. Therefore, the temperature and pressure in the heat pump system can be easily controlled, and the performance of the system can be improved. In addition, the body 20 and the baffle assembly 30 of the accumulator 10 can be made of plastic and coupled to each other, thereby making it easier to manufacture and assemble the accumulator 10. Therefore, this configuration reduces production cost and weight, thereby improving the fuel efficiency and all-electric range (AER) of the vehicle.

[0048] The body 20 may include an upper body 22 disposed on the upper side of the body 20 and a lower body 24 disposed on the lower side of the body 20. The upper body 22 and the lower body 24 may be each made of plastic and coupled to each other by fusion, fitting or bonding to have a cavity 94 disposed in the body 20 (see Figure 6 ). In more detail, the lower portion of the upper body 22 may be open and the interior of the upper body 22 may be empty, and the upper portion of the lower body 24 may be open and the interior of the lower body 24 may be empty. The lower end of the upper body 22 and the upper end of the lower body 24 may be coupled to each other by fusion, fitting, or bonding to have a cavity 94 provided in the body 20. The baffle assembly 30 may be provided in the cavity 94.

[0049] The refrigerant inlet port 26 and the refrigerant outlet port 28 may be provided on the upper body 22. Specifically, the refrigerant inlet port 26 and the refrigerant outlet port 28 may be provided on the upper surface of the upper body 22. The inlet end of the refrigerant inlet port 26 may be provided outside the body 20, and the refrigerant inlet port 26 may extend into the upper body 22. The outlet end 27 (see Figure 6 ) may be disposed in the body 20, that is, in the chamber 94. The inlet end of the refrigerant outlet port 28 may be disposed in the body 20, that is, in the chamber 94, and the refrigerant outlet port 28 may extend to the outside of the upper body 22. The outlet end of the refrigerant outlet port 28 may be disposed outside the body 20. The refrigerant inlet port 26 and the refrigerant outlet port 28 may be integrated with the upper body 22, or may be manufactured separately from the upper body 22 and then coupled to the upper body 22.

[0050] like Figure 6 As shown, the refrigerant inlet port 26 may be connected to the evaporator. The evaporator may evaporate the refrigerant, and the refrigerant supplied from the evaporator to the refrigerant inlet port 26 may be a mixed refrigerant including a gaseous refrigerant and a liquid refrigerant. In other words, the refrigerant inlet port 26 may receive a mixed refrigerant of a liquid refrigerant and a gaseous refrigerant from the evaporator. The refrigerant outlet port 28 may be connected to the compressor. The accumulator 10 may separate the gaseous refrigerant from the mixed refrigerant received from the evaporator, and deliver the separated gaseous refrigerant to the compressor through the refrigerant outlet port 28. The compressor may compress the gaseous refrigerant received from the accumulator 10.

[0051] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the baffle assembly 30 can be disposed in the chamber 94 and fixed to the main body 20 to prevent the liquid refrigerant from excessively moving due to the movement of the vehicle. For example, if the baffle assembly 30 is not disposed in the chamber 94, the liquid refrigerant in the chamber 94 may slosh or may splash in severe cases when the vehicle moves quickly. To solve this problem, the baffle assembly 30 can be disposed in the chamber 94 to prevent the liquid refrigerant from excessively moving due to the movement of the vehicle, thereby reducing the possibility of the liquid refrigerant being supplied to the compressor. The baffle assembly 30 can be made of plastic and include a vertical baffle 40, a suction pipe 43, and a horizontal baffle 50 that are connected to each other.

[0052] The vertical baffle 40 may be disposed substantially vertically in the chamber 94 to prevent the liquid refrigerant from flowing horizontally in the chamber 94. The vertical baffle 40 may include a vertical baffle panel 42 disposed substantially vertically in the chamber 94. The vertical baffle panel 42 horizontally divides the chamber 94 into a side chamber and another side chamber. The vertical baffle 40 may prevent the liquid refrigerant from excessively moving due to vehicle movement by inhibiting the liquid refrigerant from moving between the side chamber and the other side chamber.

[0053] In one example, at least a portion of the vertical baffle panel 42 may be fused, bonded, or fitted to the inner circumferential surface of the body 20. The remaining portion may be spaced apart from the inner circumferential surface of the body 20. Therefore, the vertical baffle panel 42 may not completely restrict the movement of the liquid refrigerant between the one side chamber and the other side chamber. In another example, the vertical baffle panel 42 may not be coupled to the inner circumferential surface of the body 20. In addition, at least one through hole 46 may be formed in the vertical baffle panel 42. The through hole 46 may allow the refrigerant to move between the one side chamber and the other side chamber, thereby preventing the refrigerant from accumulating in only one of the one side chamber and the other side chamber.

[0054] The vertical baffle panel 42 may have a first groove 80 and a second groove 82 formed in an upper end portion of the vertical baffle panel 42. The first groove 80 may have an open upper end and a bottom surface where the inclined surface 48 is sharply disposed upward. Figure 6 As shown, the outlet end 27 of the refrigerant inlet port 26 can be inserted into the first groove 80, so that the refrigerant (that is, the mixed refrigerant) is discharged to the inclined surface 48. The refrigerant discharged to the inclined surface 48 can be dispersed into one side chamber and the other side chamber by the inclined surface 48. Therefore, the refrigerant discharged from the outlet end 27 of the refrigerant inlet port 26 can be prevented from scattering or splashing by the inclined surface 48, thereby preventing the liquid refrigerant from flowing into the suction pipe 43. The second groove 82 can be spaced apart from the first groove 80 and have an open upper portion. The inlet end of the refrigerant outlet port 28 can be inserted into the second groove 82. The guide 47 can be arranged between the first groove 80 and the second groove 82.

[0055] The horizontal baffle 50 may be disposed substantially horizontally in the chamber 94 to prevent the vertical flow of liquid refrigerant in the chamber 94. The horizontal baffle 50 may include a horizontal baffle panel 52 disposed substantially horizontally in the chamber 94, and the horizontal baffle panel 52 may partition the chamber 94 into an upper chamber 96 and a lower chamber 97. The horizontal baffle panel 52 may be coupled to the vertical baffle 40. In one example, the horizontal baffle panel 52 may have a groove formed in the horizontal baffle panel 52 and corresponding to the cross section of the vertical baffle 40. The vertical baffle 40 may be inserted into the groove and then bonded or fused to the horizontal baffle panel 52.

[0056] The edge of the horizontal baffle panel 52 may be coupled to the inner circumferential surface of the body 20 by fusion, bonding, or fitting. To this end, the horizontal baffle panel 52 may have the same shape as the inner circumferential surface of the body 20 at a specific position, and the chamber 94 may be physically divided into an upper chamber 96 and a lower chamber 97 by the horizontal baffle panel 52. In one example, the horizontal baffle 50 may be coupled to a portion where the upper body 22 and the lower body 24 are coupled to each other. Therefore, when the upper body 22 is coupled to the lower body 24, the baffle assembly 30 may also be coupled together between the upper body 22 and the lower body 24. Alternatively, the baffle assembly 30 may be coupled to one of the upper body 22 and the lower body 24, and then the other of the upper body 22 and the lower body 24 may be coupled to one of the upper body 22 and the lower body 24.

[0057] At least one filter 54 may be provided in the horizontal baffle panel 52. A pair of filters 54 is shown in the figure, but the number of filters 54 is not limited to two. The filter 54 may include a plurality of pores that connect the upper chamber 96 with the lower chamber 97. The filter 54 may also filter foreign matter in the refrigerant that moves from the upper chamber 96 to the lower chamber 97 through the filter 54. Therefore, foreign matter may be prevented from flowing into the lower chamber 97. In addition, the filter 54 may disperse the liquid refrigerant sprayed from the refrigerant inlet port 26 toward the filter 54 to prevent the liquid refrigerant from scattering or splashing. Therefore, the inflow of the liquid refrigerant into the suction pipe 43 and the inflow of foreign matter into the suction pipe 43 may be minimized.

[0058] The dryer 60 may be installed on the upper surface of the horizontal baffle 50. In other words, the dryer 60 may be disposed in the upper chamber 96. The dryer 60 may absorb moisture contained in the gaseous refrigerant in the chamber 94, especially in the upper chamber 96. The dryer may remove moisture from the gaseous refrigerant supplied to the compressor. Therefore, the performance of the heat pump system may be prevented from being degraded.

[0059] The suction pipe 43 may be integrated with the vertical baffle 40 , or may be manufactured separately from the vertical baffle 40 and then coupled to the vertical baffle 40 .

[0060] In one example, if Figure 7As shown, half of the baffle assembly 30 may be manufactured by manufacturing a first vertical baffle 90 in which half of the suction pipe 43 and half of the vertical baffle 40 are integrated with each other, and then half of the horizontal baffle 50 is connected to the first vertical baffle 90. In addition, the other half of the baffle assembly 30 may be manufactured by manufacturing a second vertical baffle 92 in which the other half of the suction pipe 43 and the other half of the vertical baffle 40 are integrated with each other, and then the other half of the horizontal baffle 50 is connected to the second vertical baffle 92. The baffle assembly 30 may be manufactured by connecting half of the baffle assembly 30 and the other half of the baffle assembly 30 to each other.

[0061] In another example, the vertical baffle 40 integrated with the suction pipe 43 can be manufactured by manufacturing a first vertical baffle 90 in which half of the suction pipe 43 and half of the vertical baffle 40 are integrated with each other, manufacturing a second vertical baffle 92 in which the other half of the suction pipe 43 and the other half of the vertical baffle 40 are integrated with each other, and then coupling the first vertical baffle 90 and the second vertical baffle 92 to each other. The baffle assembly 30 can be manufactured by inserting the vertical baffle 40 integrated with the suction pipe 43 into the corresponding groove of the horizontal baffle 50, and then coupling the vertical baffle 40 and the horizontal baffle 50 to each other.

[0062] In another example, the suction pipe 43 may be manufactured by manufacturing one half of the suction pipe 43 and the other half of the suction pipe 43, and then coupling the two halves to each other. In addition, the vertical baffle 40 may be manufactured by manufacturing one half of the vertical baffle 40 and the other half of the vertical baffle 40, and then coupling the two halves to each other. Then, the vertical baffle 40 coupled with the suction pipe 43 may be manufactured by coupling the suction pipe 43 and the vertical baffle 40 to each other. In addition, the baffle assembly 30 may be manufactured by inserting the vertical baffle 40 coupled with the suction pipe 43 into the corresponding groove of the horizontal baffle 50, and then coupling the vertical baffle 40 and the horizontal baffle 50 to each other.

[0063] The suction pipe 43 may include a suction pipe inlet 44 into which the gaseous refrigerant in the upper chamber 96 flows, and a suction pipe outlet 45 to discharge the gaseous refrigerant in the suction pipe 43 to the refrigerant outlet port 28. The suction pipe 43 may extend from the suction pipe inlet 44 to the suction pipe outlet 45.

[0064] The suction pipe inlet 44 may be arranged between the first groove 80 and the second groove 82 in the upper part of the upper chamber 96. The suction pipe inlet 44 may be arranged to be higher than the horizontal baffle 50 by a predetermined height to prevent the liquid refrigerant scattered when hitting the horizontal baffle 50 from flowing into the suction pipe inlet 44 and moving to the compressor. At least a portion of the suction pipe inlet 44 may be covered by a guide 47. The guide 47 may be arranged around the suction pipe inlet 44 and may cover at least a portion of the suction pipe inlet 44, thereby preventing the liquid refrigerant from flowing into the suction pipe inlet 44. In addition, the guide 47 may guide the gaseous refrigerant in the upper chamber 96 to flow into the suction pipe inlet 44. The suction pipe inlet 44 may be arranged to be higher than the outlet end 27 of the refrigerant inlet port 26. The outlet end 27 of the refrigerant inlet port 26 may discharge the mixed refrigerant at a position lower than the suction pipe inlet 44, so that the liquid refrigerant in the mixed refrigerant may flow downward due to gravity. Therefore, the liquid refrigerant discharged from the outlet end 27 of the refrigerant inlet port 26 may be prevented from flowing into the suction pipe inlet 44.

[0065] The suction pipe outlet 45 may be connected to the bottom surface of the second groove 82 in the upper portion of the upper chamber 96. As described above, the inlet end of the refrigerant outlet port 28 may be inserted into the second groove 82, and one of the inlet end of the refrigerant outlet port 28 and the suction pipe outlet 45 may be inserted into the other of the inlet end of the refrigerant outlet port 28 and the suction pipe outlet 45, so that the gaseous refrigerant discharged through the suction pipe outlet 45 may flow into the refrigerant outlet port 28 through the inlet end of the refrigerant outlet port 28. Then, the gaseous refrigerant may be delivered to the compressor through the outlet end of the refrigerant outlet port 28.

[0066] The suction pipe 43 may extend downward from the suction pipe inlet 44 to the lower portion of the lower chamber 97, and then extend upward again to the suction pipe outlet 45 in the upper chamber 96. Therefore, the gaseous refrigerant flowing into the suction pipe 43 through the suction pipe inlet 44 may move from the upper chamber 96 to the lower chamber 97 in the suction pipe 43, and then move to the upper chamber 96 again.

[0067] The oil hole 70 may be provided in the lower portion of the suction pipe 43 and communicated with the lower portion of the lower chamber 97. The refrigerant discharged from the evaporator may contain a certain amount of oil to ensure smooth operation of the compressor. The refrigerant containing oil may flow into the upper chamber 96 in the accumulator 10 through the refrigerant inlet port 26, flow into the lower chamber 97 through the filter 54 due to its large specific gravity, and accumulate in the lower portion of the lower chamber 97. Figure 6As shown, when the gaseous refrigerant moves through the suction pipe 43, the oil accumulated in the lower portion of the lower chamber 97 can be sucked into the suction pipe 43 through the oil hole 70 and mixed with the gaseous refrigerant. Then, the gaseous refrigerant mixed with the oil can be supplied to the compressor to prevent compressor failure.

[0068] Hereinafter, the operation of the accumulator 10 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is described.

[0069] like Figure 6 As shown, the mixed refrigerant evaporated from the evaporator can be discharged to the inclined surface 48 through the refrigerant inlet port 26. The mixed refrigerant can be dispersed into the one side chamber and the other side chamber through the inclined surface 48. The liquid refrigerant in the mixed refrigerant can move downward by gravity, pass through the filter 54, and be filtered of foreign matter.

[0070] The gaseous refrigerant in the mixed refrigerant and the gaseous refrigerant evaporated from the liquid refrigerant in the lower chamber 97 may move to the upper chamber 96 due to their specific gravity, and move to the suction pipe 43 through the suction pipe inlet 44 provided in the upper chamber 96. The gaseous refrigerant may move through the suction pipe 43, move to the refrigerant outlet port 28 through the suction pipe outlet 45, and be delivered to the compressor through the refrigerant outlet port 28.

[0071] In the process of the gaseous refrigerant moving through the suction pipe 43, the oil in the lower chamber 97 can be sucked into the suction pipe 43 through the oil hole 70 and mixed with the gaseous refrigerant. In addition, the gaseous refrigerant can perform heat exchange with the liquid refrigerant in the lower chamber 97. The gaseous refrigerant mixed with the oil can be delivered to the compressor to prevent compressor failure.

[0072] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a heat pump system 100 is provided. The heat pump system 100 includes an evaporator, an accumulator 10, and a compressor. The evaporator can evaporate refrigerant and supply the refrigerant to the accumulator 10. The accumulator 10 can separate gaseous refrigerant from the refrigerant and supply the gaseous refrigerant to the compressor. The compressor can compress the gaseous refrigerant. The gaseous refrigerant can pass through an additional component and then move to the evaporator again.

[0073] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. All equivalent modifications that are easily made by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs are intended to fall within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An accumulator, comprising: a main body including an upper main body disposed at an upper side and a lower main body disposed at a lower side, the upper main body and the lower main body being coupled to each other to have a chamber therein; a refrigerant inlet port disposed on the upper body and allowing a mixed refrigerant of liquid refrigerant and gaseous refrigerant to flow into the chamber; a refrigerant outlet port provided on the upper body and allowing the gaseous refrigerant separated from the liquid refrigerant to flow out; and A baffle assembly is disposed in the chamber, blocks the flow of the liquid refrigerant and is coupled to the body.

2. The accumulator according to claim 1, wherein: The baffle assembly includes a horizontal baffle that is horizontally disposed in the chamber and blocks a vertical flow of the liquid refrigerant.

3. The accumulator according to claim 1, wherein: The baffle assembly further includes a vertical baffle that is vertically disposed in the chamber and blocks a horizontal flow of the liquid refrigerant.

4. The accumulator according to claim 1, wherein: The baffle assembly further includes a suction pipe that guides the gaseous refrigerant separated from the liquid refrigerant to the refrigerant outlet port.

5. The accumulator according to claim 2, wherein: The horizontal baffle divides the chamber into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, and A filter is disposed in the horizontal baffle and filters foreign matter in the refrigerant, and the filter further fluidically connects the upper chamber with the lower chamber.

6. The accumulator according to claim 5, wherein: The baffle assembly further includes a suction pipe that guides the gaseous refrigerant separated from the liquid refrigerant to the refrigerant outlet port, The suction pipe comprises: a suction pipe inlet through which the gaseous refrigerant flows into the suction pipe; and a suction pipe outlet through which the gaseous refrigerant is discharged to the refrigerant outlet port. The suction pipe inlet and the suction pipe outlet are arranged in the upper chamber, and The suction pipe extends downward from the suction pipe inlet to the lower chamber and upward again to the suction pipe outlet provided in the upper chamber.

7. The accumulator according to claim 6, wherein: The guide is disposed around the suction pipe inlet and prevents the liquid refrigerant from flowing into the suction pipe.

8. The accumulator according to claim 6, wherein: An outlet end of the refrigerant inlet port is disposed lower than the suction pipe inlet.

9. The accumulator according to claim 5, wherein: The dryer is installed on the upper surface of the horizontal baffle.

10. The accumulator according to claim 3, wherein: The vertical baffle includes a vertical baffle panel having a first groove and a second groove formed in an upper end portion, spaced apart from each other and each having an open upper portion, and The refrigerant inlet port is inserted into the first groove, and the refrigerant outlet port is inserted into the second groove.

11. The accumulator according to claim 10, wherein: A bottom surface of the first groove includes an inclined surface.

12. The accumulator according to claim 10, wherein: The baffle assembly further includes a suction pipe that guides the gaseous refrigerant separated from the liquid refrigerant to the refrigerant outlet port, and A bottom surface of the second groove is connected to the suction pipe, and one of the refrigerant outlet port and the suction pipe is inserted into the other of the refrigerant outlet port and the suction pipe.

13. The accumulator according to claim 3, wherein: The vertical baffle comprises a vertical baffle panel, and At least one through hole is formed in the vertical baffle panel.

14. The accumulator according to claim 6, wherein: The oil hole is disposed at the lower portion of the suction pipe and is in fluid communication with the lower portion of the lower chamber.

15. The accumulator according to claim 1, wherein: The main body and the baffle assembly are each made of plastic.

16. The accumulator according to claim 2, wherein: The baffle assembly further includes: a vertical baffle vertically disposed in the chamber to prevent horizontal flow of the liquid refrigerant; and a suction pipe to guide the gaseous refrigerant separated from the liquid refrigerant to the refrigerant outlet port, and The vertical baffle and the suction pipe are integrated with each other and coupled to the horizontal baffle.

17. The accumulator according to claim 16, wherein: The vertical baffle and the suction pipe are manufactured as a first vertical baffle and a second vertical baffle and then coupled to each other.

18. The accumulator according to claim 5, wherein: The horizontal baffle is coupled to a portion where the upper body and the lower body are coupled to each other.

19. A heat pump system, comprising: Evaporator, evaporates the refrigerant; an accumulator receiving a mixed refrigerant of liquid refrigerant and gaseous refrigerant from the evaporator and separating the gaseous refrigerant from the mixed refrigerant; as well as a compressor receiving the gaseous refrigerant from the accumulator and compressing the gaseous refrigerant, Wherein, the accumulator comprises: a main body including an upper main body disposed at an upper side and a lower main body disposed at a lower side, the upper main body and the lower main body being coupled to each other to have a chamber therein; a refrigerant inlet port disposed on the upper body and allowing a mixed refrigerant of liquid refrigerant and gaseous refrigerant to flow into the chamber; a refrigerant outlet port provided on the upper body and allowing the gaseous refrigerant separated from the liquid refrigerant to flow out; and A baffle assembly is disposed in the chamber to block the flow of the liquid refrigerant and is coupled to the body.

20. The heat pump system according to claim 19, wherein: The refrigerant inlet port of the accumulator is connected to the evaporator, and the refrigerant outlet port of the accumulator is connected to the compressor.

Images