Air conditioner

Abstract

The utility model discloses an air conditioner, and belongs to the technical field of air treatment. The air conditioner comprises a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger. An S port of the four-way valve is connected to the air suction side of the compressor; the gas-liquid separator is connected between the S port and the air suction side of the compressor and used for separating the gas state and the liquid state of the refrigerant, and the gas-liquid separator comprises a tank body; the air inlet pipe is connected with the tank body and is used for conveying the refrigerant from the S port into the tank body; an air suction port of the air outlet pipe is located in the tank body, and an air outlet of the air outlet pipe extends out of the tank body, is connected with the suction side of the compressor and is used for supplying the gaseous refrigerant to the compressor; and the covering device is movably connected into the tank body and used for opening or covering the air suction port, and when the liquid refrigerant in the tank body rises to the early warning position, the covering device is converted into the covering state from the opening state. The air conditioner can prevent excessive liquid refrigerant from flowing to the compressor through the gas-liquid separator.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of air treatment, and in particular to an air conditioner. Background Art

[0002] When the air conditioner is used in large places such as factories and shopping malls, the distance between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit is inevitably far. At this time, long pipes need to be installed to connect the indoor and outdoor units. At the same time, in order to ensure the normal operation of the air conditioning system, the refrigerant amount needs to be supplemented.

[0003] For air conditioners using long piping, due to the large amount of refrigerant, when starting in heating sleep mode and starting after defrosting, the liquid refrigerant will fill the gas-liquid separator. Excessive liquid refrigerant returning to the compressor will cause liquid hammer and damage the compressor. Utility Model Content

[0004] The present application provides an air conditioner that can suppress excessive liquid refrigerant from flowing to a compressor through a gas-liquid separator.

[0005] In one aspect of the present application, an air conditioner includes: a compressor for compressing a refrigerant; an outdoor heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between outdoor air and the refrigerant; an indoor heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between indoor air and the refrigerant; a four-way valve having a D port, a C port, an E port, and an S port, wherein the D port is connected to the exhaust port of the compressor, the C port is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger, the E port is connected to the indoor heat exchanger, and the S port is connected to the suction side of the compressor; and a gas-liquid separator connected between the S port and the suction side of the compressor for separating the gaseous and liquid phases of the refrigerant.

[0006] The gas-liquid separator includes: a tank body; an air inlet pipe connected to the tank body and used to transport the refrigerant from the S port into the tank body; an air outlet pipe, the air inlet of the air outlet pipe is located in the tank body, the air outlet of the air outlet pipe extends outside the tank body and is connected to the suction side of the compressor, and is used to supply the gaseous refrigerant to the compressor; a covering device connected to the tank body and used to open or cover the air inlet;

[0007] The covering device includes: a support plate, which is rotatably connected to the tank body, and the support plate has an open state in which the air intake port is opened, and a covered state in which the air intake port is covered; a float, which is connected to the support plate, and the float drives the support plate to rotate from the open state to the covering state as the liquid level in the tank body rises.

[0008] In this technical solution, a rotatably connected support plate is provided, and the support plate has an open state for opening the air intake port and a covered state for covering the air intake port; a float connected to the support plate is provided, and when the liquid level in the gas-liquid separator is high, the float is affected by the buoyancy of the liquid and follows the liquid level to rise, thereby driving the support plate to rotate to the covering state, which can avoid excessive liquid refrigerant flowing from the air outlet pipe to the compressor when there is a lot of liquid refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator, thereby preventing the compressor from being damaged.

[0009] In some embodiments, when the support plate is in the covering state, the floating body is lower than the air intake in height.

[0010] In this technical solution, since the height of the float is lower than the air intake port in the covered state, it means that the air intake port has been covered before the liquid level reaches the air intake port, which can prevent liquid backflow in advance and improve reliability.

[0011] In some embodiments, the support plate includes: a support body portion, a middle portion of which is rotatably connected to the air outlet pipe; a cover portion connected to the upper end of the support body portion; and a float connected to the lower portion of the support body portion.

[0012] In this technical solution, the float at the lower end of the support plate is used to drive the support plate to rotate when the liquid level is high, and the cover at the upper end of the support plate is used to cover the air intake.

[0013] In some embodiments, a fixing frame is connected to the air outlet pipe; the support plate includes a supporting body portion, the top end of which is connected to the cover portion at an angle, and the bottom end of which is connected to the float; a supporting connection portion, which is connected to the middle part of the supporting body portion, and the end of the supporting connection portion away from the supporting body portion is hinged to the fixing frame.

[0014] In this technical solution, the support plate is rotatably connected to the fixing frame on the air outlet pipe, which can make the volume of the covering device relatively small and compact.

[0015] In some embodiments, the cover plate is provided with a plurality of micro-holes, and when the support plate is in the covering state, the micro-holes are connected to the air intake port, so that the refrigerant can enter the air outlet pipe through the micro-holes.

[0016] In this technical solution, microholes are provided on the cover plate to prevent the sudden change in pressure caused by the complete closure of the air intake port; part of the refrigerant can be throttled and vaporized when entering the outlet pipe through the microholes, thereby improving the gas purity.

[0017] In some embodiments, a through hole is provided on the air outlet pipe near the air inlet; when the support plate is in the covering state, the through hole is higher than the floating body in the height direction.

[0018] In this technical solution, the refrigerant enters the outlet pipe through the through hole, which can increase the flow rate entering the outlet pipe and suppress the rapid change in pressure caused by the complete closure of the suction port.

[0019] In some embodiments, a filter is provided in the air outlet pipe near the air inlet to block the liquid refrigerant.

[0020] In this technical solution, when the liquid passes through the filter, a liquid film will be prevented from forming on the filter, thereby inhibiting the liquid from passing through the filter. The liquid content in the refrigerant after passing through the filter is reduced, thereby improving the purity of the gaseous refrigerant and the separation efficiency of the gas-liquid separator.

[0021] In some embodiments, a filter is connected to a position in the air outlet pipe near the air inlet, and the filter includes: a pipe portion; and a filter mesh connected to the pipe portion.

[0022] In some embodiments, the filter is cylindrical, the upper end of the filter is connected to the inner wall of the air outlet pipe, and the cross-section of the filter gradually decreases from top to bottom.

[0023] In this technical solution, the filter is in the shape of a cone, which can block the liquid refrigerant without affecting the normal circulation of the gaseous refrigerant.

[0024] Another aspect of the present application provides an air conditioner, comprising a compressor for compressing a refrigerant; an outdoor heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between outdoor air and the refrigerant; an indoor heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between indoor air and the refrigerant; a four-way valve having a D port, a C port, an E port, and an S port, wherein the D port is connected to an exhaust port of the compressor, the C port is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger, the E port is connected to the indoor heat exchanger, and the S port is connected to an intake side of the compressor; and a gas-liquid separator connected between the S port and the intake side of the compressor for separating the gaseous and liquid phases of the refrigerant.

[0025] The gas-liquid separator includes: a tank body; an air inlet pipe connected to the tank body and used to transport the refrigerant from the S port into the tank body; an air outlet pipe, the air inlet of the air outlet pipe is located in the tank body, the air outlet of the air outlet pipe extends outside the tank body and is connected to the suction side of the compressor, and is used to supply the gaseous refrigerant to the compressor; a covering device connected to the tank body and used to open or cover the air inlet;

[0026] The covering device can be movably connected to the tank body and is used to open or cover the air intake port. When the liquid refrigerant in the tank body rises to the warning position, the covering device changes from the open state to the covering state.

[0027] In this technical solution, the cover device has an open state and a covered state. When the liquid level in the gas-liquid separator is low, the cover device is in the open state, opening the air intake port. When the liquid level in the gas-liquid separator is high, the cover device switches from the open state to the covered state, which can reduce the flow of liquid refrigerant through the outlet pipe to the compressor, avoiding the problem of excessive liquid refrigerant flowing into the compressor and causing damage to the compressor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 is a view showing the appearance of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the flow of refrigerant in an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 3 is an appearance diagram showing a gas-liquid separator in an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 4 and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a gas-liquid separator in an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 6 and Figure 7 1 is a diagram showing the internal structure of a gas-liquid separator in an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 8 is a partial view showing a cover device of a gas-liquid separator in an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present application in an open state;

[0034] Figure 9 is a partial view showing a covering device of a gas-liquid separator in an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present application in a covering state;

[0035] Figure 10 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a filter of a gas-liquid separator in an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0036] In the above figures, 100, outdoor unit; 111, compressor; 112, outdoor heat exchanger; 113, four-way valve; 114, outdoor throttling device; 115, gas-liquid separator; 116, outdoor fan; 200, indoor unit; 211, indoor heat exchanger; 212, indoor throttling device; 213, indoor fan; 310, tank; 311, cylinder; 312, upper end cover; 313, lower end cover; 314, base; 320, air inlet pipe; 320a , inlet; 320b, outlet; 330, air outlet pipe; 330a, air intake; 330b, air outlet; 331, through hole; 332, first through hole; 333, second through hole; 340, fixing plate; 400, covering device; 410, supporting plate; 411, supporting body; 412, supporting connection part; 413, cover; 420, float; 431, micropore; 440, fixing frame; 500, filter; 510, filter net; 520, pipe. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] In order to make the purpose and implementation of this application clearer, the exemplary implementation of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the exemplary embodiments of this application. Obviously, the described exemplary embodiments are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments.

[0038] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on this application.

[0039] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, features specified as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0040] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed, detachable, or integral connections; mechanical or electrical connections; direct or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0041] Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present application, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[0042] Reference Figure 1 The air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present application includes an outdoor unit 100, which is located in an outdoor space and is used to perform heat exchange between a refrigerant and outdoor air; and an indoor unit 200, which is located in an indoor space and is used to perform heat exchange between a refrigerant and indoor air.

[0043] Reference Figure 2 The air conditioner includes a pipe connected between the outdoor unit 100 and the indoor unit 200.

[0044] The pipes may include a liquid pipe P1 through which liquid refrigerant flows.

[0045] The pipes may include a gas pipe P2 through which the gaseous refrigerant flows.

[0046] The outdoor unit 100 includes: a compressor 111, which compresses the refrigerant; an outdoor heat exchanger 112, which performs heat exchange between the outdoor air and the refrigerant; a four-way valve 113, which selectively guides the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 111 to the outdoor heat exchanger 112 or the indoor unit 200 according to the heating mode or the cooling mode; an outdoor throttling device 114, which decompresses the refrigerant guided to the outdoor heat exchanger 112 in the heating mode; and a gas-liquid separator 115, which prevents the unevaporated liquid refrigerant from flowing to the compressor 111.

[0047] The exhaust end of the compressor 111 is connected to the D port of the four-way valve 113, the C port of the four-way valve 113 is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 112, the E port of the four-way valve 113 is connected to the indoor heat exchanger 211 of the indoor unit 200, the S port of the four-way valve is connected to the inlet of the gas-liquid separator 115, and the outlet of the gas-liquid separator 115 is connected to the return air end of the compressor 111.

[0048] The compressor 111 compresses low-pressure gaseous refrigerant to high pressure using the rotational force of a compressor motor (not shown) when energized.

[0049] The four-way valve 113 guides the refrigerant compressed in the compressor 111 to the outdoor heat exchanger 112 in the cooling mode, and guides the refrigerant compressed in the compressor 111 to the indoor unit 200 in the heating mode.

[0050] The outdoor heat exchanger 112 functions as a condenser in cooling mode to condense the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 111 so that the gaseous refrigerant is liquefied, and functions as an evaporator in heating mode to evaporate the refrigerant decompressed by the indoor unit 200 so that the liquid refrigerant is vaporized.

[0051] The outdoor fan 116 blows outdoor air to the outdoor heat exchanger 112 .

[0052] The outdoor throttling device 114 reduces the refrigerant pressure by throttling the refrigerant. As the refrigerant passes through a narrow passage, the refrigerant pressure decreases without exchanging heat with the outside. Specifically, the outdoor throttling device 114 may be an expansion valve or a capillary tube.

[0053] The indoor unit 200 includes an indoor heat exchanger 211 for performing heat exchange between a refrigerant and indoor air, and an indoor throttle device 212 for decompressing the refrigerant supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 211 in a cooling mode.

[0054] The indoor heat exchanger 211 functions as an evaporator in cooling mode to evaporate low-pressure liquid refrigerant to gasify the liquid refrigerant, and functions as a condenser in heating mode to condense high-pressure gaseous refrigerant to liquefy the gaseous refrigerant.

[0055] The indoor fan 213 blows the air that has exchanged heat with the refrigerant through the indoor heat exchanger 211 into the indoor space.

[0056] Hereinafter, the flow of refrigerant in the air conditioner in a cooling mode or a heating mode will be described.

[0057] When the air conditioner operates in a cooling mode, the refrigerant is compressed to a high pressure by the compressor 111 of the outdoor unit 100. As the refrigerant is compressed, the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant increase.

[0058] The compressed refrigerant is guided to the outdoor heat exchanger 112 through the four-way valve 113. The refrigerant is condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger 112, and heat exchange is performed between the refrigerant and the outdoor air while the refrigerant is condensed. Specifically, the state of the refrigerant changes from gas to liquid.

[0059] After the condensed liquid refrigerant passes through the outdoor expansion device 114 , the condensed refrigerant is supplied to the indoor unit 200 along the liquid pipe P1 .

[0060] The refrigerant supplied to the indoor unit 200 is decompressed by the indoor throttling device 212, and the temperature of the refrigerant is lowered.

[0061] The decompressed refrigerant is evaporated by the indoor heat exchanger 211, and heat exchange is performed between the refrigerant and the indoor air while the refrigerant is evaporated. Specifically, the state of the refrigerant changes to a gaseous state.

[0062] The evaporated gaseous refrigerant is supplied to the outdoor unit 100 through the gas pipe P2 and is then supplied to the gas-liquid separator 115 via the four-way valve 113. In the gas-liquid separator 115, the refrigerant is separated into non-evaporated liquid refrigerant and evaporated gaseous refrigerant, and the gaseous refrigerant is again supplied to the compressor 111, completing one refrigerant cycle.

[0063] As described above, in the cooling mode, the air conditioner may cool the indoor air using heat exchange between the refrigerant generated in the indoor heat exchanger 211 and the indoor air.

[0064] When the air conditioner operates in a heating mode, the refrigerant is compressed to a high pressure by the compressor 111 of the outdoor unit 100, and the temperature of the refrigerant increases with the pressure of the refrigerant.

[0065] After passing through the four-way valve 113 , the compressed refrigerant is guided to the indoor unit 200 along the gas pipe P2 .

[0066] The refrigerant is condensed by the indoor heat exchanger 211, and heat is exchanged between the refrigerant and the indoor air while the refrigerant is condensed. Specifically, the state of the refrigerant changes from a gaseous state to a liquid state.

[0067] After the condensed liquid refrigerant passes through the indoor throttle device 212 , the condensed refrigerant is supplied again to the outdoor unit 100 along the liquid pipe P1 .

[0068] The refrigerant supplied to the outdoor unit 100 is decompressed by the outdoor expansion device 114 , and the temperature of the refrigerant is lowered.

[0069] The decompressed refrigerant is evaporated by the outdoor heat exchanger 112, and heat is exchanged between the refrigerant and the outdoor air while the refrigerant is evaporated. Specifically, the state of the refrigerant changes to a gaseous state.

[0070] The gaseous refrigerant evaporated by the outdoor heat exchanger 112 is supplied to the gas-liquid separator 115 via the four-way valve 113. In the gas-liquid separator 115, the refrigerant is separated into non-evaporated liquid refrigerant and evaporated gaseous refrigerant, and the gaseous refrigerant is supplied to the compressor 111 again, completing one refrigerant cycle.

[0071] As described above, in the heating mode, the air conditioner may heat the indoor air using heat exchange between the refrigerant and the indoor air generated in the indoor heat exchanger 211 .

[0072] When an air conditioner is installed in a large venue, the distance between the indoor and outdoor units may be particularly long, necessitating the use of long piping between the two units. This long piping may be 50m, 100m, or even longer. This increased piping length requires an increased refrigerant dosage to ensure proper operation. During startup at low temperatures (-20°C) for heating and sleep mode, or after defrosting, liquid refrigerant returns to gas-liquid separator 115. Due to this increased refrigerant dosage, the liquid level in gas-liquid separator 115 may exceed the intake port and flow toward compressor 111, causing liquid compression and potentially damaging compressor 111.

[0073] Therefore, the present application improves the structure of the gas-liquid separator 115:

[0074] Reference Figures 3 to 5 The gas-liquid separator 115 includes a tank body 310. The tank body 310 is in a closed cylindrical shape and constitutes the general appearance of the gas-liquid separator 115.

[0075] In some embodiments, the tank body 310 may include a cylinder 311. The cylinder 311 is cylindrical with open upper and lower ends.

[0076] The tank body 310 may include an upper end cover 312. The upper end cover 312 is connected to the upper end of the cylinder body 311 and is used to close the upper end of the cylinder body 311.

[0077] The tank body 310 may include a lower end cover 313. The upper end cover 313 is connected to the bottom end of the cylinder body 311 and is used to close the bottom end of the cylinder body 311.

[0078] The gas-liquid separator 115 may include a base 314. The base 314 is connected to the bottom end of the lower end cover 313 and is used to be fixedly connected to the housing of the outdoor unit 100.

[0079] In some embodiments, the gas-liquid separator 115 may include an air inlet pipe 320 for transporting refrigerant into the tank body 310 . The air inlet pipe 320 is disposed through the tank body 310 .

[0080] A portion of the air intake pipe 320 is located outside the tank body 310 , and a portion of the air intake pipe 320 extends into the tank body 310 .

[0081] The external port of the air inlet pipe 320 is the inlet 320 a of the gas-liquid separator 115 , for allowing the refrigerant to flow in.

[0082] The port of the air inlet pipe 320 extending into the tank body 310 is the outlet 320 b of the air inlet pipe 320 , which is used for allowing the refrigerant to flow out into the tank body 310 .

[0083] The gas-liquid separator 115 may include an outlet pipe 330 for allowing the refrigerant to flow out of the tank body 310 . The outlet pipe 330 is disposed through the tank body 310 .

[0084] Most of the air outlet pipe 330 is located inside the tank body 310 , and one end of the air outlet pipe 330 extends outside the tank body 310 .

[0085] The port of the outlet pipe 330 located inside the tank body 310 is the air intake port 330a, which is used to allow the gas refrigerant to flow into the outlet pipe 330; the port of the outlet pipe 330 exposed outside the tank body 310 is the air outlet port 330b of the gas-liquid separator 115, which is used to allow the gas refrigerant to flow out of the gas-liquid separator 115.

[0086] On the flow path of the refrigerant, the output side of the evaporator is connected to the inlet 320a of the gas-liquid separator 115, and the outlet 330b of the gas-liquid separator 115 is connected to the return air side of the compressor 111, so that the refrigerant passing through the evaporator flows to the air inlet pipe 320. The gas-liquid separator 115 separates the unevaporated liquid refrigerant from the gaseous refrigerant and continues to supply the gaseous refrigerant to the return air side of the compressor 111.

[0087] According to the embodiments of the present application, Figure 2 The S port of the four-way valve 113 is connected to the inlet 320a of the gas-liquid separator 115 through the first return air pipe P3, and the gas outlet 330b of the gas-liquid separator 115 is connected to the return air side of the compressor 111 through the second return air pipe P3.

[0088] In some embodiments, the air inlet pipe 320 is substantially L-shaped and includes a first air inlet pipe portion. The first air inlet portion extends vertically, and a top end thereof is an inlet 320a.

[0089] The air inlet pipe 320 includes a second air inlet portion that extends transversely, and a free end of the second air inlet portion is an outlet 320b.

[0090] The air inlet pipe 320 is located at the upper portion of the tank body 310 , so that the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant can fully rotate and separate in the tank body 310 .

[0091] The first air intake portion and the second air intake portion are connected by an arc portion.

[0092] In some embodiments, the air outlet pipe 330 is "U"-shaped, with both ports of the air outlet pipe 330 located at the top.

[0093] The gas-liquid mixed refrigerant flows into the tank body 310 along the air inlet pipe 320, wherein the liquid refrigerant is relatively heavy and deposited at the bottom of the tank body 310, and the gaseous refrigerant flows out of the gas-liquid separator 115 along the air outlet pipe 330, thereby achieving gas-liquid separation of the refrigerant.

[0094] In some embodiments, reference Figures 6 to 9 The gas-liquid separator 115 includes a covering device 400. The covering device 400 is connected to the gas-liquid separator 115 and is used to cover the air intake port 330a when there is a large amount of liquid refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator 115. This blocks the air intake flow and reduces the air intake pressure, thereby reducing the amount of liquid refrigerant that flows back into the compressor 111 through the air outlet pipe 330. This can prevent excessive liquid refrigerant from flowing into the compressor 111 and causing damage to the compressor 111.

[0095] In some embodiments, the covering device 400 is rotatably connected to the gas-liquid separator 115. When the liquid refrigerant is large, for example, the liquid level reaches the warning level, the covering device 400 rotates to cover the air inlet 330a. Figure 9 When the gas-liquid separator 115 has less liquid refrigerant and the liquid level is normal, the covering device 400 is in the open state of opening the air intake 330a (as shown); Figure 8 shown).

[0096] In the embodiment of the present application, the covering device 400 has an open state and a covering state. When the liquid level in the gas-liquid separator 115 is low, the covering device 400 is in the open state, opening the air inlet 330a, without affecting the normal function of the gas-liquid separator. When the liquid level in the gas-liquid separator 115 is high, the covering device 400 rotates from the open state to the covering state to reduce liquid backflow.

[0097] In some embodiments, the covering device 400 includes a support plate 410 . The support plate 410 is rotatably connected to the cylinder 311 , or the support plate 410 is rotatably connected to the air outlet pipe 330 .

[0098] The rotation centerline A of the support plate 410 is arranged horizontally so that the support plate 410 can rotate vertically.

[0099] When the support plate 410 rotates in the first direction, it moves toward the air inlet 330a to cover the air inlet 330a; when the support plate 410 rotates in the second direction, it moves away from the air inlet 330a to open the air inlet 330a.

[0100] The covering device 400 includes a float 420. The float 420 may be spherical to facilitate the float 420 to float on the liquid surface.

[0101] The float 420 is connected to the support plate 410 and is used to drive the support plate 410 to rotate when the liquid level in the gas-liquid separator 115 is high.

[0102] When the liquid level in the gas-liquid separator 115 is lower than the position of the float 420, the float 420 is not affected by the buoyancy of the liquid, and the support plate 410 and the float 420 are in a fully open state under the action of their own weight.

[0103] When the liquid level in the gas-liquid separator 115 reaches the float 420 and the liquid level continues to rise, the float 420 rises with the liquid level, driving the support plate 410 to rotate in a first direction; when the liquid level drops, the position of the float 420 drops, driving the support plate 410 to rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

[0104] In some embodiments, when the support plate 410 covers the air inlet 330a, the height of the float 420 is lower than the air inlet 330a. In other words, the air inlet 330a is covered before the liquid level in the gas-liquid separator 115 reaches the air inlet 330a, which can prevent liquid backflow in advance and improve reliability.

[0105] When the cover 413 covers the air inlet 330 a , the air inlet pressure will decrease, and the risk of liquid backflow can be determined by detecting the air inlet pressure.

[0106] When the liquid level reaches the highest position of the float 420, the cover 413 covers the air inlet 330a. At this time, the liquid level has not yet risen to the height of the air inlet 330a. The system can detect the change in the air suction pressure and judge in advance that there is a risk of liquid backflow.

[0107] In some embodiments, the upper portion of the support plate 410 is a cover 413. The cover 413 is used to open or cover the air inlet 330a.

[0108] The float 420 is connected to the lower portion of the support plate 410. In the vertical direction, the float 420 is located below the rotation centerline A of the support plate 410, and the cover 413 is located above the rotation centerline A of the support plate 410. Therefore, during the rotation of the support plate 410, the cover 413 and the float 420 move in opposite directions in the vertical direction.

[0109] When the float 420 rises, it drives the support plate 410 to rotate in the first direction, and the cover 430 is lowered; when the float 420 falls, the support plate 410 rotates in the second direction, and the cover 430 is raised.

[0110] In some embodiments, the support plate 410 includes a support body 411. The support body 411 is plate-shaped, with a top end connected to the cover 430 and a bottom end connected to the float 420.

[0111] The support plate 410 includes a support connection portion 412. The support connection portion 412 is connected to the middle portion of the support body portion 411. One end of the support connection portion 412 away from the support body portion 411 is rotatably connected to the air outlet pipe 330.

[0112] In some embodiments, the gas-liquid separator 115 may include a fixing frame 440 . One end of the fixing frame 440 may be fixedly connected to the gas outlet pipe 330 , and the other end of the fixing frame 440 may be hinged to the support connection portion 412 , thereby achieving a rotatable connection between the support plate 410 and the gas outlet pipe 330 .

[0113] The fixing frame 440 can be connected to the air outlet pipe 330 by screws or welding. The fixing frame 440 and the supporting connection part 412 can be hinged in the form of a rotating shaft.

[0114] In some embodiments, the cover 430 and the support plate 410 may be connected at an obtuse angle.

[0115] When the covering device 400 is in the open state, the supporting body portion 411 is substantially in a vertically extended state, and the cover portion 430 extends obliquely upward from the top end of the supporting body portion 411 .

[0116] When the covering device 400 is in the covering state, the supporting body 411 is inclined, and the cover 430 covers the air inlet 330 a laterally.

[0117] The support plate 410 and the cover 430 can be integrally formed. When the support plate 410 is made of metal, the cover 430 can be formed by bending the end of the support body 411.

[0118] In some embodiments, when the cover device 400 is in a fully open state, the float 420 abuts against the air outlet pipe 330. Thus, due to the blocking effect of the air outlet pipe 330, the float 420 can only drive the support plate 410 to rotate in the first direction when rising.

[0119] In some embodiments, the cover 430 is provided with a plurality of micro holes 431. When the cover 430 covers the air inlet 330a, the micro holes 431 are in communication with the air outlet pipe 330.

[0120] The micropores 431 provided on the cover 430 can prevent a sudden change in pressure caused by the complete closure of the air inlet 330a. Part of the refrigerant can be throttled and vaporized after passing through the micropores 431.

[0121] In some embodiments, reference Figure 8 and Figure 9 A through hole 331 is provided on the outlet pipe 330 near the air inlet 330a. When the liquid level reaches the through hole 331, it can enter the outlet pipe 330 through the through hole 331, which can play a buffering role and slow down the problem of liquid refrigerant level rising and rapid liquid return.

[0122] In some embodiments, the through hole 331 includes two through holes 331 disposed one above the other, and the two through holes 331 are respectively a first through hole 332 and a second through hole 333 .

[0123] The first through hole 332 is located below the second through hole 333 , and the area of ​​the first through hole 332 is smaller than that of the second through hole 333 .

[0124] When there is a lot of liquid refrigerant, the liquid level first reaches the first through hole 332 below, and the liquid level is still some distance away from the air intake port 330a. At this time, there is still some time for rapid liquid return, and the first through hole 332 can be set smaller; when the liquid level reaches the second through hole 333 above, the liquid level is closer to the air intake port 330a. At this time, the time for rapid liquid return is relatively urgent, and the second through hole 333 is set larger. More refrigerant flows in from the second through hole 333, which can improve the buffering effect.

[0125] In some embodiments, reference Figure 5 and Figure 10 A filter 510 is provided in the air outlet pipe 330 near the air inlet 330a.

[0126] When the liquid passes through the filter 510, due to the large size of the droplets, based on the principle of surface tension, the droplets will form a thin film on the surface of the filter medium, which can prevent the droplets from passing through the filter 510. After passing through the filter 510, the liquid content in the refrigerant is reduced, the gas is purer, and the efficiency of gas-liquid separation can be improved.

[0127] In addition, the blocking effect of the filter 510 on the liquid can prevent a large amount of liquid from quickly returning to the compressor 111, which can alleviate the liquid inlet rate and inhibit excessive liquid refrigerant from returning to the compressor 111 and affecting liquid hammer.

[0128] In some embodiments, the filter screen 510 is in a conical cylindrical shape, with the circumferential side surfaces of the filter screen 510 connected end to end, and the upper and lower sides of the filter screen 510 are open.

[0129] The upper end of the filter screen 510 is connected to the inner wall of the air outlet pipe 330 so that the filter screen 510 has a shape with a cross section gradually decreasing from top to bottom.

[0130] In some embodiments, the filter 510 has two layers, which can increase the resistance of the droplets passing through the filter 510 and achieve a better effect of intercepting the droplets.

[0131] However, the more layers of the filter 510, the better. This is because the greater the resistance at the filter 510, the greater the suction pressure loss of the system, the lower the suction density, and the problem of attenuation of low-temperature heating capacity.

[0132] In some embodiments, holes may be provided on the air outlet pipe 330 to reduce the pressure drop on the pipe and alleviate the pressure drop in the pipe caused by the filter 510.

[0133] In some embodiments, a filter 500 is connected to the air outlet pipe 330 near the air inlet 330 a.

[0134] The filter 500 includes a tube portion 520. The tube portion 520 is cylindrical and connected to the main pipe of the outlet pipe 330 for circulating the refrigerant.

[0135] The filter 510 is connected to the tube 520 .

[0136] The upper end of the filter screen 510 is connected to the inner wall of the tube portion 520 so that the filter screen 510 has a shape with a cross section gradually decreasing from top to bottom.

[0137] In some embodiments, reference Figure 6 and Figure 7The gas-liquid separator 115 includes two fixing plates 340. One fixing plate 340 is connected to the upper portion of the gas outlet pipe 330, and the other fixing plate 340 is connected to the lower portion of the gas outlet pipe 330, for connecting the two vertical pipes of the gas outlet pipe 330 to reduce the vibration of the gas outlet pipe 330.

[0138] The fixing plate 340 is provided with two spaced apart limiting protrusions 341 . The two vertical pipes of the air outlet pipe 330 are clamped between the two limiting protrusions 341 .

[0139] From the above, it can be seen that the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present application includes a covering device 400 arranged in the gas-liquid separator 115, which is used to cover the air intake port 330a when the liquid level in the gas-liquid separator 115 is high, thereby reducing the liquid refrigerant flowing to the compressor 111 through the outlet pipe 330, and avoiding the problem of excessive liquid refrigerant flowing to the compressor 111 and causing damage to the compressor 111.

[0140] Furthermore, by providing a rotatably connected support plate 410, the support plate 410 has an open state, which opens the air inlet 330a, and a covered state, which covers the air inlet 330a. By providing a float 420 connected to the support plate 410, when the liquid level in the gas-liquid separator 115 is high, the float 420 is affected by the buoyancy of the liquid and rises with the liquid level, thereby driving the support plate 410 to rotate toward the covered state.

[0141] In addition, by setting a filter 510 near the air intake 330a in the air outlet pipe 330, the liquid refrigerant forms a thin film on the filter 510, which can prevent the liquid from passing through the filter 510, thereby reducing the liquid content in the refrigerant passing through the filter 510 and improving the gas-liquid separation efficiency.

[0142] In addition, the filter 510 can prevent a large amount of liquid from quickly returning to the compressor, thereby alleviating the liquid intake rate.

[0143] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some or all of the technical features therein. These modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

[0144] For ease of explanation, the above description has been presented in conjunction with specific embodiments. However, the above exemplary discussion is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the specific forms disclosed above. Based on the above teachings, various modifications and variations are possible. The above embodiments have been selected and described to better explain the principles and practical applications, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to better utilize the embodiments and various different variations of the embodiments suitable for specific use considerations.

Claims

1. An air conditioner, characterized in that: include: compressor, used to compress the refrigerant; an outdoor heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between outdoor air and refrigerant; an indoor heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between indoor air and refrigerant; a four-way valve having a D port, a C port, an E port, and an S port, wherein the D port is connected to the exhaust port of the compressor, the C port is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger, the E port is connected to the indoor heat exchanger, and the S port is connected to the suction side of the compressor; A gas-liquid separator is connected between the S port and the suction side of the compressor and is used to separate the gas and liquid phases of the refrigerant. The gas-liquid separator comprises: Tank; an air inlet pipe connected to the tank body and used to transport the refrigerant from the S port into the tank body; an air outlet pipe, wherein the air intake of the air outlet pipe is located in the tank body, the air outlet of the air outlet pipe extends outside the tank body and is connected to the suction side of the compressor, and is used to supply gaseous refrigerant to the compressor; A covering device is connected to the tank body and is used to open or cover the air inlet. The covering device includes: a support plate rotatably connected to the tank body, wherein the support plate has an open state for opening the air inlet and a covered state for covering the air inlet; The float is connected to the support plate. When the float rises with the liquid refrigerant in the tank body, it drives the support plate to rotate from the open state to the covered state.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that When the support plate is in the covering state, the floating body is lower than the air intake in the height direction.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that The support plate comprises: A supporting body, a middle portion of which is rotatably connected to the air outlet pipe; a cover portion connected to the upper end of the supporting body portion; The float is connected to the lower portion of the supporting body.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 3, characterized in that The air outlet pipe is connected to a fixing frame; The support plate further comprises: A support connection portion is connected to the middle portion of the support body portion, and one end of the support connection portion away from the support body portion is hinged to the fixing frame.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 3, characterized in that The cover portion is provided with a plurality of micro-holes, and when the support plate is in the covering state, the micro-holes are communicated with the air intake port, so that the refrigerant can enter the air outlet pipe through the micro-holes.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that A through hole is provided on the air outlet pipe near the air inlet; When the support plate is in a covering state, the through hole is higher than the floating body in a height direction.

7. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: A filter is provided in the air outlet pipe near the air inlet to block the liquid refrigerant.

8. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: A filter is connected to the air outlet pipe near the air inlet, and the filter includes: The pipe part is used to circulate the refrigerant; The filter screen is connected to the tube portion.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 7, characterized in that The filter screen is cylindrical, and the cross section of the filter screen gradually decreases from top to bottom.

10. An air conditioner, characterized in that: include: compressor, used to compress the refrigerant; an outdoor heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between outdoor air and refrigerant; an indoor heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between indoor air and refrigerant; a four-way valve having a D port, a C port, an E port, and an S port, wherein the D port is connected to the exhaust port of the compressor, the C port is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger, the E port is connected to the indoor heat exchanger, and the S port is connected to the suction side of the compressor; A gas-liquid separator is connected between the S port and the suction side of the compressor and is used to separate the gas and liquid phases of the refrigerant. The gas-liquid separator comprises: Tank; an air inlet pipe connected to the tank body and used to transport the refrigerant from the S port into the tank body; an air outlet pipe, wherein the air intake of the air outlet pipe is located in the tank body, the air outlet of the air outlet pipe extends outside the tank body and is connected to the suction side of the compressor, and is used to supply gaseous refrigerant to the compressor; The covering device can be movably connected to the tank body and is used to open or cover the air intake port. When the liquid refrigerant in the tank body rises to the warning position, the covering device changes from the open state to the covering state.

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