Heat pump device

Abstract

This disclosure provides a heat pump device including a housing and a refrigerant circuit disposed within the housing. The refrigerant circuit includes a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, a plate heat exchanger for heat exchange between the refrigerant and a water circuit within the device, a throttling device for reducing refrigerant pressure, and a finned-tube heat exchanger for heat exchange between the refrigerant and outdoor air. The heat pump device also includes an expansion tank connected to the water circuit within the device. A vertically extending partition is provided within the housing, and a fixing bracket is provided on the partition for fixing the expansion tank. By installing the fixing bracket on the partition, the expansion tank can be placed onto the fixing bracket first, and then the subsequent locking operation can be performed, thereby improving operational convenience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a heat pump device, specifically to the fixing of internal components of an air source heat pump. Background Technology

[0002] As is well known, air source heat pumps are used to heat and / or cool the air inside buildings. A typical air source heat pump usually has a refrigerant circuit including a compressor, condenser, expansion valve, and evaporator. The heat transfer medium (usually called refrigerant) circulates in the refrigerant circuit to transfer heat from a first location to a second location. During heating mode operation, outdoor air is used as the heat source, the outdoor heat exchanger acts as the evaporator, and the indoor heat exchanger acts as the condenser. Thus, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the outside atmosphere through the evaporator and releases the heat to the interior air through the condenser. The heat pump can also be designed to reverse the above operation in cooling mode to transfer heat from the interior air to the outside atmosphere.

[0003] Since heat pump equipment contains numerous components, how to arrange these components rationally to improve installation convenience is a problem that those skilled in the art urgently want to solve. Utility Model Content

[0004] To overcome the problems existing in the related technologies, this disclosure provides a heat pump device with an improved expansion tank fixing method.

[0005] This disclosure provides a heat pump device, including a housing and a refrigerant circuit disposed within the housing. The refrigerant circuit includes a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, a plate heat exchanger for heat exchange between the refrigerant and a water circuit within the device, a throttling device for reducing refrigerant pressure, and a finned-tube heat exchanger for heat exchange between the refrigerant and outdoor air. The heat pump device also includes an expansion tank connected to the water circuit within the device. A vertically extending partition is provided inside the housing, and a fixing bracket is provided on the partition for fixing the expansion tank.

[0006] In some embodiments, the expansion tank includes a tank body and a connector protruding from the bottom of the tank body; the fixing bracket includes a first support plate and a second support plate distributed vertically, wherein the first support plate is located above the second support plate, and the first support plate cooperates with the tank body and the second support plate cooperates with the connector.

[0007] In some embodiments, a first support plate supports the water tank body and has an opening for the connector to pass through.

[0008] In some embodiments, a limiting block is protruding from the bottom of the connector, and a limiting groove is formed on the second support plate to accommodate the limiting block.

[0009] In some embodiments, the second support plate is provided with an upright stop member located at a lateral end of the limiting groove.

[0010] In some embodiments, the second support plate is provided with an upright stop that abuts against the joint.

[0011] In some embodiments, the heat pump device further includes a clamp disposed on a partition and located above a fixed support, wherein the clamp is at least partially abutting against the expansion tank.

[0012] In some embodiments, the clamp has a pair of support arms protruding from the partition and a clamp arm connecting the pair of support arms, the clamp arm being abutted against the expansion tank.

[0013] In some embodiments, the partition divides the housing into a first space and a second space that are laterally distributed; wherein the compressor, plate heat exchanger, throttling device and expansion tank are housed in the first space and the finned tube heat exchanger is housed in the second space.

[0014] In some embodiments, a fixing bracket is provided on the upper part of the partition.

[0015] The technical solutions provided by one or more embodiments of this disclosure may include the following beneficial effects: Since the expansion tank is heavy, by installing a fixed bracket on the partition, the expansion tank can be placed on the fixed bracket first and then the subsequent locking operation can be carried out, avoiding the need to continuously lift the tank during the installation process, thereby improving the convenience of operation. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a heat pump device in one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows a partial exploded perspective view of the heat pump equipment, with the cover plate removed from the equipment casing to reveal the internal fan.

[0019] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the cover plate from another perspective;

[0020] Figure 4 yes Figure 3An exploded three-dimensional diagram of the cover plate shown;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of a heat pump device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein a portion of the outer casing panel has been removed to reveal the internal components of the device;

[0022] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the heat pump equipment from another perspective;

[0023] Figure 7 and Figure 6 Similarly, the plate heat exchanger and the liquid storage tank were disassembled;

[0024] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the components consisting of the plate heat exchanger, the liquid storage tank, and the common support shown in the figure.

[0025] Figure 9 yes Figure 8 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the component shown from another perspective;

[0026] Figure 10 yes Figure 5 Similarly, the top and bottom plates of the outer shell are further removed, and the expansion tank is removed from the partition.

[0027] Figure 11 yes Figure 10 A magnified view of a portion of the expansion tank and its fixed installation structure;

[0028] Figure 12 yes Figure 10 A three-dimensional diagram of the expansion tank after it has been removed from the partition. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The embodiments shown will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this disclosure, and structural, methodological, or functional modifications made by those skilled in the art based on these embodiments are all included within the scope of protection claimed in the appended claims.

[0030] because Figure 1 and Figure 5 The heat pump devices 100 and 200 in the embodiments shown have the same basic structure with only minor differences. Therefore, to avoid redundancy, the basic structure of the heat pump devices in the two embodiments will be described together.

[0031] Heat pump equipment is typically installed outdoors and can operate in several modes, such as heating mode and cooling mode. A heat pump equipment includes a housing and a refrigerant circuit located within the housing, through which heat is exchanged between outdoor and indoor air via the movement of the refrigerant in the circuit. This refrigerant circuit typically includes a compressor 31, a plate heat exchanger 32, a throttling device 33, and a finned-tube heat exchanger 34, all installed within the equipment housing. The compressor 31 typically uses electricity to compress the refrigerant from a low-pressure gaseous state to a high-pressure gaseous state, thereby increasing the temperature, enthalpy, and pressure of the refrigerant. The plate heat exchanger 32 exchanges heat through the refrigerant. In some embodiments, the equipment also includes a water circuit, and both the water circuit and the refrigerant circuit exchange heat within the plate heat exchanger 32. In heating mode, the plate heat exchanger 32 acts as a condenser. Refrigerant exiting compressor 31 flows through plate heat exchanger 32, condensing at a substantially constant pressure to a saturated liquid state. During this process, water, driven by pump 36 located within the internal water circuit, flows through plate heat exchanger 32, absorbing heat released from the refrigerant and being heated to a higher temperature (e.g., 43°C). This water then flows through interfaces 91 and 92 into an indoor water storage device or fan coil unit to release heat to the indoor air, thus raising its temperature. A throttling device 33, which can be an electronic expansion valve, controls the amount of refrigerant entering finned tube heat exchanger 34. Liquid refrigerant from plate heat exchanger 32 flows through electronic expansion valve 33, causing a pressure drop. During this process, partial evaporation of the refrigerant occurs, resulting in a mixed liquid state and a temperature reduction to a level that allows heat exchange to occur in finned tube heat exchanger 34. A fan is also located within the casing near finned tube heat exchanger 34 to facilitate heat exchange between outdoor air and the refrigerant. In heating mode, the finned tube heat exchanger 34 acts as an evaporator, using the heat energy in the air to evaporate the refrigerant from a liquid state to a gaseous state. The gaseous refrigerant discharged from the finned tube heat exchanger 34 is further drawn into the compressor 11 to repeat the above refrigerant cycle. The refrigerant circuit also includes a reversing valve 35, which can be a four-way valve for reversing the refrigerant cycle, i.e., switching different operating modes by reversing the direction of the refrigerant cycle. In cooling mode, the plate heat exchanger 32 operates as an evaporator, and the finned tube heat exchanger 34 operates as a condenser; at this time, the water in the equipment's water circuit flows through the plate heat exchanger 32, absorbs heat from the evaporated refrigerant and is cooled to a lower temperature (e.g., 8°C), and further flows through interfaces 91 and 92 into a water storage device or fan coil unit installed indoors to absorb heat from the indoor air and lower the indoor air temperature.

[0032] In some embodiments, a liquid receiver 40 is also provided in the refrigerant circuit, and an expansion tank 50 is connected to the water circuit within the equipment. As is well known to those skilled in the art, the liquid receiver is mainly used to store liquid refrigerant to dynamically adjust the refrigerant supply under different operating conditions. In some embodiments, the liquid receiver 40 is connected between the throttling device 33 and the plate heat exchanger 32, and the expansion tank 50 is connected between the plate heat exchanger 32 and the water pump 36.

[0033] like Figures 1 to 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 10 includes a metal frame having a top plate 11, a bottom plate 12, a front plate 13, and side plates 14. Because the internal structure is identical, it can be used in conjunction with reference to other components. Figures 5 to 7 ,as well as Figure 10 and Figure 11 The illustrated embodiment includes a vertically extending partition 183 within the housing, which divides the housing into a first and a second space distributed laterally. The finned tube heat exchanger 34 is housed in the second space, while other components, such as the compressor 31, plate heat exchanger 32, throttling device 33, reversing valve 35, water pump 36, liquid storage tank 40, expansion tank 50, and control components 60, are housed in the first space. The finned tube heat exchanger 34 has a generally L-shaped transverse cross-section and extends vertically. The heat pump device also includes a mounting bracket 15 mounted on the base plate 12 of the housing and extending vertically, on which a fan 16 is mounted. In some embodiments, multiple fans may be present, distributed vertically.

[0034] The outer casing 10 is provided with a cover plate 21 to cover the aforementioned second space. In this embodiment, there are two cover plates 21, each corresponding to one of the two fans 16. The cover plate 21 and the front plate 13 are substantially flush, and the front plate 13 covers the aforementioned first space. (See reference for details.) Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the cover plate 21 has a body 211 detachably mounted to a metal frame. The cover plate body 211 can be made of plastic, such as an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene terpolymer (ABS), and has hooks 2111 and fasteners 2112 on its lateral sides that cooperate with the outer frame. The cover plate 21 also has a ventilation area 212 facing the fan 16, which has a plurality of grids arranged in concentric circles. On the side of the cover plate 21 facing the fan 16, there is an air guide 22 surrounding the ventilation area 212 and detachably connected to the cover plate 21. In some embodiments, the air guide 22 is an integrally molded foam ring, such as one made of foamed plastic. Typical foam materials include expanded polypropylene (EPP), which has properties such as light weight, good elasticity, shock and pressure resistance, high deformation recovery rate, insulation, and heat resistance. The cover plate 21 has a base 213 surrounding the ventilation area 212 on the side facing the fan 16, and a plurality of hooks 2131 protruding from the base; the air guide 22 has a connecting part 221 and an air guide part 222. The connecting part 221 has a plurality of fastening grooves 2211 that correspond to the aforementioned hooks 2131, and the end of the air guide part 222 facing the fan 16 has an inclined surface 2221 that converges towards the center to guide the airflow to the ventilation area 212.

[0035] By placing the air guide on the cover plate instead of directly connecting it to the sheet metal of the outer casing, abnormal noises or rattles caused by vibration can be significantly reduced. Furthermore, the detachable connection of the air guide allows it to be adapted to different models of heat pump equipment, improving the versatility of components. Additionally, in some embodiments, since the cover plate is primarily made of lightweight plastic and the air guide uses foam-type cushioning material, noise caused by vibration can be further reduced, and the overall weight of the unit can be reduced.

[0036] like Figures 5 to 9As shown, in this embodiment, the outer casing 18 of the heat pump device 200 also has a top plate 181 and a bottom plate 182. The heat pump device also includes a common support 70 fixedly mounted on the bottom plate 182 of the casing and extending vertically to fix the plate heat exchanger 32 and the liquid storage tank 40. The common support 70 includes a first vertical plate 71 and a second vertical plate 72 extending vertically and arranged perpendicularly to each other. The first vertical plate 71 is provided with vertically extending slots. In this embodiment, the slots include a first slot 711 and a second slot 712 distributed vertically, with the first slot 711 located above the second slot 712. Correspondingly, the plate heat exchanger 32 is provided with protrusions 321 and 322 that can extend into the aforementioned slots 711 and 712. In other embodiments, the number of slots and corresponding protrusions may be appropriately increased or decreased depending on the circumstances. The first vertical plate 71 has a downwardly extending beveled edge 713 on its side edge, which connects to the second slot 712, to facilitate vertical insertion or removal of the plate heat exchanger 32 within a confined space. In some embodiments, the plate heat exchanger 32 includes a plurality of pipe fittings 325 for the inflow or outflow of refrigerant and heat exchange liquid (water in this embodiment), which, along with protrusions 321 and 322, are disposed on the same side wall of the plate heat exchanger 32. Furthermore, the first vertical plate 71 is provided with recesses 713 for at least a portion of the aforementioned pipe fittings 325 to pass through. In some embodiments, the protrusions 321 and 322 are provided with fixing nuts 323 and 324, which secure the protrusions 321 and 322 in their positions after they enter the slots 711 and 712.

[0037] The common support 70 also includes a boss 73 extending laterally from the lower part of the second upright plate 72, perpendicular to the vertical direction. The boss 73 has a positioning hole 731. The bottom of the storage tank 40 has a protruding positioning post 41 that extends through the positioning hole 731. In some embodiments, the positioning post 41 is also provided with a fixing nut 42, that is, after the positioning post 41 is inserted into the positioning hole 731 of the boss, it is fixed in that position by the nut 42. During installation, the plate heat exchanger 32 and the storage tank 40 are first installed onto the common support 70 to form an assembly, and then the assembly is fixedly installed onto the base plate 182 by a fixing connection, such as screws. By integrating the support for the plate heat exchanger and the storage tank, the internal space of the equipment can be made more compact, and the overall installation structure can be simplified, improving the convenience of operation.

[0038] Reference Figures 10 to 12As shown, the partition 183 is provided with a fixing bracket for the fixed installation of the expansion tank 50. In some embodiments, the fixing bracket is located on the upper part of the partition 183 to make full use of the vertical space inside the equipment. The expansion tank 50 includes a tank body 51 and a connector 52 protruding from the bottom of the tank body. In some embodiments, the tank body 51 is cylindrical. The side of the connector 52 extends out to a pipe opening 54, which can be connected to the water passage inside the equipment through a water pipe 93. In addition, a limiting block 53 protrudes from the bottom of the connector 52. The fixing bracket includes a first support plate 81 and a second support plate 82 distributed vertically, wherein the first support plate 81 is located above the second support plate 82. The first support plate 81 cooperates with the tank body 51 and has an opening 811 for the connector 52 to pass through, so that the first support plate 81 can support the bottom of the tank body 51. The second support plate 82 cooperates with the connector 52 and has a limiting groove formed thereon that is approximately the same shape and size as the limiting block 53 of the connector, so as to precisely accommodate the limiting block 53. In addition, the second support plate 82 is provided with an upright stop 821 to abut against the side of the connector 52. In some embodiments, the stop 821 is located at a lateral end of the limiting groove 822, thus also serving as a foolproof mechanism to prevent the pipe opening 54 from facing the partition 183 during installation. In some embodiments, the heat pump device also includes a clamp 83 disposed on the partition 183 and located above the fixing bracket, the clamp 83 being at least partially abutting against the expansion tank 50 to ensure reliable fixation of the expansion tank. In some embodiments, the clamp 83 has a pair of support arms protruding from the partition 183 and a clamp arm 831 connecting the pair of support arms. In this embodiment, the clamp arm is arc-shaped and abuts against the body of the expansion tank 50.

[0039] Because the expansion tank is heavy, by installing a fixed bracket on the partition, the expansion tank can be placed on the fixed bracket before the subsequent locking operation, avoiding the need to continuously lift the tank during the installation process, thus improving the convenience of operation.

[0040] In the description of the above embodiments in this disclosure, the orientations or positional relationships indicated by terms such as "longitudinal", "lateral", "vertical", "radial", "circumferential", "horizontal", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "left", "right", "front", and "rear" are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of description and simplification. They are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this disclosure.

[0041] In the above disclosure, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the designation "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. In the above description, terms such as "several," "multiple," etc., mean at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0042] In the foregoing disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "adjacent," "connected," "linked," and "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this disclosure can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0043] In the above disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature and the second feature are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," or "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," or "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0044] It should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This way of describing the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A heat pump device comprising a housing and a refrigerant circuit disposed within the housing, the refrigerant circuit including a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, a plate heat exchanger for heat exchange between the refrigerant and a water circuit within the device, a throttling device for reducing the refrigerant pressure, and a finned tube heat exchanger for heat exchange between the refrigerant and outdoor air; the heat pump device further comprising an expansion tank connected to the water circuit within the device; characterized in that: The outer shell has a vertically extending partition, and the partition has a fixing bracket for fixing the expansion tank.

2. The heat pump device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The expansion tank includes a tank body and a connector protruding from the bottom of the tank body; the fixed bracket includes a first support plate and a second support plate distributed vertically, wherein the first support plate is located above the second support plate, and the first support plate cooperates with the tank body and the second support plate cooperates with the connector.

3. The heat pump device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first support plate supports the water tank body and has an opening for the connector to pass through.

4. The heat pump device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bottom of the connector is provided with a limiting block, and the second support plate is formed with a limiting groove that can accommodate the limiting block.

5. The heat pump device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second support plate is provided with an upright stop, which is located at one lateral end of the limiting groove.

6. The heat pump device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The second support plate is provided with an upright stop that abuts against the joint.

7. The heat pump device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat pump device also includes a clamp mounted on the partition and located above the fixed support, the clamp being at least partially attached to the expansion tank.

8. The heat pump device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The clamp has a pair of support arms protruding from the partition plate, and a clamp arm connecting the pair of support arms, the clamp arm being attached to the expansion tank.

9. The heat pump device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The partition divides the outer shell into a first space and a second space that are laterally distributed; wherein the compressor, plate heat exchanger, throttling device and expansion tank are housed in the first space, and the finned tube heat exchanger is housed in the second space.

10. The heat pump device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fixed bracket is located on the upper part of the partition.

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