Air conditioner

Abstract

To provide an air conditioner equipped with a cooling structure capable of efficiently cooling a control unit.SOLUTION: An air conditioner includes an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger, a first pipeline, a second pipeline, a compressor, a first four-way valve, a second four-way valve, a gas-liquid separator, an expansion valve, a cooling heat exchanger, an ejector, and a third pipeline. The cooling heat exchanger is connected to a suction port of the compressor in the first pipeline and cools a control unit provided in an outdoor unit for controlling the outdoor unit. The ejector includes a first inflow port provided in the first pipeline through which a coolant flows in from a third opening of the gas-liquid separator, a second inflow port through which the coolant flows in from the first four-way valve, and an outflow port for mixing the coolant flowing into the cooling heat exchanger from the first inflow port and the coolant flowing from the second inflow port, and causing the mixture to flow out.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to an air conditioning apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Air conditioners, such as air conditioners, regulate the indoor temperature by condensing and evaporating a refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle. The outdoor unit expels the air around the outdoor heat exchanger to the outside by driving an outdoor blower fan built into the outdoor unit, and also draws in outside air and passes it around the outdoor heat exchanger, thereby promoting heat exchange. Such outdoor units contain a control unit equipped with electronic components for driving devices such as a compressor. Electronic components tend to generate heat when in operation and are easily affected by rising ambient temperatures. For this reason, various air conditioners (outdoor units) equipped with a cooling structure for operating the electronic components within an appropriate temperature range have been proposed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-122724 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, outdoor units for general households are often installed in a small space outdoors. In particular, when installed on a balcony in an apartment building, there are often obstructions around the outdoor unit. For this reason, for example, during cooling operation, the warm air (hot air) discharged from the outdoor unit after heat exchange is prevented from diffusing by the obstruction and tends to stagnate around the outdoor unit, and the high-temperature air is sucked back into the outdoor unit through the outdoor air intake port of the outdoor unit, which may easily form a short circuit. In particular, when the ambient temperature of the outdoor unit itself is high due to a heat wave, the temperature of the intake air rises due to the mixture of the outdoor air and the discharged hot air. When a short circuit is formed under such circumstances, the control unit (electronic components, etc.) may not be sufficiently cooled, and the temperature of the control unit may rise. Even if a short circuit is not formed, it is desirable to cool the control unit so that it does not become too hot.

[0005] One example of a problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an air conditioner equipped with a cooling structure capable of efficiently cooling a control unit (electronic components, etc.). [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger, a first pipe, a second pipe, a compressor, a first four-way valve, a second four-way valve, a gas-liquid separator, an expansion valve, a cooling heat exchanger, an ejector, and a third pipe. The outdoor heat exchanger is provided in an outdoor unit. The indoor heat exchanger is provided in an indoor unit. The first pipe connects the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger, and a refrigerant flows through the first pipe. The second pipe connects the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger, and the refrigerant flows through the second pipe. The compressor is provided in the first pipe and has an intake port that draws in the refrigerant and an outlet port that discharges the refrigerant. The first four-way valve is provided in the first pipe and is capable of changing the direction in which the refrigerant flows. The second four-way valve is provided in the second pipe and is capable of changing the direction in which the refrigerant flows. The gas-liquid separator is provided in the second pipe and has a first opening connected to the second four-way valve through which the refrigerant can flow in, a second opening connected to the second four-way valve through which the liquid refrigerant can flow out, and a third opening in the first pipe through which at least the liquid refrigerant can flow out. The expansion valve is provided between the second opening of the gas-liquid separator and the second four-way valve. The cooling heat exchanger is connected to the suction port of the compressor in the first pipe and cools a control unit that is provided in the outdoor unit and controls the outdoor unit. The ejector is provided in the first pipe and has a first inlet through which the refrigerant flows in from the third opening of the gas-liquid separator, a second inlet through which the refrigerant flows in from the first four-way valve, and an outlet through which the refrigerant that has flowed in from the first inlet and the refrigerant that has flowed in from the second inlet are mixed and flowed out of the cooling heat exchanger. A third pipe connects a third opening of the gas-liquid separator and a first inlet of the ejector.

[0007] Furthermore, the cooling heat exchanger of the air conditioner may be in contact with, for example, electronic components included in the control unit.

[0008] In addition, the outdoor heat exchanger of the air conditioning unit may, for example, include a refrigerant pipe through which the refrigerant passes and heat exchange fins through which the refrigerant pipe passes, and the cooling heat exchanger may include heat dissipation fins, and the refrigerant flowing out from the outlet may flow through a part of the refrigerant pipe, bringing the heat dissipation fins into contact with the refrigerant pipe.

[0009] In addition, the outdoor unit of the air conditioning device may be equipped with, for example, a main air duct including the outdoor heat exchanger and a fan that supplies air to the outdoor heat exchanger, and a cooling air duct that is independent of the main air duct and includes electronic components included in the control unit and a cooling heat exchanger.

[0010] Furthermore, the air intake of the cooling airflow duct of the air conditioner may be, for example, in a bell-mouth shape that widens from the inside of the hole shape of the cooling airflow duct towards the end side.

[0011] The cooling air duct of the air conditioner may include, for example, a cooling air fan.

[0012] According to the air conditioner described above, for example, the control unit provided inside the outdoor unit can be cooled more efficiently. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a refrigerant system diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment, and is also an illustrative and schematic diagram showing the flow of refrigerant during cooling operation. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a refrigerant system diagram of the air conditioner according to the embodiment, and is also an illustrative and schematic diagram showing the flow of refrigerant during heating operation. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an illustrative and schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of an ejector mounted in an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exemplary schematic block diagram showing an air-conditioning device control device according to the embodiment and a configuration controlled by the control device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an illustrative schematic diagram showing the configuration of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment and the position of the cooling heat exchanger. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exemplary schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the cooling heat exchanger shown in FIG. 5 and the cooling structure of the control unit (electronic component). [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an illustrative schematic diagram showing the configuration of the outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to the second embodiment and the position of a cooling heat exchanger. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an exemplary schematic top view showing the configuration of the outdoor unit shown in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an exemplary schematic diagram showing a cross section taken along the line AA in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an illustrative schematic diagram showing the configuration of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to the third embodiment and the position of a cooling heat exchanger. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an exemplary schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the cooling heat exchanger shown in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an illustrative schematic diagram showing the configuration of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to the fourth embodiment and the position of a cooling heat exchanger. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an exemplary schematic diagram showing a cooling structure of a cooling air passage with a bell mouth including the cooling heat exchanger shown in FIG. 12 and a control unit (electronic component). [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is an exemplary schematic comparative diagram showing a case in which pressure loss occurs when the cooling air passage does not include a bell-mouth. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is an exemplary schematic diagram showing a modification of the cooling airflow path shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, several embodiments will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 15. In this specification, components according to the embodiments and the description of the components may be described in a plurality of ways. The components and their descriptions are merely examples and are not limited by the expressions in this specification. The components may be identified by names different from those in this specification. The components may be described by expressions different from those in this specification. Fig. 1 is an exemplary and schematic diagram showing the flow of the refrigerant during cooling operation, and Fig. 2 is an exemplary and schematic diagram showing the flow of the refrigerant during heating operation.

[0015] 1 and 2 are exemplary and schematic diagrams showing a refrigerant system diagram of an air conditioning device 10 according to an embodiment. The air conditioning device 10 is, for example, a home air conditioner. Note that the air conditioning device 10 is not limited to this example and may be other air conditioning devices such as a commercial air conditioner. Note that Figs. 1 and 2 have the same configuration, with the only difference being the direction in which the refrigerant flows.

[0016] 1 and 2, an air conditioner 10 has an outdoor unit 11, an indoor unit 12, refrigerant piping 13, and a control device 14. The outdoor unit 11 is disposed, for example, outdoors. The indoor unit 12 is disposed, for example, indoors.

[0017] The air conditioner 10 includes a refrigeration cycle in which an outdoor unit 11 and an indoor unit 12 are connected by refrigerant piping 13. A refrigerant flows between the outdoor unit 11 and the indoor unit 12 through the refrigerant piping 13. In addition, the outdoor unit 11 and the indoor unit 12 are electrically connected to each other by, for example, electrical wiring.

[0018] The outdoor unit 11 has an outdoor heat exchanger 21, an outdoor blower fan 22, a compressor 23, an accumulator 24, a first four-way valve 25, a second four-way valve 26, an ejector 27, a gas-liquid separator 28, an expansion valve 29, a cooling heat exchanger 30, etc. The indoor unit 12 has an indoor heat exchanger 41 and an indoor blower fan 42.

[0019] The refrigerant pipes 13 are pipes made of a metal such as copper or aluminum, and include a first pipe 51, a second pipe 52, a third pipe 53, and so on.

[0020] The first piping 51 connects the indoor heat exchanger 41 and the outdoor heat exchanger 21. The compressor 23, the accumulator 24, the first four-way valve 25, the ejector 27, and the cooling heat exchanger 30 are provided in the first piping 51. The first piping 51 has a first region 51a, a second region 51b, a third region 51c, a fourth region 51d, a fifth region 51e, and a sixth region 51f. The first region 51a is a piping region that connects the first four-way valve 25 and the indoor heat exchanger 41. The second region 51b is a piping region that connects the first four-way valve 25 and the second inlet 27b of the ejector 27. The third region 51c is a piping region that connects the first four-way valve 25 and the outdoor heat exchanger 21. The fourth region 51d is a piping region that connects the first four-way valve 25 and the discharge port 23b of the compressor 23. The fifth region 51e is a piping region that connects the outlet 27c of the ejector 27 and the inlet 30a of the cooling heat exchanger 30. The sixth region 51f is a piping region that connects the outlet 30b of the cooling heat exchanger 30 and the accumulator 24.

[0021] The second piping 52 connects the outdoor heat exchanger 21 and the indoor heat exchanger 41. The second four-way valve 26, the gas-liquid separator 28, and the expansion valve 29 are provided in the second piping 52. The second piping 52 has a seventh region 52a, an eighth region 52b, a ninth region 52c, a tenth region 52d, and an eleventh region 52e. The seventh region 52a is a piping region that connects the outdoor heat exchanger 21 and the second four-way valve 26. The eighth region 52b is a piping region that connects the second four-way valve 26 and the first opening 28a of the gas-liquid separator 28. The ninth region 52c is a piping region that connects the second opening 28b of the gas-liquid separator 28 and the expansion valve 29. The tenth region 52d is a piping region that connects the expansion valve 29 and the second four-way valve 26. The eleventh region 52e is a piping region that connects the second four-way valve 26 and the indoor heat exchanger 41.

[0022] The third pipe 53 is a pipe region that connects the third openings (the third liquid opening 28c and the third gas opening 28d) of the gas-liquid separator 28 to the first inlet 27a of the ejector. The third pipe 53 has a twelfth region 53a and a thirteenth region 53b. The twelfth region 53a is a pipe region that connects the third liquid opening 28c of the gas-liquid separator 28 to the first inlet 27a of the ejector. The thirteenth region 53b is a pipe region that connects the third gas opening 28d of the gas-liquid separator 28 to the first inlet 27a of the ejector. That is, a part of the liquid refrigerant of the refrigerant separated into gas and liquid by the gas-liquid separator 28 is supplied to the expansion valve 29. Furthermore, the gas refrigerant separated from a part of the liquid refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator 28 is supplied in a liquid / gas state to the first inlet 27a of the ejector 27. In addition, in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the third piping 53 is configured to have a twelfth region 53a for the liquid refrigerant and a thirteenth region 53b for the gas refrigerant separately, but may have a single piping region for liquid / gas that supplies two-phase liquid / gas refrigerant to the first inlet 27a of the ejector. In this case, it is possible to omit either the twelfth region 53a or the thirteenth region 53b, which contributes to simplifying the third piping 53.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 1, during cooling operation and dehumidification operation of the air conditioner 10, the refrigerant flows from the indoor heat exchanger 41 through the ejector 27, the cooling heat exchanger 30, the accumulator 24, and the compressor 23 through the first pipe 51 to the outdoor heat exchanger 21, and flows from the outdoor heat exchanger 21 through the gas-liquid separator 28 and the expansion valve 29 through the second pipe 52 to the indoor heat exchanger 41. Also, as shown in Fig. 2, during heating operation of the air conditioner 10, the refrigerant flows from the outdoor heat exchanger 21 through the ejector 27, the cooling heat exchanger 30, the accumulator 24, and the compressor 23 through the first pipe 51 to the indoor heat exchanger 41, and flows from the indoor heat exchanger 41 through the gas-liquid separator 28 through the expansion valve 29 through the second pipe 52 to the outdoor heat exchanger 21. The refrigerant in a liquid gas state temporarily stored in the gas-liquid separator 28 flows through the ejector 27 to the first pipe 51, and is returned to the compressor 23 through the cooling heat exchanger 30 and the accumulator 24.

[0024] The outdoor heat exchanger 21 of the outdoor unit 11 absorbs heat from the refrigerant as an evaporator or releases heat from the refrigerant as a condenser depending on the direction of refrigerant flow. The outdoor blower fan 22 blows air to the outdoor heat exchanger 21 to promote heat exchange between the refrigerant and air in the outdoor heat exchanger 21. In other words, the outdoor blower fan 22 generates an airflow that exchanges heat with the outdoor heat exchanger 21.

[0025] The compressor 23 has a suction port 23a and a discharge port 23b. The compressor 23 draws in a refrigerant from the suction port 23a and discharges the compressed refrigerant from the discharge port 23b. In this way, the compressor 23 compresses the refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle and causes the refrigerant to circulate.

[0026] The accumulator 24 is connected to the suction port 23a of the compressor 23. The accumulator 24 separates the gaseous refrigerant from the liquid refrigerant. This allows the compressor 23 to suck the gaseous refrigerant that has passed through the accumulator 24 from the suction port 23a. The accumulator 24 can also function as the suction port of the compressor 23 by being configured integrally with the compressor 23.

[0027] The first four-way valve 25 is connected to the discharge port 23b of the compressor 23, the outdoor heat exchanger 21, the second inlet 27b of the ejector 27, and the indoor heat exchanger 41. The first four-way valve 25 switches the flow paths connected to the discharge port 23b of the compressor 23, the outdoor heat exchanger 21, the second inlet 27b of the ejector 27, and the indoor heat exchanger 41, respectively, during heating operation and cooling operation (dehumidification operation), thereby changing the direction in which the refrigerant flows.

[0028] During cooling operation and dehumidification operation, the first four-way valve 25 connects the discharge port 23b of the compressor 23 to the outdoor heat exchanger 21, and supplies high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant to the outdoor heat exchanger 21, which functions as a condenser. The refrigerant that has undergone heat exchange in the outdoor heat exchanger 21 is supplied to the expansion valve 29 via the second four-way valve 26 and the gas-liquid separator 28, and is changed to a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant by the expansion action of the expansion valve 29, and flows through the second four-way valve 26 to the indoor heat exchanger 41, which functions as an evaporator. Then, heat exchange is performed in the indoor heat exchanger 41, and during cooling operation, cold air is discharged toward the room. During dehumidification operation, condensation (condensed water) is generated and the condensed water is collected to perform dehumidification. During cooling operation and dehumidification operation, the first four-way valve 25 connects the indoor heat exchanger 41 and the second inlet 27b of the ejector 27, and supplies the low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant discharged from the indoor heat exchanger 41 to the ejector 27 as a suction flow. The suction flow supplied to the ejector 27 is mixed with the refrigerant in a gas-liquid two-phase state (driving flow) supplied to the ejector 27 from the gas-liquid separator 28. The refrigerant in a state in which the temperature has been adjusted and the pressure has been increased by the ejector effect of the ejector 27 is gasified in the cooling heat exchanger 30 functioning as an evaporator and returned to the compressor 23. When heat exchange is performed in the cooling heat exchanger 30, the control unit (electronic components) is cooled.

[0029] During heating operation, as shown in FIG. 2, the first four-way valve 25 connects the discharge port 23b of the compressor 23 to the indoor heat exchanger 41, and supplies high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant to the indoor heat exchanger 41 functioning as a condenser. During heating operation, warm air is discharged toward the room. The refrigerant that has been heat exchanged (condensed) in the indoor heat exchanger 41 is supplied to the gas-liquid separator 28 via the second four-way valve 26, and the separated liquid refrigerant is changed to a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant by the expansion action of the expansion valve 29, and flows to the outdoor heat exchanger 21 functioning as an evaporator via the second four-way valve 26. Then, the refrigerant that has been heat exchanged (evaporated) in the outdoor heat exchanger 21 is supplied as a suction flow to the second inlet 27b of the ejector 27 via the first four-way valve 25. The suction flow supplied to the ejector 27 is mixed with the refrigerant (driving flow) in a gas-liquid two-phase state supplied to the ejector 27 from the gas-liquid separator 28. The refrigerant in a state in which the temperature has been adjusted and the pressure has been increased by the ejector effect of the ejector 27 is gasified in the cooling heat exchanger 30, which functions as an evaporator, and is returned to the compressor 23. When heat exchange is performed in the cooling heat exchanger 30, the control unit (electronic components) is cooled.

[0030] The second four-way valve 26 is connected to the indoor heat exchanger 41, the expansion valve 29, the outdoor heat exchanger 21, and the first opening 28a of the gas-liquid separator 28. The second four-way valve 26 switches the flow paths connected to the indoor heat exchanger 41, the expansion valve 29, the outdoor heat exchanger 21, and the first opening 28a of the gas-liquid separator 28 during cooling operation (dehumidification operation) and heating operation, and changes the direction of the refrigerant flow. The second four-way valve 26 is not limited to a general four-way valve, and may be a valve of other configurations as long as it can change the direction of the refrigerant flow. For example, it may be replaced with a bridge circuit in which four check valves are connected in a ring shape. When a bridge circuit is adopted as the second four-way valve, the second four-way valve drive circuit described later can be omitted.

[0031] 1, during cooling operation or dehumidification operation, the second four-way valve 26 connects the indoor heat exchanger 41 and the expansion valve 29, and supplies the liquid refrigerant that has become low temperature and low pressure as a result of expansion in the expansion valve 29 to the indoor heat exchanger 41. In addition, the second four-way valve 26 connects the outdoor heat exchanger 21 and the first opening 28a of the gas-liquid separator 28, and supplies the liquid refrigerant that has become medium temperature and high pressure as a result of heat exchange in the outdoor heat exchanger 21 to the first opening 28a of the gas-liquid separator 28.

[0032] 2, during heating operation, the second four-way valve 26 connects the indoor heat exchanger 41 to the first opening 28a of the gas-liquid separator 28, and supplies the medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant condensed as a result of heat exchange in the indoor heat exchanger 41 to the first opening 28a of the gas-liquid separator 28. The second four-way valve 26 also connects the expansion valve 29 to the outdoor heat exchanger 21, thereby supplying the liquid refrigerant that has become low-pressure and low-temperature due to the expansion action of the expansion valve 29 to the outdoor heat exchanger 21.

[0033] The gas-liquid separator 28 is provided in the second pipe 52. The gas-liquid separator 28 is, for example, a surface tension gas-liquid separator. The gas-liquid separator 28 may be another gas-liquid separator such as a receiver tank, as long as it can temporarily store the refrigerant in a liquid state. The gas-liquid separator 28 is provided with a first opening 28a (liquid gas refrigerant inlet), a second opening 28b (liquid refrigerant outlet), and a third opening, a liquid third opening 28c (liquid refrigerant outlet) and a gas third opening 28d (gas refrigerant outlet), as third openings. During cooling operation (dehumidification operation) and heating operation, the first opening 28a of the gas-liquid separator 28 receives the two-phase liquid-gas refrigerant, and the second opening 28b allows the liquid refrigerant to flow out. Moreover, the liquid third opening 28c allows the liquid refrigerant to flow out, and the gas third opening 28d allows the gas refrigerant to flow out. As described above, when the third pipe 53 is configured to allow the liquid-gas two-phase refrigerant to flow out, the gas-liquid separator 28 may have a first opening 28a for receiving the liquid-gas two-phase refrigerant, a second opening 28b for allowing the liquid refrigerant to flow out to the expansion valve 29, and a third opening for allowing the liquid-gas two-phase refrigerant to flow out to the first inlet 27a of the ejector. In this case, the gas-liquid separator 28 can have a simple configuration with one inlet and two outlets.

[0034] The ejector 27 is provided in the first pipe 51. More specifically, the ejector 27 includes a first inlet 27a, a second inlet 27b, and an outlet 27c. In the first inlet 27a, liquid refrigerant flows as a driving flow from the third liquid opening 28c of the gas-liquid separator 28 during cooling operation and heating operation, and gas refrigerant flows as a driving flow from the third gas opening 28d. In addition, low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant flows from the indoor heat exchanger 41 through the first four-way valve 25 into the second inlet 27b during cooling operation. In addition, low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant flows from the outdoor heat exchanger 21 through the first four-way valve 25 into the second inlet 27b during heating operation. During cooling operation and heating operation, the outlet 27c mixes the refrigerant supplied to the first inlet 27a with the refrigerant supplied to the second inlet 27b, and causes the pressurized low-temperature refrigerant to flow into the cooling heat exchanger 30.

[0035] Fig. 3 is an exemplary and schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of the ejector 27 of this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the ejector 27 has a simple structure, and therefore is easy to maintain and to install in the air conditioning device 10. The structure of the ejector 27 is not limited to the example shown in Fig. 2. The ejector 27 is provided with a first inlet 27a, a second inlet 27b, an outlet 27c, a nozzle section 61, a suction section 62, a mixing section 63, and a diffuser section 64.

[0036] In the case of the ejector 27, as shown in FIG. 1, the first inlet 27a is connected to the gas-liquid separator 28 via the twelfth region 53a and the thirteenth region 53b of the third pipe 53. That is, during cooling operation and heating operation, the first inlet 27a is connected to the second region 51b of the first pipe 51. During cooling operation, gaseous refrigerant flows from the indoor heat exchanger 41, and during heating operation, gaseous refrigerant flows from the outdoor heat exchanger 21. In this case, liquid refrigerant may be included. The outlet 27c is discharged in a pressurized state in which the refrigerants flowing in from the first inlet 27a and the second inlet 27b are mixed into the fifth region 51e of the first pipe 51. The ejector 27 supplies the low-temperature refrigerant, the temperature of which has been adjusted by flow rate control, to the cooling heat exchanger 30.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 3, the nozzle portion 61 of the ejector 27 is provided between the first inlet 27a and the mixing portion 63. The nozzle portion 61 is a flow path having a portion tapering toward the mixing portion 63 and a portion gradually expanding toward the mixing portion 63. The shape of the nozzle portion 61 is not limited to this, and any structure may be used as long as the refrigerant that has flowed in can be decompressed and sprayed at high speed. The nozzle portion 61 decompresses and expands the refrigerant that has flowed into the first inlet 27a, and sprays it into the mixing portion 63. Since the pressure near the outlet of the nozzle portion 61 is low, the first inlet 27a connected to the nozzle portion 61 can suck the refrigerant as a driving flow.

[0038] The suction section 62 is provided between the second inlet 27b and the mixing section 63. The suction section 62 is provided around the nozzle section 61 and is a substantially cylindrical flow path having a portion tapering toward the mixing section 63. The suction section 62 reduces the pressure of the refrigerant that has flowed into the second inlet 27b and expands it, and ejects it into the mixing section 63. Since the pressure near the outlet of the suction section 62 is low, the second inlet 27b connected to the suction section 62 can suck in the refrigerant as a suction flow.

[0039] The mixing section 63 is provided between the nozzle section 61 and the suction section 62, and the diffuser section 64. In the mixing section 63, the ejector 27 mixes the refrigerant ejected from the suction section 62 with the refrigerant ejected from the nozzle section 61.

[0040] The diffuser section 64 is provided between the mixing section 63 and the outlet 27c. The diffuser section 64 is a flow path having a portion that expands toward the outlet 27c. The refrigerant mixed in the mixing section 63 is decelerated and pressurized in the diffuser section 64, and is discharged from the outlet 27c.

[0041] The ejector 27 has an ejector solenoid valve 65. The ejector solenoid valve 65 can open and close the first inlet 27a, can control the flow rate of the driving flow, and can adjust the ejector effect (zero to maximum). In FIG. 3, an example in which the ejector solenoid valve 65 is located outside the nozzle portion 61 is shown, but the ejector solenoid valve 65 may be provided inside the nozzle portion 61 or in another portion. For example, it may be a needle-shaped valve that is inserted into the nozzle portion 61 and has an opening degree adjusted. The ejector solenoid valve 65 adjusts the amount of refrigerant supplied to the first inlet 27a by controlling the opening degree. In the ejector 27, the amount of refrigerant supplied to the second inlet 27b may be adjusted by providing an ejector solenoid valve at or inside the second inlet 27b, similar to the first inlet 27a, and the ejector effect may be adjusted.

[0042] The expansion valve 29 is provided between the second opening 28b of the gas-liquid separator 28 and the second four-way valve 26. The expansion valve 29 is, for example, an electromagnetic expansion valve. Note that the expansion valve 29 may be another type of expansion valve. The expansion valve 29 adjusts the amount of refrigerant passing through by controlling the opening degree.

[0043] The cooling heat exchanger 30 is connected in the first pipe 51 between the outlet 27c of the ejector 27 and the suction port 23a (accumulator 24) of the compressor 23, and cools electronic components (heat-generating components) of a control unit included in the outdoor control device 14a that is provided in the outdoor unit 11 and controls the outdoor unit 11. That is, the cooling heat exchanger 30 functions as an evaporator and absorbs heat from the surroundings to cool the electronic components, thereby contributing to maintaining the function of the outdoor unit 11. If it is desired to further increase the cooling capacity of the cooling heat exchanger 30, the opening of the expansion valve 29 is controlled to the throttling side. By throttling the opening of the expansion valve 29, the expansion rate of the refrigerant increases, and the refrigerant can be brought into a state of lower temperature and pressure. For example, during cooling operation, a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant is supplied as a suction flow to the second inlet 27b of the ejector 27 via the indoor heat exchanger 41. During heating operation, a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant is supplied as a suction flow to the second inlet 27b of the ejector 27 via the exterior heat exchanger 21. As a result, the temperature of the mixed flow flowing out from the outlet 27c of the ejector 27 is lowered, and the cooling capacity of the cooling heat exchanger 30 can be improved. Conversely, by controlling the opening degree of the expansion valve 29 to the open side, the temperature of the refrigerant supplied as a suction flow to the second inlet 27b of the ejector 27 can be increased. In other words, the temperature of the mixed flow flowing out from the outlet 27c of the ejector 27 is increased, and the cooling capacity of the cooling heat exchanger 30 can be suppressed.

[0044] In addition, the cooling heat exchanger 30 can gasify the refrigerant flowing inside by exchanging heat with the control unit (heat generating component). For example, in a configuration without the cooling heat exchanger 30, the outdoor heat exchanger 21 or the indoor heat exchanger 41 functioning as an evaporator gasifies the refrigerant to be returned to the compressor 23. On the other hand, in the case of the present embodiment, when the cooling heat exchanger 30 is provided, the refrigerant can be gasified when cooling with the control unit in the cooling heat exchanger 30. That is, the load when the outdoor heat exchanger 21 or the indoor heat exchanger 41 functions as an evaporator can be reduced. As a result, it can contribute to the miniaturization of the outdoor heat exchanger 21 or the indoor heat exchanger 41. Details of the cooling structure using such a cooling heat exchanger 30 will be described later.

[0045] The control device 14 controls the outdoor blower fan 22, the indoor blower fan 42, the compressor 23, and each control valve, etc., which are provided in the outdoor unit 11 and the indoor unit 12, and performs cooling operation, heating operation, dehumidification operation, defrosting operation, and other operation control. The control device 14 is composed of, for example, an outdoor control device 14a provided in the outdoor unit 11 and an indoor control device 14b provided in the indoor unit 12. The outdoor control device 14a and the indoor control device 14b are electrically connected to each other and transmit and receive control signals to cooperate with each other to control the outdoor unit 11 and the indoor unit 12. The indoor control device 14b provided in the indoor unit 12 may be controlled by inputting a signal from a remote controller operated by a user, or may be controlled by inputting a signal from an information terminal such as a smartphone through a communication device. The outdoor control device 14a and the indoor control device 14b may be collectively formed into one control device 14. In this case, the control device 14 may be provided in either the outdoor unit 11 or the indoor unit 12, but can be provided in the indoor unit 12, for example.

[0046] The control device 14 is, for example, a computer having a control device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a microcontroller, and a storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a flash memory. Note that the control device 14 is not limited to this example.

[0047] Fig. 4 is an exemplary schematic block diagram showing the control device 14 of the air conditioner 10 of this embodiment and a configuration controlled by the control device 14. As shown in Fig. 4, the air conditioner 10 of this embodiment has an outdoor fan drive circuit 81, an indoor fan drive circuit 82, an inverter circuit 83, a first four-way valve drive circuit 84, a second four-way valve drive circuit 85, an expansion valve drive circuit 86, an ejector solenoid valve drive circuit 87, and the like.

[0048] The outdoor fan drive circuit 81 is a drive circuit for the outdoor blower fan 22. The indoor fan drive circuit 82 is a drive circuit for the indoor blower fan 42. The inverter circuit 83 inverter controls the compressor 23 to change the frequency of the compressor 23. The inverter circuit 83 is, for example, a PAM (Pulse Amplitude Modulation) type inverter circuit. Note that the inverter circuit 83 is not limited to this example.

[0049] The first four-way valve drive circuit 84 is a drive circuit for the first four-way valve 25. The second four-way valve drive circuit 85 is a drive circuit for the second four-way valve 26. The expansion valve drive circuit 86 is a drive circuit for the expansion valve 43. The ejector solenoid valve drive circuit 87 is a drive circuit for the ejector solenoid valve 65.

[0050] The control device 14 is connected to the temperature sensors T1, T2, the outdoor fan drive circuit 81, the indoor fan drive circuit 82, the inverter circuit 83, the first four-way valve drive circuit 84, the second four-way valve drive circuit 85, the expansion valve drive circuit 86, and the ejector solenoid valve drive circuit 87. For the sake of simplicity, in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, only the temperature sensor T1 for measuring the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 41 and the temperature sensor T2 for measuring the temperature of the cooling heat exchanger 30 are illustrated, but a plurality of temperature sensors are provided for measuring the temperatures of the components of the outdoor unit 11 and the indoor unit 12 and the various locations of the refrigerant piping 13. The control device 14 includes a temperature acquisition unit 91, an operation switching unit 92, an outdoor fan control unit 93, an indoor fan control unit 94, a compressor control unit 95, and a valve control unit 96.

[0051] The temperature acquisition unit 91 measures the temperature of each part in the refrigeration cycle using the temperature sensors T1, T2, . . . and controls the outdoor unit 11 and the indoor unit 12 based on the measured temperatures.

[0052] The operation switching unit 92 switches the air conditioner 10 between cooling operation, heating operation, dehumidification operation, defrosting operation, and other operations.

[0053] The outdoor fan control section 93 controls the outdoor blower fan 22. For example, the outdoor fan control section 93 controls the outdoor fan drive circuit 81 to control the rotation speed of the motor of the outdoor blower fan 22.

[0054] The indoor fan control unit 94 controls the indoor blower fan 42. For example, the indoor fan control unit 94 controls the indoor fan drive circuit 82 to control the rotation speed of the motor of the indoor blower fan 42.

[0055] The compressor control unit 95 controls the compressor 23. For example, the compressor control unit 95 controls the inverter circuit 83 to control the frequency (operating frequency) of the compressor 23 by inverter control.

[0056] The valve control unit 96 controls the first four-way valve 25, the second four-way valve 26, the expansion valve 29, and the ejector solenoid valve 65. The valve control unit 96 controls the first four-way valve drive circuit 84 to drive the actuator of the first four-way valve 25 and change the direction in which the refrigerant flows through the first four-way valve 25. The valve control unit 96 controls the second four-way valve drive circuit 85 to drive the actuator of the second four-way valve 26 and change the direction in which the refrigerant flows through the second four-way valve 26. The valve control unit 96 controls the expansion valve drive circuit 86 to change the opening of the expansion valve 43 and adjust the expansion amount of the medium. In addition, the valve control unit 96 controls the ejector solenoid valve drive circuit 87 to change the opening of the ejector solenoid valve 65 and adjust the flow rate of the medium flowing through the ejector 27, thereby adjusting the ejector effect amount (the amount of pressure rise and temperature of the refrigerant flowing out from the outlet).

[0057] Incidentally, when the air conditioner 10 performs, for example, cooling operation, a high-temperature refrigerant passes through the outdoor heat exchanger 21 and exchanges heat, resulting in the release of heat. The released heat is discharged to the outside of the outdoor unit 11 by the outdoor blower fan 22. At this time, if there is an obstruction or the like around the outdoor unit 11, the air (hot air) discharged from the outdoor unit 11 may stagnate around the outdoor unit 11 and may be sucked back into the outdoor unit 11 through the outdoor air intake of the outdoor unit 11. When the air conditioner 10 performs cooling operation, the outdoor temperature is generally high, and the sucked air is mixed with the surrounding air, and the temperature of the air further rises and becomes higher than the outdoor temperature, which may result in insufficient cooling of the outdoor control device 14a (control unit) that controls the outdoor unit 11. For example, the outdoor unit 11 contains a control unit equipped with electronic components for driving devices such as the compressor 23. Electronic components tend to generate heat when in operation and are easily affected by increases in ambient temperature.

[0058] Therefore, in the air conditioner 10 of this embodiment, a cooling heat exchanger 30 is disposed midway through the refrigeration cycle using the ejector 27, specifically downstream of the outlet 27c of the ejector 27, and the control unit (heat-generating electronic components) is cooled using low-temperature refrigerant before returning to the compressor 23 (accumulator 24). Below, details of variations in the cooling structure for the control unit (heat-generating electronic components) using the cooling heat exchanger 30 will be described.

[0059] First Embodiment Fig. 5 is an exemplary schematic diagram showing the configuration of the outdoor unit 11A of the air conditioning apparatus 10A according to the first embodiment and the arrangement position of the cooling heat exchanger 30A. Fig. 6 is an exemplary schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the cooling heat exchanger 30A shown in Fig. 5 and the cooling structure of the control unit 100 (electronic component 100a).

[0060] The basic configurations of the air conditioner 10A and the outdoor unit 11A are the same as those of the air conditioner 10 and the outdoor unit 11 shown in Fig. 1. In the first embodiment, the configuration of a cooling heat exchanger 30A as one form of the cooling heat exchanger 30 shown in Fig. 1 is shown.

[0061] FIG. 5 shows the outdoor unit 11A with the front panel removed. As described above, the outdoor unit 11A includes a compressor 23 that compresses and circulates the refrigerant flowing between the outdoor unit 11A and the indoor unit 12, an outdoor heat exchanger 21, and an outdoor blower fan 22 that supplies outdoor air to the outdoor heat exchanger 21 to promote heat exchange. The outdoor heat exchanger 21 is arranged to extend, for example, behind the outdoor blower fan 22 so that the wind generated by the drive of the outdoor blower fan 22 hits the outdoor heat exchanger 21 efficiently, but detailed illustration is omitted. When the air conditioner 10A is in operation, the compressor 23 frequently adjusts the switching control of the compression drive state so that the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant piping 13 is in an optimal state according to the room temperature and set temperature where the indoor unit 12 is installed and the outdoor air temperature outside where the outdoor unit 11A is installed. The control state of the compressor 23 is switched by a control unit 100 (outdoor control device 14a) disposed in a part of the outdoor unit 11A.

[0062] As described above, the control unit 100 that controls the operating state of the compressor 23 includes electronic components 100a (heat generating components) such as switching elements. In the first embodiment, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the control unit 100 (electronic components 100a) and the cooling heat exchanger 30A are in direct contact with each other. As shown in Fig. 5, a plurality of refrigerant pipes 30Ap connected to the fifth region 51e of the first pipe 51 penetrate the cooling heat exchanger 30A. As shown in Fig. 6, a plurality of heat dissipation fins 30Aa are formed on the surface of the cooling heat exchanger 30A. That is, between the electronic components 100a and the heat dissipation fins 30Aa, there is a pipe through which the low-temperature refrigerant flowing out from the outlet 27c of the ejector 27 flows, and the cooling heat exchanger 30A functions as an evaporator. The cooling heat exchanger 30A exchanges heat with the electronic component 100a (control unit 100) regardless of the operating state (cooling operation, heating operation, etc.) of the air conditioning apparatus 10A, thereby cooling the control unit 100. In addition, the wind generated by the outdoor blower fan 22 hits the heat dissipation fins 30Aa, promoting heat exchange in the cooling heat exchanger 30A and improving the cooling efficiency of the electronic components.

[0063] In this way, in the cooling heat exchanger 30A of the first embodiment, in the outdoor unit 11A, the low-temperature refrigerant flowing out from the outlet 27c of the ejector 27 passes through the cooling heat exchanger 30A by the refrigerant pipe 30Ap, thereby realizing liquid cooling of the control unit 100 (electronic component 100a). Also, the cooling heat exchanger 30A realizes air cooling of the control unit 100 (electronic component 100a) by the wind generated by the outdoor blower fan 22. As a result, the cooling heat exchanger 30A can effectively cool the control unit 100 (electronic component 100a). Also, as described above, the cooling heat exchanger 30A can gasify the refrigerant flowing inside by exchanging heat with the control unit (heat-generating component). As a result, the outdoor heat exchanger 21 or the indoor heat exchanger 41 functioning as an evaporator does not need to completely gasify the refrigerant to be returned to the compressor 23, and the load on the outdoor heat exchanger 21 or the indoor heat exchanger 41 when they function as an evaporator can be reduced. In other words, this can contribute to the miniaturization of the outdoor heat exchanger 21 and the indoor heat exchanger 41. The cooling capacity of the cooling heat exchanger 30A can be adjusted by adjusting the opening of the expansion valve 29, as described above.

[0064] <Second embodiment> Fig. 7 is an exemplary schematic diagram showing the configuration of an outdoor unit 11B of an air conditioning apparatus 10B according to a second embodiment and the position of a cooling heat exchanger 30B. Fig. 8 is an exemplary schematic top view showing the configuration of the outdoor unit 11B shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is an exemplary schematic configuration diagram showing a cross section taken along line AA in Fig. 8.

[0065] The basic configurations of the air conditioner 10B and the outdoor unit 11B are the same as those of the air conditioner 10 and the outdoor unit 11 shown in Fig. 1. In the second embodiment, the configuration of a cooling heat exchanger 30B as one form of the cooling heat exchanger 30 shown in Fig. 1 is shown.

[0066] FIG. 7 shows the outdoor unit 11B with the front panel removed. As described above, the outdoor unit 11B includes a compressor 23 that compresses and circulates the refrigerant flowing between the outdoor unit 11B and the indoor unit 12, an outdoor heat exchanger 21, and an outdoor blower fan 22 that supplies outdoor air to the outdoor heat exchanger 21 to promote heat exchange. The outdoor heat exchanger 21 is arranged to extend, for example, behind the outdoor blower fan 22 so that the wind generated by the drive of the outdoor blower fan 22 hits the outdoor heat exchanger 21 efficiently. FIG. 7 shows a part of the refrigerant pipe 21a through which the refrigerant passes in the outdoor heat exchanger 21. When the air conditioner 10B is in operation, the compressor 23 frequently adjusts the switching control of the compression drive state so that the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant pipe 13 is in an optimal state according to the room temperature and set temperature in which the indoor unit 12 is installed and the outdoor air temperature outside where the outdoor unit 11B is installed. The control state of the compressor 23 is switched by a control unit 100 (outdoor control device 14a) disposed in a part of the outdoor unit 11B.

[0067] As described above, the control unit 100 that controls the operating state of the compressor 23 includes electronic components 100a (heat generating components) such as switching elements. In the second embodiment, the outdoor heat exchanger 21 includes a refrigerant pipe 21a through which the refrigerant passes and a heat exchange fin 21b through which the refrigerant pipe 21a penetrates, as shown in Figs. 7 to 9. This configuration is similar to that of the outdoor heat exchanger 21 of the first embodiment. The cooling heat exchanger 30B includes a heat dissipation fin 30Ba, and is configured so that the refrigerant flowing out from the outlet 27c of the ejector 27 flows into a part of the refrigerant pipe 21a of the outdoor heat exchanger 21. For example, some upper parts of the refrigerant pipe 21a of the outdoor heat exchanger 21 are configured to be used as cooling refrigerant pipes 21aa connected to the fifth region 51e of the first piping 51 connected to the outlet 27c of the ejector 27. The cooling refrigerant pipe 21aa is in contact with (for example, penetrates) the heat dissipation fin 30Ba. In the cooling heat exchanger 30B, the electronic component 100a (control unit 100) is thermally connected to the heat dissipation fin 30Ba. In this case, regardless of the operating state (cooling operation, heating operation, etc.) of the air conditioner 10B, a low-temperature refrigerant can always flow through the cooling refrigerant pipe 21aa. As a result, regardless of the operating state of the air conditioner 10B, heat exchange between the low-temperature refrigerant flowing through the cooling refrigerant pipe 21aa configured as a part of the refrigerant pipe 21a of the outdoor heat exchanger 21 and the electronic component 100a (control unit 100) is possible, and the electronic component 100a (control unit 100) is cooled. Note that, in the second embodiment, the wind generated by the outdoor blower fan 22 hits the heat dissipation fin 30Ba, promoting heat exchange in the cooling heat exchanger 30B and improving the cooling efficiency of the electronic components.

[0068] In this way, in the cooling heat exchanger 30B of the second embodiment, in the outdoor unit 11B, a low-temperature refrigerant flowing out from the outlet 27c of the ejector 27 flows in a part of the refrigerant pipe 21a of the outdoor heat exchanger 21 that exists as a basic configuration, forming a cooling refrigerant pipe 21aa, and connecting the heat dissipation fins 30Ba to the cooling refrigerant pipe 21aa, thereby realizing liquid cooling of the control unit 100 (electronic component 100a). In addition, the cooling heat exchanger 30B realizes air cooling of the control unit 100 (electronic component 100a) by blowing the wind generated by the outdoor blower fan 22 against the heat dissipation fins 30Ba. As a result, the cooling heat exchanger 30B can effectively cool the control unit 100 (electronic component 100a). In addition, as described above, the cooling heat exchanger 30B can gasify the refrigerant flowing inside by exchanging heat with the control unit (heat-generating component). As a result, the outdoor heat exchanger 21 or the indoor heat exchanger 41 functioning as an evaporator does not need to completely gasify the refrigerant to be returned to the compressor 23, and the load on the outdoor heat exchanger 21 or the indoor heat exchanger 41 when they function as an evaporator can be reduced. In other words, this can contribute to the miniaturization of the outdoor heat exchanger 21 and the indoor heat exchanger 41. The cooling capacity of the cooling heat exchanger 30B can be adjusted by adjusting the opening degree of the expansion valve 29, as described above.

[0069] In the second embodiment, the cooling heat exchanger 30B can be configured with a simple structure in which the low-temperature refrigerant flowing out from the outlet 27c of the ejector 27 flows through a part of the refrigerant pipe 21a of the existing outdoor heat exchanger 21 to function as the cooling refrigerant pipe 21aa, and the heat dissipation fins 30Ba are connected to the part. As a result, the air conditioner 10B equipped with the cooling heat exchanger 30B can be realized at low cost.

[0070] In the configuration shown in FIG. 8, the heat dissipation fins 30Ba of the cooling heat exchanger 30B are thermally connected (for example, directly contacted) with the electronic component 100a (control unit 100), but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the electronic component 100a (control unit 100) may be arranged downstream of the heat dissipation fins 30Ba in a state in which the heat dissipation fins 30Ba and the electronic component 100a (control unit 100) are separated from each other. With this arrangement, air (airflow) cooled by passing through the heat dissipation fins 30Ba of the cooling heat exchanger 30B may be supplied to the electronic component 100a (control unit 100) located downstream of the heat dissipation fins 30Ba to air-cool it. In this case, the electronic component 100a (control unit 100) can be cooled while the degree of freedom in arrangement of the electronic component 100a, i.e., the degree of freedom in designing the control unit 100, can be improved.

[0071] <Third embodiment> Fig. 10 is an exemplary schematic diagram showing the configuration of an outdoor unit 11C of an air conditioning apparatus 10C according to a third embodiment and the arrangement position of a cooling heat exchanger 30C. Fig. 11 is an exemplary schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the cooling heat exchanger 30C shown in Fig. 10.

[0072] The basic configurations of an air conditioner 10C and an outdoor unit 11C are the same as those of the air conditioner 10 and the outdoor unit 11 shown in Fig. 1. In the third embodiment, the configuration of a cooling heat exchanger 30C as one form of the cooling heat exchanger 30 shown in Fig. 1 is shown.

[0073] FIG. 10 shows the outdoor unit 11C with the front panel removed. As described above, the outdoor unit 11C includes a compressor 23 that compresses and circulates the refrigerant flowing between the outdoor unit 11C and the indoor unit 12, an outdoor heat exchanger 21, and an outdoor blower fan 22 that supplies outdoor air to the outdoor heat exchanger 21 to promote heat exchange. The outdoor heat exchanger 21 is arranged to spread out, for example, behind the outdoor blower fan 22 so that the wind generated by the drive of the outdoor blower fan 22 hits the outdoor heat exchanger 21 efficiently, but detailed illustration is omitted. When the air conditioner 10C is in operation, the compressor 23 frequently adjusts the switching control of the compression drive state so that the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant piping 13 is in an optimal state according to the room temperature and set temperature where the indoor unit 12 is installed and the outdoor air temperature outside where the outdoor unit 11C is installed. The control state of the compressor 23 is switched by a control unit 100 (outdoor control device 14a) disposed in a part of the outdoor unit 11C.

[0074] As described above, the control unit 100 that controls the operating state of the compressor 23 includes electronic components 100a (heat generating components) such as switching elements. In the third embodiment, as shown in Fig. 10, the outdoor unit 11C includes, for example, a main air passage 11Fa including the outdoor heat exchanger 21 and the outdoor blower fan 22 that supplies air to the outdoor heat exchanger 21, and a cooling air passage 11Fb that is an air passage independent of the main air passage 11Fa and includes the electronic components 100a included in the control unit 100 and the cooling heat exchanger 30C. Note that the main air passage 11Fa and the cooling air passage 11Fb are independent flow paths, but in the third embodiment, they communicate with each other.

[0075] The cooling air passage 11Fb is, for example, a cylindrical air passage provided in the outdoor unit 11C, and has an inlet 11Fba open to the outside air at one end and an outlet 11Fbb open to the internal space (main air passage 11Fa) of the outdoor unit 11C at the other end. Inside the cooling air passage 11Fb, the cooling heat exchanger 30C is disposed on the side closer to the inlet 11Fba. Also, a heat dissipation fin 100f thermally connected to the control unit 100 is formed inside the cooling air passage 11Fb, for example, in a protruding state, on the downstream side of the cooling heat exchanger 30C with respect to the inlet 11Fba, i.e., on the side closer to the outlet 11Fbb.

[0076] 11, a plurality of refrigerant pipes 30Cp connected to the fifth region 51e of the first pipe 51 penetrate through the inside of the cooling heat exchanger 30C. In addition, in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the refrigerant pipes 30Cp, a ventilation passage 30Cs opening at the inlet 11Fba is formed penetrating toward the outlet 11Fbb. That is, the outside air flowing in from the inlet 11Fba can flow toward the outlet 11Fbb, and is cooled by heat exchange with the low-temperature refrigerant flowing inside the refrigerant pipes 30Cp during the flow. As described above, a heat dissipation fin 100f thermally connected to the control unit 100 is formed in the cooling air passage 11Fb downstream of the cooling heat exchanger 30C, i.e., near the outlet 11Fbb, in a state of protruding, for example. Therefore, heat is exchanged through the heat dissipation fins 100f with the air (outside air) cooled by the low-temperature refrigerant flowing inside the refrigerant pipe 30Cp, and the control unit 100 (electronic components 100a) is cooled. Note that, since the airflow caused by the drive of the exterior blower fan 22 creates a negative pressure in the cooling air passage 11Fb communicating with the main air passage 11Fa, outside air is efficiently sucked into the cooling air passage 11Fb from the inlet 11Fba while the exterior blower fan 22 is driven and supplied to the cooling heat exchanger 30C, generating cool air.

[0077] Thus, in the cooling heat exchanger 30C of the third embodiment, the outdoor unit 11C forms a cooling air passage 11Fb that is independent of the main air passage 11Fa through which air passes to effectively perform heat exchange in the outdoor heat exchanger 21. Outside air is taken into the cooling air passage 11Fb, and is cooled by the cooling heat exchanger 30C, and the cooled air further cools the control unit 100 (electronic component 100a). As a result, the control unit 100 (electronic component 100a) can be preferentially and efficiently cooled.

[0078] As described above, the cooling heat exchanger 30C can gasify the refrigerant flowing therein by exchanging heat with the control unit 100 (heat generating component) in the same manner as the cooling heat exchangers 30A and 30B. As a result, the outdoor heat exchanger 21 or the indoor heat exchanger 41 functioning as an evaporator does not need to completely gasify the refrigerant to be returned to the compressor 23, and the load on the outdoor heat exchanger 21 or the indoor heat exchanger 41 when the outdoor heat exchanger 21 or the indoor heat exchanger 41 functions as an evaporator can be reduced. In other words, this can contribute to the miniaturization of the outdoor heat exchanger 21 or the indoor heat exchanger 41. The cooling capacity of the cooling heat exchanger 30C can be adjusted by adjusting the opening of the expansion valve 29, as described above. In addition, in the case of the cooling heat exchanger 30C, in addition to heat exchange with the heat generated by the control unit 100 (electronic component 100a), heat exchange with the outside air is possible, so that the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant pipe 30Cp can be gasified more reliably.

[0079] <Fourth embodiment> 12 to 14 are exemplary and schematic diagrams showing the configuration of the outdoor unit 11D of the air conditioner 10D according to the fourth embodiment and the arrangement position of the cooling heat exchanger 30C. The fourth embodiment is a modification of the third embodiment, and has substantially the same configuration except that the shape of the cooling air passage 11Fc is different from that of the cooling air passage 11Fb of the third embodiment. The same reference numerals are given to equivalent members, and detailed explanations thereof are omitted. FIG. 13 is an exemplary and schematic diagram showing the cooling air passage 11Fc with a bell mouth 11Fcm including the cooling heat exchanger 30C shown in FIG. 12, and the cooling structure of the control unit 100 (electronic component 100a). FIG. 14 is an exemplary and schematic diagram showing a comparative example in which pressure loss occurs when the cooling air passage F does not include a bell mouth.

[0080] As described above, the outdoor unit 11D of the air conditioner 10D of the fourth embodiment is the same as the cooling air passage 11Fb of the third embodiment, except that the shape of the inlet 11Fca of the cooling air passage 11Fc is a bell mouth 11Fcm. That is, the cooling air passage 11Fc is, for example, a cylindrical air passage provided in the outdoor unit 11D, and has an inlet 11Fca whose one end is open to the outside air. This inlet 11Fca has a bell mouth 11Fcm whose end is larger in diameter than the diameter of the center of the cooling air passage 11Fc. Similarly, the other end of the cooling air passage 11Fc has an outlet 11Fcb that is open to the internal space of the outdoor unit 11D. This outlet 11Fcb has a bell mouth 11Fcm whose end is larger in diameter than the diameter of the center of the cooling air passage 11Fc. Inside the cooling air passage 11Fc, a cooling heat exchanger 30C is disposed on the side closer to the inlet 11Fbc. Further, downstream of the cooling heat exchanger 30C with respect to the inlet 11Fca, that is, closer to the outlet 11Fcb, a heat dissipation fin 100f thermally connected to the control unit 100 is formed in the cooling air passage 11Fc in a protruding state, for example. The configuration of the cooling heat exchanger 30C disposed inside the cooling air passage 11Fc is the same as the configuration shown in FIG. 11 and has the same effect, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0081] By providing bell mouths 11Fcm at inlet 11Fca and outlet 11Fcb of cooling air passage 11Fc, pressure loss due to contraction flow S is reduced, and the flow of outside air in cooling air passage 11Fc is improved. For example, as shown in Fig. 14, if a bell mouth is not provided at inlet Fa of cooling air passage F, contraction flow S occurs at the edge of inlet Fa, and the effective inflow diameter r2 of the outside air at inlet Fa is narrower than the air passage diameter r1 of cooling air passage F (for example, the air passage diameter at the position where heat dissipation fin 100f is provided in Fig. 13). In other words, pressure loss increases, the flow rate of outside air (the amount of air to be cooled) decreases, and the cooling efficiency of control unit 100 (electronic component 100a) decreases.

[0082] On the other hand, by providing bellmouth 11Fcm at inlet 11Fca of cooling airflow passage 11Fc, the position where contraction S is formed is shifted to the outer diameter side, and the inflow diameter of outside air at inlet 11Fca is brought closer to the airflow diameter of cooling airflow passage 11Fc, for example. As a result, pressure loss in cooling airflow passage 11Fc is reduced, a decrease in the flow rate of outside air (amount of air being cooled) is suppressed, and the cooling efficiency of control unit 100 (electronic component 100a) can be improved compared to when bellmouth 11Fcm is not provided.

[0083] FIG. 15 is an exemplary schematic diagram showing a modified example of the cooling air passage 11Fc shown in FIG. 13. As described in the third embodiment, the cooling air passage 11Fc takes in outside air by the negative pressure generated by driving the outdoor air blower fan 22. In this case, depending on the surrounding environment of the outdoor unit 11D, the outside air may not be sufficiently drawn in by the negative pressure alone. In such a case, as shown in FIG. 15, a cooling air fan 102 (propeller fan, blower) is arranged in a part of the cooling air passage 11Fc, for example, between the heat dissipation fin 100f and the outlet 11Fcb, to increase the intake capacity of the outside air into the cooling air passage 11Fc, thereby improving the efficiency of generating cold air by the cooling heat exchanger 30C and the efficiency of gasifying the refrigerant flowing inside the cooling heat exchanger 30C. In other words, the capacity of the cooling heat exchanger 30C is improved. 15, and may be located inside cooling air passage 11Fc or near outlet 11Fcb, and similar effects can be obtained. Also, cooling air passage 11Fb of the third embodiment, which does not include bellmouth 11Fcm, may be provided with cooling air fan 102, and similar effects can be obtained.

[0084] The air conditioner 10 according to the embodiment described above includes the outdoor heat exchanger 21, the indoor heat exchanger 41, the first pipe 51, the second pipe 52, the compressor 23, the first four-way valve 25, the second four-way valve 26, the gas-liquid separator 28, the expansion valve 29, the cooling heat exchanger 30, the ejector 27, and the third pipe 53. The outdoor heat exchanger 21 is provided in the outdoor unit 11. The indoor heat exchanger 41 is provided in the indoor unit 12. The first pipe 51 connects the indoor heat exchanger 41 and the outdoor heat exchanger 21, and the refrigerant flows through the first pipe 51. The second pipe 52 connects the outdoor heat exchanger 21 and the indoor heat exchanger 41, and the refrigerant flows through the first pipe 51. The compressor 23 is provided in the first pipe 51, and has an intake port 23a for sucking in the refrigerant and an exhaust port 23b for exhausting the refrigerant. The first four-way valve 25 is provided in the first pipe 51 and can change the direction in which the refrigerant flows. The second four-way valve 26 is provided in the second pipe 52 and can change the direction in which the refrigerant flows. The gas-liquid separator 28 is provided in the second pipe 52 and has a first opening 28a connected to the second four-way valve 26 to allow the refrigerant to flow in, a second opening 28b connected to the second four-way valve 26 to allow the liquid refrigerant to flow out, and a third opening (liquid third opening 28c) to allow at least the liquid refrigerant to flow out to the first pipe 51. The expansion valve 29 is provided between the second opening 28b of the gas-liquid separator 28 and the second four-way valve 26. The cooling heat exchanger 30 is connected to the intake port 23a (accumulator 24) of the compressor 23 through the first pipe 51, and is provided in the outdoor unit 11 to cool the control unit 100 that controls the outdoor unit 11. The ejector 27 is provided in the first pipe 51, and includes a first inlet 27a into which the refrigerant flows from the third opening (third liquid opening 28c) of the gas-liquid separator 28, a second inlet 27b into which the refrigerant flows from the first four-way valve 25, and an outlet 27c that mixes the refrigerant that flows into the cooling heat exchanger 30 from the first inlet 27a and the refrigerant that flows into the cooling heat exchanger 30 from the second inlet 27b and causes the refrigerant to flow out. The third pipe 53 connects the third opening (third liquid opening 28c) of the gas-liquid separator 28 to the first inlet 27a of the ejector 27. According to this configuration, for example, it is possible to provide the air conditioner 10 equipped with a cooling structure capable of efficiently cooling the control unit 100 (electronic components 100a and the like).

[0085] Furthermore, the cooling heat exchanger 30 of the air conditioning device 10 may be in contact with, for example, the electronic component 100a included in the control unit 100. With this configuration, for example, the electronic component 100a can be efficiently cooled.

[0086] Also, the outdoor heat exchanger 21 of the air conditioner 10 may include, for example, a refrigerant pipe 21a through which the refrigerant passes and a heat exchange fin 21b through which the refrigerant pipe 21a passes, and the cooling heat exchanger 30 may include a heat dissipation fin 30Ba, and the refrigerant flowing out from the outlet 27c may flow into a part of the refrigerant pipe 21a (the cooling refrigerant pipe 21aa) and the heat dissipation fin 30Ba may be brought into contact with the cooling refrigerant pipe 21aa. According to this configuration, the cooling heat exchanger 30 that cools the electronic component 100a included in the control unit 100 can be installed by utilizing the configuration of the existing outdoor heat exchanger 21. As a result, it is possible to contribute to simplifying the structure and reducing the manufacturing cost.

[0087] Furthermore, the outdoor unit 11 of the air conditioner 10 may include, for example, a main air passage 11Fa including the outdoor heat exchanger 21 and the outdoor blower fan 22 that supplies air to the outdoor heat exchanger 21, and a cooling air passage 11Fb that is an air passage independent of the main air passage 11Fa and includes the electronic component 100a and the cooling heat exchanger 30 included in the control unit 100. With this configuration, for example, outside air can be taken in and cooled exclusively for cooling the electronic component 100a, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the electronic component 100a.

[0088] Furthermore, at least the air intake (inlet 11Fca) of cooling air passage 11Fc of air conditioner 10 may have a bell-mouth 11Fcm shape (horn shape) that widens from the inside of cooling air passage 11Fc toward the end. This configuration reduces pressure loss in cooling air passage 11Fc, suppresses a decrease in the flow rate of outside air (amount of air being cooled), and improves the cooling efficiency of control unit 100 (electronic component 100a) compared to when bell-mouth 11Fcm is not provided.

[0089] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D... air conditioner, 11... outdoor unit, 12... indoor unit 13...refrigerant piping, 14...control device, 21...outdoor heat exchanger, 22...outdoor blower fan, 23...compressor, 25...first four-way valve, 26...second four-way valve, 27...ejector, 28...gas-liquid separator, 29...expansion valve, 30...cooling heat exchanger, 41...indoor heat exchanger, 51...first piping, 52...second piping, 53...third piping, 100...control unit, 100a...electronic components.

Claims

1. An outdoor heat exchanger provided in the outdoor unit; An indoor heat exchanger provided in the indoor unit; a first pipe connecting the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger and through which a refrigerant flows; a second pipe connecting the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger and through which the refrigerant flows; a compressor provided in the first pipe, the compressor having a suction port for sucking the refrigerant and a discharge port for discharging the refrigerant; a first four-way valve provided in the first pipe and capable of changing a flow direction of the refrigerant; a second four-way valve provided in the second pipe and capable of changing a flow direction of the refrigerant; a gas-liquid separator provided in the second pipe, the gas-liquid separator including: a first opening connected to the second four-way valve through which the refrigerant can flow in; a second opening connected to the second four-way valve through which the liquid refrigerant can flow out; and a third opening through which at least the liquid refrigerant can flow out to the first pipe; an expansion valve provided between the second opening of the gas-liquid separator and the second four-way valve; a cooling heat exchanger connected to the suction port of the compressor in the first pipe and provided in the outdoor unit to cool a control unit that controls the outdoor unit; an ejector provided in the first piping, the ejector including a first inlet into which the refrigerant flows from the third opening of the gas-liquid separator, a second inlet into which the refrigerant flows from the first four-way valve, and an outlet through which the refrigerant flowing from the first inlet and the refrigerant flowing from the second inlet are mixed and then discharged from the cooling heat exchanger; a third pipe connecting a third opening of the gas-liquid separator and a first inlet of the ejector; An air conditioning device comprising:

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling heat exchanger is in contact with electronic components included in the control unit.

3. The outdoor heat exchanger includes a refrigerant pipe through which a refrigerant passes and a heat exchange fin through which the refrigerant pipe passes, The air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling heat exchanger includes a heat dissipation fin, and the refrigerant flowing out from the outlet flows through a part of the refrigerant tube, bringing the refrigerant tube into contact with the heat dissipation fin.

4. The outdoor unit is a main air duct including the outdoor heat exchanger and a fan that supplies air to the outdoor heat exchanger; a cooling air passage that is independent of the main air passage and that includes electronic components included in the control unit and a cooling heat exchanger; The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1 .

5. The air conditioner according to claim 4 , wherein the air intake of the cooling airflow path has a bell-mouth shape that widens from an inner side toward an end side of the hole shape of the cooling airflow path.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the cooling air passage includes a cooling air fan.

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