Accumulators, compressors, and refrigeration cycle systems

Abstract

To provide an accumulator, compressor, and refrigeration cycle device that can simultaneously achieve easy adjustment of the piping length of the suction piping system suitable for obtaining the supercharging effect of the compressor, and suppress vibration when connected to a multi-cylinder compressor. [Solution] The outer outlet openings of the multiple outlet pipes 66 of the accumulator 7 have centers aligned on a plane P passing through the centerline Ca of the container 61, and the multiple outlet pipes 66 include a first outlet pipe 66A in which the inner part 661 of the container is closest to the outer outlet opening when viewed in the direction along the centerline Ca of the container 61, and a second outlet pipe 66B in which the inner part 661 of the container is furthest from the outer outlet opening, the outer outlet opening of the first outlet pipe 66A of the multiple outlet pipes 66 is closest to the container 61, at least one connecting pipe 65 is farther from the outer outlet opening than the first outlet pipe 66A when viewed in the direction along the centerline Ca of the container 61, and the inlet openings of the multiple outlet pipes do not overlap with the outlet openings of at least one connecting pipe in the vertical direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0006]

[0001] Embodiments according to the present invention relate to an accumulator, a compressor, and a refrigeration cycle apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] An accumulator (gas-liquid separator, liquid separator) provided on the suction side of a compressor is known in order to prevent so-called liquid compression, in which liquid refrigerant is supplied into the cylinder of the compressor and compressed.

[0003] A conventional accumulator includes a container, a partition plate that vertically divides the internal space of the container, a straight pipe that vertically extends through the partition plate and opens into the bottom space, and an outlet pipe that opens into the bottom space and is led out from the lower surface of the container.

[0004] The lower end of the straight pipe, that is, the outlet end of the straight pipe, is disposed near the partition plate, and the upper end of the outlet pipe, that is, the inlet end of the outlet pipe, is disposed near the bottom plate of the container. That is, the outlet end of the straight pipe is disposed above the inlet end of the outlet pipe.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] In a conventional accumulator, when liquid refrigerant flows into the bottom space of the container through the straight pipe, this liquid refrigerant easily flows into the outlet pipe having an inlet end near the bottom plate of the container. Then, the compressor will fall into liquid compression.

[0007] Incidentally, in the design of rotary compressors, high-load conditions with a large refrigerant circulation rate are extremely important when designing the theoretical suction volume, maximum rotational speed, and motor capacity. Furthermore, utilizing the supercharging effect, where the refrigerant circulation rate increases at a specific rotational speed due to air column resonance in the compressor's suction piping system, is effective in the design of rotary compressors.

[0008] Furthermore, if the rotary compressor has a multi-cylinder compression mechanism, the accumulator is connected to the compressor via multiple outlet pipes. For example, an accumulator connected to a two-cylinder compressor has two outlet pipes connected to each cylinder. It is preferable that these pipes reach the compressor via the shortest possible path without interfering with each other, and that they be manufactured with simple processing.

[0009] On the other hand, accumulators with multiple outlet pipes require a larger diameter for the cylindrical vessel compared to accumulators with a single outlet pipe. This need becomes even greater when the outlet pipes are routed from the lower end of the vessel out of the accumulator. Such an increase in the diameter of the cylindrical vessel increases the distance between the centerline of the compressor and the centerline of the accumulator. This increased distance may increase the vibration of the accumulator due to vibrations generated by the compressor.

[0010] The present invention was created in view of the circumstances described above, and aims to provide an accumulator capable of simultaneously achieving a gas-liquid separation capability that can reliably prevent the outflow of liquid refrigerant, in other words, a gas-liquid separation capability that can reliably prevent liquid compression of the compressor, easy adjustment of the piping length of the suction piping system suitable for obtaining the supercharging effect of the compressor, and suppression of vibration when connected to a multi-cylinder compressor, a compressor equipped with this accumulator, and a refrigeration cycle device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The accumulator in the refrigeration cycle device of the present invention comprises a cylindrical container, a partition plate provided inside the container to divide the internal space of the container into a refrigerant introduction chamber and a refrigerant discharge chamber, an inlet pipe fixed to the container and having an inlet passage connected to the refrigerant introduction chamber, at least one connecting pipe having a connecting passage that penetrates the partition plate and connects the refrigerant introduction chamber and the refrigerant discharge chamber, and a plurality of outlet pipes fixed to the container and having outlet passages connected to the refrigerant discharge chamber, wherein the at least one connecting pipe has an outlet opening located in the refrigerant discharge chamber, and each outlet pipe has an inner part of the container having an inlet opening located in the refrigerant discharge chamber and extending parallel to the centerline of the container through the refrigerant discharge chamber, and an outer part of the container having an outer outlet opening located outside the container and perpendicular to the centerline of the container and opening in a direction away from the centerline. An accumulator having a portion and a part, wherein the outer outlet openings of the plurality of outlet pipes have centers aligned on a plane passing through the centerline of the container, and the plurality of outlet pipes include a first outlet pipe whose inner portion of the container is closest to the outer outlet opening when viewed in a direction along the centerline of the container, and a second outlet pipe whose inner portion of the container is furthest from the outer outlet opening, wherein the outer outlet opening of the first outlet pipe is closest to the container, the at least one connecting pipe is further from the outer outlet opening than the first outlet pipe when viewed in a direction along the centerline of the container, the inlet openings of the plurality of outlet pipes are positioned above the outlet openings of the at least one connecting pipe, and the inlet openings of the plurality of outlet pipes are installed so as not to overlap the outlet openings of the at least one connecting pipe in the vertical direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the accumulator, compressor equipped with this accumulator, and refrigeration cycle device of the present invention, it is possible to simultaneously achieve a gas-liquid separation capability that can reliably prevent liquid compression of the compressor, easy adjustment of the pipe length of the suction piping system suitable for obtaining the supercharging effect of the compressor, and suppression of vibration when connected to a multi-cylinder compressor. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram of a refrigeration cycle device, compressor, and accumulator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A first longitudinal cross-sectional view of an accumulator according to the embodiment of Figure 1 of the present invention. [Figure 3] A second longitudinal cross-sectional view of an accumulator according to the embodiment of Figure 1 of the present invention. [Figure 4] A cross-sectional view of an accumulator according to the embodiment shown in Figure 1 of the present invention. [Figure 5] Figure 1 shows a plan view of the compressor and a plan cross-sectional view of the accumulator according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] A diagram showing a compressor in a plan view and an accumulator in a plan cross-sectional view according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] A side view of an accumulator according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 6. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] One embodiment of the accumulator, compressor, and refrigeration cycle device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. In addition, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals in multiple drawings.

[0015] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a refrigeration cycle device, compressor, and accumulator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] As shown in Figure 1, the refrigeration cycle device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a rotary compressor 2, a heat radiator 3, an expansion device 5, a heat absorber 6, an accumulator 7, and a refrigerant pipe 8. The rotary compressor 2 will hereinafter simply be referred to as "compressor 2". The refrigerant pipe 8 sequentially connects the compressor 2, the heat radiator 3, the expansion device 5, the heat absorber 6, and the accumulator 7 to circulate the refrigerant. The refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration cycle device 1 can be various refrigerants such as carbon dioxide, R32, or a mixed refrigerant containing R32. The heat radiator 3 may also be called a condenser, and the heat absorber 6 may also be called an evaporator.

[0017] The compressor 2 includes a vertically placed cylindrical sealed container 11, an electric motor 12 housed in the upper half within the sealed container 11, a compression mechanism 13 housed in the lower half within the sealed container 11, a crankshaft 15 for transmitting the rotational driving force of the electric motor 12 to the compression mechanism 13, a main bearing 16 and a sub-bearing 17 that rotatably cooperate to support the crankshaft 15.

[0018] The sealed container 11 is cylindrical with the center line Cc as the center. The sealed container 11 includes a cylindrical body 11a extending in the vertical direction, a hemispherical or elliptical upper end plate 11b closing the upper end of the body 11a, and a hemispherical or elliptical lower end plate 11c closing the lower end of the body 11a.

[0019] The body 11a supports a plurality of suction pipes 8b for guiding the refrigerant to the compressor 2. The plurality of suction pipes 8b are connected to the accumulator 7. The plurality of suction pipes 8b are part of the refrigerant pipe 8.

[0020] The upper end plate 11b supports a discharge pipe 8a for discharging the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 2. The discharge pipe 8a is connected to the refrigerant pipe 8. Also, the upper end plate 11b includes a sealed terminal portion 18 for supplying power to the electric motor 12.

[0021] The electric motor 12 generates a driving force for rotating the compression mechanism 13. The electric motor 12 is, for example, a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM). The electric motor 1 includes a cylindrical stator 21 fixed to the inner wall of the sealed container 11, a rotor 22 disposed inside the stator 21 and fixed to the crankshaft 15, and a plurality of lead wires 23 drawn from the stator 21 and connected to the sealed terminal portion 18.

[0022] The rotor 22 comprises a rotor core having magnet housing holes and permanent magnets housed in the magnet housing holes. The rotor 22 is rotatable relative to the stator 21 and is fixed to the crankshaft 15 in a rotational manner. The rotational centers of the rotor 22 and the crankshaft 15 substantially coincide with the centerline of the stator 21. Furthermore, the rotational centers of the rotor 22 and the crankshaft 15 substantially coincide with the centerline Cc of the sealed container 11.

[0023] The multiple lead wires 23 are wirings that supply power to the stator 21 through the sealed terminal section 18, and are so-called lead wires. Multiple lead wires 23 are wired depending on the type of motor 12. When the lead wires 23 are used in an open winding type, two lead wires 23 are wired for each of the U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase, for a total of six lead wires 23. When the motor 12 is used in a star connection, one lead wire 23 is wired for each of the U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase, for a total of three lead wires 23.

[0024] The crankshaft 15 connects the electric motor 12 and the compression mechanism 13. The crankshaft 15 transmits the driving force generated by the electric motor 12 to the compression mechanism 13.

[0025] The middle portion 15a of the crankshaft 15 connects the electric motor 12 and the compression mechanism 13 and is rotatably supported by the main bearing 16. The lower end portion 15b of the crankshaft 15 is rotatably supported by the secondary bearing 17. The main bearing 16 and the secondary bearing 17 are also part of the compression mechanism 13. In other words, the crankshaft 15 passes through the compression mechanism 13.

[0026] Furthermore, the crankshaft 15 has multiple eccentric portions 25a and 25b between the intermediate portion 15a supported by the main bearing 16 and the lower end portion 15b supported by the auxiliary bearing 17. Of the multiple eccentric portions 25, the one closer to the main bearing 16 is called the first eccentric portion 25a, and the one closer to the auxiliary bearing 17 is called the second eccentric portion 25b. Each of the eccentric portions 25a and 25b is a disc or cylinder whose center is not aligned with the center of the crankshaft 15. The centers of each of the eccentric portions 25a and 25b are eccentric with a phase difference of approximately 180 degrees around the crankshaft 15. The first eccentric portion 25a is located on the upper side closer to the electric motor 12, and the second eccentric portion 25b is located on the lower side further from the electric motor 12.

[0027] The upper main bearing 16 is fixed to the frame 14 via the first cylinder 32 by multiple fastening members, such as bolts 56a and 56b. The frame 14 is fixed to the sealed container 11 by welding, such as spot welding, at multiple points. In other words, the frame 14 supports the compression mechanism 13, the crankshaft 15, and the rotor 22 of the electric motor 12 in the sealed container 11.

[0028] The compression mechanism 13 is driven by an electric motor 12 connected via a crankshaft 15 to draw in gaseous refrigerant from multiple suction pipes 8b, compresses the drawn-in refrigerant, and discharges the compressed refrigerant into a sealed container 11. The lower part of the sealed container 11 is filled with refrigerant oil, and most of the compression mechanism 13 is immersed in this refrigerant oil.

[0029] The compression mechanism 13 comprises multiple cylinders, for example, two cylinders 26 and 27. In other words, the compressor 2 is a multi-cylinder rotary compressor. The compression mechanism 13 comprises a first cylinder 26 located within a sealed container 11, a second cylinder 27 located within the sealed container 11, and a partition plate 29 located between the first cylinder 26 and the second cylinder 27. The first cylinder 26 is closer to the electric motor 12 than the second cylinder 27. If the compressor 2 is installed such that the electric motor 12 is positioned above the compression mechanism 13, the first cylinder 26 will be positioned above the second cylinder 27.

[0030] The compressor 2 may be a multi-cylinder rotary compressor with three or more cylinders. The compressor 2 and the accumulator 7 are connected via suction pipes 8b equal to the number of cylinders.

[0031] The first cylinder 26 comprises a first cylinder 32 having a circular first cylinder chamber 31, and an annular first rolling piston 33 positioned within the first cylinder chamber 31. The first rolling piston 33 will hereafter be simply referred to as "first piston 33".

[0032] The second cylinder 27 comprises a second cylinder 42 having a circular second cylinder chamber 41, and an annular second rolling piston 43 positioned within the second cylinder chamber 41. The second rolling piston 43 will hereafter be simply referred to as "second piston 43".

[0033] Each cylinder 26 and 27 is equipped with a vane 45 that reciprocates, moving closer to or further away from the rotational centerline of the crankshaft 15 while remaining in contact with the outer surface of the corresponding piston 33 and 43, thereby dividing the corresponding cylinder chambers 31 and 41 into an intake chamber and a compression chamber. Each cylinder 26 and 27 compresses the refrigerant by changing the volume of the compression chamber partitioned by the corresponding piston 33 and 43 and the corresponding vane 45 as the piston 33 and 43 rotate. Note that only the second cylinder 27 has a vane 45.

[0034] The first cylinder 32 and the second cylinder 42 are arranged so as to be stacked in the axial direction of the crankshaft 15. The upper first cylinder 32 is located closer to the electric motor 12. The lower second cylinder 42 is located further away from the electric motor 12.

[0035] Each cylinder 32, 42 has an inner circumferential surface that defines the corresponding cylinder chambers 31, 41. Each cylinder 32, 42 has an annular, plate-like shape with the corresponding cylinder chambers 31, 41 inside. Each cylinder 32, 42 has an end face closer to the electric motor 12 and an end face further away from the electric motor 12.

[0036] The centers of the first cylinder chamber 31 and the second cylinder chamber 41 substantially coincide with the rotational centerline of the crankshaft 15. These cylinder chambers 31 and 41 have substantially the same diameter and height dimensions, i.e., the longitudinal dimensions of the crankshaft 15. The first cylinder chamber 31 is the inner space of the first cylinder 32 and is closed by the main bearing 16 and the partition plate 29. The first cylinder chamber 31 houses the first eccentric portion 25a of the crankshaft 15. The second cylinder chamber 41 is the inner space of the second cylinder 42 and is closed by the partition plate 29 and the secondary bearing 17. The second cylinder chamber 41 houses the second eccentric portion 25b of the crankshaft 15.

[0037] The compression mechanism 13 includes a first discharge valve mechanism having a discharge port provided on the main bearing 16 for discharging the refrigerant compressed in the first cylinder chamber 31 to the outside of the first cylinder chamber 31, and a discharge valve provided on the main bearing 16 for opening and closing the discharge port, and a first discharge muffler 55 provided on the main bearing 16 and covering the first discharge valve mechanism.

[0038] The discharge port of the first discharge valve mechanism is connected to the first cylinder chamber 31.

[0039] The discharge valve of the first discharge valve mechanism opens its discharge port when the differential pressure inside and outside the first cylinder chamber 31 reaches a predetermined differential pressure value due to the compression action of the compression mechanism 13, and discharges the compressed refrigerant into the first discharge muffler 55.

[0040] The first discharge muffler 55 covers the first discharge valve mechanism. The first discharge muffler 55 has a discharge hole that penetrates it. The compressed refrigerant discharged into the first discharge muffler 55 is discharged into the sealed container 11 through the discharge hole.

[0041] The first discharge muffler 55 and the first cylinder 32 are fixed to the main bearing 16 by a plurality of fastening members, such as bolts 56a and 56b. Bolt 56a penetrates the first discharge muffler 55 and the main bearing 16 and reaches the first cylinder 32.

[0042] Furthermore, the compression mechanism 13 includes a second discharge valve mechanism having a discharge port provided on the sub-bearing 17 for discharging the refrigerant compressed in the second cylinder chamber 41, and a discharge valve provided on the sub-bearing 17 for opening and closing the discharge port, and a second discharge muffler 57 provided on the sub-bearing 17 to cover the second discharge valve mechanism.

[0043] The discharge port of the second discharge valve mechanism is connected to the second cylinder chamber 41.

[0044] The discharge valve of the second discharge valve mechanism opens its discharge port when the differential pressure inside and outside the second cylinder chamber 41 reaches a predetermined differential pressure value due to the compression action of the compression mechanism 13, and discharges the compressed refrigerant into the second discharge muffler 57.

[0045] The second discharge muffler 57 covers the second discharge valve mechanism. The compressed refrigerant discharged into the second discharge muffler 57 is guided to the first discharge muffler 55 through the sub-bearing 17, the second cylinder 42, the partition plate 29, and a hole that penetrates the first cylinder 32, and is discharged into the sealed container 11.

[0046] The second discharge muffler 57, the sub-bearing 17, the second cylinder 42, and the partition plate 29 are fixed to the first cylinder 32 by a plurality of fastening members, such as bolts 58. The bolts 58 penetrate the second discharge muffler 57, the sub-bearing 17, the second cylinder 42, and the partition plate 29 to reach the first cylinder 32.

[0047] The first piston 33 is fitted to the circumferential surface of the first eccentric portion 25a and housed within the first cylinder chamber 31. As the crankshaft 15 rotates, the first piston 33 performs eccentric motion, with a portion of its outer surface making line contact with the inner surface of the first cylinder chamber 31.

[0048] The second piston 43 is fitted to the circumferential surface of the second eccentric portion 25b and housed within the second cylinder chamber 41. As the crankshaft 15 rotates, the second piston 43 performs eccentric motion, with a portion of its outer surface making line contact with the inner surface of the second cylinder chamber 41.

[0049] Note that the contact between the first piston 33 and the first cylinder 32, and the contact between the second piston 43 and the second cylinder 42 are not direct contacts but indirect contacts mediated by an oil film (not shown). However, for the sake of explanation, these contacts mediated by the oil film will simply be referred to as "contact." The same applies to the contacts between the first piston 33 and the first eccentric part 25a, between the second piston 43 and the second eccentric part 25b, between the first piston 33 and the main bearing 16, between the second piston 43 and the sub-bearing 17, between the first piston 33 and the partition plate 29, and between the second piston 43 and the partition plate 29.

[0050] The accumulator 7 is secured to the sealed container 11 of the compressor 2 by a clamp band 59.

[0051] Figure 2 is a first longitudinal cross-sectional view of an accumulator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 3 is a second longitudinal cross-sectional view of an accumulator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the accumulator 7 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a cylindrical container 61 supported in an upright position, a partition plate 62 provided inside the container 61 to divide the internal space S of the container 61 into a refrigerant introduction chamber IR and a refrigerant discharge chamber OR, an inlet pipe 63 fixed to the container 61 and having an inlet passage IP connected to the refrigerant introduction chamber IR, at least one connecting pipe 65 having a connecting passage CP that penetrates the partition plate 62 and connects the refrigerant introduction chamber IR and the refrigerant discharge chamber OR, and a plurality of outlet pipes 66 fixed to the container 61 and having outlet passages OP connected to the refrigerant discharge chamber OR.

[0053] Note that the cross-sections in Figures 1 to 3 pass through the center of the container 61 of the accumulator 7, and the cross-sections in Figures 1 and 3 pass through the center of the container 61 of the accumulator 7 and the center of the sealed container 11 of the compressor 2. The cross-sections in Figures 1 and 3 are called plane P. The cross-section in Figure 2 passes through the center of the container 61 of the accumulator 7 and is perpendicular to plane P.

[0054] The accumulator 7 includes a strainer 71 positioned between the inlet pipe 63 and the connecting pipe 65 to filter foreign matter from the refrigerant introduced into the accumulator 7, a separation plate 72 positioned between the strainer 71 and the connecting pipe 65 to separate the refrigerant that has passed through the strainer 71 into gaseous refrigerant and liquid refrigerant, and a support plate 73 positioned between the separation plate 72 and the partition plate 62 to support the connecting pipe 65 together with the partition plate 62.

[0055] At least one connecting pipe 65 is sufficient. For the sake of explanation, the accumulator 7, which is an embodiment of the present invention, is assumed to have multiple connecting pipes 65, for example, two. The number of connecting pipes 65 is determined by considering the pressure loss in the connecting passage CP that connects the refrigerant inlet chamber IR and the refrigerant outlet chamber OR.

[0056] The container 61 is fixed to the sealed container 11 of the compressor 2 by a clamp band 59. The container 61 is cylindrical with a center line Ca. The container 61 comprises a cylindrical body 61a extending in the vertical direction, a hemispherical or elliptical upper end plate 61b that closes the upper end, which is one end of the body 61a, and a hemispherical or elliptical lower end plate 61c that closes the lower end, which is the other end of the body 61a.

[0057] The body 61a supports the strainer 71, the separation plate 72, the support plate 73, and the partition plate 62 in the order of the refrigerant flow.

[0058] The upper end plate 61b supports the inlet pipe 63 that allows the refrigerant, compressed by the compressor 2 and circulated through the refrigeration cycle device 1, to flow into the accumulator 7. The inlet pipe 63 is connected to the refrigerant pipe 8.

[0059] The inlet pipe 63 is fixed to the upper end plate 61b and connected to the refrigerant pipe 8. The inlet pipe 63 is a straight pipe that extends along the centerline of the shell 61a, and is a straight pipe that extends in line with the centerline of the shell 61a.

[0060] The refrigerant flowing from the inlet pipe 63 into the accumulator 7 first reaches the strainer 71. The strainer 71 has the required mesh size to prevent foreign matter from flowing into the compression mechanism 13 of the compressor 2.

[0061] The separation plate 72 prevents the refrigerant that has passed through the strainer 71 from flowing directly into the connecting pipe 65. The separation plate 72 is a plate with an upward-convex shape that acts like an umbrella on the connecting pipe 65. The separation plate 72 has multiple openings 72a through which the refrigerant can pass. The separation plate 72 obstructs the view directly below the inlet pipe 63 and obstructs the view directly above the connecting pipe 65. The multiple openings 72a of the separation plate 72 are located outside the smallest imaginary circle that encompasses the multiple connecting pipes 65 when viewed from the inlet pipe 63. The refrigerant that reaches the separation plate 72 flows down through the multiple openings 72a of the separation plate 72 into the refrigerant introduction chamber IR of the container 61.

[0062] The support plate 73 and the partition plate 62 work together to support at least one connecting pipe 65 inside the container 61.

[0063] The support plate 73 has holes to support the connecting pipe 65 and appropriate openings that do not obstruct the flow of liquid refrigerant and gaseous refrigerant, so that the refrigerant introduction chamber IR becomes a continuous space. Preferably, the support plate 73 has appropriate support strength and support rigidity so that the connecting pipe 65 extending from the partition plate 62 toward the separation plate 72 does not tip over.

[0064] The partition plate 62 has no openings other than the holes that support the connecting pipe 65, so that the internal space S of the container 61 is divided into a refrigerant introduction chamber IR and a refrigerant discharge chamber OR. The partition plate 62 is liquid-tight and airtightly joined to the inner surface of the container 61, preventing the refrigerant from flowing out from the refrigerant introduction chamber IR to the refrigerant discharge chamber OR through a path other than the connecting pipe 65. The partition plate 62 only needs to have a plane perpendicular to the centerline Ca of the container 61, and in the upright state of the accumulator 7, it defines a plane that extends horizontally.

[0065] Each connecting pipe 65 has an inlet opening 65i located in the refrigerant introduction chamber IR and an outlet opening 65o located in the refrigerant discharge chamber OR. The inlet opening 65i corresponds to the upstream end of the connecting flow path CP, and the outlet opening 65o corresponds to the downstream end of the connecting flow path CP.

[0066] Each connecting pipe 65 is positioned inside the container 61 and fixed to the support plate 73 and partition plate 62, connecting the refrigerant introduction chamber IR and the refrigerant discharge chamber OR. Each connecting pipe 65 is a straight pipe extending along the centerline of the shell 61a, and is a straight pipe extending parallel to the centerline of the shell 61a.

[0067] The length of each connecting pipe 65 depends on the amount of refrigerant charged into the refrigeration cycle device 1, but is preferably at least half the total length of the accumulator 7.

[0068] Each outlet pipe 66 is the suction pipe 8b of the compressor 2, and is connected to the cylinder chambers 31 and 41 of the corresponding cylinders 26 and 27 of the compression mechanism 13. The number of outlet pipes 66 is the same as the number of cylinders in the compressor 2. In the case of a multi-cylinder compressor 2 as shown in Figure 1, the accumulator 7 is connected to the compressor 2 by the same number of outlet pipes 66 as the number of cylinders.

[0069] Each outlet pipe 66 allows the gaseous refrigerant separated from the refrigerant that has flowed into the accumulator 7 to flow out of the accumulator 7. Each outlet pipe 66 is fixed to the lower end plate 61c and connected to the compressor 2. The inner portion of the outlet pipe 66 of the container 61 is a straight pipe extending along the centerline of the shell 61a, and is a straight pipe extending parallel to the centerline of the shell 61a.

[0070] Each outlet pipe 66 has an inlet opening 66i located in the refrigerant discharge chamber OR and an outlet opening 66o (outer outlet opening) connected to the corresponding cylinder chambers 31 and 41. The inlet opening 66i corresponds to the upstream end of the outlet flow path OP, and the outlet opening 66o corresponds to the downstream end of the outlet flow path OP. The outlet openings 66o of the multiple outlet pipes 66 have centers aligned on a plane P passing through the centerline Ca of the container 61.

[0071] The multiple outlet pipes 66 overlap the multiple connecting pipes 65 when viewed radially across the container 61. In other words, the inlet openings 66i of the multiple outlet pipes 66 are positioned above the outlet openings 65o of the multiple connecting pipes 65. The inlet openings 66i of the multiple outlet pipes 66 are closer to the partition plate 62 than the outlet openings 65o of the multiple connecting pipes 65. The outlet openings 65o of the multiple connecting pipes 65 are closer to the lower end plate 61c than the inlet openings 66i of the multiple outlet pipes 66. In other words, the accumulator 7 can be installed in the compressor 2 with the inlet openings 66i of the multiple outlet pipes 66 positioned above the outlet openings 65o of the multiple connecting pipes 65.

[0072] The inlet openings 66i of the multiple outlet pipes 66 face the partition plate 62 upwards, and the outlet openings 65o of the multiple connecting pipes 65 face the lower end plate 61c downwards.

[0073] The inlet openings 65i of the multiple connecting pipes 65 are closer to the upper end plate 61b than to the partition plate 62, and the inlet openings 66i of the multiple outlet pipes 66 are closer to the partition plate 62 than to the lower end plate 61c.

[0074] The inlet openings 65i of each connecting pipe 65 are positioned at substantially the same height. In other words, the accumulator 7 is configured to allow the inlet openings 65i of multiple connecting pipes 65 to be positioned at substantially the same height.

[0075] The container 61 is an assembly of three members that are divided and airtightly joined at the middle of the body 61a on the upper end plate 61b side and the middle of the body 61a on the lower end plate 61c side. Preferably, the inlet pipe 63, strainer 71, and separation plate 72 are incorporated into the upper member before the assembly of the container 61, the outlet pipe 66 is incorporated into the lower member before the assembly of the container 61, and the partition plate 62, support plate 73, and connecting pipe 65 are incorporated into the central member before the assembly of the container 61. The support plate 73 may be positioned on the dividing surface between the upper member and the central member, or it may be fixed inside the central member.

[0076] The container 61 may be an assembly of two members that are divided in the middle of the body 61a and airtightly joined together. Preferably, the inlet pipe 63, strainer 71, and separation plate 72 are incorporated into the upper member before the assembly of the container 61, and the outlet pipe 66, partition plate 62, support plate 73, and connecting pipe 65 are incorporated into the lower member before the assembly of the container 61. The support plate 73 may be positioned on the dividing surface of the two members, or it may be fixed to the inside of the lower member.

[0077] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of an accumulator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0078] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view that shows the arrangement of the container 61, multiple connecting pipes 65, and multiple outlet pipes 66 of the accumulator 7, for example, a cross-sectional view along line IV-IV in Figures 2 and 3.

[0079] As shown in Figure 4, the inlet openings 66i of the multiple outlet pipes 66 of the accumulator 7 according to the embodiment of the present invention are arranged so as not to overlap with the outlet openings 65o of the multiple connecting pipes 65 in the vertical direction. In other words, the accumulator 7 is configured such that the inlet openings 66i of the multiple outlet pipes 66 do not overlap with the outlet openings 65o of the multiple connecting pipes 65 in the vertical direction.

[0080] An accumulator 7 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes two outlet pipes 66 corresponding to a two-cylinder compressor 2, and two connecting pipes 65 connecting a refrigerant inlet chamber IR and a refrigerant discharge chamber OR. The two outlet pipes 66 and the two connecting pipes 65 are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction of the container 61. By being arranged in this manner, the multiple connecting pipes 65 and the multiple outlet pipes 66 are arranged to overlap when viewed in the radial direction of the container 61. This arrangement of the multiple connecting pipes 65 and the multiple outlet pipes 66 prevents the liquid refrigerant flowing from the connecting pipe CP to the refrigerant discharge chamber OR from directly flowing from the inlet opening 66i of the outlet pipe 66 to the outlet passage OP, even if the liquid refrigerant level accumulated in the refrigerant inlet chamber IR reaches the inlet opening 65i of any of the connecting pipes 65 and the liquid refrigerant flows down the connecting passage CP of any of the connecting pipes 65. In this case, the dimensions of the connecting pipes 65 are selected such that the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the multiple connecting pipes 65 is greater than the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the multiple outlet pipes 66.

[0081] In the accumulator 7 configured as described above, the refrigerant flowing down from the inlet pipe 63 into the refrigerant introduction chamber IR in the container 61 is separated into gaseous refrigerant and liquid refrigerant upon contact with the separation plate 72. The separated liquid refrigerant flows further down through the refrigerant introduction chamber IR from the opening 72a of the separation plate 72 and accumulates at the bottom of the refrigerant introduction chamber IR, that is, from the partition plate 62 side. Meanwhile, the separated gaseous refrigerant flows from the opening 72a of the separation plate 72 through multiple connecting pipes 65 into the refrigerant discharge chamber OR. The gaseous refrigerant that flows into the refrigerant discharge chamber OR is sucked into the outlet pipe 66 and sent to the compressor 2.

[0082] Furthermore, the accumulator 7 will not allow the liquid refrigerant to flow into the refrigerant discharge chamber OR unless the liquid level of the liquid refrigerant accumulated in the refrigerant introduction chamber IR reaches the inlet openings 65i of the multiple connecting pipes 65. Also, if the liquid level of the liquid refrigerant accumulated in the refrigerant introduction chamber IR reaches the inlet openings 65i of the multiple connecting pipes 65, the liquid refrigerant will flow down the connecting pipes 65 and accumulate at the bottom of the container 61, that is, from the lower end plate 61c side. Here again, the accumulator 7 will not allow the liquid refrigerant to flow into the outlet pipes 66 unless the liquid level of the liquid refrigerant accumulated in the refrigerant discharge chamber OR reaches the inlet openings 66i of the multiple outlet pipes 66. In this way, the accumulator 7 can prevent liquid compression of the compressor 2 in multiple ways.

[0083] Therefore, according to the compressor 2 and accumulator 7 of the present invention, it is possible to ensure a gas-liquid separation capability that can reliably prevent the outflow of liquid refrigerant, in other words, a gas-liquid separation capability that can reliably prevent liquid compression of the compressor.

[0084] Next, we will describe in more detail the multiple outlet pipes 66 and connecting pipes 65.

[0085] Returning from Figure 1 to Figure 3, each outlet pipe 66 has an inner container portion 661 that extends parallel to the centerline Ca of the container 61 and has an inlet opening 66i located in the refrigerant discharge chamber OR, and an outer container portion 662 that is located outside the container 61 and has an outlet opening 66o that is perpendicular to the centerline Ca of the container 61 and opens in a direction away from the centerline Ca.

[0086] The multiple outlet pipes 66 include a first outlet pipe 66A, whose inner portion 661 is closest to the outlet opening 66o when viewed in the direction along the centerline Ca of the container 61, and a second outlet pipe 66B, whose inner portion 661 is furthest from the outlet opening 66o.

[0087] Of the outlet openings 66o of the multiple outlet pipes 66, the outlet opening 66o of the first outlet pipe 66A is closest to the container 61. Of the outlet openings 66o of the multiple outlet pipes 66, the outlet opening 66o of the second outlet pipe 66B is furthest from the container 61 than the outlet opening 66o of the first outlet pipe 66A. In other words, among the multiple outlet pipes 66, the closer the inner part 661 of the container is to the sealed container 11, the closer the outlet opening 66o is positioned to the container 61, and the further the inner part 661 of the container is from the sealed container 11, the further the outlet opening 66o is positioned to the container 61. An outlet pipe 66 whose inner part 661 is close to the sealed container 11 is, in other words, an outlet pipe 66 whose inner part 661 is located in the direction of the opening of the outlet opening 66o, and an outlet pipe 66 whose inner part 661 is far from the sealed container 11 is, in other words, an outlet pipe 66 whose inner part 661 is located in the direction opposite to the opening of the outlet opening 66o.

[0088] The outlet opening 66o of the first outlet pipe 66A is connected to the first cylinder 26 of the compression mechanism 13, and the outlet opening 66o of the second outlet pipe 66B is connected to the second cylinder 27 of the compression mechanism 13.

[0089] In other words, if the compressor 2 is installed such that the electric motor 12 is positioned above the compression mechanism 13, the outlet opening 66o of the first outlet pipe 66A is connected to the first cylinder 26 positioned above, and the outlet opening 66o of the second outlet pipe 66B is connected to the second cylinder 27 positioned below.

[0090] The outer container portion 662 of the first outlet pipe 66A connected to the first cylinder 26, and the outer container portion 662 of the second outlet pipe 66B connected to the second cylinder 27, extend from the lower end plate 61c of the container 61 parallel to the centerline Ca of the container 61, and reach their respective outlet openings 66o via elbow sections that bend at approximately 90 degrees at appropriate points. Furthermore, as can be seen from Figure 2, the pipe centers, inlet openings 66i, and outlet openings 66o of the multiple outlet pipes 66 are arranged on a plane P passing through the centerline Ca of the container 61.

[0091] Therefore, the first outlet pipe 66A and the second outlet pipe 66B can extend along a path parallel to the plane P, protruding from the lower end plate 61c of the vessel 61 parallel to the centerline Ca of the vessel 61, and then bend at approximately 90 degrees to connect to the corresponding first cylinder 26 and second cylinder 27, without interfering with each other.

[0092] As a result, the first outlet pipe 66A and the second outlet pipe 66B can connect the compression mechanism 13 of the compressor 2 and the accumulator 7 without having to take on a complex three-dimensional shape that would be difficult to process in a way that deviates from the orientation along the plane P.

[0093] The first outlet pipe 66A and the second outlet pipe 66B constitute the suction piping system when viewed from the compressor 2 side. As mentioned above, the suction piping system can have a relatively simple piping layout, making it easy to adjust the piping length of the suction piping system to obtain a suitable supercharging effect from the compressor.

[0094] The first outlet pipe 66A and the second outlet pipe 66B do not have the complex three-dimensional shapes described above, making them easy to manufacture. Furthermore, the first outlet pipe 66A and the second outlet pipe 66B can be positioned close together while avoiding mutual interference. Moreover, since the first outlet pipe 66A does not have a complex curved shape that deviates from the plane P, it can be positioned close to the center line Cc of the sealed container 11 of the compressor 2. This allows the second outlet pipe 66B to also be positioned close to the center line Cc, resulting in a miniaturization of the refrigeration cycle device 1 as a whole.

[0095] Therefore, the first outlet pipe 66A and the second outlet pipe 66B can be made relatively short, and the distance between the compressor 2 and the accumulator 7 is shortened. Shortening the distance between the compressor 2 and the accumulator 7 suppresses the vibration of the accumulator 7 that occurs during the operation of the multi-cylinder compressor 2 compared to when the distance is long. In other words, the vibration suppression effect is good when the accumulator 7 is connected to the multi-cylinder compressor 2.

[0096] Figure 5 is a plan view cross-sectional view of a compressor 2 and an accumulator 7 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the plan view cross-sectional view of the accumulator 7 in Figure 5, the centers of the pipes are designated L1, L2, L3, and L4 in a clockwise direction from the first outlet pipe 66A → connecting pipe 65 → second outlet pipe 66B → connecting pipe 65.

[0097] In Figure 5, the at least one connecting pipe 65 described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 includes two connecting pipes 65 positioned between the inner part 661 of the first outlet pipe 66A and the inner part 661 of the second outlet pipe 66B, when viewed in a plan view of the container 61, i.e., in the direction along the centerline Ca of the container 61.

[0098] In Figure 5, as explained with respect to Figure 4, the dimensions of the connecting pipes 65 are selected such that the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the multiple connecting pipes 65 is greater than the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the multiple outlet pipes 66.

[0099] Here, if we draw a first imaginary line VL1 connecting the pipe centers L2 and L4 of the two connecting pipes 65, the first imaginary line VL1 is bisected by plane P. In other words, plane P bisects the first imaginary line VL1. That is, the midpoint Pm1 of the first imaginary line VL1 lies on plane P.

[0100] If the first imaginary line VL1 is perpendicular to plane P, and the intersection of plane P and the first imaginary line VL1 coincides with the midpoint Pm2 of the second imaginary line VL2 connecting the inner container portions 661 of the two outlet pipes 66, then the pipe centers L2 and L4 of the two connecting pipes 65 and the pipe centers L1 and L3 of the inner container portions 661 of the two outlet pipes 66 form a rhombus D. In other words, the pipe centers L2 and L4 of the two connecting pipes 65 and the pipe center L1 of the inner container portion 661 of the first outlet pipe 66A and the pipe center L3 of the inner container portion 661 of the second outlet pipe 66B form a rhombus D.

[0101] The longer diagonal of the rhombus D corresponds to the first virtual line VL1, and the shorter diagonal corresponds to the second virtual line VL2. This relationship between the length and length of the diagonals of the rhombus D is due to the fact that the outlet pipe 66 and the connecting pipe 65 are pipes with a circular cross-section, and when the area relationship described earlier is taken into account, the diameter of the connecting pipe 65 is larger. In other words, the circle with the diameter of the second virtual line VL2 is smaller than the circle with the diameter of the first virtual line VL1, which leads to the outlet pipe 66 and the connecting pipe 65 being positioned closer to the centerline Ca of the container 61, and thus the mass distribution of the accumulator 7 is concentrated near the centerline Ca of the accumulator 7. That is, so-called mass centralization is achieved for the accumulator 7. For this reason, it is advantageous in terms of resistance to vibrations transmitted from the sealed container 11 side to the accumulator 7 when the compressor 2 is in operation.

[0102] When the first outlet pipe 66A, the second outlet pipe 66B, and the two connecting pipes 65 are in the positional relationship described above, the pipe center L1 of the inner part 661 of the first outlet pipe 66A and the pipe center L3 of the inner part 661 of the second outlet pipe 66B are located on the plane P.

[0103] As a result, the first outlet pipe 66A and the second outlet pipe 66B do not take on complex three-dimensional shapes that deviate from the orientation along the plane P. Therefore, by bending the first outlet pipe 66A and the second outlet pipe 66B at a right angle toward the compressor 2 along the plane P without requiring difficult three-dimensional bending processes, the compression mechanism 13 of the compressor 2 and the accumulator 7 can be connected by the first outlet pipe 66A and the second outlet pipe 66B.

[0104] The two connecting pipes 65 should be positioned in a plan view of the container 61 between the inner part 661 of the first outlet pipe 66A and the inner part 661 of the second outlet pipe 66B, and the midpoint Pm1 of the first imaginary line VL1 should be located on plane P. In other words, the two connecting pipes 65 should be positioned in a plan view of the container 61 between the inner part 661 of the first outlet pipe 66A and the inner part 661 of the second outlet pipe 66B, facing each other on a circle centered at the midpoint Pm1 of the first imaginary line VL1.

[0105] If the first imaginary line VL1 is not perpendicular to plane P, the quadrilateral formed by the pipe centers L2 and L4 of the two connecting pipes 65, the pipe center L1 of the inner part 661 of the first outlet pipe 66A, and the pipe center L3 of the inner part 661 of the second outlet pipe 66B will not form a rhombus D. Even in this case, as long as the quadrilateral is a quadrilateral in which the two diagonals L2-L4 and L1-L3 bisect each other, the midpoint Pm1 of the first imaginary line VL1 lies on plane P. In other words, the first outlet pipe 66A and the second outlet pipe 66B, with L1 and L3 as their pipe centers respectively, are located along plane P.

[0106] When the first outlet pipe 66A, the second outlet pipe 66B, and the two connecting pipes 65 are in the positional relationship described above, the pipe center L1 of the inner part 661 of the first outlet pipe 66A and the pipe center L3 of the inner part 661 of the second outlet pipe 66B will be located on the plane P.

[0107] As a result, the first outlet pipe 66A and the second outlet pipe 66B do not take on complex three-dimensional shapes that deviate from the orientation along the plane P. Therefore, by bending the first outlet pipe 66A and the second outlet pipe 66B at a right angle toward the compressor 2 along the plane P without requiring difficult three-dimensional bending processes, the compression mechanism 13 of the compressor 2 and the accumulator 7 can be connected by the first outlet pipe 66A and the second outlet pipe 66B.

[0108] Furthermore, consider the case where the intersection point Pi of plane P and the first virtual line VL1 does not coincide with the midpoint Pm of the second virtual line VL2, that is, the case where the intersection point Pi is closer to or further from the compressor 2 than the midpoint Pm. In such cases, the quadrilateral formed by the pipe centers L2 and L4 of the two connecting pipes 65, the pipe center L1 of the inner part 661 of the first outlet pipe 66A, and the pipe center L3 of the inner part 661 of the second outlet pipe 66B does not form a rhombus D.

[0109] Even in this case, as long as the quadrilateral is an unequal quadrilateral in which one diagonal L2-L4 bisects the other diagonal L1-L3, the midpoint Pm1 of the first imaginary line VL1 lies on plane P. In other words, the first outlet pipe 66A and the second outlet pipe 66B, with L1 and L3 as their centers, are located along plane P.

[0110] When the first outlet pipe 66A, the second outlet pipe 66B, and the two connecting pipes 65 are in the positional relationship described above, the pipe center L1 of the inner part 661 of the first outlet pipe 66A and the pipe center L3 of the inner part 661 of the second outlet pipe 66B are located on the plane P.

[0111] As a result, the first outlet pipe 66A and the second outlet pipe 66B do not take on complex three-dimensional shapes that deviate from the orientation along the plane P. Therefore, by bending the first outlet pipe 66A and the second outlet pipe 66B at a right angle toward the compressor 2 along the plane P without requiring difficult three-dimensional bending processes, the compression mechanism 13 of the compressor 2 and the accumulator 7 can be connected by the first outlet pipe 66A and the second outlet pipe 66B.

[0112] Here, we will further elaborate on the relationship between the compressor 2 and the two connecting pipes 65. A triangle T is drawn by connecting the center line Cc of the sealed container 11 of the compressor 2 with the two endpoints of the first imaginary line VL1, that is, the pipe centers L2 and L4 of the two connecting pipes 65, using line segments. When the plane P is perpendicular to the first imaginary line VL1, this triangle T is an isosceles triangle with its vertex angle A1 being the angle opposite the first imaginary line VL1, that is, the angle enclosing the center line Cc of the sealed container 11 of the compressor 2. Triangle T does not have to be an isosceles triangle as long as the three angles of triangle T are acute angles.

[0113] Here, in the relationship between angle A1, angle A2 which straddles the center of one connecting pipe 65 in Figure 5, and angle A3 which straddles the center of the other connecting pipe 65, it is preferable that angle A1 is the smallest. In other words, it is preferable that the line segment connecting the center line Cc of the sealed container 11 of the compressor 2 and the center L2 of one connecting pipe 65, and the line segment connecting the center line Cc of the sealed container 11 of the compressor 2 and the center L4 of the other connecting pipe 65 are longer than the first imaginary line VL1.

[0114] In other words, if triangle T is an isosceles triangle and the intersection of plane P and the first imaginary line VL1 coincides with the midpoint Pm of the second imaginary line VL2, then the pipe centers L2 and L4 of the two connecting pipes 65 and the pipe center of the inner part 661 of the first outlet pipe 66A and the pipe center of the inner part 661 of the second outlet pipe 66B form a rhombus D.

[0115] When the first outlet pipe 66A, the second outlet pipe 66B, and the two connecting pipes 65 are in the positional relationship described above, the pipe center L1 of the inner part 661 of the first outlet pipe 66A and the pipe center L3 of the inner part 661 of the second outlet pipe 66B are located on the plane P.

[0116] As a result, the first outlet pipe 66A and the second outlet pipe 66B do not take on complex three-dimensional shapes that deviate from the orientation along the plane P. Therefore, by bending the first outlet pipe 66A and the second outlet pipe 66B at a right angle toward the compressor 2 along the plane P without requiring difficult three-dimensional bending processes, the compression mechanism 13 of the compressor 2 and the accumulator 7 can be connected by the first outlet pipe 66A and the second outlet pipe 66B.

[0117] Incidentally, in Figure 5, it is conceivable that the triangle T formed by connecting the center line Cc of the sealed container 11 of the compressor 2 and the three points of the planar projection of the pipe centers L2 and L4 of the two connecting pipes 65 with line segments may differ from the isosceles triangle described above. In this case, the triangle formed by connecting the center line Cc and the planar projections of the two pipe centers L2 and L4 with line segments will be conveniently referred to as triangle Cc-L2-L4.

[0118] If the sides L2-L4 of triangle Cc-L2-L4 are not perpendicular to plane P, the quadrilateral whose vertices are the pipe centers L2 and L4 of the two connecting pipes 65, the pipe center L1 of the inner part 661 of the first outlet pipe 66A, and the pipe center L3 of the inner part 661 of the second outlet pipe 66B will not form a rhombus D.

[0119] Even in this case, as long as the quadrilateral is an unequal quadrilateral in which one diagonal L2-L4 bisects the other diagonal L1-L3, the midpoint Pm1 of the first imaginary line VL1 lies on plane P. In other words, the first outlet pipe 66A and the second outlet pipe 66B, with L1 and L3 as their centers, are arranged along plane P.

[0120] When the first outlet pipe 66A, the second outlet pipe 66B, and the two connecting pipes 65 are in the positional relationship described above, the pipe center L1 of the inner part 661 of the first outlet pipe 66A and the pipe center L3 of the inner part 661 of the second outlet pipe 66B are located on the plane P.

[0121] As a result, the first outlet pipe 66A and the second outlet pipe 66B do not take on complex three-dimensional shapes that deviate from the orientation along the plane P. Therefore, by bending the first outlet pipe 66A and the second outlet pipe 66B at a right angle toward the compressor 2 along the plane P without requiring difficult three-dimensional bending processes, the compression mechanism 13 of the compressor 2 and the accumulator 7 can be connected by the first outlet pipe 66A and the second outlet pipe 66B.

[0122] In summary, the accumulator 7 and the compressor 2 equipped with this accumulator 7 in the embodiment of the present invention provide a gas-liquid separation capability that can reliably prevent the outflow of liquid refrigerant, in other words, a gas-liquid separation capability that can reliably prevent liquid compression of the compressor 2, easy adjustment of the piping length of the suction piping system suitable for obtaining the supercharging effect of the compressor 2, and suppression of vibration when connected to a multi-cylinder compressor 2, thereby realizing an accumulator 7 and a compressor 2 equipped with this accumulator 7 that can simultaneously achieve these two things.

[0123] Furthermore, because the positional relationship between the outlet pipe 66 and the connecting pipe 65, and the piping layout of the outlet pipe 66 are appropriate, the outlet pipe 66 and the connecting pipe 65 can be arranged at high density without interference, resulting in a smaller overall device size. In addition, the outlet pipe 66 is easy to bend, making manufacturing easy.

[0124] Next, an accumulator according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7.

[0125] Figure 6 is a plan cross-sectional view of a compressor and accumulator according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 is a side view of the accumulator according to the embodiment of Figure 6 of the present invention. In the embodiments of Figures 6 and 7, there are three outlet pipes 66 and three connecting pipes 65 that connect the accumulator 7 and the compressor 2.

[0126] In Figure 6, as explained in Figure 4, the dimensions of the connecting pipes 65 are selected such that the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the multiple connecting pipes 65 is greater than the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the multiple outlet pipes 66.

[0127] In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, in a plan view of the accumulator 7, the pipes are arranged in the following order counterclockwise: first outlet pipe 66A → connecting pipe 65 → one second outlet pipe 66B → connecting pipe 65 → the other second outlet pipe 66C → connecting pipe 65. The pipe centers of these six pipes are L11, L21, L12, L23, L13, and L22. In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, these pipe centers L11, L21, L12, L23, L13, and L22 are equidistant in the circumferential direction. In this case, the first outlet pipe 66A occupies the position where its pipe center L11 is closest to the center line Cc of the sealed container 11 of the compressor 2 among the six pipes.

[0128] The accumulator 7 in Figure 6 includes a first outlet pipe 66A, whose inner portion 661 is closest to the outlet opening 66o when viewed along the centerline Ca of the container 61, and two second outlet pipes 66B and 66C, whose inner portions 661 are further from the outlet opening 66o than the first outlet pipe 66A. The triangle Ts formed by connecting the planar projections of the pipe centers L11, L12, and L13 of each of these three outlet pipes 66 has three acute angles. For the sake of explanation, one of the second outlet pipes 66B will be simply referred to as "second outlet pipe 66B" and the other second outlet pipe 66C as "third outlet pipe 66C".

[0129] In the relationship between the sealed container 11 of the compressor 2 and the container 61 of the accumulator 7 shown in Figure 6, the centerline Cc of the sealed container 11 and the centerline Ca of the container 61 lie on the same plane P. Furthermore, the pipe center L11 of the first outlet pipe 66A, which is the outlet pipe 66 closest to the centerline Cc of the sealed container 11, and the pipe center L23 of the connecting pipe 65, which is furthest from the centerline Cc of the sealed container 11, also lie on the plane P.

[0130] Furthermore, the circumcenter Cct of triangle Ts lies on plane P.

[0131] The first outlet pipe 66A, which is the outlet pipe 66 closest to the center line Cc of the sealed container 11, has its center L11 located on the plane P, while the second outlet pipe 66B and the third outlet pipe 66C have their centers L12 and L13 positioned symmetrically with respect to the plane P. In addition, the center L23 of one connecting pipe 65 is located on the plane P, and the centers L21 and L22 of the other two connecting pipes 65 are positioned symmetrically with respect to the plane P.

[0132] In a plan view of the accumulator 7, the first outlet pipe 66A, connecting pipe 65, second outlet pipe 66B, connecting pipe 65, third outlet pipe 66C, and connecting pipe 65 are arranged in a counterclockwise direction. Let circle Cr be the circle where the centers of these pipes lie on the circumference, with L11, L21, L12, L23, L13, and L22 respectively.

[0133] The sequential first outlet pipe 66A, connecting pipe 65, second outlet pipe 66B, connecting pipe 65, third outlet pipe 66C, and connecting pipe 65, each with its center located on the circumference of circle Cr, are arranged to form a circle Cr with an appropriate diameter, reduced to the extent that adjacent pipes do not interfere with each other. As a result, the piping layout of the multiple connecting pipes 65 and multiple outlet pipes 66 is made more dense, and the overall device is made smaller.

[0134] It is not mandatory for the first outlet pipe 66A, connecting pipe 65, second outlet pipe 66B, connecting pipe 65, third outlet pipe 66C, and connecting pipe 65 to be positioned such that their respective pipe centers L11, L21, L12, L23, L13, and L22 lie on circle Cr. The pipe centers of any one of the first outlet pipe 66A, connecting pipe 65, second outlet pipe 66B, connecting pipe 65, third outlet pipe 66C, and connecting pipe 65 may be located inside circle Cr, rather than on circle Cr, where L11, L21, L12, L23, L13, and L22 lie.

[0135] Furthermore, while maintaining the condition that the first outlet pipe 66A has a pipe center L11 that is closest to the center line Cc in the sealed container 11 of the compressor 2 among the six pipes, if the two connecting pipes 65, whose pipe centers are L21 and L22, are located between the second outlet pipe 66B and the third outlet pipe 66C, which are two outlet pipes 66 whose pipe centers L12 and L13 are further from the center line Cc than the first outlet pipe 66A, then the piping layout for the six pipes is made more dense, the overall device is made smaller, and resistance to vibration during operation is also ensured.

[0136] As long as the center of mass of the outlet pipe 66, excluding the outer part 662 of the container, is located at the center of the container 61, even if the spacing between the six pipes, whose centers are L11, L21, L12, L23, L13, and L22, is unequal, even if the triangle formed by the inner parts 661 of the three outlet pipes 66 is not an equilateral triangle, and even if the triangle formed by the three connecting pipes 65 is not an equilateral triangle, so-called mass centralization can be achieved with respect to the accumulator 7. This is advantageous in terms of resistance to vibrations transmitted from the sealed container 11 to the accumulator 7 during the operation of the compressor 2.

[0137] Referring to Figure 7, we will explain how the first outlet pipe 66A, the second outlet pipe 66B, and the third outlet pipe 66C protrude downward from the lower end plate 61c of the container 61 of the accumulator 7 parallel to the center line Ca, and then are bent toward the sealed container 11 of the compressor 2 shown in Figure 6.

[0138] The first outlet pipe 66A is located at the intersection of the inner circumferential wall of the container 61 and the plane P, and is closest to the intersection point that is closer to the outlet opening 66o, that is, it is located closest to the center line Cc of the sealed container 11 of the compressor 2. Furthermore, the first outlet pipe 66A has the shortest length of the outer part 662 of the container, which is the portion that protrudes downward from the lower end plate 61c, among the three outlet pipes 66. For this reason, it is difficult to perform complex three-dimensional bending processes that include bending away from the plane P.

[0139] In the embodiments shown in Figures 6 and 7, the first outlet pipe 66A is positioned such that its center L11 lies on the plane P. Therefore, the first outlet pipe 66A, which has the shortest length of the outer portion 662 of the three outlet pipes 66, can be bent perpendicularly along the plane P toward the sealed container 11 of the compressor 2 without requiring difficult three-dimensional bending. This allows it to face the radial direction of the sealed container 11 and be properly connected to the sealed container 11 of the compressor 2.

[0140] On the other hand, the second outlet pipe 66B and the third outlet pipe 66C do not have their pipe centers L12 and L13 located on the plane P. Therefore, in order to orient the connection ends of the second outlet pipe 66B and the third outlet pipe 66C toward the radial direction of the sealed container 11 and to ensure proper connection, a three-dimensional bending process that does not fall within the same in-plane direction is required.

[0141] In the embodiments shown in Figures 6 and 7, the second outlet pipe 66B and the third outlet pipe 66C have a longer length of portion that protrudes downward from the lower end plate of the container 61 than the first outlet pipe 66A, and are located further radially away from the center line Cc of the sealed container 11 of the compressor 2 than the first outlet pipe 66A. Therefore, it is possible to secure a relatively long bending allowance, and bending of three-dimensional shapes that do not fit in the same in-plane direction is relatively easy. For this reason, the accumulator 7 and compressor 2 in the embodiments shown in Figures 6 and 7 of the present invention are easy to manufacture.

[0142] As can be easily understood by referring to Figure 7, of the three outlet pipes 66, the length of the portion that protrudes downward from the lower end plate of the vessel 61 is such that the first outlet pipe 66A is the shortest, the second outlet pipe 66B is longer than the first outlet pipe 66A, and the third outlet pipe 66C is longer than the second outlet pipe 66B. In the orientation where the centerline Ca of the vessel 61 is aligned vertically, of the three outlet pipes 66, the connection end of the first outlet pipe 66A to the sealed container 11 of the compressor 2 is at the highest position, the connection end of the third outlet pipe 66C to the sealed container 11 is at the lowest position, and the connection end of the second outlet pipe 66B to the sealed container 11 is located midway between the first outlet pipe 66A and the third outlet pipe 66C.

[0143] The three outlet pipes 66 correspond to the case where the compression mechanism 13 of the compressor 2 is a three-cylinder type. The first outlet pipe 66A is connected from its connection end to its own sealed container 11 to the upper cylinder of the three cylinders. The second outlet pipe 66B is connected from its connection end to its own sealed container 11 to the middle cylinder of the three cylinders. The third outlet pipe 66C is connected from its connection end to its own sealed container 11 to the lower cylinder of the three cylinders.

[0144] The compressor 2 of the present invention comprises a cylindrical sealed container 11, a compression mechanism 13 housed in the sealed container 11, an electric motor 12 housed in the sealed container 11 for generating driving force for the compression mechanism 13, and an accumulator 7 of any of the above embodiments, which is located outside the sealed container 11 and connected to the suction side of the compression mechanism 13. When viewed in the direction along the center line Cc of the sealed container 11, the center line Cc of the sealed container 11 is located on a plane P.

[0145] The refrigeration cycle device 1 of the present invention comprises a cylindrical sealed container 11, a sealed compressor 2 having a compression mechanism 13 housed in the sealed container 11, an electric motor 12 housed in the sealed container 11 and generating driving force for the compression mechanism 13, an accumulator 7 of any of the above embodiments located outside the sealed container 11 and connected to the suction side of the compression mechanism 13, a heat sink 3, an expansion device 5, a heat absorber 6, and a refrigerant pipe 8 connecting the sealed compressor 2, the heat sink 3, and the expansion device 5 to circulate gaseous refrigerant, wherein, when viewed in the direction along the centerline Cc of the sealed container 11, the centerline Cc of the sealed container 11 is located on a plane P.

[0146] The compressor 2 and refrigeration cycle device 1 of the present invention, in any of the embodiments described above, have an appropriate layout for the outlet pipe of the accumulator 7, making them easy to manufacture, and are also compact overall. Furthermore, vibrations during operation when connected to a multi-cylinder compressor are suppressed, making them highly convenient for use as a compressor 2 and refrigeration cycle device 1. Moreover, they have excellent gas-liquid separation capabilities that can reliably prevent the leakage of liquid refrigerant, in other words, gas-liquid separation capabilities that can reliably prevent liquid compression of the compressor.

[0147] The refrigeration cycle device and sealed compressor of the present invention are not limited to the embodiments described above. They can be configured with various modifications. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0148] Ca...center line Cc...center line D...diamond IP...inlet flow path IR...refrigerant introduction chamber OP…Outlet flow path OR…Refrigerant discharge chamber P…Plane Pm1…Middle point VL1...First virtual line VL2...Second virtual line 1...Refrigeration cycle device 2... Rotary compressor 3... Heat sink 5... Expansion device 6... Heat absorber 7... Accumulator 8... Refrigerant pipe 8b... Suction pipe 11... Sealed container 12...Electric motor 13...Compression mechanism 26...First cylinder 27...Second cylinder 31...First cylinder chamber 41...Second cylinder chamber 55...First discharge muffler 57...Second discharge muffler 59...Clamp band 61...Container 61a...Body 61b...Upper end plate 61c...Lower end plate 62...Partition plate 63...Inlet pipe 65...Connecting pipe 65i...Inlet opening 65o...Outlet opening 66...Outlet pipe 66A...First outlet pipe 66B...Second outlet pipe 66i...Inlet opening 66o...Outlet opening 72...Separator plate 73...Support plate 661...Container inner part 662...Container outer part

Claims

1. A cylindrical container, A partition plate is provided inside the container to divide the internal space of the container into a refrigerant introduction chamber and a refrigerant discharge chamber. An inlet pipe fixed to the container and having an inlet passage connected to the refrigerant introduction chamber, At least one connecting pipe having a connecting passage that penetrates the partition plate and connects the refrigerant introduction chamber and the refrigerant discharge chamber, The container comprises a plurality of outlet pipes fixed to the container and having outlet passages connected to the refrigerant discharge chamber, The at least one connecting pipe has an outlet opening that is located in the refrigerant discharge chamber. Each outlet pipe has an inner container portion having an inlet opening positioned in the refrigerant discharge chamber and extending parallel to the centerline of the container through the refrigerant discharge chamber, and an outer container portion having an outer outlet opening positioned outside the container and perpendicular to the centerline of the container and opening in a direction away from the centerline, The plurality of outlet pipes include a first outlet pipe whose inner portion is closest to the outer outlet opening when viewed in the direction along the center line of the container, and a second outlet pipe whose inner portion is furthest from the outer outlet opening. Of the multiple outlet pipes, the outer outlet opening of the first outlet pipe is the closest to the container. The at least one connecting pipe is located further from the outer outlet opening than the first outlet pipe when viewed in the direction along the centerline of the container, An accumulator in which the inlet openings of the plurality of outlet pipes are positioned above the outlet opening of the at least one connecting pipe, and which can be installed so that the inlet openings of the plurality of outlet pipes do not overlap with the outlet opening of the at least one connecting pipe in the vertical direction.

2. Viewed in the direction along the center line of the container, The at least one connecting pipe includes two of the connecting pipes positioned between the first outlet pipe and the second outlet pipe. The outer outlet openings of the plurality of outlet pipes have centers aligned on a plane passing through the center line of the container, The accumulator according to claim 1, wherein the plane bisects the imaginary line connecting the centers of the two connecting pipes and is perpendicular to the imaginary line.

3. The accumulator according to claim 2, wherein the tube center of the inner part of the container of the first outlet tube and the tube center of the inner part of the container of the second outlet tube are arranged on the plane.

4. The accumulator according to claim 3, wherein, when viewed in the direction along the center line of the container, the planar projection of the center of each of the two connecting pipes and the planar projection of the center of the inside part of the first outlet pipe and the center of the inside part of the second outlet pipe form a rhombus.

5. Viewed in the direction along the center line of the container, The plurality of outlet pipes include the first outlet pipe and two second outlet pipes whose inner container portion is further from the outer outlet opening than the first outlet pipe. The at least one connecting pipe includes three connecting pipes: two connecting pipes positioned between the first outlet pipe and the two second outlet pipes, and one connecting pipe that is further from the second outlet pipe than the two connecting pipes. The accumulator according to claim 1, wherein the triangle formed by connecting the planar projections of the centers of each of the three connecting pipes with line segments has three acute angles.

6. The accumulator according to claim 5, wherein the circumcenter of the triangle is located on the plane.

7. A cylindrical airtight container, A compression mechanism housed in the aforementioned sealed container, An electric motor housed in the sealed container generates the driving force for the compression mechanism, The accumulator is located outside the sealed container and connected to the suction side of the compression mechanism, as described in any one of claims 1 to 6. Viewed in the direction along the centerline of the sealed container, the centerline of the sealed container is the compressor located on the plane.

8. A cylindrical airtight container, A compression mechanism housed in the aforementioned sealed container, An electric motor housed in the sealed container generates the driving force for the compression mechanism, An accumulator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which is disposed outside the sealed container and connected to the suction side of the compression mechanism, Heat sink and, Expansion device and Heat absorber and The system comprises a refrigerant pipe connecting the compression mechanism, the heat sink, the expansion device, and the heat absorber, through which a gaseous refrigerant flows. Viewed in the direction along the centerline of the sealed container, the centerline of the sealed container is the refrigeration cycle device arranged on the plane.

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