Expansion Valve Bracket Layout for Capillary Tube Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

The outdoor unit of air conditioners is prone to damage due to the thin capillary tube in the expansion valve unit, which is vulnerable to external forces and vibrations, leading to deformation and noise from component contact in a crowded machine room.

Innovation Solution

A bracket system with coupling members is introduced to stably support the expansion valve unit, using a combination of coupling hooks and holes to secure the capillary tube and connection tubes, preventing deformation and damage by maintaining a separation distance perpendicular to the capillary tube's ends and distributing external forces effectively.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the capillary tube is made thin to optimize refrigerant flow rate, then the refrigerant flow efficiency is improved, but the tube becomes vulnerable to damage from external forces and vibrations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverefrigerant flow rateVSAvoidcapillary tube durability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies beforehand cushioning by providing a dedicated support structure (bracket with support protrusions) that preemptively protects the thin capillary tube from external forces and vibrations before damage can occur. The bracket is designed to cradle and secure the tube along its length, distributing mechanical stresses and preventing the tube from bearing excessive loads that would cause deformation or breakage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary support structure (the bracket) that mediates between the vulnerable capillary tube and the harsh external environment. The bracket acts as a protective intermediary that absorbs and dissipates vibrations and external forces, preventing them from directly impacting the thin tube while allowing the tube to maintain its optimized thin geometry for refrigerant flow.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Volume of moving object

If the machine room is designed compact to reduce space, then the device footprint is minimized, but components become crowded and prone to contact and noise

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoutdoor unit sizeVSAvoidcomponent collision and noise

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the machine room into distinct functional zones using the bracket structure. The bracket creates separated compartments that organize components (compressor, heat exchanger, expansion valve unit, capillary tube) into dedicated spaces, preventing random movement and contact between components while maintaining overall compactness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes another dimension by employing vertical support protrusions and three-dimensional bracket structures to secure components. Instead of only horizontal spacing, the design uses vertical and depth dimensions to create separation and prevent component contact, allowing compact horizontal footprint while maintaining component isolation through multi-dimensional spatial arrangement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Stability of the object's composition

If the expansion valve unit is secured rigidly to prevent movement, then component stability is improved, but vibrations and noise from the compressor can transmit to other components

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponent position stabilityVSAvoidvibration transmission and noise

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs flexible mounting solutions using brackets with elastic or vibration-dampening materials at the mounting interfaces. These flexible elements provide stable component positioning while allowing controlled movement and vibration absorption, preventing rigid vibration transmission pathways between the compressor and other components like the heat exchanger and capillary tube.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the harmful vibrations generated by the compressor into a beneficial damping effect. The bracket structure with its elastic mounting points and distributed support protrusions transforms vibration energy into small-scale elastic deformations and heat, dissipating the harmful vibrations rather than allowing them to propagate through the rigid structure to other components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Data Source

PatentUS11378288B2Outdoor unit of airconditioner

Publication Date: 2022.07.05 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

An outdoor unit of an air conditioner having an expansion valve unit. The outdoor unit of the air conditioner includes a compressor, a heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between outdoor air and refrigerant compressed by the compressor, an expansion valve unit configured to decompress the refrigerant discharged from the heat exchanger, a refrigerant pipe configured to deliver the refrigerant, which is decompressed and expanded by the expansion valve unit, to the indoor unit of the air conditioner, and a bracket configured to support the expansion valve unit. The expansion valve unit includes an expansion valve, a first connection portion configured to connect the expansion valve to the heat exchanger, and a second connection portion configured to connect the expansion valve to the refrigerant pipe. The expansion valve, and one of the first connection portion or the second connection portion are fixed to the bracket.