Heat pump having a capillary, home appliance containing the heat pump and a process for manufacturing a heat pump
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Heat pumps face challenges in achieving a reliable gas-tight and fluid-tight connection between the capillary and evaporator, leading to potential refrigerant flow blockages and increased manufacturing costs due to the need for complex connections and additional materials.
Innovation Solution
A capillary with lateral openings at one or both ends, created through cutting methods like punching, water jet, or laser trimming, allows for a direct and secure connection to the evaporator, reducing the risk of blockages and simplifying the assembly process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the capillary is connected to the evaporator using traditional crimping and brazing methods, then a gas-tight and fluid-tight connection is achieved, but the assembly complexity increases and the risk of leaks rises due to undefined reshaping results
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an adapter piece as an intermediary component between the capillary and evaporator. This adapter piece has a through-hole that receives the capillary end, and its outer surface is connected to the evaporator. The adapter serves as a mediator that simplifies the connection process by providing a standardized interface, eliminating the need for complex crimping and brazing operations while ensuring reliable gas-tight and fluid-tight sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the connection parameters by transitioning from traditional crimping and brazing methods to a simplified insertion and sealing approach. The adapter piece enables this parameter change by providing a pre-formed connection structure that requires no reshaping, thereby reducing assembly complexity and improving connection reliability through standardized dimensional parameters.
2Reliability
If an adapter piece is used to connect the capillary to the evaporator, then the risk of leaks at brazing points is reduced, but the manufacturing costs and number of brazing points increase
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter piece acts as an intermediary that consolidates the sealing function into a single component. Rather than requiring multiple brazing points at the junction of capillary and evaporator, the adapter's through-hole design provides a unified sealing interface, reducing the total number of brazing operations needed while maintaining or improving sealing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter piece merges the functions of connection and sealing into a single component. By combining the capillary reception function and the evaporator connection function in one piece, the patent reduces the number of separate brazing operations required, thereby lowering manufacturing costs while maintaining sealing integrity.
3Device complexity
If the capillary is inserted too deeply into the evaporator elbow, then a direct connection is achieved, but refrigerant flow blockage occurs due to contact with the internal wall
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter piece serves as a mediator that prevents direct contact between the capillary and the evaporator elbow internal wall. The capillary inserts into the adapter's through-hole, and the adapter's structure ensures proper positioning and spacing, preventing refrigerant flow blockage while maintaining a simple direct connection appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter piece performs the preliminary action of defining the correct insertion depth and positioning of the capillary. By pre-forming the connection structure with appropriate clearances, the adapter prevents the capillary from being inserted too deeply, thereby avoiding refrigerant flow blockage before the system operates.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~6
Figure 7~8
AI summary
The invention relates to a heat pump, including an evaporator 1, a condenser, a compressor for driving and compressing a flow of a refrigerant, a capillary 2 for expanding the refrigerant flow, and a refrigerant channel 3 for circulating the refrigerant flow sequentially through the compressor, the condenser, the filter 14, the capillary 2, the evaporator 1, and the compressor, wherein the capillary 2 is connected to the evaporator 1 in a gas-tight and fluid-tight manner such that a first end 4 of the capillary 2 intrudes into the evaporator 1, wherein the capillary 2 is a cylindrical tube 5 with a lateral opening 6,7 at its first end 4 and/or at a second end 8 thereof. The invention also relates to a house appliance containing the heat pump.