Refrigerant flow path switch and air conditioner
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Solution Overview
Problem
The assembly-type refrigerant flow path switch faces issues with increased housing dimensions, weight, and cost due to the need for multiple divider plates and repeated foam charging, which can lead to dew condensation and inefficiencies in filling the housing with a foaming agent.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerant flow path switch design that includes a housing with a first divider plate dividing the space into substantially cubic areas, allowing for reduced divider plates and foam charging frequency, and a separate region for the liquid pipe assembly to minimize foaming agent usage and dew condensation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple divider plates are arranged in the housing to divide spaces for each refrigerant pipe assembly, then the foaming agent can be properly distributed, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The housing internal space is divided into multiple regions using divider plates, with each region corresponding to a refrigerant pipe assembly. This segmentation allows the foaming agent to be properly distributed to each assembly without excessive condensation, while maintaining a manageable number of divider plates by aligning them with the modular structure of the refrigerant pipe assemblies.
Solution Approach 2:
Each divided region within the housing is tailored to accommodate a specific refrigerant pipe assembly, with the foaming agent applied locally to each region. This ensures optimal heat insulation and dew condensation prevention for each assembly without requiring uniform treatment throughout the entire housing, reducing the need for excessive divider plates.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the housing internal space is large to accommodate multiple refrigerant pipe assemblies, then all assemblies can be integrated in one unit, but the foaming agent solidifies before spreading evenly, creating cavities
Solution Approach 1:
The large housing internal space is divided into smaller sub-regions using divider plates, each sub-region corresponding to a refrigerant pipe assembly. This segmentation allows the foaming agent to be applied to smaller areas where it can spread evenly and solidify properly without creating cavities, while still accommodating multiple assemblies within the integrated housing.
Solution Approach 2:
The divider plates are pre-installed in the housing before the foaming agent is applied. This preliminary arrangement of the housing structure creates defined compartments that guide the foaming agent's distribution, ensuring it spreads evenly across each compartment before solidifying, thereby preventing cavity formation in the final insulation layer.
3Reliability
If repeated foam charging is performed to fill cavities, then dew condensation can be prevented, but the manufacturing time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the housing into smaller regions with divider plates, the foaming agent can be applied more effectively to each region in a single charging cycle. This prevents cavity formation from the outset, eliminating the need for repeated foam charging operations and reducing manufacturing time while maintaining reliable dew condensation prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The divider plates are installed beforehand to create proper compartments that guide uniform foaming agent distribution. This preliminary structural preparation ensures that a single foam charging operation is sufficient to fill all spaces evenly and prevent cavities, avoiding the need for multiple charging cycles and associated delays.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design reduces the number of times and amount of foam charging, decreases dew condensation, and lowers the overall cost of the air conditioner by optimizing the use of foaming agent and simplifying the structure.
Implementation Method 1
the inside of the device is filled with a heat insulating material such as a foaming agent to enhance heat insulating properties and prevent dew condensation
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerant flow path switch arranged between an outdoor device and each of multiple indoor devices controls a refrigerant flow and is provided with a housing; a refrigerant flow path switching circuit having multiple refrigerant flow path switching circuits, wherein each refrigerant flow path switching circuit includes a high/low pressure gas pipe, a low pressure gas pipe, a high/low pressure electric valve provided at the high/low pressure gas pipe, and a low pressure electric valve provided at the low pressure gas pipe. A liquid pipe assembly is arranged in the housing and has multiple liquid pipes connected to the multiple indoor devices. A first divider plate is provided between adjacent ones of the refrigerant flow path switching circuits and divides an internal space of the housing such that a space divided by the first divider plate is in a substantially cubic shape, which is filled with a foaming agent.