JP2002277111A - Refrigerant recovery unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a refrigerant recovery unit applicable commonly to machines employing different kinds of refrigerating machine oil in which refrigerant is fed to the refrigerant recovery unit utilizing the compressor in the outdoor unit of an air conditioner and an oil separator for separating refrigerating machine oil can be fixed removably. SOLUTION: An outdoor unit 1 and an indoor unit 2 are operated in continuous cooling mode under coupled state, a two-way valve 15 is closed and then a three-way valve 16 is closed to drive refrigerant into the outdoor unit, the refrigerant piping is removed, a refrigerant recovery unit 3 is piped as shown on the drawing and evacuated through a three-way valve 32, the two-way valve and the three-way valve 16 are opened, a SW 19 is turned on to perform forced heating operation of the outdoor unit, refrigerant in the outdoor unit is fed to the refrigerant recovery unit, refrigerating machine oil is separated by an oil separator 31 and returned back to the outdoor unit, refrigerant is fed through the three-way valve 32 back to a condenser 34 and cooled by means of a fan 35 to produce liquid refrigerant, foreign matters are removed by means of a strainer 36 and moisture is removed by means of a dryer 37, and a refrigerant recovery container 40 is filled with liquid refrigerant fed through a check valve 38 and an on/off valve 39. The oil separator has a removable structure.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerant recovery device for recovering a refrigerant of an air conditioner, which is no longer required, by utilizing a compressor built in the air conditioner.
It relates to reducing volume and weight and reducing costs.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There are various types of refrigerant recovery apparatuses, and a compression type is mainly used for air conditioners. FIG. 2 shows an example of a conventional refrigerant recovery device. The piping connection of the outdoor unit 1, the power supply connection line and the control signal line are removed, and the refrigerant recovery device 5 is connected to the outdoor unit 1 by piping. The refrigerant in the outdoor unit 1 is sucked and pressurized by 51, the refrigerating machine oil is separated by an oil separator 52, the refrigerant is sent to the condenser 34, liquefied, and filled in the collection container 40. 5 has a problem that the volume and the weight are large because the compressor 51 is built-in, and the cost is high. In addition, since the refrigerating machine oil sucked together with the refrigerant remains in the oil separator 52 and the like, the model of the HCFC refrigerant and the model of the HFC refrigerant are used. (Different types of refrigerating machine oil).

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the foregoing, the present invention makes use of the compressor of the outdoor unit to make the compressor in the refrigerant recovery device unnecessary, and to reduce the portion where the refrigerating machine oil remains. It is an object of the present invention to make it possible to exchange and to use it for different types of refrigerating machine oil.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, a refrigerant recovery apparatus according to the present invention recovers refrigerant in an outdoor unit of an air conditioner. An oil separator for separating machine oil, a three-way valve provided in a flow path of a refrigerant from the oil separator,
A condenser for condensing the refrigerant from the three-way valve, a strainer for removing foreign substances mixed in the refrigerant from the condenser, and a dryer for removing moisture mixed in the refrigerant from the strainer A check valve for preventing backflow of the refrigerant from the dryer, and an on-off valve for opening and closing a flow path to a refrigerant recovery container for filling the refrigerant from the check valve, wherein the oil separator Is configured to be detachable. The refrigerating machine oil separated by the oil separator is returned to the outdoor unit.

The refrigerant intake of the oil separator is connected to the three-way valve of the outdoor unit by piping, and the oil outlet of the refrigerating machine of the oil separator is connected to the two-way valve of the outdoor unit by piping.

After the air conditioner is operated for cooling, the two-way valve of the outdoor unit is closed, and then the three-way valve of the outdoor unit is closed. Thereafter, the refrigerant pipe between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit is removed. The refrigerant recovery device is connected to the outdoor unit by piping, and the refrigerant recovery device is evacuated by a three-way valve, and thereafter, the two-way valve and the three-way valve of the outdoor unit are opened to open the outdoor unit. The refrigerant in the outdoor unit is recovered by heating the unit. Then, at the end of the recovery, the two-way valve and the three-way valve of the outdoor unit are closed, and the operation of the outdoor unit is stopped after the on-off valve of the refrigerant recovery device is closed.

In order to recover the refrigerant, a refrigerant recovery switch is provided which is connected to the control signal connection of the outdoor unit and is used for heating the outdoor unit independently. The switch is connected to the control signal connection of the outdoor unit. Disconnect the control signal line from the indoor unit,
Connect the refrigerant recovery switch to the control signal connection portion,
The outdoor unit is operated for forced heating.

A cooling fan is provided in the condenser, and a solenoid valve is used as the on-off valve.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described based on embodiments with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a main part of an embodiment of a refrigerant recovery apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 1A shows a refrigeration cycle during normal operation, FIG. The unit 2 is an indoor unit, and 3 is a refrigerant recovery device. (A) 11 of the outdoor unit 1 is a compressor, 12 is a four-way valve for switching the flow of high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant from the compressor 11 between a cooling operation and a heating operation, 13 is an outdoor heat exchanger, and 14 is An expansion valve, 15 is a two-way valve, 16 is a three-way valve, 17 is a power connection for connecting power from the indoor unit 2, and 18 is a control signal connection for connecting a control signal from the indoor unit 2. is there. Indoor unit 2
21 is an indoor heat exchanger, 22 is a power connection to the outdoor unit 1, 23
Is a control signal connection to the outdoor unit 1.

Reference numeral 19 of the outdoor unit 1 shown in FIG. 1B is a refrigerant recovery (heating operation) switch. Reference numeral 31 of the refrigerant recovery device 3 is an oil separator for separating refrigeration oil mixed in the refrigerant recovered from the outdoor unit 1, and 32 is a three-way valve.
33 is a liquid refrigerant recovery unit, 34 is a condenser for condensing and liquefying the refrigerant from the oil separator 31, 35 is a cooling fan for cooling the condenser 34, 36 is mixed in the refrigerant from the condenser 34 Strainer for removing foreign matter, 37 is strainer 36
A dryer for removing water mixed in the refrigerant from the dryer, 38 is a check valve for preventing the backflow of the refrigerant from the dryer 37, and 39 is for opening and closing the flow path of the refrigerant from the check valve 38. An on-off valve (electromagnetic valve), 40 is a refrigerant recovery container for filling the refrigerant from the on-off valve 39, and 41 is a valve of the refrigerant recovery container 40.

Next, the procedure of refrigerant recovery by the refrigerant recovery apparatus according to the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1A, the cooling operation is performed in a state where the outdoor unit 1 and the indoor unit 2 are connected.
The refrigerant flows in the direction of the dotted arrow. After a continuous operation for a while, the two-way valve 15 is closed, the refrigerant / refrigeration oil is driven into the outdoor unit 1, and then the three-way valve 16 is closed to stop the cooling operation.
Next, the refrigerant piping, the power supply connection line, and the control signal connection line of the outdoor unit 1 and the indoor unit 2 are removed.

Then, as shown in FIG. 1 (b), the refrigerant recovery device 3 is connected to the outdoor unit 1 by a refrigerant pipe,
And a control signal connection unit 18 connected to a refrigerant recovery switch (heating operation switch) 19.
Then, the inside of the refrigerant recovery device 3 is evacuated by the three-way valve 32, and after the evacuation is completed, the two-way valve 15 and the three-way valve 16 of the outdoor unit 1 are opened, and then the refrigerant recovery switch 19 is turned on. Thus, the outdoor unit 1 switches the four-way valve 12 to the heating mode, opens the expansion valve 14 fully, and starts the forced heating operation. The high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant from the compressor 11 is supplied to the four-way valve 12.
The refrigerant flows into the oil separator 31 of the refrigerant recovery device 3 via the three-way valve 16 and is separated into refrigerant and refrigerating machine oil. The refrigerant flows into the condenser 34 via the three-way valve 32, and the refrigerating machine oil returns to the outdoor unit 1. Oiled. The condenser 34 is cooled by a cooling fan 35, the gas refrigerant from the oil separator 31 becomes a liquid refrigerant, foreign matter mixed therein is removed by a strainer 36, and moisture is removed by a dryer 37, respectively, and a check valve 38 and an on-off valve ( solenoid valve)
The refrigerant is charged into the refrigerant recovery container 40 through 39.

At the end of the refrigerant recovery, the two-way valve 15 and the three-way valve 15 of the outdoor unit 1 are closed, the on-off valve 39 of the refrigerant recovery device 3 is closed, the valve 41 of the refrigerant recovery container 40 is closed, and the refrigerant recovery switch 19 is closed. Is turned off, and the operation of the compressor 11 of the outdoor unit 1 is stopped. The refrigerant remaining in the refrigerant recovery device 3 is a three-way valve 32
To be discharged. As described above, since the refrigerant of the outdoor unit 1 is sent to the refrigerant recovery device 3 by using the compressor 11 of the outdoor unit 1, it is not necessary to provide a compressor in the refrigerant recovery device 3, so that the weight and size are reduced. In addition, since the oil separator 31 has a detachable structure, by replacing the oil separator 31, even if the refrigerant may remain inside the oil separator 31, HC
The type of FC refrigerant and the HFC refrigerant (the type of refrigerating machine oil is different from the HCFC refrigerant) can be used in common.

[0014]

As described above, according to the refrigerant recovery apparatus of the present invention, after the air conditioner is operated for cooling, the refrigerant is driven into the outdoor unit, and then the outdoor unit is disconnected from the indoor unit. A refrigerant pipe is connected to the refrigerant recovery device, and the refrigerant in the outdoor unit is sent to the refrigerant recovery device by forcibly heating the outdoor unit to separate the refrigerating machine oil and recover the refrigerant. Since it is not necessary to provide the light emitting device, it is possible to reduce the weight and size. Also, the oil separator of the refrigerant recovery device has a detachable structure, so that the main body can be shared by replacing the oil separator with different types of refrigerating machine oil, which is economically useful. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a main part configuration diagram of an embodiment of a refrigerant recovery device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a main part of an example of a conventional refrigerant recovery device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Outdoor unit 2 Indoor unit 3, 5 Refrigerant recovery unit 11, 51 Compressor 12 Four-way valve 13 Outdoor heat exchanger 14 Expansion valve 15 Two-way valve 16, 32 Three-way valve 17, 22 Power supply connection 18, 23 Control signal connection 19 Refrigerant recovery (heating operation) switch 21 Indoor heat exchanger 31, 52 Oil separator 33 Liquid refrigerant recovery part 34 Condenser 35 Cooling fan 36 Strainer 37 Dryer 38 Check valve 39 Open / close valve (solenoid valve) 40 Refrigerant recovery container 41 valve

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. An oil separator for recovering a refrigerant of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, comprising: an oil separator for separating refrigerating machine oil mixed in the recovered refrigerant; and a flow path of the refrigerant from the oil separator. , A condenser for condensing the refrigerant from the three-way valve, a strainer for removing foreign matter mixed in the refrigerant from the condenser, and a refrigerant mixed in the refrigerant from the strainer A dryer for removing water, a check valve for preventing backflow of refrigerant from the dryer, and an on-off valve for opening and closing a flow path to a refrigerant recovery container for filling the refrigerant from the check valve Wherein the oil separator is configured to be detachable. 2. The refrigerant recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerating machine oil separated by the oil separator is returned to the outdoor unit. 3. A refrigerant intake port of the oil separator is connected to a three-way valve of the outdoor unit by a pipe, and a refrigerating machine oil outlet of the oil separator is connected to a two-way valve of the outdoor unit by a pipe. 3. The refrigerant recovery device according to 1 or 2. 4. After cooling the air conditioner, close the two-way valve of the outdoor unit, then close the three-way valve of the outdoor unit, and then remove the refrigerant pipe between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit, The refrigerant recovery device is connected to the outdoor unit by piping, and the refrigerant recovery device is evacuated by a three-way valve, and thereafter, the two-way valve and the three-way valve of the outdoor unit are opened to open the outdoor unit. The refrigerant recovery device according to claim 3, wherein the refrigerant in the outdoor unit is recovered by performing a heating operation on the outdoor unit. 5. When the collection of the refrigerant is completed, the two-way valve and the three-way valve of the outdoor unit are closed, and the operation of the outdoor unit is stopped after the on-off valve of the refrigerant recovery device is closed. The refrigerant recovery device according to claim 4, wherein: 6. A refrigerant recovery switch connected to a control signal connection of the outdoor unit for heating the outdoor unit independently is provided for refrigerant recovery, and is connected to a control signal connection of the outdoor unit. The control signal line from the indoor unit is disconnected, and the refrigerant recovery switch is connected to the control signal connection unit, so that the outdoor unit is operated for forced heating. The refrigerant recovery device according to claim 1. 7. The refrigerant recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the condenser is provided with a cooling fan. 8. The refrigerant recovery device according to claim 1, wherein an electromagnetic valve is used as the on-off valve.