WO2023221500A1

WO2023221500A1 - Refrigerant distribution device, heat exchanger and air conditioner

Info

Publication number: WO2023221500A1
Application number: PCT/CN2022/140870
Authority: WO
Inventors: 国德防; 王飞; 张心怡; 丁爽; 许文明; 李阳; 蒋骏; 林超
Original assignee: 海尔(深圳)研发有限责任公司; 海尔智家股份有限公司
Priority date: 2022-05-20
Filing date: 2022-12-22
Publication date: 2023-11-23
Also published as: CN114674096B; CN114674096A

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of air conditioning. Disclosed is a refrigerant distribution device, comprising a pipe body, a movable component and a driving component. The pipe body is provided with a refrigerant inlet/outlet; the interior of the pipe body is provided with a refrigerant distribution space; a side wall of the pipe body is provided with 2n+1 branch pipe orifices in the lengthwise direction of the pipe body, n being a natural number greater than or equal to 1; and the branch pipe orifices are used for connecting heat exchange branches. The movable component is slidably arranged in the refrigerant distribution space, and comprises n U-shaped pipes; when the movable component is located at a first position, two pipe orifices of the n-th U-shaped pipe are connected to the 2n-th and 2n+1-th branch pipe orifices of the pipe body; and when the movable component is located at a second position, the pipe orifices of each U-shaped pipe avoid the respective branch pipe orifices, such that the 2n+1-th branch pipe orifices are connected in parallel. The driving component is arranged inside the pipe body and is used for driving the movable component to slide between the first position and the second position. Further disclosed in the present application are a heat exchanger and an air conditioner.

Description

Refrigerant distribution devices, heat exchangers and air conditioners

This application is filed based on a Chinese patent application with application number 202210548007.1 and a filing date of May 20, 2022, and claims the priority of the Chinese patent application. The entire content of the Chinese patent application is hereby incorporated by reference into this application.

Technical field

This application relates to the technical field of air conditioning, for example, to a refrigerant distribution device, a heat exchanger and an air conditioner.

Background technique

Currently, air conditioners with cooling and heating functions need to switch the cooling and heating functions by switching the direction of refrigerant flow. In this case, for example, an outdoor heat exchanger that functions as a condenser in cooling mode functions as an evaporator in heating mode. When the outdoor heat exchanger is used as a condenser, multiple heat exchange branches are connected in series to increase the subcooling of the refrigerant. When the outdoor heat exchanger is used as an evaporator, multiple heat exchange branches are still connected in series, and the liquid refrigerant is unevenly distributed in the heat exchanger, which is not conducive to the even and sufficient evaporation of the liquid refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger. The heating efficiency of the air conditioner will be affected.

In the related art, it is considered to set the heat exchange branches of the heat exchanger in a series-parallel switchable form, so that the heat exchanger has more branches when it is used as an evaporator and fewer branches when it is used as a condenser. For example, the patent application with publication number WO2018078809A1 discloses a refrigeration cycle device, in which the refrigeration cycle device is provided with a refrigerant circuit for circulating a non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant. The refrigerant circuit includes a compressor, a first heat exchanger, 2 heat exchanger, expansion valve and multi-way valve. The multi-way valve has a first state and a second state. In the first state, the non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant flows according to the first heat exchanger, expansion valve and second heat exchanger. flow in the order, in the second state, the zeotropic mixed refrigerant flows in the order of the second heat exchanger, the expansion valve, and the first heat exchanger. The first heat exchanger includes: a plurality of refrigerant flow paths; and flow A path switching device switches the connection of a plurality of refrigerant flow paths between a series state in which refrigerants flow in series and a parallel state in which refrigerants flow in parallel. The refrigeration cycle device further includes a control device, and the control device is in the multi-way valve position when the multi-way valve is in the In the second state, the flow path switching device is switched between the series state and the parallel state.

In the process of implementing the embodiments of the present disclosure, it is found that there are at least the following problems in related technologies:

The flow path switching device is divided into four cavities from top to bottom. In the first state, the first and second cavities are connected, the third and fourth cavities are connected, and the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are connected in parallel. Connection state; in the second state, the second cavity and the third cavity are connected, and the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are connected in series. Limited by its structure, the flow path switching device can only switch the series-parallel relationship between the two heat exchangers, which has limited improvement in the heating capacity of the air conditioner.

Contents of the invention

In order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed embodiments, a simplified summary is provided below. This summary is not intended to be a general review, nor is it intended to identify key/important elements or delineate the scope of the embodiments, but is intended to serve as a prelude to the detailed description that follows.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a refrigerant distribution device, a heat exchanger and an air conditioner to solve how to better switch the series-parallel relationship between multiple heat exchange branches to further improve the cooling and heating efficiency of the air conditioner.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a refrigerant distribution device, which includes a tube body, movable parts and driving parts. The tube body is provided with a refrigerant inlet and outlet, and the inside is a refrigerant distribution space. The side wall is provided with 2n+1 along the length direction of the tube body. branch pipe openings, where n is a natural number greater than or equal to 1, and the branch pipe openings are used to connect the heat exchange branches; movable parts are slidably arranged in the refrigerant distribution space, and the movable parts include n U When the movable part is in the first position, the two nozzles of the nth U-shaped pipe are connected to the 2nth and 2n+1 branch nozzles of the pipe body; the movable part When in the second position, the nozzle of the U-shaped pipe avoids the branch nozzle, so that the 2n+1 branch nozzles are connected in parallel; a driving component is provided in the tube body for driving the The movable part slides between the first position and the second position.

In some embodiments, the first side wall of the pipe body is a plane, the 2n+1 branch pipe openings are opened on the first side wall, and the pipe openings of the n U-shaped pipes face the First side wall.

In some embodiments, the movable component further includes a slider, which is fixed to the outer wall of the n U-shaped tubes and has a shape corresponding to the cross section of the tube body; wherein the slider has a hollow to allow the refrigerant to The refrigerant flows through the slider in the refrigerant distribution space.

In some embodiments, the refrigerant distribution device further includes a first memory alloy spring disposed between the slider and the U-shaped tube, and the first memory alloy spring stretches at high temperature.

In some embodiments, the number of the sliders is multiple, and the plurality of sliders are arranged at intervals.

In some embodiments, the movable component further includes a connecting piece for connecting the n U-shaped tubes so that the n U-shaped tubes slide synchronously.

In some embodiments, the driving component includes a second memory alloy spring with a first end fixed to the inner wall of the tube body and a second end connected to the movable component. The second memory alloy spring is a two-way memory Alloy spring, when the refrigerant in the refrigerant distribution device is high-temperature refrigerant, the two-way memory alloy spring is in the first state. When the refrigerant in the refrigerant distribution device is low-temperature refrigerant, the two-way memory alloy is in the second state. , the change of the first state and the second state of the two-way memory alloy spring drives the movable component to slide in the refrigerant distribution space.

In some embodiments, the two-way memory alloy spring is in an extended state in the first state and in a contracted state in the second state.

In some embodiments, the expansion temperature of the two-way memory alloy spring is between 50-100°C, and the shrinkage temperature is between 0-10°C.

In some embodiments, the driving component includes a telescopic spring with a first end fixed to the inner wall of the tube body and a second end connected to the movable component. The telescopic spring is in a contracted state when the power is on and when the power is off. When the refrigerant is in an extended state, the movable component is driven to slide in the refrigerant distribution space by energizing and de-energizing the telescopic spring.

In some embodiments, the movable component further includes a spacer, which is disposed on the movable component and close to the second end of the tube body, and the outer ring of the spacer is linearly docked with the inner wall of the tube body to The refrigerant distribution space is divided into a refrigerant flow space and a drive space. The refrigerant inlet and outlet are opened at the first end of the tube body, and the second end of the tube body is closed, so that the drive space becomes an independent seal. space; the driving component includes a driving tube, a first end of which is connected to the driving space, and the pressure of the driving space is changed through the driving tube, so that a pressure difference is formed between the refrigerant flow space and the driving space, Thereby driving the movable part to slide.

In some embodiments, the driving component further includes a reversing valve, which is disposed at the second end of the driving pipe and has a first conduction state for providing low-pressure refrigerant to the driving space and a high-pressure refrigerant supplying to the driving space. The second conduction state of the refrigerant.

In some embodiments, the heat exchanger includes two refrigerant distribution devices according to any one of claims 1 to 12 and a plurality of heat exchange branches, wherein the two refrigerant distribution devices are respectively the first A refrigerant distribution device and a second refrigerant distribution device, a plurality of heat exchange branches, the first ends of the plurality of heat exchange branches are respectively connected to the 1st to 2n+1th branches of the first refrigerant distribution device. The pipe openings, correspondingly, the second ends are respectively connected to the 2n+1th to the 1st branch pipe openings of the second refrigerant distribution device.

In some embodiments, the air conditioner includes a refrigerant circulation loop, which is formed by connecting a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, a throttling device and an indoor heat exchanger in sequence through a refrigerant pipeline; wherein, the outdoor heat exchanger and/ Or the indoor heat exchanger is the above-mentioned heat exchanger.

In some embodiments, the air conditioner further includes a four-way valve with ports A, B, C and D. Port A is connected to the exhaust port of the compressor, port C is connected to the suction port of the compressor, and port B is connected to the exhaust port of the compressor. Port is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger, and port D is connected to the indoor heat exchanger. In the first state, the four-way valve connects ports A and D, and connects ports B and C; in the second state, the four-way valve connects ports A and B, and connects ports C and D; Wherein, when the refrigerant distribution device of the heat exchanger includes a driving pipe, the driving pipe is connected to the B port or the D port of the four-way valve.

In some embodiments, the outdoor heat exchanger is the above-mentioned heat exchanger, when the driving component of the first refrigerant distribution device of the outdoor heat exchanger includes a driving tube, and the second end of the driving tube is provided with When the reversing valve is used, the reversing valve connects the low-pressure pipeline between the throttling device and the compressor in the first state, and the reversing valve connects the compressor to the compressor in the second state. high-pressure pipeline between the throttling devices.

The refrigerant distribution device, heat exchanger and air conditioner provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can achieve the following technical effects:

1. The refrigerant distribution device provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure can change the series-parallel connection relationship of the branch pipe openings through the sliding of the movable parts, thereby changing the series-parallel connection relationship of the heat exchange branches connected to the branch pipe openings, So that when the heat exchanger is used as an evaporator, multiple heat exchange branches are connected in parallel, and when used as a condenser, multiple heat exchange branches are connected in series, thereby improving the cooling and heating capacity of the air conditioner;

2. The movable parts are equipped with multiple U-shaped tubes, and the side walls of the tube body are provided with multiple branch pipe openings. The number of heat exchange branches that can be connected to the refrigerant distribution device is not limited, and the heat exchanger can be used as an evaporator. High heat exchange capacity can be obtained both when condensing and condensing;

3. The moving distance of the movable parts in the refrigerant distribution device is small, which can be as small as the diameter of a U-shaped pipe, and is easy to drive.

The above general description and the following description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not intended to limit the application.

Description of the drawings

One or more embodiments are exemplified by corresponding drawings. These exemplary descriptions and drawings do not constitute limitations to the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are shown as similar elements. The drawings are not limited to scale and in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an air conditioner operating in cooling mode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of an air conditioner operating in heating mode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a heat exchanger provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure when used as a condenser;

Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a heat exchanger provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure when used as an evaporator;

Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of another heat exchanger provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure when used as a condenser;

Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of another heat exchanger used as an evaporator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figure 7 is a schematic structural diagram of another heat exchanger provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure when used as a condenser;

Figure 8 is a schematic structural diagram of another heat exchanger used as an evaporator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figure 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigerant distribution device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figure 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigerant distribution device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure when the movable component is in the first position;

Figure 11 is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigerant distribution device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure when the movable parts are in the second position;

Figure 12 is a schematic structural diagram of another refrigerant distribution device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure when the movable component is in the first position;

Figure 13 is a schematic structural diagram of another refrigerant distribution device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure when the movable component is in the first position;

Figure 14 is a schematic structural diagram of another refrigerant distribution device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure when the movable component is in the second position;

Figure 15 is a schematic structural diagram of another refrigerant distribution device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure when the movable component is in the first position;

Figure 16 is a schematic structural diagram of another refrigerant distribution device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure when the movable component is in the second position;

Figure 17 is a schematic structural diagram of another refrigerant distribution device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure when the movable component is in the first position;

Figure 18 is a schematic structural diagram of another refrigerant distribution device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure when the movable component is in the second position.

Reference signs:

110: Pipe body; 111: Refrigerant inlet and outlet; 112: Refrigerant distribution space; 120: Movable parts; 121: U-shaped tube; 122: Slider; 123: First memory alloy spring; 124: Connector; 125: Partition ; 126: Refrigerant flow space; 127: Driving space; 130: Driving component; 131: Second memory alloy spring; 132: Telescopic spring; 133: Driving tube; 140: Limiting block; 141: First limiting block; 142 : The second limit block;

210: first refrigerant distribution device; 220: second refrigerant distribution device; 230: heat exchange branch;

310: compressor; 320: outdoor heat exchanger; 330: throttling device; 340: indoor heat exchanger; 350: four-way valve; 351: A port; 352: B port; 353: C port; 354: D port .

Detailed ways

In order to understand the characteristics and technical content of the embodiments of the present disclosure in more detail, the implementation of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The attached drawings are for reference only and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure. In the following technical description, for convenience of explanation, multiple details are provided to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, one or more embodiments may be practiced without these details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices may be shown simplified to simplify the drawings.

The terms "first", "second", etc. in the description and claims of the embodiments of the present disclosure and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that data so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances for the purposes of the embodiments of the disclosure described herein. Furthermore, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "middle", "outer", "front", "back", etc. is based on the orientation or position shown in the drawings. Positional relationship. These terms are mainly used to better describe the embodiments of the present disclosure and its embodiments, and are not used to limit the indicated device, element or component to have a specific orientation, or to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Moreover, some of the above terms may also be used to express other meanings in addition to indicating orientation or positional relationships. For example, the term "upper" may also be used to express a certain dependence relationship or connection relationship in some cases. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of these terms in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be understood according to specific circumstances.

In addition, the terms "setting", "connection" and "fixing" should be understood broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; it can be a mechanical connection, or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediary, or two devices, components or Internal connections between components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be understood according to specific circumstances.

Unless otherwise stated, the term "plurality" means two or more.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the character "/" indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship. For example, A/B means: A or B.

The term "and/or" is an association relationship describing objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and/or B means: A or B, or A and B.

It should be noted that, as long as there is no conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be combined with each other.

Generally, air conditioners switch between heating and cooling functions by switching the flow direction of refrigerant. The outdoor heat exchanger of the air conditioner acts as a condenser in cooling mode and as an evaporator in heating mode. The indoor heat exchanger of the air conditioner acts as an evaporator in cooling mode and as a condenser in heating mode. Taking the outdoor heat exchanger as an example, in the cooling mode, the high-temperature refrigerant discharged from the compressor exchanges a large amount of heat with the external environment in the outdoor heat exchanger, thereby condensing into liquid refrigerant. The pipe stroke of the outdoor heat exchanger is longer, which is conducive to the full condensation of the refrigerant into a liquid state and obtaining a beneficial subcooling degree for refrigeration. In order to improve the travel of the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger, in addition to arranging multiple heat exchange branches of the outdoor unit in series, some outdoor heat exchangers are also equipped with a separate subcooling section. After the air conditioner switches to heating mode, the outdoor heat exchanger is used as an evaporator, and the liquid refrigerant absorbs heat and evaporates in the outdoor heat exchanger. In this case, because the outdoor heat exchanger pipeline is relatively long, the liquid refrigerant is unevenly distributed in the outdoor heat exchanger. In an environment where the outdoor ambient temperature is relatively low, the outdoor heat exchanger may be partially frosted, which further affects the heat absorption and evaporation effect of the outdoor heat exchanger. Therefore, while the outdoor heat exchanger can achieve good condensation effect as a condenser, it is not easy to achieve good evaporation effect when used as an evaporator.

As shown in FIGS. 1-18 , embodiments of the present disclosure provide a refrigerant distribution device, which includes a tube body 110 , a movable component 120 and a driving component 130 . The tube body 110 is provided with a refrigerant inlet and outlet 111 , and has a refrigerant distribution space 112 inside. , the side wall is provided with multiple branch pipe openings along the length direction of the tube body 110, and the branch pipe openings are used to connect the heat exchange branches 230; the movable component 120 is slidably disposed in the refrigerant distribution space 112, and the movable component 120 includes a plurality of U When the movable part 120 is in the first position, the nozzle of the U-shaped pipe is connected to the two adjacent branch nozzles; when the movable part 120 is in the second position, the nozzle of the U-shaped pipe avoids the branch nozzles. , so that multiple branch nozzles are connected in parallel; the driving component 130 is provided in the pipe body 110 and is used to drive the movable component 120 to slide between the first position and the second position.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the refrigerant distribution device is used to distribute the refrigerant between the plurality of heat exchange branches 230 . The tube body 110 is provided with a refrigerant inlet and outlet 111 for connecting the heat exchanger to the refrigerant circulation circuit of the air conditioner. That is, the refrigerant inlet and outlet 111 of the refrigerant distribution device is the refrigerant inlet and outlet 111 of the heat exchanger. The inside of the tube body 110 is a refrigerant distribution space 112, and a branch pipe opening is provided on the side wall. The refrigerant enters the refrigerant space through the refrigerant inlet and outlet 111, and then enters each heat exchange branch 230 of the heat exchanger from the branch pipe opening; or, the refrigerant in the heat exchange branch 230 enters the refrigerant distribution space 112 from the branch pipe opening, and then It leaves the refrigerant distribution device through the refrigerant inlet and outlet 111.

The movable component 120 includes a plurality of U-shaped tubes. The movable component 120 slides in the tube body 110 along the length direction of the tube body 110 to change the docking state of the U-shaped tubes and the branch pipe openings. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 , when the movable component 120 is in the first position, the U-shaped pipe communicates with adjacent branch pipe openings. Specifically, the two pipe openings of the U-shaped pipe are covered with an adjacent pair of branch pipe openings, thereby isolating the communication state between the branch pipe openings and the refrigerant distribution space 112 while allowing the two adjacent branch pipe openings to be connected to each other. The two heat exchange branches 230 at the entrance are connected in series, so that a pair of adjacent heat exchange branches 230 form a series heat exchange branch 230. It should be noted that when the movable component 120 is in the first position, at least one branch pipe opening is not blocked by the movable component 120 and is directly connected to the refrigerant distribution space 112 of the tube body 110 so that the refrigerant can enter the heat exchanger connected in series. In the branch 230; as shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 5, and FIG. 7, the same refrigerant distribution device can be set at the other end of the multiple heat exchange branches 230, and the movable part 120 of the refrigerant distribution device is also located in the first position. , the U-shaped tube of the movable component 120 is connected in series to a pair of adjacent series-connected heat exchange branches 230, so that the refrigerant can enter the heat exchange branch 230 through the nozzle directly connected to the refrigerant distribution space 112 of the tube body 110, and flow sequentially. Multiple heat exchange branches 230 connected in series. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 , when the movable component 120 is in the second position, the nozzle of the U-shaped pipe is buckled on the inner wall of the pipe body 110 and does not overlap with the branch nozzles, so that multiple branch nozzles are directly connected. The refrigerant distribution space 112 allows branch circuits connected to multiple branch pipe ports to be connected in parallel. It should be noted that when the movable part is in the first position, its position is unique. When the movable part is in the second position, it only needs to avoid the branch pipe opening, so its position is not unique. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the movable component is in the second position and can deviate upward or downward from the first position. The specific direction of deviation depends on the specific driving form of the driving component. The driving component 130 is used to drive the movable component 120 to slide between the first position and the second position, thereby switching the series-parallel connection status of the multiple branch nozzles.

Using the refrigerant distribution device provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, through the sliding of the movable component 120, the series-parallel connection relationship of the branch pipe openings can be changed, thereby changing the series-parallel connection relationship of the heat exchange branches 230 connected to the branch pipe openings. , so that multiple heat exchange branches 230 are connected in parallel when the heat exchanger is used as an evaporator, and multiple heat exchange branches 230 are connected in series when used as a condenser, thereby improving the cooling and heating capabilities of the air conditioner. The movable component 120 is provided with a plurality of U-shaped tubes, and the side wall of the tube body 110 is provided with a plurality of branch pipe openings. The number of heat exchange branches 230 that can be connected to the refrigerant distribution device is not limited, so that the heat exchanger can be used as an evaporator. High heat exchange capacity can be obtained both as a condenser and as a condensator.

Optionally, the movable component 120 includes n U-shaped tubes, and the tube body 110 is provided with 2n+1 branch nozzles. When the movable component 120 is located in the first position, the two nozzles of the n-th U-shaped tube are connected. The 2nth and 2n+1 branch pipe openings.

n is a natural number greater than or equal to 1. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 8 , an introduction will be given as an example where n is 2, the refrigerant distribution device is arranged vertically, and the two refrigerant distribution devices cooperate to realize series-parallel switching of multiple heat exchange branches 230 . n is 2, and the pipe body 110 is provided with 5 branch pipe openings. The first refrigerant distribution device 210 is the first branch pipe opening to the fifth branch pipe opening in sequence from top to bottom. The sliding parts of the first refrigerant distribution device 210 are the first U-shaped pipe and the second U-shaped pipe in sequence from top to bottom. shaped tube. The second refrigerant distribution device 220 is vertically opposite to the second refrigerant distribution device 220. From bottom to top, they are the first branch pipe opening to the fifth branch pipe opening. The movable parts 120 of the second refrigerant distribution device 220 are, from bottom to top, First U-shaped tube and second U-shaped tube. The heat exchange branch 230 is a first heat exchange branch to a fifth heat exchange branch from top to bottom, and the first end of the first heat exchange branch is connected to the first branch nozzle of the first refrigerant distribution device 210 , the second end is connected to the fifth branch pipe opening of the second refrigerant distribution device 220; the first end of the second heat exchange branch is connected to the second branch pipe opening of the first refrigerant distribution device 210, and the second end is connected to At the fourth branch pipe port of the second refrigerant distribution device 220, the first end of the third heat exchange branch is connected to the third branch pipe port of the first refrigerant distribution device 210, and the second end is connected to the second refrigerant distribution device. The third branch pipe opening of the device 220 and the first end of the fourth heat exchange branch are connected to the fourth branch pipe opening of the first refrigerant distribution device 210, and the second end is connected to the second pipe opening of the second refrigerant distribution device 220. The branch pipe opening, the first end of the fifth heat exchange branch is connected to the fifth branch pipe opening of the first refrigerant distribution device 210 , and the second end is connected to the first branch pipe opening of the second refrigerant distribution device 220 .

When the heat exchanger is used as an evaporator, multiple heat exchange branches 230 need to be connected in series. The movable component 120 of the first refrigerant distribution device 210 is located in the first position, the first U-shaped pipe communicates with the second branch pipe opening and the third branch pipe opening, and the second U-shaped pipe communicates with the fourth branch pipe opening and the fifth branch pipe opening. Branch pipe opening. The movable component 120 of the second refrigerant distribution device 220 is located in the first position. The first U-shaped pipe communicates with the second branch pipe opening and the third branch pipe opening of the second refrigerant distribution device 220. The third branch pipe opening of the second refrigerant distribution device 220 The two U-shaped pipes communicate with the fourth branch pipe opening and the fifth branch pipe opening of the second refrigerant distribution device 220 . The gaseous refrigerant enters the refrigerant distribution space 112 of the first refrigerant distribution device 210 through the refrigerant inlet and outlet 111 of the first refrigerant distribution device 210, and then enters the first heat exchange branch from the first branch pipe opening of the first refrigerant distribution device 210. , enters the second heat exchange branch through the second U-shaped tube of the second refrigerant distribution device 220, enters the third heat exchange branch through the first U-shaped tube of the first refrigerant distribution device 210, and enters the third heat exchange branch through the second refrigerant distribution device 220. The second U-shaped tube enters the fourth heat exchange branch, enters the fifth heat exchange branch through the second U-shaped tube of the first refrigerant distribution device 210, and passes through the first branch pipe opening of the second refrigerant distribution device 220. It enters the refrigerant distribution space 112 of the second refrigerant distribution device 220 , leaves the second refrigerant distribution device 220 through the refrigerant inlet and outlet 111 of the second refrigerant distribution device 220 , and flows through a plurality of heat exchange branches 230 in sequence.

When the heat exchanger is used as a condenser, multiple heat exchange branches 230 need to be connected in parallel. The movable component 120 of the first refrigerant distribution device 210 is located in the second position, and the first ends of the plurality of heat exchange branches 230 are directly connected to the refrigerant distribution space 112 of the first refrigerant distribution device 210 . The movable component 120 of the second refrigerant distribution device 220 is located in the second position, and the second ends of the plurality of heat exchange branches 230 are directly connected to the refrigerant distribution space 112 of the second refrigerant distribution device 220 . Multiple heat exchange branches 230 are connected in parallel. The liquid refrigerant enters the refrigerant distribution space 112 of the second refrigerant distribution device 220 through the refrigerant inlet and outlet 111 of the second refrigerant distribution device 220, and then is divided into five paths, flowing through five heat exchange branches 230 respectively and entering the first refrigerant distribution device 210. of the refrigerant distribution space 112, and then leaves the first refrigerant distribution device 210 through the refrigerant inlet and outlet 111 of the first refrigerant distribution device 210.

The number of heat exchange branches 230 that can be connected to the refrigerant distribution device provided in this embodiment is not limited. The moving distance of the movable component 120 in the refrigerant distribution device is small, which can be as small as the diameter of a U-shaped pipe, and is easy to drive.

Optionally, the refrigerant distribution device further includes a limiting block 140. The limiting block 140 includes a first limiting block 141 and a second limiting block 142. The first limiting block 141 and the second limiting block 142 limit the movable component 120. Slide between first and second position.

The limiting block 140 is provided to limit the movement of the movable component 120 and prevent it from exceeding the preset operation. In addition, the first limiting block 141 and the second limiting block 142 also play a positioning role. Specifically, when the first end of the movable component 120 abuts the first limiting block 141, it is in the first position. The second end is in the second position when it abuts the second limiting block 142 . Such an arrangement can make the movement of the movable component 120 clearer.

Optionally, the first side wall of the pipe body 110 is a plane, a plurality of branch pipe openings are opened on the first side wall, and the pipe openings of the plurality of U-shaped pipes face the first side wall.

The first side wall of the pipe body 110 is flat to facilitate the opening of the branch pipe opening. The nozzles of the plurality of U-shaped tubes face the first side wall, the nozzles of the U-shaped tubes are also flat, and the first side wall of the tube body 110 is flat, which eliminates the situation that the cross-section of the tube body 110 is circular. In this way, when the movable component 120 slides along the length direction of the tube body 110, it is less likely to rotate. Such an arrangement not only makes the refrigerant distribution device easy to process, but also prevents the movable component 120 from rotating in the tube body 110, thereby improving the working stability of the refrigerant distribution device.

Optionally, the movable component 120 also includes a slider 122, which is fixed to the outer walls of the plurality of U-shaped tubes and has a shape corresponding to the cross-section of the tube body 110; wherein the slider 122 has a hollow, so that the refrigerant can pass through the slider 122. The refrigerant flows in the distribution space 112 .

The cross-sectional shape of the slider 122 of the movable component 120 corresponds to the cross-section of the tube body 110. This further ensures that the movable component 120 will not rotate within the tube body 110, thereby improving the working stability of the refrigerant distribution device. The slider 122 has a hollow, and the refrigerant can flow freely through the slider 122 . In this way, when the heat exchanger serves as a condenser, the refrigerant can be divided or collected in the refrigerant distribution space 112 . Optionally, the refrigerant distribution device is arranged vertically. In this way, the refrigerant flows vertically in the refrigerant distribution space 112 . The slider 122 is arranged transversely and has a hollow, which can reduce the flow rate of the refrigerant, thereby reducing the noise generated by the flow of the refrigerant.

Optionally, the number of sliders 122 is multiple, and the multiple sliders 122 are arranged at intervals.

The plurality of slide blocks 122 can better support the U-shaped pipe, so that the nozzle of the U-shaped pipe is pressed more tightly against the side wall of the branch pipe.

Optionally, the slider 122 is fixed at the bend of the U-shaped tube.

The bend of the U-shaped tube is relatively close to the side wall of the tube body 110 opposite to the first side wall. The slider 122 is fixed at the bend of the U-shaped tube, which can reduce the volume of the slider 122 and thus reduce the size of the refrigerant distribution device. production costs. In addition, the slider 122 is fixed at the bend, so that the two nozzles of the U-shaped pipe are evenly stressed and can better connect with the branch nozzle opened on the first side wall.

Optionally, the refrigerant distribution device further includes a first memory alloy spring 123, which is disposed between the slider 122 and the U-shaped tube. The first memory alloy spring 123 stretches at high temperature.

When the heat exchanger is used as a condenser, the temperature of the refrigerant inside the heat exchanger is relatively high, and the temperature of the refrigerant in the refrigerant distribution space 112 is also relatively high. The temperature of the first memory alloy spring 123 increases and is in an extended state, thereby pressing the U-shaped tube of the movable component 120 against the first side wall, so that the nozzle of the U-shaped tube is in contact with the branch nozzle of the first side wall. seam butt joint. When the heat exchanger is used as an evaporator, the internal temperature of the heat exchanger is low, and the refrigerant temperature in the refrigerant distribution space 112 is low. The temperature of the first memory alloy spring 123 decreases and is in a contracted state, which can reduce the friction between the movable component 120 and the inside of the tube body 110, so that the driving component can smoothly drive the movable component 120 from the first position to the second position.

The one-way memory alloy spring can be plastically deformed at low temperatures and restored to its original shape at high temperatures for use as a spring. The two-way memory alloy spring has different lengths at low temperature and high temperature, and can produce a certain elastic deformation to be used as a spring. The first memory alloy spring 123 may be a single-way memory alloy spring or a two-way memory alloy spring.

Optionally, the first memory alloy spring 123 is made of titanium-nickel memory alloy. The temperature at which the titanium-nickel memory alloy stretches is between 65°C and 85°C, which is close to the temperature when the heat exchanger is used as a condenser. It can achieve better results when used in refrigerant distribution devices.

Optionally, the movable component 120 also includes a connecting piece 124 for connecting multiple U-shaped tubes so that the multiple U-shaped tubes can slide synchronously.

The movable component 120 is provided with a connecting piece 124 to connect multiple U-shaped tubes. The multiple U-shaped tubes become a whole and drive one of the U-shaped tubes, so that all U-shaped tubes move synchronously.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 , optionally, the driving component 130 includes a second memory alloy spring 131 with a first end fixed to the inner wall of the tube body 110 and a second end connected to the movable component 120 . The second memory alloy spring 131 It is a two-way memory alloy spring. When the refrigerant in the refrigerant distribution device is high-temperature refrigerant, the two-way memory alloy spring is in the first state. When the refrigerant in the refrigerant distribution device is low-temperature refrigerant, the two-way memory alloy is in the second state. The change in the first state and the second state of the memory alloy spring drives the movable component 120 to slide in the refrigerant distribution space 112 .

High-temperature refrigerant and low-temperature refrigerant are relative terms. For the heat exchanger, when it is used as an evaporator, the refrigerant in the heat exchanger and the refrigerant distribution device is a low-temperature refrigerant, and when it is used as a condenser, the refrigerant in the heat exchanger and the refrigerant distribution device is a high-temperature refrigerant. Generally speaking, when the heat exchanger is used as a condenser, the temperature of the high-temperature refrigerant is between 50°C and 100°C, and when it is used as an evaporator, the temperature is between 0°C and 10°C. The second memory alloy spring 131 restores the high-temperature phase shape when heated and the low-temperature phase shape when cooled, and provides greater driving force through the change in length during the transition between the high-temperature phase and the low-temperature box. A two-way memory alloy spring is used to drive the movable component 120 to slide. Firstly, the driving component 130 is located inside the tube body 110 and does not need to be connected to an electronic control circuit, which is beneficial to the refrigerant distribution device maintaining good sealing and reducing the processing cost of the refrigerant distribution device; secondly, The different temperatures of the refrigerant are used to drive the movable component 120 to slide in the tube body 110. The movable component 120 of the refrigerant distribution device can slide automatically without the need for information collection components or additional driving components 130. It has a simple structure, is easy to use, and has high reliability. . Compared with the form of providing electric driving components, the structure of the refrigerant distribution device is greatly simplified, the control logic of the refrigerant circulation system is simplified, the production cost of the refrigerant distribution device is reduced, and the working reliability of the refrigerant distribution device is improved.

Optionally, the second memory alloy spring 131 is in an extended state in the first state and in a contracted state in the second state.

When the heat exchanger serves as an evaporator, the plurality of heat exchange branches 230 are connected in series, and the movable component 120 is in the first position. When the heat exchanger serves as a condenser, the plurality of heat exchange branches 230 are connected in parallel, and the movable component 120 is in the second position. When the heat exchanger switches from the evaporator to the condenser, the temperature of the second memory alloy spring 131 decreases and changes from the contraction state to the expansion state. In this process, the movable component 120 is driven to move from the second position to the first position, so that The plurality of heat exchange branches 230 are switched from a parallel connection state to a series connection state. When the heat exchanger switches from the condenser to the evaporator, the temperature of the second memory alloy increases and changes from the extended state to the contracted state. In this process, the movable component 120 is driven to move from the second position to the first position, so that the multi-layer memory alloy 120 moves from the second position to the first position. Each heat exchange branch 230 is switched from a series connection state to a parallel connection state.

Optionally, the extension temperature of the second memory alloy spring 131 is between 50°C and 120°C, and the shrinkage temperature is between -10°C and 15°C.

In this way, the temperature of the two-way memory alloy spring in the low-temperature phase state and the high-temperature phase state matches the temperature of the heat exchanger when it is used as an evaporator and when it is used as an evaporator. The second memory alloy spring 131 can better drive the movable component 120 to move. .

As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 , optionally, the driving component 130 includes a telescopic spring 132 with a first end fixed on the inner wall of the tube body 110 and a second end connected to the movable component 120 . The telescopic spring 132 is in a contracted state when energized. , the movable component 120 is in the second position; the telescopic spring is in an extended state when the power is turned off, and the movable component 120 is in the first position. The movable component 120 is driven to slide in the refrigerant distribution space 112 by energizing and de-energizing the telescopic spring 132 .

When the telescopic spring 132 is energized, the annular currents in the spring have the same direction, and an attractive force is generated between the coils to drive them closer to each other. When the telescopic spring 132 is powered on, the length of the spring decreases; when the telescopic spring 132 is powered off, the spring returns to its original length. During the change of the spring length, a driving force is generated to drive the movable component 120 to slide. With this arrangement, the spring only needs to be connected to the power supply line, the overall structure of the driving component 130 is simple, and the driving form is reliable.

Optionally, the movable component 120 further includes a partition, which is disposed on the movable component 120 and close to the second end of the tube body 110. The outer ring of the partition is linearly connected to the inner wall of the tube body 110 to separate the refrigerant distribution space 112 into refrigerant. flow space 126 and drive space 127.

The partition divides the refrigerant driving space 127 into a refrigerant flow space 126 and a driving space 127 . When the movable component 120 slides in the refrigerant distribution space 112, the spacer also slides with the movable component 120. Therefore, the size of the refrigerant flow space 126 and the size of the driving space 127 have a trade-off relationship. With the partition provided, the refrigerant flow space 126 and the driving space 127 are isolated, that is, the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow space 126 cannot enter the driving space 127 . In this way, the driving component 130 is disposed in the driving space 127, which can prevent the driving component 130 from being wetted or corroded by the refrigerant, and can avoid the adverse effects of the refrigerant on the driving component 130. For example, when the driving component 130 includes a telescopic spring 132, the telescopic spring 132 is located in the driving space 127 and drives the movable component 120 to slide through the partition 125. The telescopic spring 132 is not in contact with the refrigerant, which can prevent the refrigerant from corroding the telescopic spring 132 or the connecting circuit of the telescopic spring 132 .

As shown in Figures 17 and 18, optionally, the refrigerant inlet and outlet 111 is opened at the first end of the tube body 110, and the second end of the tube body 110 is closed, so that the driving space 127 becomes an independent and sealed space; the driving component also It includes a driving pipe 133, the first end of which is connected to the driving space 127. The pressure of the driving space 127 is changed through the driving pipe 133, so that a pressure difference is formed between the refrigerant flow space 126 and the driving space 127, thereby driving the movable component 120 to slide.

With the drive pipe 133 provided, the pressure of the drive space 127 can be changed, thereby changing the pressure difference between the drive space 127 and the refrigerant distribution space 112 . The diaphragm moves under the action of the pressure difference between the two ends, thereby driving the movable component 120 to slide between the first position and the second position. Pressure transmission working fluid such as pressurized gas or hydraulic oil is driven into the driving pipe 133 to change the pressure of the refrigerant driving space 127, thereby driving the movable component 120 to slide.

Optionally, the refrigerant distribution device further includes a reversing valve, which is provided at the second end of the drive pipe 133 and has a first conduction state for providing low-pressure refrigerant to the drive space and a second conduction state for providing high-pressure refrigerant to the drive space.

When the heat exchanger is used as an evaporator, the pressure inside the heat exchange branch 230 and the refrigerant distribution device is about 0.8MPa; when the heat exchanger is used as a condenser, the pressure inside the heat exchange branch 230 and the refrigerant distribution device is Between 2MPa-2.4MPa. There is a high and low pressure difference between the two ends of the compressor 310 of the refrigerant circulation system. A reversing valve is provided, which can switch and utilize the different pressure properties of the heat exchanger in cooling and heating modes to drive the movable component 120 to slide. In the refrigerant circulation system, according to the direction of refrigerant flow, the refrigerant between the exhaust of the compressor 310 and the throttling device 330 is high-pressure refrigerant, and the refrigerant between the throttling device 330 and the suction of the compressor 310 is low-pressure refrigerant. The reversing valve connects the drive pipe 133 to the refrigerant pipeline between the throttling device 330 and the suction end of the compressor 310 in the first conductive state, and connects the drive pipe 133 to the discharge end of the compressor 310 in the second conductive state. The refrigerant pipe between the air and the throttling device 330.

When the heat exchanger is used as a condenser, the refrigerant flow space 126 is filled with high-pressure refrigerant, and the driving space 127 is filled with low-pressure refrigerant. The separator slides toward the driving space 127 under the action of the pressure difference, thereby driving the movable component 120 from the second position. Move to the first position to further connect the plurality of heat exchange branches 230 in series; when the heat exchanger is used as an evaporator, the refrigerant flow space 126 is low-pressure refrigerant, the driving space 127 is high-pressure refrigerant, and the spacer is in Under the action of the pressure difference, the refrigerant flow space 126 slides, thereby driving the movable component 120 to move from the first position to the second position, further causing the plurality of heat exchange branches 230 to be connected in parallel.

The drive pipe 133 and the reversing valve are provided, and the high and low pressure differences of the refrigerant circulation system itself can be used to drive the movable component 120 to slide, and the driving force is relatively large. In this form, actuation of the movable part 120 is simplified.

Optionally, the driving pipe 133 is connected to the B port 352 or the D port 354 of the four-way valve 350 .

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the four-way valve 350 has an A port 351, a B port 352, a C port 353 and a D port 354. The A port 351 is connected to the exhaust port of the compressor 310, and the C353 port is connected to the suction port of the compressor 310. The air port, B port 352 is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 320, and D port 354 is connected to the indoor heat exchanger 340. In the first state, the four-way valve 350 connects port A 351 and port D 354, and connects port B 352 and port C 353; in the second state, the four-way valve 350 connects port A 351 and port B 352, Connect C port 353 and D port 354. When the four-way valve 350 is in the first state, the B port 352 is the low-pressure refrigerant and the D port 354 is the high-pressure refrigerant; when the four-way valve 350 is in the second state, the B port 352 is the high-pressure refrigerant and the D port 354 is the low-pressure refrigerant.

The description will be given as an example in which the four-way valve 350 is in the first state and the air conditioner operates in the cooling mode. When the heat exchanger is used as a condenser (outdoor heat exchanger 320), the refrigerant flow space 126 is high-pressure refrigerant, and the drive pipe 133 of the refrigerant distribution device is connected to port B, so that the drive space 127 is filled with low-pressure refrigerant. The partition plate 125 of the movable component 120 slides toward the driving space 127 under the action of the high and low pressure difference of the refrigerant, thereby moving the movable component 120 to the first position or maintaining it in the first position. When the heat exchanger is used as an evaporator (indoor heat exchanger 340), the refrigerant flow space 126 is low-pressure refrigerant, and the drive pipe 133 of the refrigerant distribution device is connected to the D port, so that the drive space 127 is filled with high-pressure refrigerant. The partition plate 125 of the movable component 120 slides toward the refrigerant flow space 126 under the action of the high and low pressure difference of the refrigerant, thereby moving the movable component 120 to the second position or maintaining it in the second position.

The four-way valve 350 is switched to the second state, and the air conditioner operates in the heating mode. The heat exchanger serves as an evaporator (outdoor heat exchanger 320), the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant becomes low-pressure refrigerant, and the refrigerant at port B becomes high-pressure refrigerant. The partition plate 125 of the refrigerant distribution device drives the movable component 120 to move from the first position to the second position under the action of the pressure difference, thereby connecting multiple heat exchange branches 230 in parallel. Similarly, the heat exchanger serves as a condenser (indoor heat exchanger 340), the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow space 126 becomes high-pressure refrigerant, and the refrigerant in port D becomes low-pressure refrigerant. The partition 125 of the movable part 120 is affected by the high and low pressure difference of the refrigerant. Sliding toward the driving space 127 causes the movable component 120 to move from the second position to the first position, thereby connecting the plurality of heat exchange branches 230 in series.

With this arrangement, there is no need for additional driving components 130 and sensors. While the four-way valve 350 is reversing, the high and low pressure differences of the refrigerant are used to drive the movable component 120, so that the multiple heat exchange branches of the heat exchanger can be driven. The series-parallel relationship of road 230 matches its division of labor, which simplifies the control logic of the air conditioner, simplifies the structure of the refrigerant distribution device, and improves the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger.

It should be noted that the refrigerant distribution device may be provided with two or all of the second memory alloy spring 131 , the telescopic spring 132 and the drive tube 133 at the same time. The telescopic spring can be disposed in the driving space, and the second memory alloy spring 131 can be disposed in the refrigerant distribution space. Specifically, referring to the up and down direction in Figures 1-18, it is disposed above the movable component 120, with the bottom end connected to the movable component and the top end Connected to the side wall or top of the tube body 110. With two or three driving forms, each movable component can share the force required to drive the movable component 120, thereby better driving the movable component 120 to slide within the tube body 110.

As shown in FIGS. 1-18 , embodiments of the present disclosure provide a heat exchanger that includes two of the above-mentioned refrigerant distribution devices and a heat exchange branch 230 . The two refrigerant distribution devices are a first refrigerant distribution device 210 and a second refrigerant distribution device. The refrigerant distribution device 220 has a plurality of heat exchange branches, and the first ends of the plurality of heat exchange branches are respectively connected to the 1st to 2n+1th branch pipe openings of the first refrigerant distribution device. Correspondingly, The second ends are respectively connected to the 2n+1th to the 1st branch pipe openings of the second refrigerant distribution device. That is, the first end of the heat exchange branch 230 is connected to the a-th branch pipe opening of the first refrigerant distribution device 210, and the second end is connected to the (2n+2-a)-th branch of the second refrigerant distribution device 220. where the number of heat exchange branches 230 is multiple, and the multiple heat exchange branches 230 are connected with the multiple branch pipe openings of the first refrigerant distribution device 210 and the multiple branches of the second refrigerant distribution device 220 The nozzles correspond one to one.

Taking n as 2, the refrigerant distribution device to be installed vertically, and the two refrigerant distribution devices to cooperate to realize series-parallel switching of multiple heat exchange branches 230 will be introduced as an example. n is 2, and the pipe body 110 is provided with 5 branch pipe openings. The first refrigerant distribution device 210 is the first branch pipe opening to the fifth branch pipe opening in sequence from top to bottom. The sliding parts of the first refrigerant distribution device 210 are the first U-shaped pipe and the second U-shaped pipe in sequence from top to bottom. shaped tube. The second refrigerant distribution device 220 is vertically opposite to the second refrigerant distribution device 220. From bottom to top, they are the first branch pipe opening to the fifth branch pipe opening. The movable parts 120 of the second refrigerant distribution device 220 are, from bottom to top, First U-shaped tube and second U-shaped tube. The heat exchange branch 230 is a first heat exchange branch to a fifth heat exchange branch from top to bottom, and the first end of the first heat exchange branch is connected to the first branch nozzle of the first refrigerant distribution device 210 , the second end is connected to the fifth branch pipe opening of the second refrigerant distribution device 220; the first end of the second heat exchange branch is connected to the second branch pipe opening of the first refrigerant distribution device 210, and the second end is connected to At the fourth branch pipe port of the second refrigerant distribution device 220..., the first end of the fifth heat exchange branch is connected to the fifth branch pipe port of the first refrigerant distribution device 210, and the second end is connected to the second The first branch pipe opening of the refrigerant distribution device 220.

When the heat exchanger is used as an evaporator, multiple heat exchange branches 230 need to be connected in series. The movable component 120 of the first refrigerant distribution device 210 is located in the first position, the first U-shaped pipe communicates with the second branch pipe opening and the third branch pipe, and the second U-shaped pipe communicates with the fourth branch pipe opening and the fifth branch pipe. Road pipe mouth. The movable component 120 of the second refrigerant distribution device 220 is located in the first position. The first U-shaped pipe communicates with the second branch pipe opening and the third branch pipe opening of the second refrigerant distribution device 220. The third branch pipe opening of the second refrigerant distribution device 220 The two U-shaped pipes communicate with the fourth branch pipe opening and the fifth branch pipe opening of the second refrigerant distribution device 220 . The gaseous refrigerant enters the refrigerant distribution space 112 of the first refrigerant distribution device 210 through the refrigerant inlet and outlet 111 of the first refrigerant distribution device 210, and then enters the first heat exchange branch from the first branch pipe opening of the first refrigerant distribution device 210. In the middle, it enters the second heat exchange branch through the second U-shaped tube of the second refrigerant distribution device 220, enters the third heat exchange branch through the first U-shaped tube of the first refrigerant distribution device 210, and then enters the third heat exchange branch through the second refrigerant distribution device. The second U-shaped pipe of 220 enters the fourth heat exchange branch, passes through the second U-shaped pipe of the first refrigerant distribution device 210, enters the fifth heat exchange branch, and passes through the first branch pipe of the second refrigerant distribution device 220. It enters the refrigerant distribution space 112 of the second refrigerant distribution device 220 , leaves the second refrigerant distribution device 220 through the refrigerant inlet and outlet 111 of the second refrigerant distribution device 220 , and flows through a plurality of heat exchange branches 230 in sequence.

Using the refrigerant distribution device provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, through the sliding of the movable component 120, the series-parallel connection relationship of the branch pipe openings can be changed, thereby changing the series-parallel connection relationship of the heat exchange branches 230 connected to the branch pipe openings. , so that when the heat exchanger serves as an evaporator, multiple heat exchange branches 230 are connected in parallel, and when used as a condenser, multiple heat exchange branches 230 are connected in series, thereby improving the cooling and heating capacity of the air conditioner. The movable component 120 is provided with There are multiple U-shaped tubes, and multiple branch pipe openings are provided on the side wall of the tube body 110. The number of heat exchange branches 230 that can be connected to the refrigerant distribution device is not limited, so that the heat exchanger can be used as an evaporator or a condensator. Both can obtain high heat exchange capacity; the moving distance of the movable component 120 in the refrigerant distribution device is small, which can be as small as the diameter of a U-shaped tube, and is easy to drive.

As shown in FIGS. 1-18 , embodiments of the present disclosure provide an air conditioner, including the above-mentioned heat exchanger.

Using the air conditioner provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, the series-parallel connection relationship of the multiple heat exchange branches 230 of the heat exchanger can be switched under cooling and heating conditions, so that the heat exchanger has multiple branches when functioning as an evaporator, as The condenser has fewer branches, which improves the cooling and heating efficiency of the air conditioner.

Optionally, the air conditioner also includes a refrigerant circulation loop and a four-way valve 350. The refrigerant circulation loop is formed by sequentially connecting the compressor 310, the outdoor heat exchanger 320, the throttling device 330 and the indoor heat exchanger 340 through the refrigerant pipeline; four The through valve 350 has ports A, B, C and D. Port A is connected to the exhaust port of the compressor 310, port C is connected to the suction port of the compressor 310, port B is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 320, and port D is connected to the exhaust port of the compressor 310. Indoor heat exchanger 340. In the first state, the four-way valve 350 connects ports A and D, and connects ports B and C; in the second state, the four-way valve 350 connects ports A and B, and connects ports C and D. Port; wherein, when the refrigerant distribution device of the heat exchanger includes the drive tube 133, the drive tube 133 is connected to the B port or the D port of the four-way valve 350.

When the heat exchanger is used as an evaporator, the pressure inside the heat exchange branch 230 and the refrigerant distribution device is about 0.8MPa; when the heat exchanger is used as a condenser, the pressure inside the heat exchange branch 230 and the refrigerant distribution device is Between 2MPa-2.4MPa. There is a high and low pressure difference between the two ends of the compressor 310 of the refrigerant circulation system. This property can be utilized to change the series-parallel connection relationship between the multiple heat exchange branches 230 of the heat exchanger of the air conditioner.

Optionally, when the driving component of the first refrigerant distribution device 210 of the outdoor heat exchanger 320 includes the driving pipe 133, and the second end of the driving pipe 133 is provided with a reversing valve, the reversing valve communicates with the joint in the first state. The reversing valve connects the high-pressure pipeline between the compressor 310 and the throttling device 330 in the second state.

A reversing valve is provided, which can switch and utilize the different pressure properties of the heat exchanger in cooling and heating modes to drive the movable component 120 to slide. In the refrigerant circulation system, according to the direction of refrigerant flow, the refrigerant between the exhaust of the compressor 310 and the throttling device 330 is high-pressure refrigerant, and the refrigerant between the throttling device 330 and the suction of the compressor 310 is low-pressure refrigerant. In the first state, the reversing valve connects the drive pipe 133 to the refrigerant pipeline between the throttling device 330 and the suction end of the compressor 310, and in the second state, the drive pipe 133 connects the exhaust gas of the compressor 310 to the throttle. Refrigerant pipes between devices 330.

The foregoing description and drawings illustrate embodiments of the disclosure sufficiently to enable those skilled in the art to practice them. Other embodiments may include structural and other changes. The examples represent only possible variations. Unless explicitly required, individual components and features are optional and the order of operations may vary. Portions and features of some embodiments may be included in or substituted for those of other embodiments. The embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the structures that have been described above and shown in the drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

A refrigerant distribution device, characterized by including:

The pipe body is provided with a refrigerant inlet and outlet, and the interior is a refrigerant distribution space. The side wall is provided with 2n+1 branch pipe openings along the length of the pipe body, and the branch pipe openings are used to connect the heat exchange branches; where, n is a natural number greater than or equal to 1;

The movable part is slidably arranged in the refrigerant distribution space. The movable part includes n U-shaped tubes. When the movable part is in the first position, the two nozzles of the n-th U-shaped tube are connected to the tubes. The 2nth and 2n+1 branch nozzles of the body; when the movable part is in the second position, the nozzle of the U-shaped pipe avoids the branch nozzle, so that the 2n+1 branch nozzles It is a parallel connection state;

A driving component is provided in the tube body and is used to drive the movable component to slide between the first position and the second position.
The refrigerant distribution device according to claim 1, characterized in that:

The first side wall of the pipe body is a plane, the 2n+1 branch pipe openings are opened on the first side wall, and the pipe openings of the n U-shaped pipes face the first side wall.
The refrigerant distribution device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the movable component further includes:

A slider is fixed to the outer wall of the U-shaped tube, and its shape corresponds to the cross-section of the tube body;

Wherein, the slide block has a hollow, so that the refrigerant flows through the slide block in the refrigerant distribution space.
The refrigerant distribution device according to claim 3, further comprising:

A first memory alloy spring is disposed between the slider and the U-shaped tube, and the first memory alloy spring stretches at high temperature.
The refrigerant distribution device according to claim 3, characterized in that:

The number of the slide blocks is multiple, and the plurality of slide blocks are arranged at intervals.
The refrigerant distribution device according to claim 3, wherein the movable component further includes:

A connecting piece is used to connect the n U-shaped tubes so that the n U-shaped tubes slide synchronously.
The refrigerant distribution device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the driving component includes:

The second memory alloy spring has a first end fixed to the inner wall of the tube body and a second end connected to the movable component. The second memory alloy spring is a two-way memory alloy spring. The refrigerant in the refrigerant distribution is When the refrigerant is high temperature, the two-way memory alloy spring is in the first state. When the refrigerant in the refrigerant distribution device is low-temperature refrigerant, the two-way memory alloy is in the second state. The two-way memory alloy spring is in the first state. Changes in the state and the second state drive the movable component to slide within the refrigerant distribution space.
The refrigerant distribution device according to claim 7, characterized in that:

The two-way memory alloy spring is in an extended state in the first state and in a contracted state in the second state.
The refrigerant distribution device according to claim 8, characterized in that:

The expansion temperature of the two-way memory alloy spring is between 50-100°C, and the shrinkage temperature is between 0-10°C.
The refrigerant distribution device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the driving component includes:

The first end of the telescopic spring is fixed to the inner wall of the tube body, and the second end is connected to the movable component. The telescopic spring is in a contracted state when the power is turned on, and is in an extended state when the power is turned off. By tightening the telescopic spring Powering on and off drives the movable component to slide within the refrigerant distribution space.
The refrigerant distribution device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the movable component further includes:

A spacer is provided on the movable component and close to the second end of the tube body. The outer ring of the spacer is linearly connected to the inner wall of the tube body to separate the refrigerant distribution space into a refrigerant flow space and a refrigerant flow space. Driving space, the refrigerant inlet and outlet are opened at the first end of the tube body, and the second end of the tube body is closed, so that the driving space becomes an independent and sealed space;

The driving components include:

The first end of the driving tube is connected to the driving space, and the pressure of the driving space is changed through the driving tube to form a pressure difference between the refrigerant flow space and the driving space, thereby driving the movable component to slide.
The refrigerant distribution device according to claim 11, wherein the driving component further includes:

A reversing valve is provided at the second end of the drive pipe and has a first conduction state for supplying low-pressure refrigerant to the drive space and a second conduction state for supplying high-pressure refrigerant to the drive space.
A heat exchanger, characterized by including:

Two refrigerant distribution devices according to any one of claims 1 to 12, the two refrigerant distribution devices being a first refrigerant distribution device and a second refrigerant distribution device respectively, and,

A plurality of heat exchange branches, the first ends of the plurality of heat exchange branches are respectively connected to the 1st to 2n+1th branch pipe openings of the first refrigerant distribution device, correspondingly, the second The ends are respectively connected to the 2n+1th to the 1st branch pipe openings of the second refrigerant distribution device.
An air conditioner, characterized by including:

The refrigerant circulation loop is formed by the compressor, outdoor heat exchanger, throttling device and indoor heat exchanger connected in sequence through the refrigerant pipeline;

Wherein, the outdoor heat exchanger and/or the indoor heat exchanger is the heat exchanger as claimed in claim 13.
The air conditioner according to claim 14, further comprising:

A four-way valve has ports A, B, C and D. Port A is connected to the exhaust port of the compressor, port C is connected to the suction port of the compressor, port B is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger, and port D is connected to the exhaust port of the compressor. Indoor heat exchanger, in the first state, the four-way valve connects ports A and D, and connects ports B and C; in the second state, the four-way valve connects ports A and B, and connects port C. Mouth and D mouth;

Wherein, when the refrigerant distribution device of the heat exchanger includes a driving pipe, the driving pipe is connected to the B port or the D port of the four-way valve.
The air conditioner according to claim 14, characterized in that:

The outdoor heat exchanger is the heat exchanger according to claim 13, when the driving component of the first refrigerant distribution device of the outdoor heat exchanger includes a driving tube, and the second end of the driving tube is provided with a reversing valve, the reversing valve connects the low-pressure pipeline between the throttling device and the compressor in the first conduction state, and the reversing valve communicates with the compressor in the second conduction state. to the high-pressure pipeline between the throttling device.