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  Oil separator for air conditionerUSPTO Application #: 20060280622Title: Oil separator for air conditioner Abstract: An oil separator for an air conditioner includes a cylindrical housing; a refrigerant discharge pipe communicating with the housing for discharging refrigerant gas; an oil discharge pipe for circulating oil collected in the lower portion of the housing; and a refrigerant inflow pipe having one end facing the inner surface of a side wall of the housing in the tangential direction for supplying a refrigerant-oil mixture to the inside of the housing. An insertion hole, into which the refrigerant inflow pipe is inserted, is easily formed, the efficiency of the oil separator is increased, and noise and vibration generated from the oil separator is reduced. (end of abstract)
Agent: Staas & Halsey LLP - Washington, DC, US Inventors: Byoung ln Lee, Seon Uk Na, Dong Won Kim, Jae Man Joo, Jeong Hoon Kang, Valeri Lenchine USPTO Applicaton #: 20060280622 - Class: 417313000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Pumps, Combined The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060280622. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application Nos. 2005-0049883 and 2005-0052418, respectively filed Jun. 10, 2005 and Jun. 17, 2005, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly, to an oil separator for an air conditioner, in which the shape of a housing, the structure of a refrigerant inflow pipe, and the structure of a gas discharge pipe are improved, thereby increasing an oil separating efficiency and reducing the generation of noise and vibration. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] Generally, air conditioners are divided into integration type air conditioners in which indoor and outdoor units are integrally formed and split type air conditioners in which indoor and outdoor units are separated from each other. A split type air conditioner includes an outdoor unit and an indoor unit. The outdoor unit has a compressor for compressing a refrigerant into a high-temperature and high-pressure state, an oil separator for separating oil from the compressed refrigerant discharged from the compressor, a condenser for condensing the compressed refrigerant by exchanging heat with outdoor air, and an expansion device for adiabatically expanding the refrigerant condensed by the condenser. The indoor unit has an evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant, having passed through the expansion device, by exchanging heat with indoor air. [0006] The oil separator is an apparatus which allows oil from a refrigerant-oil mixture to flow along the inner wall of a cylinder and to be collected in a lower portion of the cylinder, and allows gas from the mixture to be discharged to the outside through a refrigerant discharge pipe formed through an upper portion of the cylinder, thereby separating the oil and the gas from each other. That is, the oil separator allows the mixture to rotate and flow down along the inner wall of the cylinder by centrifugal force so that the oil is collected in the lower portion of the cylinder and the gas is discharged to the outside through the refrigerant discharge pipe formed through the upper end of the cylinder by the rotating air current. The oil separator employs the principle of a cyclone. In order to separate the oil and the gas from each other using the above principle, the mixture must be initially supplied to the inner wall of the cylinder in the tangential direction. [0007] For this reason, the conventional oil separator has a structure in which a hole for supplying the mixture in the tangential direction is formed through the side wall of the cylinder and a refrigerant inflow pipe for supplying the mixture into the cylinder therethrough is inserted into the hole formed through the side wall at a designated angle. In the above structure, since the hole is not formed perpendicularly through the side wall of the cylinder but is formed through the side wall of the cylinder at the designated angle, it is difficult to form the hole through the oil separator and costs required to form the hole through the oil separator are high. [0008] Another conventional oil separator having a structure in which a refrigerant inflow pipe for supplying a refrigerant-oil mixture into the oil separator passes through the side wall of a cylinder at a right angle and is inserted towards the central portion of the cylinder such that the end of the refrigerant inflow pipe is bent towards the side wall of the cylinder has been proposed. [0009] Korean Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2004-0105264 discloses the above conventional oil separator. Such a conventional oil separator solves the problems, such as the difficulty in forming a hole through the oil separator and the increase in costs required to form the hole through the oil separator. However, since the mixture does not flow along the inner wall of the cylinder in the tangential direction but hits the inner wall of the cylinder, the above conventional oil separator causes increased noise and vibration. The reason is that a compressor discharges the mixture in a pulse mode. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010] Therefore, one aspect of the invention is to provide an oil separator, in which a refrigerant inflow pipe for supplying a refrigerant-oil mixture into the oil separator is simply installed so that and noise and vibration can be reduced. [0011] In accordance with one aspect, the present invention provides an oil separator for an air conditioner including: a cylindrical housing; a refrigerant inflow pipe for supplying a refrigerant-oil mixture to the inside of the housing; a refrigerant discharge pipe for discharging refrigerant separated from the mixture to the outside of the oil separator; and an oil discharge pipe for returning oil separated from the mixture to a compressor, wherein one end of the refrigerant inflow pipe faces the inner surface of a side wall of the housing in the tangential direction. [0012] The refrigerant inflow pipe may be bent in a gentle curve at a portion thereof which is inserted into the housing. [0013] The refrigerant inflow pipe may be bent again in the reverse direction to the bent portion so that the refrigerant inflow pipe has an approximately "S" shape. [0014] The refrigerant inflow pipe may be inserted into a through hole, formed through the side wall of the housing, at a designated angle. [0015] The refrigerant inflow pipe may be inserted perpendicularly into a through hole formed through the side wall of the housing. [0016] The refrigerant inflow pipe may pass through the side wall of the housing and be divided into a plurality of branched pipes, and ends of the branched pipes may be bent in the tangential direction towards the side wall. [0017] The refrigerant inflow pipe may be located at a position having a height corresponding to 70.about.85% of the height of the housing. [0018] The end of the refrigerant inflow pipe facing the inner surface of the side wall of the housing in the tangential direction may be cut at a designated angle. [0019] A long side of the cut section of the end of the refrigerant inflow pipe may contact the inner surface of the side wall of the housing, and be fixed to the side wall. [0020] In accordance with another aspect, the present invention provides an oil separator for an air conditioner including: a cylindrical housing; a refrigerant inflow pipe for supplying a refrigerant-oil mixture to the inside of the housing; a refrigerant discharge pipe for discharging refrigerant separated from the mixture to the outside of the oil separator; and an oil discharge pipe for returning oil separated from the mixture to a compressor, wherein the housing has a conical shape so that the housing is broadened from the upper portion thereof to the lower portion thereof. [0021] The side wall of the housing may meet the vertical line at an angle of 30.degree. or less, and the refrigerant inflow pipe may be located at a position having a height corresponding to 70.about.85% of the height of the housing. Continue reading... Full patent description for Oil separator for air conditioner Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Oil separator for air conditioner patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Oil separator for air conditioner or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Reciprocating pump and check valve Next Patent Application: Fan and rotor thereof Industry Class: Pumps ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Oil separator for air conditioner patent info. 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