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Samsung patents air conditioner design for even refrigerant flow

Samsung describes an air conditioner design that splits the refrigerant flow into two separate paths before it enters the cooling tubes. This setup ensures the refrigerant is distributed evenly across different sections of the heat exchanger rather than flowing through a single channel.

Why it mattersThis is a routine engineering improvement aimed at making the internal distribution of coolant more efficient in standard air conditioning units.

In the filing’s own words

An air conditioner including an outdoor air heat exchanger and an indoor air heat exchanger is provided. At least one of the outdoor air heat exchanger and the indoor air heat exchanger includes a main tube, at least two distribution flow paths that are independent of each other, to which a plurality of branch tubes branched from the main tube are connected, a header cover divided into a plurality of partition spaces receiving the refrigerant from the at least two distribution flow paths, and a plurality of heat exchange tubes connected to the plurality of partition spaces. A distribution flow path among the at least two distribution flow paths is configured to supply the refrigerant to a predetermined number of partition spaces, and another distribution flow path among the at least two distribution flow paths is configured to supply the refrigerant to other partition spaces.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. An air conditioner comprising: an outdoor air heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange between outside air and a refrigerant; and an indoor air heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange between inside air and the refrigerant, wherein at least one of the outdoor air heat exchanger and the indoor air heat exchanger comprises: a main tube; at least two distribution flow paths that are independent of each other, to which a plurality of branch tubes branched from the main tube are connected; a header cover divided into a plurality of partition spaces receiving the refrigerant from the at least two distribution flow paths; a plurality of heat exchange tubes connected to the plurality of partition spaces; and an opening forming member formed to include: a hole region in which a plurality of openings that allow each of the at least two distribution flow paths to communicate with the partition spaces are formed, wherein the plurality of openings are arranged along a longitudinal direction of the opening forming member; and a development region located upstream of the hole region along the longitudinal direction of the opening forming member and in which the openings are not formed, wherein: a distribution flow path among the at least two distribution flow paths is configured to supply the refrigerant to a predetermined number of partition spaces among the plurality of partition spaces, and another distribution flow path among the at least two distribution flow paths is configured to supply the refrigerant to partition spaces at positions different from positions of the predetermined number of partition spaces among the plurality of partition spaces without supplying the refrigerant to the predetermined number of partition spaces.

Facts

Company
Samsung (SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.)
Official title
Air conditioner having refrigerant distributor
Patent number
US12747918B2
Application number
18666733
Filed
May 16, 2024
Granted
Sep 29, 2026
Inventors
7
Claims
20

Classified under

F28F 9/0275 Mechanical engineeringF28F 9/0202 Mechanical engineering
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.