Patent Application
20250224164
The present disclosure relates to a refrigerant flow path module, a refrigeration cycle apparatus, and a method of manufacturing the refrigeration cycle apparatus.
As disclosed in Patent Literature 1, for example, in a known refrigeration cycle apparatus including a refrigerant circuit that performs a vapor compression refrigeration cycle operation, a plurality of refrigerant pipes through which a refrigerant flows has been integrated into one module (refrigerant flow path module) in order to downsize the refrigerant circuit. This module includes a module body having a plurality of stacked stainless steel plates and having a refrigerant flow path inside the module body and includes a copper connecting pipe connected to an end surface of a pipe body in a stacking direction of the plurality of plates.
For example, as illustrated in
PATENT LITERATURE 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2022-116694
(1) A refrigerant flow path module of the present disclosure includes
(2) A refrigeration cycle apparatus of the present disclosure includes the refrigerant flow path module according to (1), and
(3) A method of the present disclosure is a method of manufacturing the refrigeration cycle apparatus according to (2), the method including
Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.
A refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 includes a refrigerant circuit that performs a vapor compression refrigeration cycle operation. The refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 according to one or more embodiments is an air conditioner. As illustrated in
The outdoor unit 31 includes a refrigerant circuit 30. The refrigerant circuit 30 is connected to a refrigerant circuit in the flow path switching device 33 via a liquid connection pipe 34, a sucked gas connection pipe 35, and a high and low-pressure gas connection pipe 36. The refrigerant circuit in the flow path switching device 33 is connected to a refrigerant circuit in each of the indoor units 32 via the connection pipes 37 and 38.
The refrigerant circuit 30 includes a first shutoff valve 39a, a second shutoff valve 39b, a third shutoff valve 39c, a compressor 40, an accumulator 41, a plurality of flow path switching valves (switching mechanisms) 42 (42a, 42b, and 42c), an outdoor heat exchanger 43, a plurality of expansion valves 44 (44a, 44b, 44c, and 44d), a subcooler 45, an oil separator 46, and the like. These components are connected via refrigerant pipes to constitute the refrigerant circuit 30. The outdoor unit 31 is provided therein with a fan 62 (see
The first shutoff valve 39a has one end connected to the sucked gas connection pipe 35. The first shutoff valve 39a has another end connected to a refrigerant pipe extending to the accumulator 41.
The second shutoff valve 39b has one end connected to the high and low-pressure gas connection pipe 36. The second shutoff valve 39b has another end connected to a refrigerant pipe extending to the flow path switching valve 42b.
The third shutoff valve 39c has one end connected to the liquid connection pipe 34. The third shutoff valve 39c has another end connected to a refrigerant pipe extending to the subcooler 45.
The compressor 40 has a hermetic structure incorporating a compressor motor, and is of a positive-displacement type such as a scroll type or a rotary type. The compressor 40 compresses a low-pressure refrigerant sucked from a suction pipe 47 and then discharges the compressed refrigerant from a discharge pipe 48. The compressor 40 accommodates refrigerating machine oil inside. This refrigerating machine oil occasionally circulates in the refrigerant circuit 30 along with a refrigerant. The compressor 40 is a kind of container.
The oil separator 46 is a container used to separate the refrigerating machine oil from the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 40. The separated refrigerating machine oil is returned to the compressor 40 via an oil return tube 46a.
The accumulator 41 is a container for temporarily storing the low-pressure refrigerant to be sucked into the compressor 40 and separating a gas refrigerant and a liquid refrigerant. The accumulator 41 has an inflow port 41b connected to a refrigerant pipe extending from the first shutoff valve 39a. The accumulator 41 has an outflow port 41a connected to the suction pipe 47. One end of an oil return tube 50 is connected to the accumulator 41. The oil return tube 50 has another end connected to the suction pipe 47. The oil return tube 50 is a tube for returning the refrigerating machine oil from the accumulator 41 to the compressor 40. The oil return tube 50 is provided with a first on-off valve 51. The first on-off valve 51 includes an electromagnetic valve. When the first on-off valve 51 is opened, the refrigerating machine oil in the accumulator 41 passes through the oil return tube 50 and is sucked into the compressor 40 along with the refrigerant flowing in the suction pipe 47.
The flow path switching valves 42 are four-way switching valves. Each of the flow path switching valves 42 switches a refrigerant flow in accordance with an operation condition of the air conditioner 1. Each of the flow path switching valves 42 has a refrigerant inflow port to which a refrigerant pipe extending from the oil separator 46 is connected.
Each of the flow path switching valves 42 is configured to shut off a refrigerant flow in a refrigerant flow path during operation, and actually functions as a three-way valve. The plurality of flow path switching valves 42 will hereinafter also be referred to as a first flow path switching valve 42a, a second flow path switching valve 42b, and a third flow path switching valve 42c.
Examples of the expansion valves 44 include a motor valve having an adjustable opening degree. Each of the expansion valves 44 has the opening degree adjusted in accordance with the operation condition, and decompresses the refrigerant passing therethrough in accordance with the opening degree. The plurality of expansion valves 44 will hereinafter also be referred to as a first expansion valve 44a, a second expansion valve 44b, a third expansion valve 44c, and a fourth expansion valve 44d.
The outdoor heat exchanger 43 is of a cross-fin type or a microchannel type. The outdoor heat exchanger 43 includes a first heat exchange unit 43a, a second heat exchange unit 43b, a third heat exchange unit 43c, and a fourth heat exchange unit 43d. The first heat exchange unit 43a has a gas side end connected to a refrigerant pipe extending to the third flow path switching valve 42c. The first heat exchange unit 43a has a liquid side end connected to a refrigerant pipe extending to the first expansion valve 44a.
The second heat exchange unit 43b has a gas side end connected to a refrigerant pipe extending to the first flow path switching valve 42a. The second heat exchange unit 43b has a liquid side end connected to a refrigerant pipe extending to the second expansion valve 44b.
The third heat exchange unit 43c and the fourth heat exchange unit 43d each have a gas side end connected to a refrigerant pipe extending from the oil separator 46 and branched. The third heat exchange unit 43c and the fourth heat exchange unit 43d each have a liquid side end connected to a refrigerant pipe extending to the third expansion valve 44c.
The subcooler 45 includes a first heat transfer tube 45a and a second heat transfer tube 45b. The first heat transfer tube 45a has one end connected to a refrigerant pipe extending to the first to third expansion valves 44a, 44b, and 44c. The first heat transfer tube 45a has another end connected to a refrigerant pipe extending to the third shutoff valve 39c. The second heat transfer tube 45b has one end connected to a first branching tube 53 branching from a refrigerant pipe provided between the first heat transfer tube 45a and the first to third expansion valves 44a, 44b, and 44c. The first branching tube 53 is provided with the fourth expansion valve 44d. The second heat transfer tube 45b has another end connected to one end of an injection pipe 55. The injection pipe 55 has another end connected to an intermediate port of the compressor 40.
One end of a second branching tube 56 is connected to the injection pipe 55. The second branching tube 56 has another end (outlet end) connected to the suction pipe 47. The second branching tube 56 is provided with a second on-off valve 57 and a check valve 58. The second on-off valve 57 includes an electromagnetic valve.
The subcooler 45 causes heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing from the compressor 40, passing through the outdoor heat exchanger 43 and the expansion valves 44, and flowing in the first heat transfer tube 45a, and the refrigerant decompressed by the expansion valve 44d and flowing in the second heat transfer tube 45b, to subcool the refrigerant flowing in the first heat transfer tube 45a. The refrigerant flowing in the second heat transfer tube 45b passes through the injection pipe 55 and is sucked into the intermediate port of the compressor 40. When the second on-off valve 57 is opened, the refrigerant flowing in the injection pipe 55 branches into the second branching tube 56 to flow therein and passes through the suction pipe 47 to be sucked into the compressor 40.
Description is made below to a specific structure of the outdoor unit (heat source unit) 31.
The following description refers to a left-right direction, a front-rear direction, and an up-down direction according to arrows X, Y, and Z indicated in
As illustrated in
The casing 60 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The casing 60 has a bottom plate 63, a support 64, a top panel 65, a front panel 66, and the like. The bottom plate 63 has a quadrilateral shape in a top view. The support 64 includes a long member having a substantially L sectional shape and elongating in the up-down direction, and is attached to each of four corners of the bottom plate 63.
The top panel 65 has a quadrilateral shape substantially identically to the bottom plate 63, and is disposed above and apart from the bottom plate 63. The top panel 65 has four corners attached to upper ends of the supports 64. The top panel 65 is provided with a vent hole having a substantially quadrilateral shape and provided with a grill 65a for suppressing entry of foreign matters.
As illustrated in
The bottom plate 63 of the casing 60 is provided thereon with components such as the compressor 40, the accumulator 41, the outdoor heat exchanger 43, and the oil separator 46.
The outdoor heat exchanger 43 is disposed to correspond to (face) three side surfaces of the casing 60. Specifically, the outdoor heat exchanger 43 has a U shape in a top view to extend along a left side surface, a right side surface, and a rear side surface of the casing 60. The outdoor heat exchanger 43 has one end provided with a gas header 43e, and another end provided with a liquid header 43f. The left side surface, the right side surface, and the rear side surface of the casing 60 are each provided with an intake port 60b for taking in outdoor air.
The outdoor unit 31 is configured to, when the fan 62 is driven, receive air via the intake port 60b of the casing 60, cause heat exchange between the received air and the outdoor heat exchanger 43, and then send out air upward from the top of the casing 60.
The compressor 40 is disposed at a substantially center in the left-right direction X near the front surface of the casing 60. The electric component unit 61 is disposed near the front surface of the casing 60 and adjacent to the right side of the compressor 40. The accumulator 41 is disposed behind the compressor 40. The oil separator 46 is disposed on the left side of the accumulator 41. The electric component unit 61 includes the controller 61a that controls behavior of the compressor 40, the valves 42 and 44, the fan 62, and the like.
As illustrated in
The refrigerant flow path module 10 according to one or more embodiments includes an upper refrigerant flow path module 10A and a lower refrigerant flow path module 10B. The upper refrigerant flow path module 10A constitutes the refrigerant flow paths in the frames F1 in
The upper refrigerant flow path module 10A and the lower refrigerant flow path module 10B each include a module body 11 having an internal flow path, and a connecting pipe (joint pipe) 12 attached to the module body 11 and communicating with a flow path in the module body 11.
The module body 11 has a plate shape or a block shape. The module body 11 is configured by stacking a plurality of plates 71 and 72. The module body 11 is disposed in a state in which a stacking direction of the plurality of plates 71 and 72 (normal direction of each of the plates 71 and 72) faces in the up-down direction (third direction Z). Therefore, the module body 11 has an upper surface and a lower surface disposed in a horizontal direction. The upper surface and the lower surface of the module body 11 are rectangular. The module body 11 has a thickness (length in the up-down direction) smaller than lengths of long sides and short sides of the upper surface and the lower surface. Therefore, the module body 11 has a flat shape. The module body 11 is not required to be disposed exactly in parallel with the horizontal direction, and may be slanted by at most ±10° from the horizontal direction, for example.
The plurality of plates 71 and 72 includes stainless steel. The plates 71 and 72 according to one or more embodiments includes SUS304L, for example. The plurality of plates 71 and 72 is joined to each other by brazing.
The plurality of plates 71 and 72 includes end plates 71 disposed at both ends in the stacking direction and an intermediate plate 72 disposed between the end plates 71 on both sides. The module body 11 according to one or more embodiments includes three intermediate plates 72. The end plate 71 is provided with an opening 73 for attaching the connecting pipe 12. The opening 73 passes through the end plates 71 in the up-down direction Z. The opening 73 has a circular shape. The intermediate plates 72 are each provided with an opening 74 constituting a flow path 15. The opening 74 passes through the intermediate plates 72 in the up-down direction Z. The opening 74 is longer in the horizontal direction or has a circular shape. The shape of the opening 74 is not limited, and the shape is appropriately set in accordance with a required form of the flow path 15.
The connecting pipe 12 is a cylinder attached to each of the upper surface and the lower surface of the module body 11. The connecting pipe 12 includes a material containing copper as a main component, for example, copper (pure copper) or a copper alloy. The connecting pipe 12 is joined by brazing while being inserted into the opening 73 of the module body 11. A refrigerant pipe constituting a refrigerant circuit is connected to the connecting pipe 12. The plurality of plates 71 and 72 of the module body 11 constituting the refrigerant flow path module 10 and the connecting pipe 12 are joined by in-furnace brazing. In particular, since the plate 71 and the connecting pipe 12 are joined by different materials of stainless steel and copper, in-furnace brazing may be used.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
A refrigerant pipe 23 extending from the first shutoff valve (gas shutoff valve) 39a serving as an inlet for a gas refrigerant from the flow path switching device 33 (see
The upper refrigerant flow path module 10A is supported from below by the refrigerant pipe 21, the refrigerant pipe 22, and the refrigerant pipe 23, and is disposed above and apart from the bottom plate 63 of the casing 60. The refrigerant pipe 21, the refrigerant pipe 22, and the refrigerant pipe 23 are gas pipes through which a gas refrigerant flows. The gas pipes are larger in pipe diameter and higher in strength than a liquid pipe through which a liquid refrigerant flows.
The upper refrigerant flow path module 10A is thus stably supported by these refrigerant pipes 21, 22, and 23. The refrigerant pipe 21 and the refrigerant pipe 22 are connected to the accumulator 41 fixed to the casing 60, whereas the refrigerant pipe 23 is connected to the first shutoff valve 39a fixed to the casing 60. Accordingly, the upper refrigerant flow path module 10A is more stably supported by the refrigerant pipes 21, 22, and 23 via the components 41 and 39a constituting the refrigerant circuit fixed to the casing 60.
As illustrated in
The flow path switching valve 42b is connected to an upper side of the upper refrigerant flow path module 10A. This flow path switching valve 42b includes a housing H incorporating a valve body, and a plurality of ports P each serving as a refrigerant outlet or inlet for the housing H. The port P is a short pipe (refrigerant pipe) protruding upward and downward from the housing H. The port P includes a material containing copper as a main component, for example, copper (pure copper) or a copper alloy. The port P protruding to a lower side of the housing H is connected directly to the connecting pipe 12 provided at an upper part of the upper refrigerant flow path module 10A. The port P protruding to a upper side of the housing His connected to the connecting pipe 12 provided on the upper side of the upper refrigerant flow path module 10A via a refrigerant pipe.
The lower refrigerant flow path module 10B is disposed below and apart from the upper refrigerant flow path module 10A. The lower refrigerant flow path module 10B is disposed above and apart from the bottom plate 63 of the casing 60. The upper refrigerant flow path module 10A and the lower refrigerant flow path module 10B interpose the flow path switching valves 42a and 42c. These flow path switching valves 42a and 42c each include the housing H incorporating the valve body, and the plurality of ports P each serving as a refrigerant outlet or inlet for the housing. The port P is a short pipe (refrigerant pipe) protruding upward and downward from the housing H. The port P includes a material containing copper as a main component, for example, copper (pure copper) or a copper alloy. The port P protruding upward from the housing His connected directly to the connecting pipe 12 provided at a lower part of the upper refrigerant flow path module 10A. The port P protruding downward from the housing H is connected directly to the connecting pipe 12 provided at an upper part of the lower refrigerant flow path module 10B.
The upper refrigerant flow path module 10A and the lower refrigerant flow path module 10B interpose the refrigerant pipe 25. This refrigerant pipe 25 extends straight in the up-down direction, and has an upper end connected to the connecting pipe 12 provided at the lower part of the upper refrigerant flow path module 10A, and a lower end connected to the connecting pipe 12 provided at the upper part of the lower refrigerant flow path module 10B. The refrigerant pipe 25 thus connects the upper refrigerant flow path module 10A and the lower refrigerant flow path module 10B in a shortest distance.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The connecting pipe 12 of the upper refrigerant flow path module 10A and the lower refrigerant flow path module 10B has a cylindrical shape. The connecting pipe 12 has a straight pipe axis. The connecting pipe 12 has a constant outer diameter and inner diameter. The pipe axis of the connecting pipe 12 is disposed in parallel to the up-down direction Z. Therefore, the pipe axis of the connecting pipe 12 is perpendicular to a plate surface of the end plate 71. In one or more embodiments, a length L of the connecting pipe 12 in a pipe axial direction is 25 mm or more and less than 56 mm. A pipe axis of the connecting pipe 12 is not required to be disposed exactly in parallel to the up-down direction Z, and may be slanted by at most ±10° from the up-down direction Z, for example.
One end portion of the connecting pipe 12 in the pipe axial direction is inserted into the opening 73 provided in the end plate 71. An outer peripheral surface of the connecting pipe 12 and an inner peripheral surface of the opening 73 are joined by brazing. The “inner peripheral surface of the opening 73” refers to a surface constituting the opening 73 of the end plate 71.
The port P of each of the flow path switching valves 42a and 42c is connected to another end portion (end portion on the opposite side to the side connected to the end plate 71) of the connecting pipe 12 illustrated in
A lower port PL protruding to the lower side from the housing H of the flow path switching valves 42a and 42c is connected directly to the connecting pipe 12 of the lower refrigerant flow path module 10B. A lower end portion of the lower port PL is provided with a large diameter portion D having an outer diameter enlarged by being flared. An upper end portion of the connecting pipe 12 of the lower refrigerant flow path module 10B is inserted into the large diameter portion D, and an outer peripheral surface (connected surface) 13 of the upper end is brazed to the inner peripheral surface Da of the large diameter portion D with the brazing material B.
A procedure for joining the flow path switching valves 42a to 42c to the refrigerant flow path module 10 will be described below. This joining is performed by torch brazing (burner brazing). The brazing is sometimes referred to as “hand brazing” in a sense distinguished from the “in-furnace brazing” described above. In the following description, a lower surface 11a of each of the refrigerant flow path modules 10A and 10B (module body 11) when assembled in the outdoor unit 31 is also referred to as a first surface, and an upper surface 11b is also referred to as a second surface. The connecting pipe connected to the first surface 11a is referred to as a first connecting pipe 12a, and the connecting pipe 12 connected to the second surface 11b is referred to as a second connecting pipe 12b.
First, as illustrated in
Then, as illustrated in
Then, as illustrated in
Next, as illustrated in
The above-described operation of joining the flow path switching valves 42a to 42c to the refrigerant flow path modules 10A and 10B is performed while cooling the housing H of the flow path switching valves 42a to 42c. This is because a component weak to heat such as a synthetic resin is accommodated in the housing H. In the brazing work illustrated in
As described with reference to
As a result of intensive studies, the inventor of the present application has found that the brazing material B flowing downward could reach the plate 122 including stainless steel when the length indicated by L1 in
In the disclosure of the present application, by providing the connected surface on the outer peripheral surface 13 of the connecting pipe 12 (the first connecting pipe 12a and the second connecting pipe 12b), as illustrated in
In a case where the brazing illustrated in
The connecting pipe 12 according to one or more embodiments has the length L of 25 mm or more. Therefore, as illustrated in
In Embodiment 1 described above, the connecting pipe 12 has a constant outer diameter and inner diameter, but the connecting pipe 12 according to Embodiment 2 has a large diameter portion 12c having an enlarged outer diameter and inner diameter at an end opposite to the end connected to the module body 11. An outer peripheral surface of the large diameter portion 12c constitutes the connected surface 13 connected to the port (refrigerant pipe) P. Other configurations are similar to the configurations of the above embodiments, and will not be described in detail.
In the above embodiments, an example has been described in detail in which the port (refrigerant pipes) P of the flow path switching valves 42a to 42c are connected to the connecting pipe 12 of the refrigerant flow path module 10. However, a similar configuration can be adopted in a case where other refrigerant pipes are connected.
The connecting pipe 12 according to the above embodiments has a constant outer diameter and inner diameter, or a large diameter portion at one end, but is not limited to this configuration. For example, the connecting pipe 12 may be provided with a small diameter portion having a reduced outer diameter and inner diameter at an end opposite to the end connected to the module body 11.
The procedure illustrated in
As illustrated in
(1) The refrigerant flow path module 10 according to the above embodiments includes the module body 11 having the plurality of stainless steel plates 71 and 72 arranged in a stacked manner and having the refrigerant flow path 15 inside the module body 11, and the first connecting pipe 12a that includes a material containing copper as a main component and is connected to the module body 11. The module body 11 has the first surface 11a disposed at one end in the stacking direction of the plurality of plates 71 and 72 and provided with a first opening 73 and has the second surface 11b disposed at another end in the stacking direction. The first connecting pipe 12a has the straight pipe axis, and one end portion of the first connecting pipe 12a in the pipe axial direction is connected to the module body 11 in a state of being inserted into the first opening 73. The connected surface 13 to which the refrigerant pipe (port of the flow path switching valves 42a to 42c) P including a material containing copper as a main component is connected is provided on the outer peripheral surface of another end portion of the first connecting pipe 12a in the pipe axial direction. The length L of the first connecting pipe 12a is 25 mm or more and less than 56 mm.
In the refrigerant flow path module 10 having this configuration, by providing the connected surface 13 on the outer peripheral surface of the first connecting pipe 12a, even if the length L of the first connecting pipe is less than 56 mm, it is possible to suppress the brazing material B connecting the first connecting pipe 12a and the refrigerant pipe P from reaching the module body 11 including stainless steel. By setting the length L of the first connecting pipe 12a to 25 mm or more, the space S for heating the first connecting pipe 12a can be secured between the module body 11 and the port P.
(2) The refrigerant flow path module 10 according to the above embodiments further includes the second connecting pipe 12b having the straight pipe axis and including a material containing copper as a main component. A second opening 73 is provided in the second surface 11b of the module body 11. One end portion of the second connecting pipe 12b in the pipe axial direction is connected to the module body 11 in a state of being inserted into the second opening 73. The connected surface 13 to which the refrigerant pipe (port of the flow path switching valves 42a to 42c) P including a material containing copper as a main component is connected is provided at another end portion of the second connecting pipe 12b in the pipe axial direction. The length L of the second connecting pipe 12b is 25 mm or more and less than 56 mm.
In this configuration, by providing the connected surface 13 on the outer peripheral surface of the second connecting pipe 12b, similarly to the first connecting pipe 12a, even if the length L of the second connecting pipe 12b is less than 56 mm, it is possible to suppress the brazing material B connecting the second connecting pipe 12b and the refrigerant pipe P from reaching the module body 11 including stainless steel. By setting the length L of the second connecting pipe 12b to 25 mm or more, the space S for heating the second connecting pipe 12b can be secured between the module body 11 and the port P.
(3) The refrigeration cycle apparatus according to the above embodiments includes the refrigerant flow path module 10 according to (1) and the refrigerant pipe (port) P joined to the connected surface 13 of the first connecting pipe 12a of the refrigerant flow path module 10. The refrigeration cycle apparatus having this configuration can prevent the brazing material B connecting the first connecting pipe 12a and the refrigerant pipe P from reaching the module body 11 and entering components constituting the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 (components constituting the refrigerant circuit) from the module body 11.
(4) The refrigeration cycle apparatus according to the above embodiments includes the refrigerant flow path module 10 according to (2), a first refrigerant pipe (port) P joined to a connected surface 13 of a first connecting pipe 12a of the refrigerant flow path module 10, and a second refrigerant pipe (port) P joined to a connected surface 13 of a second connecting pipe 12b of the refrigerant flow path module 10.
The refrigeration cycle apparatus having the above configuration can prevent the brazing material connecting the first connecting pipe 12a and the first refrigerant pipe P as well as the second connecting pipe 12b and the second refrigerant pipe P from reaching the module body 11 and entering the components constituting the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 from the module body 11.
(5) The method of manufacturing the refrigeration cycle apparatus according to the above embodiments includes a first step of inserting another end portion of the first connecting pipe 12a of the refrigerant flow path module 10 into the refrigerant pipe (port) P, and a second step of brazing the inner peripheral surface of the refrigerant pipe P to the connected surface 13 of the first connecting pipe 12a. In this case, since the inner peripheral surface of the refrigerant pipe P is brazed to the connected surface 13 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the first connecting pipe 12a, the brazing material for brazing the connected surface 13 and the outer peripheral surface is prevented from reaching the module body 11.
(6) In the manufacturing method according to the above embodiments, the second step is performed with a first surface 11a of a module body 11 of the refrigerant flow path module 10 facing downward. Therefore, as illustrated in
(7) The manufacturing method according to the above embodiments includes a first step of inserting another end portion of the first connecting pipe 12a of the refrigerant flow path module 10A into the first refrigerant pipe (flow path switching valves 42a and 42c) PU as illustrated in
The present disclosure should not be limited to the above exemplification, but is intended to include any modification recited in the claims within meanings and a scope equivalent to those of the claims.
For example, the number of the plates constituting the module body of the refrigerant flow path module should not be limited, and is only required to be two or more.
The types of components connected to the upper side and the lower side of the refrigerant flow path module 10 can be appropriately changed.
Although the disclosure has been described with respect to only a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that various other embodiments may be devised without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of the disclosure should be limited only by the attached claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-157526 | Sep 2022 | JP | national |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/JP2023/035631 | Sep 2023 | WO |
| Child | 19092522 | US |
