Patent · US Expired

Refrigeration cycle having an evaporator for evaporating residual liquid refrigerant

US5491981A · kind A · utility

10Cited by
7References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateSep 13, 1994
Grant dateFeb 20, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 13, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF25B43/006
  • WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

An air conditioner system includes internal and external heat exchangers and a compressor for refrigerant. During cooling and heating operations, one of the heat exchangers discharges a first flow of gaseous refrigerant which is to be conducted to the compressor inlet. In order to evaporate any residual liquid refrigerant in the first flow, the first flow is passed through an evaporator in heat exchange relationship with a second flow of refrigerant discharged from the other heat exchanger. The evaporator is connected by valved conduits to receive the second flow from either the indoor or outdoor heat exchanger, depending upon whether the system is in a heating mode or a cooling mode. Within the evaporator, an upper chamber which receives the first flow is recessed into a lower chamber which receives the second flow and contains a heat transfer structure for promoting an efficient heat exchange.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.