HEAT EXCHANGER

• US 20150114030A1
• Filed: 04/19/2013
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Taegyun, Kim, Sehyeon, Jung, Seungmo, Lee, Eungyul, Yoo, Sanghoon, Park, Naehyun
• Granted Patent: US 10,551,127 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/507
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2339/0444 where the flow of refrigerant through the condenser receiver is split into two or more flows, each flow following a different path through the condenser receiver
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 39/00 Evaporators; Condensers
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 39/04 Condensers
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/0233 with air flow channels
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/05325 with particular pattern of flow, e.g. change of flow direction F28D1/05341 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/05358 Assemblies of conduits connected side by side or with individual headers, e.g. section type radiators
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/05391 with multiple rows of conduits or with multi-channel conduits combined with a particular flow pattern, e.g. multi-row multi-stage radiators
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/007 Condensers
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0071 Evaporators
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 27/02 for controlling the distribution of heat-exchange media between different channels static flow control means in header boxes F28F9/026; arrangements of guide plates or guide vanes F28F9/22, F28F25/12
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/0209 having only transversal partitions
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/0212 the partitions being separate elements attached to header boxes
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/0236 floating elements

Abstract

Provided is a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger includes a plurality of refrigerant tubes in which a refrigerant flows, a heatsink fin coupled to the plurality of refrigerant tubes to heat-exchange the refrigerant with a fluid, a header disposed on at least one side of the plurality of refrigerant tubes to define a flow space of the refrigerant and a guide device disposed in the header to partition the flow space, the guide device guiding the refrigerant from the header to the refrigerant tubes. The guide device includes a movable cover part.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger comprising:

a plurality of refrigerant tubes in which a refrigerant flows;

a heatsink fin coupled to the plurality of refrigerant tubes to heat-exchange the refrigerant with a fluid;

a header disposed on at least one side of the plurality of refrigerant tubes to define a flow space of the refrigerant; and

a guide device disposed in the header to partition the flow space, the guide device guiding the refrigerant from the header to the refrigerant tubes,

wherein the guide device comprises a movable cover part.

2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the guide device further comprises a support part coupled to the inside of the header to define a discharge hole through which the refrigerant flows.

3. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein the support part extends from one surface of the header toward the other surface to cross an inner space of the header.

4. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein the cover part is disposed on one side of the discharge hole to selectively cover the discharge hole.

5. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the header comprises first and second headers which are respectively coupled to one side and the other side of the refrigerant tubes, and

the cover part is provided in plurality, and the plurality of cover parts are spaced apart from each other in a length direction of the first or second header.

6. The heat exchanger according to claim 5, wherein the first header comprises a plurality of entrance parts through which the refrigerant is introduced or discharged according to whether the heat exchanger serves as a condenser or an evaporator.

7. The heat exchanger according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of entrance parts comprise:

a first entrance part through which the refrigerant is introduced when the heat exchanger serves as the evaporator and through which the refrigerant is discharged when the heat exchanger serves as the condenser; and

a second entrance part through which the refrigerant is discharged when the heat exchanger serves as the evaporator and through which the refrigerant is introduced when the heat exchanger serves as the condenser.

8. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein the cover part comprises first and second cover members having thermal expansion coefficients different from each other, and

the first and second cover members are selectively bent according to a temperature.

9. The heat exchanger according to claim 8, wherein the guide device is provided in plurality,

wherein one guide device of the plurality of guide devices comprises one cover part coupled to an upper portion of the support part, and the other guide device of the plurality of guide devices comprises the other cover part coupled to a lower portion of the support part.

10. The heat exchanger according to claim 9, wherein the one cover part and the other cover part are alternately disposed along a length direction of the header.

11. The heat exchanger according to claim 9, wherein, when the heat exchanger serves as a condenser, the one cover part is covered, and the other cover part is opened, and

when the heat exchanger serves as an evaporator, the one cover part is opened, and the other cover part is covered.

12. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein the guide device further comprises an elastic member providing a restoring force into the cover part.

13. The heat exchanger according to claim 12, wherein a top surface of the cover part is a pressed surface pressed by a flow of the refrigerant, and when the pressed surface is pressed, the cover part is rotated downward.

14. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein the guide device further comprises a driving part providing a driving force into the cover part.

15. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein, when the heat exchanger serves as a condenser, the cover part opens the discharge hole to guide a liquid refrigerant of the refrigerant so that the liquid refrigerant flows downward, and

when the heat exchanger serves as an evaporator, the cover part covers the discharge hole.

16. A heat exchanger comprising:

a plurality of refrigerant tubes in which a refrigerant flows;

a heatsink fin coupled to the plurality of refrigerant tubes to heat-exchange the refrigerant with a fluid;

a header disposed on each of both sides of the plurality of refrigerant tubes to extend vertical; and

a cover part disposed within the header to selectively open a refrigerant flow space of the header,

wherein the cover part comprises a plurality of cover members having thermal expansion coefficients different from each other.

17. The heat exchanger according to claim 16, further comprising a support part supporting the cover part, the support part having a discharge hole through which a liquid refrigerant is discharged downward.

18. The heat exchanger according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of cover members comprise:

a first cover member disposed on a lower side of the discharge hole, the first cover member having a set thermal expansion coefficient; and

a second cover member coupled to a lower portion of the first cover member, the second cover member having a thermal expansion coefficient less than that of the first cover member.

19. The heat exchanger according to claim 16, further comprising an elastic member providing a restoring force into the cover part,

wherein the elastic member is coupled to the cover part and the support part.

20. The heat exchanger according to claim 16, wherein the support part is provided in plurality, and the plurality of support parts are vertically spaced apart from each other,

wherein the cover parts are disposed on an upper portion of one support part of the plurality of support parts and a lower portion of the other support part.