Air conditioning device

Abstract

An air conditioning device is provided. The air conditioning device includes a distribution device that distributes refrigerant from an outdoor unit to a plurality of indoor units, and that receives refrigerant from the plurality of indoor units and supplies the received refrigerant to the outdoor unit. The distribution device may reduce the length of pipes used to connect the plurality of indoor units and the outdoor unit and facilitate installation of the outdoor unit.

1 . An air conditioning device, comprising:
 an outdoor unit including a compressor provided in an outdoor unit housing;   at least one indoor unit operably coupled to the outdoor unit; and   a distribution device, comprising:   at least one indoor unit connector connected to the at least one indoor unit;   an outdoor unit connector connected to the outdoor unit; and   a distribution device housing that defines an exterior of the distribution device, wherein the distribution device is detachably installed in an installation space defined in the outdoor unit housing.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioning device of  claim 1 , wherein the installation space is defined in the outdoor unit housing proximate a side of the outdoor unit housing, and proximate an installation position of the compressor. 
     
     
         3 . The air conditioning device of  claim 1 , wherein the distribution device further comprises:
 electronic expansion valves corresponding in number to a number of indoor unit connectors; and   a distributor that distributes refrigerant from the outdoor unit to each of the electronic expansion valves.   
     
     
         4 . The air conditioning device of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the outdoor unit housing forms a side cover that is configured to be opened relative to a remainder of the outdoor unit housing or separated from the remainder of the outdoor unit housing so as to selectively expose the installation space defined in the outdoor unit housing for installation and removal of the distribution device. 
     
     
         5 . The air conditioning device of  claim 4 , wherein the side cover of the outdoor unit housing is located proximate the compressor of the outdoor unit. 
     
     
         6 . The air conditioning device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one indoor unit connector of the distribution device is exposed at an outside of the distribution device housing such that the at least one indoor unit connector is oriented in a frontward direction or a backward direction of the outdoor unit. 
     
     
         7 . The air conditioning device of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one indoor unit connector comprises a plurality of indoor unit connectors arranged along a side of the distribution device housing at predetermined intervals in a longitudinal direction, of the distribution device housing. 
     
     
         8 . The air conditioning device of  claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of indoor unit connectors comprises an indoor side high-pressure socket and an indoor side low-pressure socket, wherein the indoor side high-pressure sockets of the plurality of indoor unit connectors are arranged in a first line, and the indoor side low-pressure sockets of the plurality of indoor unit connectors are arranged in a second line. 
     
     
         9 . The air conditioning device of  claim 1 , wherein the outdoor unit connector is positioned above an end of the distribution device housing in a longitudinal direction of the distribution device housing, and the at least one indoor unit connector comprises a plurality of indoor unit connectors arranged along a longitudinal side of the distribution device housing. 
     
     
         10 . The air conditioning device of  claim 9 , wherein the outdoor unit connector comprises an outdoor side high-pressure socket that supplies refrigerant from the outdoor unit to the distribution device and an outdoor side low-pressure socket that supplies refrigerant to the outdoor unit, and wherein the outdoor side high-pressure socket and the outdoor side low-pressure socket are respectively connected to a high-pressure socket and a low-pressure socket of the outdoor unit. 
     
     
         11 . An air conditioning device, comprising:
 at least one outdoor unit;   a plurality of indoor units operably coupled to the at least one outdoor unit; and   a distribution device that distributes refrigerant from the at least one outdoor unit to the plurality of indoor units and that receives refrigerant from the plurality of indoor units and supplies the received refrigerant to the at least one outdoor unit, wherein the distribution device is installed within the outdoor unit or external to the at least one outdoor unit.   
     
     
         12 . The air conditioning device of  claim 11 , wherein the distribution device is installed external to the at least one outdoor unit, and wherein the distribution device and the at least one outdoor unit are interconnected via a first pair of refrigerant pipes, and the distribution device and each of the plurality of indoor units are interconnected via a respective second pair of refrigerant pipes. 
     
     
         13 . The air conditioning device of  claim 12 , wherein the distribution device is installed within the at least one outdoor unit, and wherein the distribution device comprises an outdoor unit connector connected to the at least one outdoor unit and a plurality of indoor unit connectors respectively connected to the plurality of indoor units, and wherein the outdoor unit comprises a single outdoor unit including a pipe connector connected to the outdoor unit connector of the distribution device, and the plurality of indoor unit connectors of the distribution device are directly connected to the pipe connector of the outdoor unit. 
     
     
         14 . An outdoor unit of an air conditioning device, comprising:
 an outdoor unit housing;   a compressor provided in the outdoor unit housing;   an outdoor heat exchanger provided in the outdoor unit housing so as to perform heat exchange between refrigerant from the compressor and outdoor air;   a fan provided in the outdoor unit housing so as to direct air to the outdoor heat exchanger; and   a distribution device detachably installed within the outdoor unit housing, in a location proximate the compressor, and connected to the outdoor heat exchanger and the compressor, wherein the distribution device includes at least one indoor unit connector configured to be connected to a corresponding indoor unit so as to operably couple the indoor unit to the outdoor unit.   
     
     
         15 . The outdoor unit of  claim 14 , wherein the outdoor unit housing includes a detachable side cover that is detachably coupled to the outdoor unit housing so as to expose the distribution device when the side cover is removed from the outdoor unit housing.