Oil separator and air conditioner having the same

Abstract

An oil separator and an air conditioner having the same are provided. The oil separator may include a casing having a cylindrical shape having a circular cross-section in a horizontal direction, a suction tube inserted into and installed on a side surface of the casing to introduce a refrigerant mixed with oil into the casing, a refrigerant discharge tube vertically inserted into and installed on an upper portion of the casing to discharge the refrigerant from the casing, and an oil discharge tube connected to a lower portion of the casing to discharge the oil from the casing. The casing may have an inner diameter of about 38.1 mm to about 46.8 mm in the horizontal cross-section.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An oil separator, comprising:
 a casing having a cylindrical shape having a circular cross-section in a horizontal direction;   a suction tube inserted into and installed on a side surface of the casing to introduce a refrigerant mixed with oil into the casing;   a refrigerant discharge tube vertically inserted into and installed on an upper portion of the casing to discharge the refrigerant from the casing; and   an oil discharge tube connected to a lower portion of the casing to discharge the oil from the casing, wherein an inner diameter of the casing is about 38.1 mm to about 46.8 mm in the horizontal cross-section.   
     
     
         2 . The oil separator according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner diameter of the casing is about 46.8 mm in the horizontal cross-section. 
     
     
         3 . The oil separator according to  claim 1 , wherein a height of the casing is about 150 mm to about 180 mm. 
     
     
         4 . The oil separator according to  claim 3 , wherein the height of the casing is about 150 mm. 
     
     
         5 . The oil separator according to  claim 1 , wherein an outer diameter of the suction tube is at least about 12.7 mm to 15.88 mm. 
     
     
         6 . The oil separator according to  claim 5 , wherein the outer diameter of the suction tube is at least about 12.7 mm. 
     
     
         7 . The oil separator according to  claim 1 , wherein an outer diameter of the refrigerant discharge tube is at least about 12.7 mm. 
     
     
         8 . The oil separator according to  claim 1 , wherein a first end of the suction tube is bent at an angle of about 60° along an inner side surface of the casing in the horizontal direction. 
     
     
         9 . The oil separator according to  claim 8 , wherein the inner diameter of the casing is about 46.8 mm in the horizontal cross-section, and wherein a central longitudinal axis line of a second end of the suction tube is spaced by a distance of about 10 mm to about 15 mm from a line passing through a central longitudinal axis of the casing, which extends in parallel to the central longitudinal axis line of the second end of the suction tube on a same horizontal plane. 
     
     
         10 . The oil separator according to  claim 9 , wherein the spaced distance is about 10.8 mm. 
     
     
         11 . The oil separator according to  claim 10 , wherein a distance from a center of the casing to a center of the first end of the suction tube is about 16.2 mm on the same horizontal plane. 
     
     
         12 . The oil separator according to  claim 11 , wherein a central longitudinal axis line of the first end of the suction tube is defined in a direction of a tangential line of a concentric circle of the casing having a radius of about 16.2 mm. 
     
     
         13 . An air conditioner comprising the oil separator according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         14 . The air conditioner according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a compressor that compresses a refrigerant;   a condenser that receives the compressed refrigerant from the compressor and condenses the compressed refrigerant;   an expansion device that receives the condensed refrigerant from the condenser and expands the condensed refrigerant; and   an evaporator that receives the expanded refrigerant from the expansion device and evaporates the expanded refrigerant, wherein the refrigerant discharge tube is in fluid communication with the condenser and the oil discharge tube is in fluid communication with the compressor.   
     
     
         15 . An oil separator, comprising:
 a casing having a cylindrical shape having a circular cross-section in a horizontal direction;   a suction tube inserted into and installed on a side surface of the casing to introduce a refrigerant mixed with oil into the casing;   a refrigerant discharge tube vertically inserted into and installed on an upper portion of the casing to discharge the refrigerant from the casing; and   an oil discharge tube connected to a lower portion of the casing to discharge the oil from the casing, wherein an inner diameter of the casing is about 46.8 mm in the horizontal cross-section, and wherein a height of the casing is about 150 mm.   
     
     
         16 . The oil separator according to  claim 15 , wherein the outer diameter of the suction tube is at least about 12.7 mm to 15.88 mm. 
     
     
         17 . The oil separator according to  claim 16 , wherein the outer diameter of the suction tube is at least about 12.7 mm. 
     
     
         18 . The oil separator according to  claim 15 , wherein a first end of the suction tube is bent at an angle of about 60° along an inner side surface of the casing in the horizontal direction. 
     
     
         19 . An air conditioner comprising the oil separator according to  claim 15 . 
     
     
         20 . The air conditioner according to  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a compressor that compresses a refrigerant;   a condenser that receives the compressed refrigerant from the compressor and condenses the compressed refrigerant;   an expansion device that receives the condensed refrigerant from the condenser and expands the condensed refrigerant; and   an evaporator that receives the expanded refrigerant from the expansion device and evaporates the expanded refrigerant, wherein the refrigerant discharge tube is in fluid communication with the condenser and the oil discharge tube is in fluid communication with the compressor.