Subcooler and air conditioner including the same

Abstract

A subcooler and an air conditioner including the same are provided. The includes a supercooling body to receive a first refrigerant passed through a condenser and a second refrigerant branched from the first refrigerant, a plurality of internal tubes provided inside the supercooling body and through which the first refrigerant flows, a flow path through which the second refrigerant flows, the flow path being a space external to the internal tubes in the supercooling body, and a baffle to support at least one of the internal tubes, wherein the baffle comprises a baffle body having an outer circumferential surface that is coupled to the supercooling body, a through-hole formed at the baffle body and through which a first internal tube of the internal tubes passes, and a support groove to support a second internal tube of the internal tubes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A subcooler, comprising:
 a supercooling body to receive a first refrigerant passed through a condenser and a second refrigerant branched from the first refrigerant;   a plurality of internal tubes provided inside the supercooling body and through which the first refrigerant flows;   a flow path through which the second refrigerant flows, the flow path being a space external to the internal tubes in the supercooling body; and   a baffle to support at least one of the internal tubes,   wherein the baffle comprises:
 a baffle body having an outer circumferential surface that is coupled to the supercooling body, 
 a through-hole formed at the baffle body and through which a first internal tube of the internal tubes passes, and 
 a support groove to support a second internal tube of the internal tubes. 
   
     
     
         2 . The subcooler of  claim 1 , wherein the support groove is a recessed portion of the baffle body. 
     
     
         3 . The subcooler of  claim 2 , wherein a plurality of support grooves are provided, and the baffle body comprises a groove connection part that connects a first support groove of the support grooves with a second support groove of the support grooves. 
     
     
         4 . The subcooler of  claim 3 , wherein at least one of the support grooves is formed having an arc shape, and a central angle (θ) of the arc is at least 180 degrees. 
     
     
         5 . The subcooler of  claim 3 , wherein the supercooling body is formed having a cylindrical shape, and an outer circumferential surface of the baffle body is coupled to an inner circumferential surface of the supercooling body. 
     
     
         6 . The subcooler of  claim 5 , wherein the baffle is shaped so that it is symmetric about a reference line (A 1 ), the outer circumferential surface of the baffle body comprises a reference point that intersects the reference line (A 1 ), and a height (H) of the groove connection part is above a height (H 1 ) corresponding to ½ of a diameter of the supercooling body, whereby the height (H) of the groove connection part corresponds to a direction that the reference line (A 1 ) extends from the reference point. 
     
     
         7 . The subcooler of  claim 6 , wherein the height (H) of the groove connection part is less than a height (H 2 ) of an upper end of the other internal tube in the direction that the reference line (A 1 ) extends from the reference point. 
     
     
         8 . The subcooler of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of internal tubes comprises:
 a first row pipe part in which a first plurality of pipes are arranged;   a second row pipe part that is spaced apart from the first row pipe part and in which a second plurality of pipes are arranged; and   a third row pipe part that is spaced apart from the second row pipe part and in which a third plurality pipes are arranged.   
     
     
         9 . The subcooler of  claim 8 , wherein the first row pipe part is coupled with the through-hole of the baffle, the second row pipe part is supported by the supporting groove of the baffle, and the third row pipe part is spaced apart from the baffle. 
     
     
         10 . The subcooler of  claim 9 , wherein the groove connection part is provided at a position that intersects with an imaginary concentric circle (P 1 ), whereby the imaginary concentric circle (P 1 ) has a radius (r) that is set apart from a center of the third row pipe part and intersects with the second row pipe part. 
     
     
         11 . An air conditioner comprising:
 a compressor to compress a refrigerant;   a condenser to condense the refrigerant passed through the compressor; and   a sub-cooler to supercool the refrigerant condensed in the condenser,   wherein the sub-cooler comprises:
 an external tube, 
 a plurality of internal tubes provided inside the external tube, and 
 a baffle to support the internal tubes, the baffle formed with a through-hole in which a first internal tube of the internal tubes is coupled and a support groove to support a second internal tube of the internal tubes. 
   
     
     
         12 . The air conditioner of  claim 11 , wherein a plurality of baffles are provided, the baffles being provided at an internal upper portion or an internal lower portion of the external tube with respect to a refrigerant flow direction. 
     
     
         13 . The air conditioner of  claim 11 , wherein a plurality of baffles are provided, the baffles being alternately disposed at an internal upper portion and an internal lower portion of the external tube with respect to a refrigerant flow direction. 
     
     
         14 . The air conditioner of  claim 11 , wherein the baffle comprises:
 an outer circumferential surface being supported by an inner circumferential surface of the external tube,   and a reference point which is a point on the outer circumferential surface that intersects a reference line (A 1 ) which symmetrically bisects the baffle, whereby a height (H) of the baffle in a direction corresponding to the reference line (A 1 ) is greater than a height (H 1 ) corresponding to ½ of a diameter of the first external tube and less than a height (H 2 ) of an upper end of the second internal tube.   
     
     
         15 . The air conditioner of  claim 11 , wherein a plurality of subcoolers are provided, and the subcoolers comprise a first subcooler and a second subcooler which are connected in series. 
     
     
         16 . A subcooler comprising:
 a supercooling body to receive a first refrigerant and a second refrigerant branched from the first refrigerant;   a plurality of internal tubes provided inside the supercooling body and through which the first refrigerant flows; and   a plurality of baffles to support the plurality of internal tubes,   wherein each of the baffles comprise:
 a baffle body having an outer circumferential surface that is coupled to an inner circumferential surface of the supercooling body; 
 a through-hole formed in at least a portion of the baffle body and through which a first internal tube of the internal tubes passes; 
 a plurality of support grooves that are spaced apart from the through-hole and support at least a second internal tube of the internal tubes; and 
 a groove connection part to connect ends of the supporting grooves. 
   
     
     
         17 . The subcooler of  claim 16 , wherein a center of the supercooling body is concentric with a center of one of the supporting grooves. 
     
     
         18 . The subcooler of  claim 16 , further comprising first and second supporting members which support first and second sides of the plurality of internal tubes,
 wherein the baffles are provided between the first and second supporting members.   
     
     
         19 . The subcooler of  claim 16 , wherein the supercooling body comprises:
 a body part having a first and a second end that are open and a first and a second introduction part through which the first and the second refrigerants are respectively introduced; and   a cap to block the first and second ends of the body part, the cap having a first discharge part through which the first refrigerant is discharged.   
     
     
         20 . The subcooler of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of internal tubes comprises:
 a first row pipe part in which a first plurality of pipes are arranged;   a second row pipe part that is spaced apart from the first row pipe part and in which a second plurality of pipes are arranged; and   a third row pipe part that is spaced apart from the second row pipe part and in which a third plurality of pipes are arranged, and   wherein the plurality of baffles support the first and second plurality of pipes , and are spaced apart from third plurality of pipes.