Compressor oil recovering apparatus and multi-unit air conditioner equiped with the same

Abstract

A compressor oil recovering apparatus is disclosed which is capable of smoothly re-supplying, to a compressor, oil separated in an oil separator after emerging from the compressor, thereby achieving an enhancement in the reliability of the compressor, and thus, an enhancement in the performance of an air conditioner using the compressor oil recovering apparatus. A multi-unit air conditioner using the compressor oil recovering apparatus is also disclosed. The compressor oil recovering apparatus includes an oil separator adapted to separate oil from a refrigerant discharged from a compressor, an oil recovering port provided at the compressor, and an oil recovering tube having one end connected to the oil separator, and the other end connected to the oil recovering port.

1 . A compressor oil recovering apparatus comprising: 
 an oil separator adapted to separate oil from a refrigerant discharged from a compressor;    an oil recovering port provided at the compressor; and    an oil recovering tube having one end connected to the oil separator, and the other end connected to the oil recovering port.    
   
   
       2 . The compressor oil recovering apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the connection of the oil recovering port is provided at positions where oil recovered through the oil recovering tube does not interfere with refrigerant flows respectively sucked along a refrigerant suction tube of the compressor and discharged along a refrigerant discharge line of the compressor.  
   
   
       3 . The compressor oil recovering apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the oil recovering port is arranged at a position of the compressor corresponding to a level of oil initially sealed in the compressor.  
   
   
       4 . The compressor oil recovering apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an adjuster adapted to adjust an amount of oil recovered from the oil separator to the compressor in accordance with an oil storage state of the compressor.    
   
   
       5 . The compressor oil recovering apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the adjuster comprises: 
 an oil sensor adapted to sense an amount of oil stored in the compressor; and    a solenoid valve adapted to control supply or cut-off of the oil supplied to the compressor, and an amount of the supplied oil, based on the sensed oil amount.    
   
   
       6 . The compressor oil recovering apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the oil sensor is arranged in the compressor.  
   
   
       7 . The compressor oil recovering apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the solenoid valve is arranged at the oil recovering tube.  
   
   
       8 . The compressor oil recovering apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the adjuster comprises: 
 a float adapted to sense a level of oil stored in the compressor; and    a float valve adapted to control supply or cut-off of the oil supplied to the compressor, and an amount of the supplied oil, based on the sensed oil level.    
   
   
       9 . The compressor oil recovering apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the float valve is arranged at the oil recovering tube.  
   
   
       10 . The compressor oil recovering apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a strainer arranged at the oil recovering tube, and adapted to filter the oil recovered to the compressor through the oil recovering tube to remove foreign matter contained in the oil.    
   
   
       11 . A multi-unit air conditioner comprising: 
 an outdoor unit comprising a plurality of compressors, and an outdoor heat exchanger;    a plurality of indoor units connected to the outdoor unit, each of the indoor units comprising an indoor heat exchanger;    a plurality of oil separators each adapted to separate oil from a refrigerant discharged from an associated one of the compressors;    a plurality of oil recovering port provided at the plurality of compressors, respectively; and    a plurality of oil recovering tubes each having one end connected to an associated one of the oil separators, and the other end connected to the associated oil recovering port corresponding to the associated oil separator.    
   
   
       12 . The multi-unit air conditioner according to  claim 11 , wherein the connection of each of the oil recovering ports is provided at positions where oil recovered through the oil recovering tube does not interfere with refrigerant flows respectively sucked along a refrigerant suction tube of the associated compressor and discharged along a refrigerant discharge line of the associated compressor.  
   
   
       13 . The multi-unit air conditioner according to  claim 11 , wherein the oil recovering port is arranged at a position of the compressor corresponding to a level of oil initially sealed in the compressor.  
   
   
       14 . The multi-unit air conditioner according to  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 an adjuster adapted to adjust an amount of oil recovered from each of the oil separators to the compressor associated with the oil separator in accordance with an oil storage state of the associated compressor.    
   
   
       15 . The multi-unit air conditioner according to  claim 14 , wherein the adjuster comprises: 
 oil sensors each adapted to sense an amount of oil stored in an associated one of the compressors; and    solenoid valves each adapted to control supply or cut-off of the oil supplied to an associated one of the compressors, and the amount of the supplied oil in accordance with the oil amount sensed by the oil sensor corresponding to the associated compressor.    
   
   
       16 . The multi-unit air conditioner according to  claim 15 , wherein the oil sensors are arranged in the associated compressors, respectively.  
   
   
       17 . The multi-unit air conditioner according to  claim 15 , wherein the solenoid valves are arranged at the oil recovering tubes, respectively.  
   
   
       18 . The multi-unit air conditioner according to  claim 14 , wherein the adjuster comprises: 
 floats each adapted to sense a level of oil stored in an associated one of the compressors; and    float valves each adapted to control supply or cut-off of the oil supplied to an associated one of the compressors, and an amount of the supplied oil, based on the oil level sensed by the float corresponding to the associated compressor.    
   
   
       19 . The multi-unit air conditioner according to  claim 18 , wherein the float valves are arranged at the oil recovering tubes, respectively.  
   
   
       20 . The multi-unit air conditioner according to  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 strainers each arranged at an associated one of the oil recovering tubes, and adapted to filter the oil recovered to the compressor corresponding to the associated oil recovering tube through the associated oil recovering tube to remove foreign matter contained in the oil.    
   
   
       21 . A multi-unit air conditioner comprising: 
 an outdoor unit comprising a plurality of compressors, and an outdoor heat exchanger;    a plurality of indoor units connected to the outdoor unit, each of the indoor units comprising an indoor heat exchanger;    a plurality of oil separators each adapted to separate oil from a refrigerant discharged from an associated one of the compressors;    a plurality of oil recovering port provided at the plurality of compressors, respectively;    a plurality of oil recovering tubes each having one end connected to an associated one of the oil separators, and the other end connected to the associated oil recovering port corresponding to the associated oil separator;    a plurality of temperature sensors each arranged in an associated one of the compressors, and adapted to sense an internal temperature of the associated compressor; and    a uniform distribution tube which communicates with the compressors, and uniformly distributes oil to the compressors, based on the temperatures respectively sensed by the temperature sensors.    
   
   
       22 . The multi-unit air conditioner according to  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 a strainer arranged at the uniform distribution tube, and adapted to filter oil flowing through the uniform distribution tube to remove foreign matter contained in the oil.