Heat exchanger and air conditioner using the same

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a heat exchanger for use in an air conditioner. The heat exchanger is provided with a path switching unit at a tube that forms a refrigerant path. The path switching unit is used to switch the flow path of a refrigerant passing through the tube in accordance with a cooling or heating load, thereby regulating the flow rate of the refrigerant. The use of the path switching unit has the effect of achieving an effective control of cooling or heating capacity thereof based on an external load.

1 . A heat exchanger comprising: 
 a refrigerant path defined inside a heat exchanger body for the passage of a refrigerant; and    at least one path switching unit provided at the refrigerant path to switch the flow path of the refrigerant, in order to regulate the flow rate of the refrigerant passing through the refrigerant path.    
   
   
       2 . The heat exchanger as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the path switching unit includes: 
 a bypass path to bypass the refrigerant passing through the refrigerant path; and    an opening/closing valve to open or close the bypass path.    
   
   
       3 . The heat exchanger as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the at least one path switching unit includes a plurality of path switching units.  
   
   
       4 . The heat exchanger as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the refrigerant path includes: 
 a suction header to suck the refrigerant;    a discharge header to discharge the heat exchanged refrigerant; and    at least one tube to connect the suction header to the discharge header for the passage of the refrigerant.    
   
   
       5 . The heat exchanger as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein the bypass path is formed between the tube and the discharge header.  
   
   
       6 . The heat exchanger as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the opening/closing valve is installed at a connection location between the refrigerant path and the bypass path.  
   
   
       7 . The heat exchanger as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the opening/closing valve is a 3-way valve.  
   
   
       8 . The heat exchanger as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein the at least one tube includes a plurality of tubes branched from the suction header.  
   
   
       9 . The heat exchanger as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein the at least one path switching unit includes a plurality of path switching units, and the bypass path of each of the path switching units is connected to an associated one of the tubes.  
   
   
       10 . The heat exchanger as set forth in  claim 4 , 
 wherein the tube has a multiple-bend shape, and    wherein the bypass path connects a bent portion of the tube to the discharge header.    
   
   
       11 . An air conditioner using a heat exchanger, comprising: a compressor to compress a refrigerant into a high-temperature and high-pressure state; an indoor heat exchanger to perform a heat exchange between the refrigerant, discharged from the compressor, and indoor air; an expansion member to expand the refrigerant discharged from the indoor heat exchanger; and an outdoor heat exchanger to perform a heat exchange between the refrigerant discharged from the expansion member and outside air, 
 wherein each of the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger comprises:    a refrigerant path defined inside a heat exchanger body for the passage of the refrigerant; and    at least one path switching unit provided at the refrigerant path to switch the flow path of the refrigerant, in order to regulate the flow rate of the refrigerant passing through the refrigerant path.    
   
   
       12 . The air conditioner as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the path switching unit includes: 
 a bypass path to bypass the refrigerant passing through the refrigerant path; and    an opening/closing valve to open or close the bypass path.    
   
   
       13 . The air conditioner as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the at least one path switching unit includes a plurality of path switching units.  
   
   
       14 . The air conditioner as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the refrigerant path includes: 
 a suction header to suck the refrigerant;    a discharge header to discharge the heat exchanged refrigerant; and    at least one tube to connect the suction header to the discharge header for the passage of the refrigerant.    
   
   
       15 . The air conditioner as set forth in  claim 14 , wherein the bypass path is formed between the tube and the discharge header.  
   
   
       16 . The air conditioner as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the opening/closing valve is installed at a connection location between the refrigerant path and the bypass path.  
   
   
       17 . The air conditioner as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the opening/closing valve is a 3-way valve.  
   
   
       18 . The air conditioner as set forth in  claim 14 , wherein the at least one tube includes a plurality of tubes branched from the suction header.  
   
   
       19 . The air conditioner as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein the at least one path switching unit includes a plurality of path switching units, and the bypass path of each of the path switching units is connected to an associated one of the tubes.  
   
   
       20 . The air conditioner as set forth in  claim 14 , 
 wherein the tube has a multiple-bend shape, and    wherein the bypass path connects a bent portion of the tube to the discharge header.