US 12,130,057 B2
Heat exchanger, outdoor unit, and refrigeration cycle device
Tetsuji Saikusa, Tokyo (JP); and Nanami Kishida, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 17/913,328
Filed by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed May 22, 2020, PCT No. PCT/JP2020/020349
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 21, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/234956, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 25, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0128871 A1, Apr. 27, 2023
Int. Cl. F25B 39/02 (2006.01)
CPC F25B 39/02 (2013.01) 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A heat exchanger comprising:
a main heat exchange unit that includes a first return header and a first lower header inside which refrigerant passes through, the first return header and the first lower header being spaced apart from each other in an up-down direction, and that is configured to cause heat exchange to be performed between air and the refrigerant, and to condense the refrigerant;
a subcooling heat exchange unit that includes a second return header and a second lower header inside which the refrigerant passes through, the second return header and the second lower header being spaced apart from each other in the up-down direction, and that is configured to cause heat exchange to be performed between air and the refrigerant passing through the main heat exchange unit, and to subcool the refrigerant passing through the main heat exchange unit; and
a connection pipe configured to connect the main heat exchange unit and the subcooling heat exchange unit to allow the refrigerant to pass therethrough, wherein
the connection pipe connects the first lower header located upstream of the flow of air in the main heat exchange unit on an outflow side to the refrigerant and the second lower header located downstream of the flow of air in the subcooling heat exchange unit on an inflow side to the refrigerant, such that when the main heat exchange unit condenses the refrigerant, the refrigerant from outside flows into a downstream side of the main heat exchange unit and the subcooling heat exchange unit relative to a flow of the air, and flows out from an upstream side of the main heat exchange unit and the subcooling heat exchange unit relative to a flow of the air to form a counter flow in which a flow of the refrigerant is opposite to a flow of the air.