MXPA98009365A - Air conditioning condenser provided with an interchange cartridge fluid deposit - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a condenser for a cooling fluid in a device for conditioning the air of the cabin of a motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises: a collecting box, an intermediate tank for the treatment and / or accumulation of a fluid; reservoir being removably attached to a base at one end which is attached to said collecting box, two connecting conduits for transferring said fluid between said collecting box and said reservoir, said connecting conduits being configured to pass through said base; The reservoir is provided with means for attaching it to said base and contains an exchangeable treatment cartridge that can be removed through said one end when said reservoir is spaced from said base, and wherein said cartridge is extended in a longitudinal direction of said reservoir and has a cross section smaller than the inner section of said deposit, a means of defining along said deposit two path portions in series and in opposite directions for said fluid, one outwardly and the other inwardly of said cartridge, between said connection conduits

Description

AIR CONDITIONCONDENSER PROVIDED OF AN INTERCHANGEABLE CARTRIDGE FLUID DEPOSIT DESCRIPTIVE MEMORY The invention relates to a capacitor! particularly for a refrigerant fluid in an air conditioner of the passenger space of a motor vehicle. comprisa collectbox and a long intermediate tank for the treatment and / or the accumulation of a fluid which is detachably fixed on a solid connection base of the collectbox 'crossed by two connectconduits for the transfer of fluid between the collection box and the deposit. In said condenser »as is well known» the intermediate tank can carry out all or part of the followfunctions: filtration and / or dehydration of the coolfluid »compensation in volume variations thereof» separation of the liquid and gas phases. Its intermediate position in relation to the condenser allows that there is no circulation in the part of it located below the fluid reservoir in liquid state »which is thus sub light below the liquid / gas equilibrium temperature» improvthe performance of the condenser and makthem relatively independent of the amount of fluid contained in the circuit.

EP-A-0 480330 describes »in a vehicle air conditioncondenser» an intermediate tank which is removably fixed on a solid connection base of the collectbox »traversed by the two connectducts. This tank is provided »at its lower end» with a solid upper part of its wall »which is fixed to the connectbase by means of a screw. The connectconduits extend on the one hand in the connection base and on the other hand in the upper part of the reservoir. This known modality is relatively complex and voluminous. Furthermore, if the tank contains treatment agents, particularly for filtration and / or fluid dehydration, it must be replaced after the agents have been used up. Therefore »it is necessary to remove the fixscrew» which can imply serious difficulties dependon the accessibility in the vehicle. The object of the invention is to overcome the above drawbacks. The invention contemplates in particular a condenser comprisa collectbox and an elongated intermediate tank for the treatment and the accumulation of a fluid »which is removably fixed on a solid connection base of the collectbox» traversed by two connectducts for the transfer of fluid between the collectbox and the tank. Accordto the invention, the reservoir is provided at a first end with means for fixthe connection base and contains an exchangeable treatment cartridge that can be separated at the first end when the reservoir is separated from the connection base. said junction ducts extend therein until facsaid first end. Optional features of the invention »complementary or alternative» are therefore the follow - the collectbox is elongated from side to side with the tank and the tank is connected to the collectbox by means of a maintenance flange in the vicinity of its second extreme. - The cartridge is elongated in the longitudinal direction of the tank and has a smaller cross section than the internal section of the tank so that it defines the length thereof in portions of trajectory in series and in the reverse direction for the fluid »one in the outside and the other inside the cartridge »between the two connectducts. - The cartridge includes a tubular cover provided with active agents »advantageously closed at its end rotated opposite the first end of the tank and whose side wall has two open for the passage of fluid. - The cartridge is extended by an axial passage of fluid that protrudes in the first end of the tank to be connected inside the connecting base with a first cartridge of said connecting ducts. - The cartridge presents on a fraction of its perimeter a rib that projects radially outwards and captured axially between the first end of the tank and a shoulder of the connecting base to ensure the immobilization of the cartridge. - The first conduit extends substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the reservoir. - The second pipe is oblique in relation to the longitudinal direction of the tank »and moves away from the first pipe in the direction of the collecting box. - The connection base has three diameters substantially convergent »two of which define the first and second conduits and the third defines a center for the deposit and two spaces for the transfer of fluid between it and said conduits. - The free end of the duct is adjusted in the third diameter »from a connection narrowing to the same and from one part and another of which communicates with the first and second ducts respectively» and the tube has an inclined annular lip whose free edge is supports on the same connection. - The first and second conduits are arranged respectively below and above the reservoir. - The connection base is welded on the external face of a tubular wall that delimits the collecting box. The connecting conduits extend remarkably tangentially in relation to said tubular wall and open laterally therethrough. The features and advantages of the invention will be discussed in more detail in the following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings "of which: - Figure 1 is a front view of a condenser according to the invention; - Figure 2 is a perspective view of said condenser; Figure 3 is a diagram of a circuit of a cooling fluid incorporating the condenser; Figure 4 is a perspective view with longitudinal cup of the connection base and the reservoir belonging to the condenser of figures 1 and 2; and - Figure 5 is a medium cup view of the connection base and the lower part of the reservoir. Figure 3 is a schematic of a refrigerant fluid circuit forming part of an air conditioning device of the cabin of a motor vehicle. In a known manner, this circuit comprises, successively, a compressor 1, an assembly 2, referred to below as condenser, a decompressor 3 and an evaporator 4. The condenser 2 includes an upper section 2a in which the cooling fluid yields to the heat of an air flow so that it condenses »after having been" cooled "» if necessary »from an inlet temperature higher than the liquid / gas equilibrium temperature. Section 2a is followed by an intermediate deposit 2b. after a low section 2c in which the fluid is subcooled by heat exchange with the air flow. An example of a mode of the capacitor 2 is shown in its general structure in FIGS. 1 and 2. It comprises 2 collector boxes 2d »2e vertically elongated and spaced apart from each other in a horizontal direction» connected to each other by a multiplicity of circulation tubes of horizontal fluid 5. Each collecting box is divided into different chambers by horizontal walls 6 so that the fluid circulates in the tubes 5 alternately from a chamber of the box 2d to a chamber of the box 2e and vice versa »after the upper chamber of the box 2e »communicates with an inlet pipe 7» to the lower chamber of the same box 2e »communicating with the outlet pipe 8. One of the intermediate walls of the collection box 2d» designated in reference 6-1 »Separates the chambers 9-1 and 9-2 from one another, located respectively above and below the wall 6-1» and communicating between them exclusively by means of the tank 2b »which is vert only elongated and extends along the box 2d. As seen particularly in FIGS. 4 and 5, the tank 2b comprises a box formed of a cylindrical body 11 that occupies most of its height and a narrow neck 12 arranged in its lower part. The neck 12 has at its periphery a region 13 provided with a male thread and »below this threaded region a region 14 of smaller diameter» recessed with two circumferential grooves for the housing of two sealing seals 15. A filter cartridge and Dehydrator 20 is arranged in the tank 2b »with respect to the longitudinal axis thereof. This cartridge includes a tubular cover 21 which can be closed at its upper end 22 and which is pierced by two holes 23 distributed in its height. The cover is provided with appropriate particles to filter and dehydrate the fluid. The cover 21 is divided in its height into three regions of different cross sections. A main region 24 extends from the upper end of the cover to the interior of the threaded region 13 of the container box and in which the holes 23 'are made, it has a circular cross-section of a diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter minimum of the box »that is to say» the diameter of the region 14 thereof. The region 24 is followed downwards by a region 25 whose cross section is reduced by the arrangement of two diametrically opposed planes 26. Finally, a lower region 27 again has a circular cross section of a diameter slightly smaller than the distance between the two regions. the planes 26. The lower part of the region 25 and the region 27 exit below the neck 12 of the reservoir in the form of an outlet tube thereof »as will be seen below.

The reservoir 2b is in mechanical connection and in fluid communication with the collecting box 2d by means of a connection base 30 which is shown in detail in FIGS. 4 and 5. This connection base is preferably an alloy molded part. aluminum »which defines a wall 31 notably that revolves around a vertical axis 32» which is also the axis of the tank and the cartridge. The wall 31 delimits a bore 33 open towards the height to receive the neck of the tank 2b. The side surface of the bore 33 has an upper thread in a top region which cooperates with the threading 13 of the tank. A cylindrical middle region 35 cooperates with the sealing gaskets 15 »and a cylindrical lower region 36 surrounds the tube 25» 27 and delimits with the region 27 an annular space 37 communicating with the interior of the tank by two chimneys 38 located with respect to to the plane 26. On the wall 31 a mantle 39 is attached, which extends substantially according to a plane passing through the axis 32. This mantle has, on one and another part of this plane, bulges 40 that allow to accommodate two conduits 41 »42 in parallel to that plane. At an intermediate stage of the manufacture of the connection base »as shown in FIG. 5» the duct 41 opens at its two ends respectively in the recess 33 »to the level of the annular space 37» and in the free edge of the mantle 39 »And is inclined towards the height of one towards the other. The conduit 42 extends horizontally after the free edge of the mantle to the bottom of the recess 33 »to which it joins. In the finished connection base »two welded plugs 43» 44 shown in Fig. 2 »sealingly seal the free ends of the conduits 41» 42 and these discharge to the outside of the connection base exclusively by the passages 45 »46 made in the lateral projections 47 »48 formed in the bulges 40. The tubular wall 21 of the cartridge has an outer circumferential rib 50» formed of two diametrically opposed parts each extending in an arc of a circle between the two planes 26 of the region 25. The rib 50 is encased when the reservoir is screwed onto the connection base »between the lower end 51 of the neck and the shoulder 52 of the wall 31 located in relation thereto. The rib 50 has two inclined upper and lower faces which cooperate with two chamfers made on the neck and on the wall 31. The positioning of the cartridge is completed by adjusting the lower end 53 of the lower region 27 in the reamed diameter 34. immediately below a shoulder 54 thereof which limits to the base of the annular space 37. On the other hand »the region 27 has an inclined annular lip 55 whose free edge abuts the shoulder 54. A flat annular seal 56 is tightened between the free end 57 of the wall 31 and the radial shoulder 58 connecting the neck 12 with the body 11 of the tank. The connection base 30 is fixed on the box IO 2d collector for welding the ends of the projections 47, 48 on the outer face of the tubular wall in aluminum sheet of the box »when the capacitor is assembled for welding. The passages 45 and 46 communicate with the chambers 9-1 and 9-2 respectively of the box as for the fluid by two holes provided in the tubular wall thereof. The condensed fluid coming from the chamber 9-1 passes from the latter to the annular space 37 through the passage 45 and the inclined duct 41 »then enters the tank 2b» screwed to the connection base »by the chimneys 38. The liquid phase then passes. through the holes 23, in the cartridge where it circulates from top to bottom where it is discarded and filtered by the active particles contained therein »while the residual gas phase is finally re-blamed to the upper part of the tank. The fluid leaves the tank »exclusively in liquid state» by the tube 25 »27» and arrives at the chamber 9-2 of the collecting box 2d through the horizontal conduit 42 and the passage 46. In this way »the tubes 5 and the chambers of the boxes 2d and 2e located above the bulkhead 6-1» and comprising the chamber 9-1"constitute the upper section 2a of the condenser" while the tubes and chambers located below said screen and comprising the chamber 9-2"constitute the lower section 2c. The holding flange 60 mechanically connects the upper ends of the tank 2b to that of the collecting box 2d for a more stable fixing of the tank.The cartridge replacement is particularly easy »as it is sufficient to unscrew the tank» remove the used cartridge »and insert a new cartridge and check the tank.

Claims (7)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - A condenser (2), mainly for a refrigerant fluid in an air conditioning tank of the cabin of a motor vehicle »comprising a collecting box < 2d) and an elongated intermediate tank (2b) for the treatment and / or the accumulation of a fluid »which is detachably fixed on a connection base (30) associated with the collecting box» crossed by two connecting ducts (41 42) for the transfer of fluid between the collecting box and the tank »characterized in that the tank is provided in the vicinity of a first end (51) of its ends of means (13) for fixing to the connection base» and contains an interchangeable treatment cartridge (20) that can be removed at the first end when the tank is separated from the connecting base »said connecting conduits extending therein until facing the first end.

2. A condenser according to claim 1 »further characterized in that the collection box is elongated from side to side with the tank and that the tank is connected to the collection box by a maintenance flange (60) by screwing its second end ( twenty-one).

3. A condenser according to one of claims 1 and 2 »further characterized in that the cartridge is elongated in the longitudinal direction of the tank and has a smaller cross section than the internal section of the tank to define along the same two serial path portions in a reverse direction for the fluid »one on the outside and one on the inside of the cartridge, between the two connecting ducts.

4. A condenser according to claim 3 »further characterized in that the cartridge contains a tubular cover (21) provided with active agents, advantageously closed at its end (22) bent in the opposite direction of the first end of the tank and whose wall side has two openings (23) for the passage of fluid.

5. A condenser according to one of claims 3 and 4, further characterized in that the cartridge is extended by a tubular shaft (25. 27) of fluid passage that exits at the first end 51 of the tank to be connected inside of the connection base with a first one (51) of said connection conduits.

6. A capacitor according to one of claims 3 to 5 »further characterized in that the cartridge has on a fraction of its perimeter a rib (50) that exits radially outwards and that is axially closed between the first end (51). ) of the reservoir and a shoulder (52) of the connecting base to ensure the immobilization of the cartridge.

7. A capacitor according to one of claims 3 to 6, further characterized in that the first conduit (42) extends substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the reservoir. S.- A capacitor according to one of claims 3 to 7 »further characterized in that the second conduit 41 is oblique in relation to the longitudinal direction of the reservoir» and extends from the first conduit in the direction of the collector box. 9. A capacitor according to claim 8 »further characterized in that the connection base has three diameters particularly convergent, two of which define the first and second conduits (42. 41) and the third (33) that defines a center for the tank and two spaces (37, 38) for the transfer of fluid between it and said ducts. 10. A capacitor according to claim 9 »incorporated in claim 5» further characterized in that the free end (53) of the tube is adjusted in the third diameter, from a shoulder (54) narrowing the same and one part and another of which communicates with the perimeter and second conduits respectively »and because the tube has an annular lip (55) whose free edge rests on the same shoulder. 11. The capacitor according to one of claims 3 to 10 »further characterized in that the first and second conduits (42» 41) are arranged respectively below and above the reservoir (2b). 12. A capacitor according to one of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the connection base (30) is welded on the external face of a tubular wall delimiting the collection box (2d). 13. A capacitor according to claim 12 »further characterized in that the connecting conduits (42. 41) extend particularly tangentially in relation to said tubular wall and that it opens laterally through it.