WO2004042292A1 - Collecting tank, heat exchanger and coolant circuit - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a collecting tank (43) comprising an elastically deformable drain plug (44), to a heat exchanger (1) and to a coolant circuit.

Description

 Storage tank, heat exchanger and refrigerant circuit

The invention relates to a collecting container with a sealing plug

as well as a heat exchanger and a refrigerant circuit.

Heat exchanger medium such as in refrigerant circuits

Air conditioners are often routed through sumps, ^' thereby

on the one hand guarantees pressure equalization and on the other hand under

Under certain circumstances, a complete condensation of a refrigerant is ensured

is. In addition, a heat exchange medium in such

Collection container by means of a filtering device for particles and

BESTATIGUNGSKOPIE optionally freed of water by means of a drying device

become. To such a filtering and / or drying device for

To make maintenance purposes interchangeable, it is necessary to

To provide a collecting container with a reversibly closable opening,

through which the filtering and / or drying device from the

Collection container is removable.

Such a collecting container is in DE 100 39 260 A1 of the applicant

described. The collecting container there takes one inside

Dryer on for maintenance purposes with a detachable cover ^¬

lockable opening is interchangeable. The lid is as

cylindrical plug and formed in a corresponding

cylindrical bore of the collecting container guided axially and

sealed. In addition, this ^' plug is over a circlip

fixed, with the locking ring by one lying on the stopper

Locking heel is secured against loosening. The stopper is applied by an overpressure, as it is during operation within the

Collecting container is present, axially outwards against the locking ring

pressed. To open the stopper from the

outside are pressed inwards so that the locking ring is released

is and can be removed, after which the stopper from the

Canister can be removed. The bore is sealed using two sealing rings, which are in

an annular groove of the plug are arranged and by insertion

of the plug in the collection container are pressed into the ring grooves. Around

To obtain a sufficient sealing effect, the

The outer dimensions of the stopper correspond exactly to the inner dimensions of the

Bore must be matched. On the other hand, the plug has to be the same

Material exist like the collection container to a declining

To avoid sealing effect during operation of the collecting container,

because of the naturally occurring temperature fluctuations

of the heat exchange medium different materials if necessary

are subject to different thermal expansions. This

Restrictions on both the shape and the

Plug material adversely affects the manufacture of a

such a collecting container.

Since the previously known collecting container is made of aluminum, so is the

Plug made of aluminum. Thanks to the strength of this material it is

possible, the plug in order to save weight and material costs

to be hollow on the inside without reducing the dimensional stability of the plug

To have to buy.

It is an object of the present invention, a collecting container, a

To provide heat exchangers and / or a refrigerant circuit in which a simplified and / or inexpensive manufacture and, if necessary

an improved sealing effect can be achieved.

This task is carried out by a collection container with the characteristics of

Claim 1, by a heat exchanger with the features of

Claim 9 and solved by a refrigerant circuit with the features of claim 10.

According to claim 1 comprises a collecting container for a

Heat exchange medium is a housing in which a drying and / or

Filtration device is receivable. The case is one with one

Removable stopper closable opening through which the

Drying and / or filtering device can be accommodated in and removed from the housing, so that the drying and / or

Filtration device is designed interchangeable. The case opening is for that

can be closed with a removable plug and with a sealant

sealed. The sealant can be one or more sealing rings,

which is made of an elastomeric material such as rubber or Teflon

is / are.

The object of the invention is advantageously achieved in that the stopper

is elastically deformable. This makes the stopper during one

Operation of the collecting container deformable by an internal pressure, that the stopper sealant against an edge of the housing opening

suppressed. This ensures a desired seal even if

if the stopper is not sufficient due to its dimensions alone

Would exert pressure on the sealant, for example by a

imprecise manufacturing dimensions or also due to different thermal expansion of the plug and housing may be the case.

Under an elastically deformable stopper is in the sense of the invention

To understand plug that is created by applying pressure within the

Collection container changes its shape so that the sealant has a force

experiences. A common operating pressure for heat exchange media such as

For example, refrigerants from air conditioning systems are already sufficient. ^' In

In this sense, for example, has a solid plug made of aluminum

no elastic deformability.

The elastic deformability of the stopper is on the one hand due to a

suitable plug geometry can be achieved. The plug has, for example, a recess with such a thin wall that

the wall with the help of a pressurized

Heat exchange medium, which is located within the recess,

can be pressed against an edge of the housing opening. The is preferred

Plug essentially as a hollow cylinder with an open end face

Interior of the housing formed, the opening being a circular Has cross-section. The heat exchange medium then presses the

Cylinder wall radially towards an edge of the opening, causing the

Sealant, preferably a sealing ring, evenly compressed

and an effective sealing effect is achieved. The collection container is particularly simple if the housing is designed as a tube with an open end. The opening is then through the open pipe end, in

that the plug can be formed

On the other hand, it is possible to make the stopper from an elastically deformable

To produce material. Here, too, the stopper is pressed by the

Heat exchange medium pressed against an edge of the housing opening,

so that the sealant to achieve an improved sealing effect

is pressed together.

A combination of a suitable geometry of the stopper with the selection of an elastically deformable material is particularly preferred. For example, a hollow cylindrical plastic plug is suitable

particularly good as a releasable closure of the collecting container, since a

Plastic with sufficient elasticity for an inventive

Deformability and at the same time sufficient strength to close the collecting container is readily selectable. In order to permeate the

Prevent heat exchanger medium through the plug material

the plug preferably has a shielding element. Is particularly preferred the shielding element as metal vapor deposition or paint coating

formed, which is applied at least on the inside of the housing facing the plug.

In a preferred embodiment, the plug is integral with the

Sealant formed, due to a resulting reduction

the number of individual parts an assembly effort of the collection container

is reduced. In the case of a plastic stopper in particular

Sealant be injected onto the stopper, making it a special one

simple one-piece design of the plug with the sealant

can be realized.

The plug is preferably against falling out of the

Collection container secured by being held in the opening by a locking ring. In particular, a release of the circlip is triggered

a possibly existing annular groove in the edge of the housing opening

prevented by the locking ring by an am _. Plug

provided, on an inner edge of the locking ring locking heel is secured.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention

Storage tank in a heat exchanger with tubes, fins and two

Head pieces used such that a heat exchange medium through the heat exchanger flows, before, after or during the

Flows through the collecting container. In particular, the heat exchanger

formed as a condenser, in which case a dryer is particularly preferred

is accommodated in the collecting container. Such heat exchangers are through

DE 42 38 853 C2 become known, which is hereby expressly for

Revelation content heard.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the invention

Storage tank in a refrigerant circuit of an air conditioning system with a

Compression element, a first heat exchanger, one

Relaxation element and a second heat exchanger used to

to enable a collection of the refrigerant. The collection container

includes in particular a dryer for the refrigerant.

In particular, the compression element is a compressor, the first

Heat exchanger a condenser, the relaxation element

Expansion valve and the second heat exchanger an evaporator.

The invention is described below using exemplary embodiments

Reference to the drawings explained in more detail. Show it:

Fig. 1 shows a heat exchanger with a collecting container according to the invention and Fig. 2 shows a section of a collecting container in cross section.

1 shows a capacitor (1) of an otherwise not shown

Refrigerant circuit shown for an air conditioning system. He has a pipe

Rib block (10) with tubes (11) and ribs arranged between them

(12). The tubes (11), in this embodiment as flat tubes

are formed, open into manifolds (13, 14) that overlap on both sides

extend the entire height of the tube-fin block (10). A first one

Collector tube (13) is not with an inlet connection (15) for one

shown compression element, such as a compressor,

Coming gaseous refrigerant and with a drain connection (16) for

for flowing relaxation refrigerant, also not shown, such as an expansion valve, flowing liquid refrigerant.

The two manifolds (13, 14) are separated by partitions (17, 18, 19, 20,

21, 22, 26, 27) in communicating with the connections (15, 16)

Head pieces (33, 34) and in intermediate pieces (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)

divided so that the refrigerant from the head (33) to the intermediate piece

(40) and from the intermediate piece (42) to the head piece (34) one each

describes a serpentine path through the capacitor (1), the

Flow cross-section with increasing cooling corresponding to the

reducing volume of the gaseous and / or liquid Refrigerant is also reduced. The manifolds (13, 14) are through

End walls (28, 29, 30, 31) closed fluid-tight.

A collecting container (43) is connected to the collecting pipe (14)

Collection of the condensed refrigerant is used. The housing (23) of the

Collection container (43) has an inlet opening (24) and one

Exit opening (25) with the intermediate pieces (40)

or (42) of the manifold (14) communicate. Within the

Housing (23) is a drying and filtering device (32),

which is removable from the housing (23). For that purpose it is

tubular housing (23) on one end face with a releasable plug

(44) closed, so that the drying and filtering device (32) over

the opening (45) can be replaced, for example, for maintenance purposes

can.

Fig. 2 shows a ^' detailed, partial view of a

Collecting container (100) with a stopper (110) in cross section. The

Collecting container comprises a round tubular housing (120), one of which

Front side (130) is open. The housing (120) has an invisible one

Inlet opening and an outlet opening (140) for a heat exchange medium such as a refrigerant. A

Connection to an adjacent manifold (150) with separating

or end walls (160, 170) is opened via an opening (180) made in the manifold (150), with a raised edge (190)

the opening (180) engages in the outlet opening (140) of the collecting container (100).

To a drying and filtering device, not shown, which in the

Housing (120) can be exchanged, the open one

Front side (130) of the housing (120) with the releasable plug (110)

closed, a cylindrical shape adapted to the housing shape

has. Two sealing rings (200, 210) are used for sealing

circumferential ring grooves (220, 230) in the cylinder wall (240) of the

hollow cylindrical plug (110) are added. In a ring groove (250)

in the edge of the opening (130) a locking ring (260) is received, the

prevents the plug (110) from falling out of the opening (130). The

How the circlip (260) works is detailed in the entry

DE 100 39 260 A1 mentioned, which hereby also

expressly belongs to the content of the disclosure. The removal of the plug (110) from the housing (120) is shown by a not shown

Easier screw that into the blind hole (270)

can be screwed in, so that the plug (110) can simply be pulled out of the opening (130).

To improve the "sealing effect of the sealing rings (200, 210)

reach, the plug (110) is made of an elastically deformable plastic manufactured, whereby the stopper (1 10) and especially its wall

(240) is elastically deformable. Care must be taken that the

Deformability of the plug (110) is not so pronounced that the

Closing effect is jeopardized with the help of the circlip (260).

During operation of the collecting container (100), this is within

whose housing (120) located heat exchanger medium under pressure and

exercises from the cavity (280) of the hollow cylindrical plug (110)

Force on the inside (290) of the wall (240) of the plug (110).

Then bends because of the elastic deformability of the plug material

the wall (240) radially away from the cylinder axis (300) in the direction of

the edge of the opening (130), which in this embodiment is characterized by the

Pipe wall of the housing (120) is shown. This will make the

Sealing rings (200, 210) in the ring grooves (220, 230) against the housing (120)

pressed and a secure seal guaranteed. Essential

It is important that the ring grooves (220, 230) with the sealing rings (200, 210) are in a region of the wall (240) at the level of the cavity

(280) are arranged so that the force generated by the pressure of the heat exchange medium on the inside (290) of the

Sufficient wall (240) on the sealing rings (200, 210)

is transmitted. In contrast to a lid area (310) of the

The hollow plug (110) is relative in the area of the wall (240)

thinly formed to additionally support this power transmission. Even if the wall (240) may already have no internal pressure

is present on the inside of the housing (120)

Overpressure given increased pressure on the sealing rings (200, 210) because

the plug wall due to the elastic deformability of the material

(240) cannot or only partially absorb the above force, so

that the force acts indirectly on the sealing rings. So is among these too

Under certain circumstances, an improved sealing effect is possible.

Overall, there are greater manufacturing tolerances in the dimensions of the

Housing (120) and the plug (110) just as acceptable as relative

Changes in size between housing (120) and plug (110) during

an operation of the collecting container (100) due to different

large thermal expansions, which may be triggered by temperature fluctuations in the heat exchange medium.

Claims

claims 1. Collecting container for a heat exchange medium, with a Housing in which a replaceable drying ^• and / or Filtration device can be accommodated, the housing having an opening which can be closed with a releasable stopper and which can be sealed with a sealing agent, characterized in that the Plug is elastically deformable. 2. Collection container according to claim 1, characterized in that the stopper is made of plastic. 3. A collecting container according to claim 2, characterized in that the Plug a shielding element against the heat exchange medium having. 4. A container according to claim 3, characterized in that the shielding element as a coating, in particular as a metal or lacquer coating. 5. Collection container according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized characterized in that the sealant comprises at least one sealing ring an elastomeric material such as rubber or teflon. 6. Collecting container according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the plug in one piece with the sealant is formed, the sealant in particular on the plug is injected. 7. Collection container according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized characterized in that the plug by a locking ring in the Opening is durable. 8. Collection container according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized characterized in that the opening has a circular cross-section has and the plug is essentially formed as a hollow cylinder is, the hollow cylinder on the inside of the housing facing side is open. 9. A collecting container according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized characterized in that the housing is designed as a tube with an open end, the plug in the open tube end is recordable. 10. Collection container according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized characterized in that the heat exchange medium is a refrigerant and the collecting container is part of a refrigerant circuit, in particular for a motor vehicle air conditioning system. 11. Heat exchanger, in particular condenser, with tubes, fins and two head pieces, characterized in that the heat exchanger has a collecting container according to one of Claims 1 to 10. 12. Refrigerant circuit of an air conditioning system, especially for one Motor vehicle, with a compression element, with a first Heat exchanger, with a relaxation element, with a second heat exchanger and with a collecting container, thereby characterized in that the collecting container according to one of the Claims 1 to 10 is formed.