U.S. patent application number 11/018050 was filed with the patent office on 2005-06-23 for collector for an air-conditioning unit for vehicles.
This patent application is currently assigned to SKG ITALIA S.p.A. Invention is credited to Bernini, Michele, Gastaldi, Matteo.
Application Number | 20050132743 11/018050 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34674562 |
Filed Date | 2005-06-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050132743 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bernini, Michele ; et
al. |
June 23, 2005 |
Collector for an air-conditioning unit for vehicles
Abstract
Improved collector for an air-conditioning unit for vehicles
comprising a cylindrical pipe (11, 11') provided at one end with an
opening (11A) for the insertion of an integrated filtering and/or
drying means, a substantially cylindrical cap (100) that can be
inserted axially into the opening (11A), as well as a stop element
(20), which can be positioned on the top of the cap (100) and in
engagement with the cylindrical pipe (11, 11'), wherein the stop
element is an elastic safety ring (20) comprising a C-shaped body
(22) and plurality of wings projecting outwards (23) coplanar to
the body (22) and wherein the cylindrical pipe (11, 11') is
provided in a portion adjacent to the opening (11A) with a
plurality of slits, or slots, (21) lying on a common diametric
plane and suitable for housing the wings (23) of a shape
substantially matching the shape of the slits (21) and in a
position corresponding to the same slits (21).
Inventors: |
Bernini, Michele; (Parma,
IT) ; Gastaldi, Matteo; (Parma, IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
James V. Costigan
Hedman & Costigan, P.C.
1185 Avenue of the Americas
New York
NY
10036-2646
US
|
Assignee: |
SKG ITALIA S.p.A
|
Family ID: |
34674562 |
Appl. No.: |
11/018050 |
Filed: |
December 21, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/509 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25B 39/04 20130101;
F25B 2339/0441 20130101; F25B 2400/162 20130101; F25B 43/003
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
062/509 |
International
Class: |
F25B 039/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 22, 2003 |
IT |
MI2003A 002547 |
Claims
1. Improved collector for an air-conditioning unit for vehicles
comprising a cylindrical pipe (11, 11') provided at one end with an
opening (11A) for the insertion of an integrated filtering and/or
drying means, a substantially cylindrical cap (100) that can be
inserted axially into said opening (11A) , as well as a stop
element (20), which can be positioned on the top of said cap (100)
and in engagement with said cylindrical pipe (11, 11'),
characterised in that said stop element is an elastic safety ring
(20) comprising a C-shaped body (22) and plurality of wings
projecting outwards (23) coplanar to said body (22) and in that
said cylindrical pipe (11, 11') is provided in a portion adjacent
to said opening (11A) with a plurality of slits, or slots, (21)
lying on a common diametric plane and suitable for housing said
wings (23), said wings (23) being of a shape substantially matching
the shape of said slits (21) and in a position corresponding to the
same slits (21).
2. Collector according to claim 1, characterised in that said wings
projecting outwards (23) and said slits (21) are, respectively, two
in number and arranged on said common plane in a diametrically
opposite position.
3. Collector according to claim 1, characterised in that said
elastic safety ring (20) is equipped with a plurality of secondary
wings (24) projecting inwards from said body (22) and coplanar to
it.
4. Collector according to claim 1, characterised in that said
cylindrical pipe (11') comprises reinforcement elements (25)
arranged in a position tangent to the edges of the holes (21).
5. Collector according to claim 4, characterised in that said
reinforcement elements are longitudinal reinforcement ribs
(25).
6. Collector according to claim 5, characterised in that said
longitudinal ribs (25) extend along the entire length of the pipe
(11).
7. Collector according to claim 1, characterised in that said cap
(100) is made up of a plurality of elements (12, 13, 16) stably
coupled together and forming a succession of cylindrical portions
with substantially the same diameter as the internal diameter of
the pipe (11) and seats (15) with a smaller diameter for housing
elastic sealing rings (14).
8. Collector according to claim 7, characterised in that a first
moulded element (12) is internally hollow and equipped in said
recess (32) with at least one transversal wall (33), projecting at
one end to form a gripping fin (34).
9. Collector according to claim 7, characterised in that a third
element (16) is moulded integrally with a spacer shaft (30)
suitable for being connected to a cartridge containing the
filtering and/or drying means.
Description
[0001] The present invention refers to an improved collector for an
air-conditioning unit for vehicles.
[0002] An air-conditioning unit for vehicles comprises, amongst
other things, a condenser, a drying means for removing water
particles from the cooling liquid and a filtering element for
holding impurities possibly present in the cooling liquid.
[0003] As an alternative to the arrangement of a separate
dehydrating filter, arranged in the air-conditioning unit between
the condenser and the expansion valve, it has become common to
integrate a drying means and a filtering element directly into a
collector pipe of the condenser.
[0004] The condenser provided with an integrated dehydrating filter
therefore has the task of removing water particles from the cooling
liquid, filtering impurities possibly present in the cooling liquid
and acting as an accumulator for a certain amount of liquid.
[0005] The drying means and the filtering element, for example
contained in a rigid or semi-rigid casing that can be made from
various materials and can be of various types, must generally be
replaced after a certain operating period of the air-conditioning
unit.
[0006] Alternatively, the drying means could be contained in
permeable bags structurally separate from the filtering element.
Also in this case it is suitable for the individual components to
be able to be replaced by accessing inside the collector.
[0007] The collector pipe is thus provided at a cylindrical end
thereof with a removable cap to allow access to the internal
components. The removable cap can possibly be connected through
suitable means to a cartridge containing the drying means.
[0008] Threaded caps made from aluminium or light alloy, as well as
cylindrical caps equipped with at least one seat for the insertion
of an O-ring that forms a seal against the wall of the collector
pipe are commonly used. This second type of cap is generally made
from aluminium alloy or else from moulded plastic material.
[0009] Known cylindrical caps are generally held in position by
stop elements, or elastic safety rings, for example Seeger rings,
positioned on the top of the caps themselves, which engage and form
a seal in an annular seat or groove made on to inner wall of the
collector pipe. The main drawback of this solution consists of the
mechanical weakening of the whole circumference of the pipe caused
by making the annular seat.
[0010] So as to be able to carry out the required processing, the
thickness of the wall of the pipe, moreover, cannot be less than
certain values that substantially restrict the minimum amount of
material necessary for the production of the collector pipe.
[0011] The purpose of the present invention is that of making an
improved collector for an air-conditioning unit for vehicles with
reduced thickness and good mechanical strength.
[0012] Another purpose of the present invention is that of making
an improved collector for an air-conditioning unit for vehicles
that simplifies the mechanical processing with respect to current
processing, as well as the assembly operations.
[0013] Another purpose of the present invention is that of making
an improved collector for an air-conditioning unit for vehicles
that is particularly simple and functional with low costs.
[0014] These and other purposes, according to the present
invention, are accomplished by making an improved collector for an
air-conditioning unit for vehicles as outlined in claim 1.
[0015] Further characteristics are foreseen in the dependent
claims.
[0016] Further characteristics and advantages of an improved
collector for an air-conditioning unit for vehicles, according to
the present invention, shall become clearer from the following
description, given as an example and not for limiting purposes,
referring to the attached schematic drawings, in which:
[0017] FIG. 1 is a plan view of an improved collector for an
air-conditioning unit for vehicles according to the present
invention;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a section view according to the line II-II of FIG.
1 of the collector according to the present invention partially
split;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a partially interrupted top side view of the
collector pipe of FIG. 1;
[0020] FIG. 4 is a cross section carried out according to the line
IV-IV of the collector of FIG. 3;
[0021] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a
cylindrical pipe for an improved collector according to the present
invention.
[0022] With reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, a first embodiment of an
improved collector for an air-conditioning unit for vehicles is
shown, wholly indicated with reference numeral 10.
[0023] The collector 10 comprises a hollow cylinder 11 provided at
one end with an opening 11A for the insertion of a filtering and
drying means (not shown).
[0024] The opening 11A is suitable for receiving a substantially
cylindrical cap 100, which, when inserted axially into such an
opening 11A and secured in position by a stop element 20, closes
the collector pipe 11 sealed when it is put under pressure.
[0025] The cap 100, in a preferred embodiment shown in section as a
non-limiting example in FIG. 2, comprises many elements moulded in
plastic material and stably coupled with each other.
[0026] The coupled elements form a succession of cylindrical
portions with substantially the same diameter as the internal
diameter of the pipe 11 and seats 15 with a smaller diameter for
housing elastic sealing rings 14, for example O-rings, as shown in
FIG. 2.
[0027] In the cap 100, for example, a first element 12 comprises a
portion with the same diameter as the pipe 11 and two portions with
a smaller diameter, as well as fastening means for a second element
13 and for a third element 16 arranged on opposite sides.
[0028] The first element 12, in the preferred embodiment shown, is
made equipped with an inner recess 32 diametrically divided by
transversal walls 33, one of which projects at one end of the cap
100 to form a gripping fin 34. The fin 34 is perforated close to
the upper end to ease the removal of the cap 100 from the pipe
11.
[0029] The coupleable moulded elements 12, 13 and 16, which in the
examples shown are stably coupled through pressure fastening means,
or clamps, can also be ultrasound electrowelded, without it being
necessary to foresee the possibility of disassembly of the
assembled cap.
[0030] Moreover, as an example, the cap 100 shown in FIG. 2
comprises a spacer shaft 30 made integrally with it and able to be
coupled with a cartridge integrated in the collector 100 (not
shown, suitable for containing a drying means and a filtering means
for the cooling liquid circulating in the collector pipe
itself.
[0031] The collector pipe 10 is provided, in the portion adjacent
to the insertion opening 11A, with two opposite slits or slots 21.
The slits 21 are elongated and lie on the same diametric plane. The
slits 21 are made as through holes that cross the entire thickness
of the wall of the pipe 11.
[0032] The slits or slots 21, moreover, in further embodiments that
are not shown, could also be in a number other than two, still
arranged on a common diametric plane of the pipe 11.
[0033] The stop element 20 is an elastic safety ring comprising a
C-shaped body 22 equipped with two wings 23 projecting outwards in
a position diametrically opposite and coplanar to the body 22. The
wings 23, which in further embodiments that are not shown could be
in a number other than two, are always of a shape matching the
slits 21 of the cylindrical pipe 11 and in a position corresponding
to them.
[0034] The elastic safety ring 20, moreover, comprises a plurality
of inner secondary wings 24 also coplanar to the body 22 and
projecting radially inwards.
[0035] The stop element 20 equipped with inner wings 24
advantageously has a larger resting surface on the cap 100 with
respect to the ring provided with just outer wings 23 (not shown),
whilst still keeping a central body 22 that is sufficiently thin so
that the ring 20 can be deformed, in other words stretched and then
spread out, during the installation operations on the cap 100
inside the cylindrical pipe 11.
[0036] The safety ring 20 is mounted in the pipe 11 on the top of
the cap 100 inserting the outer wings 23 inside the slits 21.
[0037] When the collector 10 in operation is put under pressure the
cap 100 is held in axial position by the stop element 20 that forms
a seal on the two wings 23 inside the slits or slots 21.
[0038] The cylindrical pipe 11 according to the present invention
can be made with reduced thickness, without any processing of an
annular groove inside the pipe being necessary.
[0039] The cylindrical pipe 11 with reduced thickness according to
the present invention can be subjected to critical values in terms
of concentration of mechanical stresses at the ends of the slits or
slots 21.
[0040] To improve this critical situation, a further embodiment
shown in FIG. 5 foresees that the pipe 11' be equipped on the outer
surface with reinforcement elements 25 arranged in a tangent
position to the edges of the holes 21. The reinforcement elements
are localised thickenings of the wall of the pipe 11 that, in a
preferred embodiment, are made as longitudinal reinforcement ribs
25. Such ribs 25, which can advantageously be made in the extrusion
step of the pipe 11', extend for the entire length of said pipe
11'.
[0041] The cylindrical pipe of the improved collector for an
air-conditioning unit for vehicles can advantageously be made with
reduced thickness without penalising its mechanical
characteristics. This means a significant reduction in weight of
the aluminium used with a consequent substantial economic
advantage.
[0042] Moreover, the assembly operations of the cap inside the
cylindrical pipe are advantageously made easier in the collector
according to the present invention. Indeed, it is possible to check
the correct positioning of the safety ring directly from the slits
made in the wall of the pipe.
[0043] The collector pipe according to the present invention can,
moreover, advantageously be used with known closing caps of
standardised size.
[0044] The improved collector pipe for an air-conditioning unit for
vehicles thus conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications
and variants, which are all covered by the invention itself;
moreover, all of the details can be replaced with technically
equivalent elements. In practice, the materials used, as well as
their sizes, can be whatever according to the technical
requirements.
* * * * *