Refrigeration – With indicator or tester – Condition sensing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-18
2001-07-10
Tanner, Harry B. (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
With indicator or tester
Condition sensing
C062S126000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257005
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an online diagnostic tool for air conditioning systems, and more particularly to an electronic early warning device for an air conditioning system used in automotive, industrial, or heavy equipment environments.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Air conditioning systems in harsh environments, such as automotive, industrial trucking, or heavy equipment environments, may periodically experience high pressure conditions in the compressor and/or evaporator that could potentially damage air conditioning system components. Usually, these high pressure problems are discovered via diagnostic tools only after the air conditioning system has stopped operating due to the excessive pressure. However, breakdowns resulting from high pressure often require extensive repair, such as replacement of the condensor, evaporator, dryer, compressor and hoses. These repairs are both expensive and time-consuming, requiring extensive down time. Further, high pressure damage to the air conditioning system may cause freon to escape into the environment, which is undesirable due to freon's known detrimental effects on humans and the ozone layer.
Although there are devices that monitor the temperature of air conditioning systems during operation, there are currently no known online devices that monitor pressure during system operation. As a result, there is currently no known device that can provide early detection and warning of potentially damaging high pressure conditions.
There is a need for an online device that monitors the pressure in an air conditioning system during system operation and provides an early warning signal of potentially damaging pressures so that maintenance work can be performed on the system before a more serious system failure occurs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, a pressure status meter according to the present invention is an early warning device for an air conditioning system. More particularly, the invention monitors air conditioning systems in automotive/industrial trucking/heavy equipment environments by monitoring the system pressure and converting the pressure values into a digital signal using pressure activated switches. In one embodiment, the device monitors air flow through the air conditioning system's condenser and converts the data into a digital signal to indicate a particular system pressure condition, signaling the operator of the system that a problem either has occurred or may occur shortly.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4790143 (1988-12-01), Hanson
patent: 5209076 (1993-05-01), Kauffman et al.
patent: 5408840 (1995-04-01), Talley
patent: 5560213 (1996-10-01), Wieszt
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