Refrigeration – Refrigeration producer – Compressor-condenser-evaporator circuit
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-29
2002-01-01
Walberg, Teresa (Department: 3742)
Refrigeration
Refrigeration producer
Compressor-condenser-evaporator circuit
C062S498000, C165S176000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06334333
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a condenser used in a refrigeration cycle in a vehicular air conditioner, for example.
In some of the condensers used in the refrigeration cycle, a reservoir tank, i.e. an accumulator, for storing the refrigerant liquefied by cooling is provided for one of the paired header pipes, and is given the function of a liquid tank, as disclosed in JP-A-8-35744 and JP-A-8-110125.
FIG. 11
is an exploded, perspective view showing a major portion of a conventional product that is disclosed in JP-A-8-35744. In the product, a flat portion B
1
with a flat surface B
2
is formed on a header pipe B that is one of the paired header pipes, and a flat portion C
1
with a flat surface C
2
is formed also on a reservoir tank C. A through-hole B
3
is formed in the flat portion B
1
of the header pipe B at a predetermined location. A through-hole C
3
having the same configuration as the through-hole B
3
of the header pipe B is formed also in the flat portion C
1
of the header pipe C at a predetermined location.
In the product, the through-hole B
3
of the header pipe B is aligned with the through-hole C
3
of the reservoir tank C, and the through-hole B
3
of the header pipe B is joined to the through-hole C
3
of the reservoir tank C by hard soldering, whereby the through-hole B
3
and the through-hole C
3
communicate the inside of the header pipe B with the inside of the reservoir tank C, and form a refrigerant passage D through which a refrigerant flows.
In the conventional product shown in
FIG. 11
, when the refrigerant leaks from a joining portion for forming the refrigerant passage D, the repair of the leakage requires hermetically sealing of the joining portion over its entire circumference by hard soldering, or the like. Since the refrigerant passage D is formed by joining together the flat surface B
2
of the header pipe B and the flat surface C
2
of the reservoir tank C, an area of the joining portion forming the refrigerant passage D is large, and the outer circumference of the joining portion is long.
Thus, when the refrigerant leaks from the joining portion forming the refrigerant passage D, much work is needed for its repair. In an extreme case, it is unavoidable to discard the condenser per se.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel arrangement which enables easy work of repairing the refrigerant leakage from the joining portion forming the refrigerant passage when the leakage occurs.
To achieve the above-noted object, the present invention proposes the use of a connection member that is arranged to be attached to the reservoir tank and one of the heater pipes and to communicate the reservoir tank with the one of the header pipes.
A condenser according to the present invention preferably has the following arrangement:
Arrangement (1):
A plurality of heat exchanging tubes through which refrigerant flows are disposed between a pair of first and second header pipes and arranged in multiple stages to form a core section for cooling refrigerant through the heat exchanging tubes, a reservoir tank is joined to the first header pipe, and the first header pipe is communicated with the reservoir tank by a refrigerant passage. Further, the first header pipe is communicated with the reservoir tank by a connection member having the refrigerant passage, the connection member connects a portion of the first header pipe which is out of a joining portion of the header pipe where the header pipe is joined to the reservoir tank to a portion of the reservoir tank which is out of a joining portion of the reservoir tank where the reservoir tank is joined to the header pipe.
Arrangement (2):
In the arrangement (1), a separator for parting the core section into a condensing portion for condensing and liquefying a gaseous refrigerant and an overcooling portion for overcooling the liquid refrigerant thus formed by the condensing portion is provided within each of the header pipes, each the header pipe is parted, by the separator, into a first chamber communicating with the heat exchanging tubes of the condensing portion and a second chamber communicating with the heat exchanging tubes of the overcooling portion, and the connection member includes, as the refrigerant passage, a first refrigerant passage for communicatively connecting the first chamber in the first header pipe to the reservoir tank, and a second refrigerant passage for communicatively connecting the second chamber in the first header pipe to the reservoir tank.
Arrangement (3):
In the arrangement (2), the connection member includes a first connection member having the first refrigerant passage and a second connection member that has the second refrigerant passage and that is separated from the first connection member.
Arrangement (4):
In any one of the arrangements (1) to (3), an accessory connection port communicated with the refrigerant passage is provided on the connection member so that an accessory part can be attached to the accessory connection port.
Arrangement (5):
In the arrangement (4), a filter for filtering out dust contained in the refrigerant is inserted into and disposed in the refrigerant passage through the accessory connection port, and the accessory part serving also as a sealing plug of the accessory connection port is attached to the accessory connection port.
In the arrangement (1), the first header pipe is communicatively connected to the reservoir tank by a connection member provided with a refrigerant passage, the connection member connects a portion of the first header pipe which is out of a joining portion of the header pipe where it is joined to the reservoir tank to a portion of the reservoir tank which is out of a joining portion of the reservoir tank where it is joined to the header pipe. Accordingly, the joining portions for forming the refrigerant passage are a joining portion between the fist header pipe and the connection member and a joining portion between the reservoir tank and the connection member. Accordingly, the joining areas of the joining portions forming the refrigerant passages are smaller than that in the conventional product shown in
FIG. 11
in which the refrigerant passage is formed by joining the first header pipe and the reservoir tank. Further, the length of the outer circumference of the joining portions forming the refrigerant passage is reduced.
When the leakage of the refrigerant from the joining portions forming the refrigerant passage occurs, the location of the leakage can be confined to either one of the joining portion between the first header pipe and the connection member and the joining portion between the reservoir tank and the connection member.
Accordingly, when the refrigerant leaks from the joining portions for forming the refrigerant passage, the circumferential length of the joining portion requiring its repair can be further shortened in comparison to that required in the conventional product shown in FIG.
11
. Therefore, the repairing work to hermetically seal the joining portion over its entire circumference by hard soldering or the like is easy.
In the arrangement (2), the refrigerant liquefied by the condensing portion of the core section flows from the first chamber of the first header pipe into the reservoir tank, through the first refrigerant passage of the connection member. The liquid refrigerant in the reservoir tank flows from the tank through the second refrigerant passage of the connection member to the second chamber of the first header pipe, and flows into the overcooling portion where the refrigerant is overcooled. Therefore, even if the core section is parted into the condensing portion and the overcooling portion, the joining portions for forming the refrigerant passages are the joining portion between the first header pipe and the connection member and the joining portion between the reservoir tank and the connection member.
The areas of the joining portion for forming the refrigerant passages can be reduced when comparing with
Calsonic Kansei Corporation
Foley & Lardner
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