Refrigeration – Processes – Assembling – charging – or repairing of refrigeration producer
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-27
2002-08-20
Jiang, Chen-Wen (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Processes
Assembling, charging, or repairing of refrigeration producer
C062S292000, C062S149000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06434953
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a filling device for motor vehicle air-conditioning systems, which is required for the maintenance of air-conditioning systems in order to exchange old spent refrigerant for new refrigerant.
EP 0 315 296 B1 discloses a refrigerant recovery system, by means of which refrigerant can be extracted from an air-conditioning system, purified and fed to the air-conditioning system again. This known refrigerant recovery system is suitable for air-conditioning systems which are operated with the refrigerants R
12
or R
134
a.
These refrigerants, because of their hydrocarbon content, are extremely harmful to the environment and should not be discharged into the environment, and it is therefore necessary to have a refrigerant recovery system of this type with a multiplicity of components, such as an evaporator, condenser, compressor and various valves, and with a complicated makeup.
A refrigerant recovery system of this type is not necessary or expedient for air-conditioning systems which contain harmless and natural refrigerants, for example, CO
2
.
One object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a filling device for a motor vehicle air-conditioning system that uses harmless refrigerants, in particular CO
2
, which has a simple makeup and is correspondingly cost-effective and which meets a high safety standard.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method for draining and filling an air-conditioning system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accomplishing the objects of the invention, there has been provided according to one aspect of the invention, a filling device for a motor vehicle air-conditioning system comprising:
(a) a connection for connecting the device to the air-conditioning system;
(b) a drainage line, comprising a drainage valve, for draining off the refrigerant of the air-conditioning system at a predetermined rate;
(c) a pumping-off line which comprises a pump and is connected to the connection, for pumping off refrigerant residues substantially completely; and
(d) a refrigerant feed line, connected to the connection, for filling the air-conditioning system with refrigerant from a refrigerant source.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a draining and filling device for motor vehicle air-conditioning system comprising:
(a) a connector for connecting the filling device to a motor vehicle air conditioning system;
(b) a connecting line connected to said connector, said line comprising:
(i) a drainage line for draining off refrigerant from said motor vehicle air conditioning system;
(ii) a pumping-off line for pumping off refrigerant residues from said motor vehicle air conditioning system, and
(iii) a refrigerant feed line for filling said motor vehicle air conditioning system with refrigerant;
(c) a refrigerant outlet arranged at the end of said drainage line for discharging drained off refrigerant into the surroundings;
(d) a refrigerant reservoir connected to said line via said refrigerant feed line;
(e) a heater for heating said refrigerant reservoir and refrigerant contained therein; and
(f) a weighing device on which said refrigerant reservoir is mounted.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of draining and filling a motor vehicle air-conditioning system comprising:
(a) connecting a connector of a filling device to a filling valve of said motor vehicle air conditioning system; closing a third shutoff valve; opening the filling valve as well as a first shutoff valve, a second shutoff valve and a fourth shutoff valve;
b) establishing refrigerant throughflow via said connector through a device for reducing pressure; discharging old refrigerant exiting from said device via an oil separator into the atmosphere;
c) pumping off substantially all refrigerant, moisture or dirt remaining in the motor vehicle air-conditioning system via said connector;
d) setting a filling pressure as a function of temperature and content of a refrigerant filling reservoir;
e) heating said refrigerant filling reservoir;
f) filling said motor vehicle air-conditioning system with refrigerant via said connector; and
g) separating said draining and filling device from said motor vehicle air-conditioning system.
Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description of preferred embodiments that follows, when considered together with the accompanying drawing.
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Bimboes Herbert
Raiser Harald
Schmidt Wolfgang
Sickelmann Michael
Behr GmbH & Co.
Jiang Chen-Wen
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