Refrigeration – With vehicle feature
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-29
2001-08-28
Tapolcai, William E. (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
With vehicle feature
C062S275000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279334
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a refrigerating device for a vehicle, the refrigerating device being mounted on a refrigeration container of the vehicle for refrigerating an interior of the refrigeration container.
BACKGROUND ART
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HE19-99773 discloses a conventional refrigerating device for a vehicle of this type. The refrigerating device comprises an evaporator mounted in a refrigeration container (a refrigeration chamber) of a vehicle, and a condenser mounted outside the refrigeration container such that the condenser is protruded from a front face of the refrigeration container. The condenser and evaporator are mounted on protruded portions of the refrigeration container with bolts and nuts, respectively.
In the refrigerating device disclosed in the above patent application, because the condenser and evaporator are protruded from the refrigeration container in the forward direction, reduction of the capacity of the refrigeration container can be prevented. However, since the condenser and evaporator have to be mounted separately on the refrigeration container, there is a problem that mounting operations of the condenser and evaporator are troublesome so that it takes much labor and time for the mounting operations. Particularly, the mounting operation for the evaporator and the like need to be carried out in the inside of the refrigeration container. On the other hand, the mounting operation for the condenser and the like need to be carried out from the outside of the refrigeration container. Further, other components for performing the refrigerating cycle must be mounted separately. Thus, the mounting operations become complicated. Further, since the evaporator and the like to be mounted on the inside of the refrigeration container must be carried out within a narrow space extended form the refrigerating chamber, the mounting operation is difficult and it takes a long time to perform the mounting operation.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerating device for a vehicle, which can be mounted easily and quickly.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a refrigerating device for a vehicle to refrigerate the interior of a refrigeration container of the vehicle. The refrigerating device includes an evaporator, an evaporator fan, a condenser and a condenser fan. The refrigerating device further comprises an evaporator housing which is a separate member from the refrigeration container. The evaporator and the evaporator fan are installed in the evaporator housing, and the condenser and the condenser fan are mounted on the exterior of the evaporator housing so as to construct an integrated refrigerating unit. When the refrigerating unit is fitted into an opening portion of the refrigeration container for the vehicle, the evaporator and the evaporator fan are located on the outside of an inner wall surface of the refrigeration container.
According to the present invention, of major components performing the refrigerating cycle, the evaporator, evaporator fan, condenser and condenser fan, except for the condenser, are preliminarily installed on the evaporator housing to form an integral refrigerating unit. Therefore, the refrigerating unit having the evaporator housing as a mounting frame can be mounted on the refrigeration container easily and quickly only by fitting the refrigerating unit into the opening portion of the refrigeration container. Further, because the evaporator and evaporator fan are not protruded from an inner wall of the refrigeration container, the capacity of the refrigeration container is never reduced. In this case, although the evaporator and the like to be disposed in the refrigeration container are fitted into a narrow concavity of the container, these components are previously mounted as the unit at the outside of the refrigeration container and therefore the mounting operation is achieved easily.
It is desirable that the to-be integrated components for performing the refrigerating cycle may include all auxiliaries such as a receiver tank, an accumulator, a relay box and the like.
According to the present invention, a motor for the condenser fan is mounted in the evaporator housing.
Therefore, the condenser fan is fixed to the evaporator housing, so that the mounting stability of the condenser fan is excellent and the condenser fan never obstructs airflow for the condenser. Thus, a passing efficiency of airflow through the condenser can be improved.
According to the present invention, the evaporator housing has a cover for covering the condenser and condenser fan provided outside. Air vents are formed on a front face and top face of the cover in view of a traveling direction of the vehicle, and a drain hole is formed just below the top air vent.
Essentially, to achieve heat exchange in the condenser by airflow, the air vents are formed in the front face and the top face of the cover. Even if snow or the like enters into the cover through the top air vent, it falls to the drain hole in the cover and is discharged through the drain hole. Therefore, standing water in the cover is prevented.
According to the present invention, the evaporator housing has a fixing structure for fixing the evaporator housing to the opening portion of the refrigeration container. The fixing structure makes the refrigerating unit mount on the refrigeration container by fixing both edge portions of the evaporator housing with bolts and nuts.
Thus, the evaporator housing may be mounted easily and quickly only by fixing both right and left edge portions of the unit to the opening portion of the refrigeration container with the bolts and nuts. Further, because the locations of the bolts and nuts are restricted to both the right and left edge portions of the unit, a person can mount the unit with an easy working posture and its mounting operation is easy.
According to the present invention, the evaporator has a recess intersecting an airflow direction to the evaporator, and a heater is disposed in the recess.
Thus, because the evaporator may have a heater for warming the interior of the refrigeration container in the recess thereof, no other space for the heater along with the unit is necessary so that the refrigerating unit also has a heating function that can be formed in a compact structure.
According to the present invention, the refrigerating unit has a drainpipe at a bottom of the evaporator housing and extending from the evaporator housing to the outside thereof. The drainpipe is made of a resin material.
Thus, because the drainpipe extending to the outside of the evaporate housing is made of resin material having a low heat conductivity, a heat bridge in which outside heat is transmitted through the drainpipe into the refrigeration container to lower the refrigerating efficiency of the container can be prevented, so that the refrigeration efficiency can be raised.
According to the present invention, the condenser is disposed perpendicularly to the traveling direction of the vehicle.
Thus, because the condenser is placed vertically, the width of the unit can be reduced as compared to a conventional case where it is placed obliquely, so that the unit can be formed in a compact structure.
According to the present invention, each of the evaporator, condenser, evaporator fan and condenser fan may be of an arbitrary number. Therefore, mounting locations corresponding to the arbitrary number for each of the components are preliminarily provided.
Thus, nuts are preliminarily arranged at the locating positions corresponding to a case where two evaporator fans are to be mounted or a case where three evaporator fans are to be mounted or the like, depending on the specifications of a refrigerating unit. A refrigerating unit corresponding to any specification may be assembled easily.
According to the present invention, an inner wall of the evaporator housing has a face inclined downwardly toward the interior of the refrigeration container. A drain pan for receiving water is provi
Ishikawa Tutomu
Miyazaki Kunio
Tapolcai William E.
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
Zexel Cold Systems Company
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