Self-orienting refrigerant sensor systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12276433-B2
Application number	US-202217894897-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2022
Priority date	Mar 31, 2020
Publication date	Apr 15, 2025
Grant date	Apr 15, 2025

Abstract

A self-orienting sensing system for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a housing having a main body. The housing defines a sensing aperture in a first portion of the main body and a mounting channel in a second portion of the main body. The self-orienting sensing system includes a sensing element retained within the housing. The sensing element is configured to detect leaked refrigerant that enters the housing via the sensing aperture. The self-orienting sensing system also includes a mounting retainer configured to extend through the mounting channel and couple the housing to an interior surface of an air handling enclosure of the HVAC system. The mounting retainer enables the mounting channel to rotate about the mounting retainer to automatically align the sensing aperture in a target sensing orientation based on a weight of the housing under the force of gravity.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
a sensor housing comprising a main body, a sensing chamber formed within the main body, and a sensing aperture extending through the main body to fluidly couple the sensing chamber with an environment external to the sensor housing;
a sensor disposed within the sensing chamber, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a refrigerant within the sensing chamber; and
a mounting retainer configured to couple the sensor housing to a surface of the HVAC system, wherein the sensor housing is configured to automatically rotate about the mounting retainer to orient the sensing aperture in a downward-facing direction in response to a force of gravity.

2. The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein the main body comprises a lower surface, and the sensing aperture is formed in the lower surface.

3. The HVAC system of claim 2 , wherein the main body comprises a counterweight configured to orient the sensing aperture in the downward-facing direction in response to the force of gravity.

4. The HVAC system of claim 3 , wherein the counterweight is coupled to the lower surface and is offset from the sensing aperture.

5. The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor housing comprises at least one counterweight integrally formed with a lower edge of the main body.

6. The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein the main body comprises a mounting channel extending therethrough, and the mounting retainer is configured to extend through the mounting channel to pivotably couple the sensor housing to the surface of the HVAC system.

7. The HVAC system of claim 6 , wherein the sensor housing comprises a first housing part and a second housing part, the first housing part comprises the mounting channel, the second housing part comprises the sensing chamber and the sensing aperture, and the first housing part and the second housing part are removably coupled to one another.

8. The HVAC system of claim 1 , comprising a heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger comprises a first coil portion, a second coil portion, and a plate coupled to the first coil portion and the second coil portion, the first coil portion and the second coil portion are disposed at an angle relative to one another, and the plate comprises the surface.

9. The HVAC system of claim 8 , wherein the heat exchanger is configured to be positioned in a first orientation and in a second orientation, and the sensor housing is configured to automatically rotate about the mounting retainer to orient the sensing aperture in the downward-facing direction in response to the force of gravity upon transition of the heat exchanger from the first orientation to the second orientation.

10. The HVAC system of claim 9 , wherein the first orientation is a horizontal right configuration, and the second orientation is a horizontal left configuration.

11. The HVAC system of claim 9 , wherein the first orientation is an upflow configuration, and the second orientation is a downflow configuration.

12. A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
a heat exchanger; and
a self-orienting sensing system configured to couple to the heat exchanger, wherein the self-orienting sensing system comprises:
a sensor housing comprising a main body, a sensing chamber formed within the main body, and a sensing aperture extending through the main body to fluidly couple the sensing chamber with an environment external to the sensor housing;
a sensor disposed within the sensing chamber, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a refrigerant; and
a mounting retainer configured to extend through the sensor housing and couple to the heat exchanger to couple the self-orienting sensing system to the heat exchanger,
wherein the self-orienting sensing system, in an installed configuration of the self-orienting sensing system with the heat exchanger, is configured to automatically adjust to a target sensing orientation in each configuration of a plurality of configurations of the heat exchanger, wherein the sensing aperture faces downward, relative to gravity, in the target sensing orientation.

13. The HVAC system of claim 12 , wherein the sensor housing is configured to rotate about the mounting retainer to automatically adjust to the target sensing orientation.

14. The HVAC system of claim 12 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a first coil portion, a second coil portion, and a delta plate extending from the first coil portion to the second coil portion, and the mounting retainer is configured to couple to the delta plate.

15. The HVAC system of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of configurations comprises a horizontal left configuration, a horizontal right configuration, an upflow configuration, a downflow configuration, or any combination thereof.

16. The HVAC system claim 12 , wherein the sensor housing comprises a counterweight coupled to a surface of the main body, the sensing aperture is formed in the surface, and the counterweight is offset from the sensing aperture.

17. The HVAC system of claim 12 , wherein the self-orienting sensing system is configured automatically adjust to the target sensing orientation in response to transition of the heat exchanger from a first configuration of the plurality of configurations to a second configuration of the plurality of configurations.

18. A self-orienting sensing system of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, wherein the self-orienting sensing system comprises:
a housing comprising a main body, a sensing chamber formed within the main body, a mounting channel extending through the main body, and a sensing aperture formed in a surface of the main body and fluidly coupling the sensing chamber with an environment surrounding the housing;
a refrigerant sensor disposed within the sensing chamber; and
a mounting retainer configured to extend through the mounting channel and couple to a component of the HVAC system to couple the self-orienting sensing system to the component,
wherein the housing, in an installed configuration of the self-orienting sensing system with the HVAC system, is configured to automatically rotate about the mounting retainer to orient the sensing aperture in a downward-facing position, relative to gravity.

19. The self-orienting sensing system of claim 18 , wherein the self-orienting sensing system comprises a center of mass between the mounting channel and the surface.

20. The self-orienting sensing system of claim 18 , comprising an orientation sensor disposed within the housing and configured to detect an orientation of the housing.

Assignees

• Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
• Tyco Fire & Security Gmbh

Inventors

• Eskew Robert L
• Rigg Brian D

Classifications

• G01M1/122

  Determining position of centre of gravity · CPC title

• F24F11/36

  to leakage of heat-exchange fluid · CPC title

• F24F1/0063

  by the mounting or arrangement of the heat exchangers · CPC title

• G01M3/02

  by using fluid or vacuum · CPC title

• F24F2140/00

  Control inputs relating to system states · CPC title