Service device for vehicle air conditioning systems, and method for operating same, in particular for the self-cleaning type

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9651284-B2
Application number	US-201214000664-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2012
Priority date	Feb 21, 2011
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

A servicing device and method for operating a servicing device for vehicle air-conditioning systems in particular for the self-cleaning thereof, the servicing device is equipped with an emptying device and a filling device for the drawing off of the refrigerant/compressor oil mixture from the refrigerant circuit system of a vehicle air-conditioning system and for the refilling of the vehicle air-conditioning system with refrigerant and compressor oil. A vacuum pump is used for the residual emptying of the refrigerant circuit system of the vehicle air-conditioning system and/or of the servicing device. An at least partially evacuated flushing agent tank is connected directly or indirectly via a connecting line with at least one of the high pressure servicing connection connectors of the servicing device and/or the subsequent pressure hoses and/or the switchover valve block and that a fluidic further connection takes place to the refrigerant reservoir which is under increased refrigerant pressure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A servicing device for use with vehicle air-conditioning systems to empty a refrigerant/compressor oil mixture from a refrigerant circuit system of a vehicle air-conditioning system and to fill the vehicle air-conditioning system, said servicing device comprising:
a vacuum pump for residual emptying the refrigerant circuit system, the servicing device, or combinations thereof of said refrigerant/compressor oil mixture,
a refilling system for refilling the vehicle air-conditioning system with at least two components selected from the group consisting of refrigerant, compressor oil and additive,
a refrigerant reservoir that is configured to be under refrigerant pressure,
pressure hoses provided with servicing connection connectors configured to connect to the vehicle air-conditioning system being serviced,
a separator stage comprising at least one separator, a refrigerant compressor, and a refrigerant weighing device;
at least one pressure or time controlled switchover valve block configured to selectively control a fluidic connection between the refrigerant circuit system of the vehicle air-conditioning system and the separator stage, said at least one pressure or time controlled switchover valve block being disposed in said servicing device and in fluid connection with the separator stage, with one pressure side of said vacuum pump and with a second pressure side of said vacuum pump;
wherein the at least one switchover valve block includes a plurality of valves in a first configuration fluidly connecting the vehicle air-conditioning system to the separator during the emptying of the refrigerant/compressor oil mixture from the refrigerant circuit system of the vehicle air-conditioning system;
wherein the at least one switchover valve block includes said plurality of valves in a second configuration fluidly connecting a flushing agent tank to the refrigerant reservoir, the vacuum pump or combinations thereof to cause the at least one switchover valve block to be flushed out and cleaned of residual refrigerant/compressor oil mixture from the refrigerant circuit system that resides in the at least one switchover valve block;
wherein the at least one switchover valve block includes said plurality of valves in a third configuration fluidly connecting the refrigerant reservoir to the refrigerant circuit system of the vehicle air-conditioning system to fill the refrigerant circuit system with the refrigerant; and,
said flushing agent tank that is configured to be brought into fluidic flow connection with at least one of the servicing connection connectors via the at least one switchover valve block to enable said at least one switchover valve to be flushed with fluid, said flushing agent tank also configured to be brought into fluidic flow communication with the refrigerant reservoir via the at least one switchover valve block.

2. The servicing device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the flushing agent tank serves as a coupler between the servicing connection connectors.

3. The servicing device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the flushing agent tank is provided with two fluid passages to enable the flushing agent tank to be used during the emptying of the refrigerant circuit system of the vehicle air-conditioning system and the filling of the refrigerant circuit system of the vehicle air-conditioning system.

4. The servicing device according to claim 3 , characterized in that the flow of fluid to the flushing agent tank is controlled by shutoff valves.

5. The servicing device according to claim 4 , characterized in that the flushing agent tank serves as a coupler between the servicing connection connectors.

6. The servicing device according to claim 3 , characterized in that the flushing agent tank serves as a coupler between the servicing connection connectors.

7. The servicing device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the flushing agent tank serves as a coupler between the servicing connection connectors.

8. The servicing device of claim 1 wherein said at least one switchover valve block comprises a first valve block and a second valve block.

9. A method for operating a servicing device for vehicle air-conditioning systems in particular for the self-cleaning thereof, wherein the servicing device is configured with an emptying device and a filling device for the drawing off of a refrigerant/compressor oil mixture from the refrigerant circuit system of a vehicle air-conditioning system and for the refilling of the vehicle air-conditioning system, said method comprising:
residual emptying of the refrigerant circuit system of the vehicle air-conditioning system and/or of the servicing device with a vacuum pump;
refilling the vehicle air-conditioning system, using a refilling system, with at least one of said components selected from the group consisting of refrigerant and compressor oil, the refilling system including a refrigerant reservoir which is under refrigerant pressure;
connecting directly or indirectly via a connecting line with at least one high pressure servicing connection connector of the service device, an evacuated or at least partially evacuated flushing agent tank and at least one switchover valve block disposed within said servicing device and in fluid connection with a separator stage, with one pressure side of said vacuum pump and with a second pressure side of said vacuum pump, wherein said at least one switchover valve block includes a plurality of valves having: a first configuration for said residual emptying, a second configuration for flushing and a third configuration for said refilling with the refrigerant; and,
causing the refrigerant to flow out from the refrigerant reservoir into the flushing agent tank during said flushing and thereby at least partially flushing the refrigerant/compressor oil mixture from the at least one switchover valve block.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising injecting a quantity of the compressor oil which is required for the servicing of the vehicle air-conditioning system into the at least one switchover valve block of the servicing device.

11. The method according to claim 10 , characterized in that after a step of flushing of the servicing device, emptying the flushing agent tank such that said refrigerant/compressor oil mixture which was previously drawn into the flushing agent tank is fed by the vacuum pump to the separator stage.

12. The method according to claim 9 , characterized in that after a step of flushing of the servicing device, emptying the flushing agent tank such that said refrigerant/compressor oil mixture which was previously drawn into the flushing agent tank is fed by the vacuum pump to the separator stage.

13. A servicing device for use with vehicle air-conditioning systems to empty a refrigerant/compressor oil mixture from a refrigerant circuit system of a vehicle air-conditioning system and to fill the vehicle air-conditioning system with refrigerant, said servicing device comprising:
at least one switchover valve block within said servicing device and having a plurality of valves, said at least one switchover valve block configured to control fluid flow through the service device, said at least one switchover valve block in fluid communication with a separator stage, one side of a vacuum pump and a second side of said vacuum pump;
a refrigerant compressor configured to compress refrigerant received from the refrigerant circuit system during the emptying of the refrigerant circuit system;
the separator stage comprising a separator configured to separate compressor oil from the refrigerant prior to the

Assignees

• Esch Franz-Josef
• Dometic Sweden Ab

Inventors

• Esch Franz-Josef

Classifications

• F25B2345/002

  Collecting refrigerant from a cycle · CPC title

• F25B2345/004

  with several tanks to collect or charge a cycle · CPC title

• F25B45/00 Primary

  Arrangements for charging or discharging refrigerant · CPC title

• F25B2345/001

  Charging refrigerant to a cycle · CPC title

• B60H1/00585

  Means for monitoring, testing or servicing the air-conditioning · CPC title