Refrigerant circuit assembly system and inlet unit for introducing protective gas

Abstract

Refrigerant circuit assembly system for assembling a refrigerant circuit comprising a plurality of elements (600) and a plurality of pipes (100), with a protective gas supply unit (1200) for providing protective gas, a unit (1000) for the material-bonded connection of the pipes (100) and the elements (600) of the refrigerant circuit, and a shielding gas supply unit (700) comprising a shielding gas supply lance (700) with a first free end (710) and a second end (720), wherein an outer diameter of the lance (700) is smaller than an inner diameter of an element to be mounted, wherein the lance (700) can be inserted into an element to be mounted, so that protective gas passes through the lance (700) into an at least partially sealed section of an element to be mounted and flows back through the area between the outer diameter of the lance and the inner diameter of the element to be mounted when the tube (100) is materially connected to the element (600) by means of the unit (1000).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerant circuit assembly system and a protective gas supply unit for introducing protective gas into an element to be assembled.

[0002] A refrigerant circuit, such as that of a heat pump, comprises numerous pipes connecting the various components (compressor, evaporator, condenser, expansion valve, check valve, sensors, etc.). The pipes and components of the refrigerant circuit are typically joined by soldering or welding. However, soldering or welding can lead to oxidation, reaction, or scaling of the connection between the components and the pipes of the refrigerant circuit.

[0003] To prevent oxidation, reaction or scaling, protective gas is introduced into the refrigerant circuit or sections of the refrigerant circuit during assembly.

[0004] From DE 603 ​​19 546 T2 a method for joining high-performance tubes is known, wherein the method comprises joining the tubes by forging welding and purging with a reducing purging gas around the heated tube ends during at least part of the forging welding process, such that oxides are removed from the forging welded parts.

[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerant circuit assembly system and a protective gas supply unit for introducing protective gas, which enables effective assembly of a refrigerant circuit.

[0006] This task is solved by a refrigerant circuit assembly system for mounting a refrigerant circuit comprising multiple components and pipes. The assembly system includes a protective gas supply unit for providing protective gas, a unit for the metallurgical bonding of the pipes and components of the refrigerant circuit, and a protective gas supply unit with a protective gas supply lance having a first and second end. The outer diameter of the lance is smaller than the inner diameter of the component being mounted.The lance can be inserted into an element to be mounted in such a way that protective gas passes through the lance into the at least partially sealed section of the element to be mounted and flows back through the area between the outer diameter of the lance and the inner diameter of the element to be mounted when the tube is materially connected to the element by means of the unit for materially bonding.

[0007] The invention also relates to a protective gas supply unit for supplying protective gas to an element to be installed during the assembly of a refrigerant circuit, comprising a protective gas supply lance with a first free end and a second end. The outer diameter of the lance is smaller than the inner diameter of the element to be installed. The lance can be inserted into the element to be installed in such a way that protective gas is supplied through the lance into an at least partially sealed section. The gas enters the component being mounted and flows back through the area between the outer diameter of the lance and the inner diameter of the component being mounted when the pipe is metallurgically connected to the component by means of the unit for metallurgical bonding. The invention relates to the fact that it is particularly difficult to introduce protective gas for cooling and reducing the oxygen content during the assembly of sealed or closed components of a refrigerant circuit without causing overpressure. According to the invention, an introduction unit for introducing protective gas is provided. The introduction unit has a lance with an advantageously through-bore in the middle. The free end of the lance is inserted into the component being mounted. The second end of the lance is connected to a hose, which in turn is coupled to a protective gas supply unit.The shielding gas supply unit and hose pump shielding gas through the lance. The shielding gas exits at the free end of the lance and flows into the volume of a refrigerant circuit element being installed. The lance's outer diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the component being installed, allowing the shielding gas to flow through the lance into the component and then back out through the space between the lance's outer diameter and the component's inner diameter. This ensures that the component's volume is adequately filled with shielding gas without creating overpressure.

[0008] The component or element can then be mounted to a pipe of the refrigerant circuit by soldering, welding or another material-bonded connection.

[0009] The invention also relates to a method for assembling a refrigerant circuit. Shielding gas is introduced into a volume of the component to be assembled by means of a lance. The shielding gas flows back through the volume between the outside of the lance and the inside of the component to be assembled. A pipe is attached to the component to be assembled by means of a material-bonded connection such as soldering, welding, or gluing, while the shielding gas flows outwards through the free volume and can thus contribute to cooling at the connection point.

[0010] The components or elements to be assembled have at least a partially closed or sealed section.

[0011] Further embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0012] The advantages and embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. Fig. 1A - Fig. Figure 1C each shows a schematic representation during the assembly of a refrigerant circuit.

[0013] Fig. 1A - Fig. Figure 1C shows a schematic representation of a component to be installed during the assembly of a refrigerant circuit. A refrigerant circuit consists of multiple pipes designed to connect various components. Elements of a refrigerant circuit can include a compressor, an evaporator, a condenser, an expansion valve, a check valve, a sensor, or similar components. These elements are connected to the refrigerant circuit pipes via a bonded connection (e.g., soldering, welding, gluing, etc.). The pre-assembled sections can then be assembled to form the complete refrigerant circuit.

[0014] During the assembly of the refrigerant circuit, a protective gas is used to displace oxygen from the components and pipes being installed. By displacing the oxygen with the protective gas (which can be a gas or a gas mixture), oxidation, reaction, or scaling at the connection points between the elements and the pipes of the refrigerant circuit is prevented.

[0015] A refrigerant circuit assembly system according to the invention comprises a protective gas supply unit and a unit for metallurgical joining (e.g., a brazing unit or a welding unit). The assembly system according to the invention further comprises a protective gas supply unit 1200, which is used to introduce protective gas even into closed or sealed sections of the components 600 to be assembled. The protective gas supply unit 700 has a protective gas supply lance with a first open end 710 and a second end 720. The second end 720 of the lance 700 can be connected to a hose through which protective gas can flow. The protective gas can be provided or supplied, for example, by the protective gas supply unit. The first end 710 of the lance 700 is inserted into a closed or partially closed volume 610 of a unit 600 to be assembled.

[0016] A volume is provided between the outside of the lance 700 and an inside of section 620 of the unit 600 to be mounted. The shielding gas is introduced through the lance 700 and via its first end 710 into the volume 610 of the unit 600 to be mounted. The shielding gas 701 flows through the volume 610 and then flows out of the component through the volume between the outside of the lance and the inside of section 620. Once sufficient shielding gas has flowed through the component 600 to be mounted, a pipe 100 of the refrigerant circuit can be attached to the section 620 of the component 600 to be mounted by means of a metallurgical connection (soldering, welding, gluing, etc.) using a suitable unit 1000 (e.g., a soldering unit or a welding unit), in particular with solder 1120.During the metallurgical bonding process, the protective gas flows through lance 700, volume 610, and section 620, ensuring that virtually no oxygen is present in the area of ​​the metallurgical bonding. Furthermore, the protective gas serves to cool the section being metallurgically bonded as it flows through it.

[0017] Thus, according to the invention, it is ensured that even closed sections of components to be mounted are sufficiently supplied with protective gas, so that oxidation, reaction or scaling at the connection points of the unit to be mounted with the pipes of the refrigerant circuit is prevented.

[0018] Oxidation, reaction and scaling can be avoided by providing a protective gas (i.e., the absence of oxygen) and cooling at the joint by the flowing protective gas.

[0019] According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for assembling a refrigerant circuit comprising a plurality of elements and a plurality of tubes is provided, comprising the following steps: A protective gas supply unit provides a protective gas supply. A protective gas supply lance of a protective gas supply unit is inserted at its first end into an element to be assembled. The protective gas flows through the lance into an at least partially sealed section of the element to be assembled and then flows back through a region between an outer diameter of the lance and an inner diameter of the element to be assembled. A tube and an element of the refrigerant circuit are joined by means of a metallurgical bonding unit while the protective gas flows through the element.

Claims

[1] Refrigerant circuit assembly system for assembling a refrigerant circuit comprising a plurality of elements (600) and a plurality of pipes (100), with a protective gas supply unit (1200) for providing protective gas, a unit (1000) for the material-bonded connection of the pipes (100) and the elements (600) of the refrigerant circuit, and a shielding gas supply unit (700) comprising a shielding gas supply lance (700) with a first free end (710) and a second end (720), wherein an outer diameter of the lance (700) is smaller than an inner diameter of an element to be mounted, wherein the lance (700) can be inserted into an element to be mounted, so that protective gas passes through the lance (700) into an at least partially sealed section of an element to be mounted and flows back through the area between the outer diameter of the lance and the inner diameter of the element to be mounted when the tube (100) is materially connected to the element (600) by means of the unit (1000). [2] Shielding gas supply unit (700) for supplying shielding gas to an element to be installed during the assembly of a refrigerant circuit, with a protective gas supply lance with a first free end (710) and a second end (720) for receiving protective gas, wherein an outer diameter of the shielding gas supply lance (700) is smaller than an inner diameter of an element to be mounted, wherein the shielding gas supply lance (700) can be inserted into an element to be mounted, so that shielding gas passes through the lance (700) into an at least partially sealed section of an element to be mounted and flows back through the area between the outer diameter of the lance and the inner diameter of the element to be mounted,

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