Reservoir for Temporary Storage of Refrigerant in a Refrigerant Circuit
The integration of a deflecting element in the refrigerant reservoir housing addresses inefficient phase separation by ensuring only liquid refrigerant is removed, optimizing reservoir use and reducing costs.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- US19/247554
- Authority / Receiving Office
- US · United States
- Patent Type
- Applications(United States)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2024-06-25
- Filing Date
- 2025-06-24
- Publication Date
- 2025-12-25
AI Technical Summary
Existing refrigerant reservoirs in motor vehicles struggle with inefficient phase separation of gaseous and liquid refrigerant phases, leading to incomplete removal of gaseous refrigerant and suboptimal use of reservoir volume.
The integration of a deflecting element within the reservoir housing that deflects refrigerant upon entry, allowing controlled phase separation by deflecting elements formed integrally with the housing, ensuring only liquid refrigerant is removed while gaseous refrigerant remains, and optimizing refrigerant distribution.
Enhances phase separation efficiency, ensuring only liquid refrigerant is extracted, improves reservoir utilization, and reduces production costs through integral deflecting element design.
Smart Images
Figure US20250389466A1-D00000_ABST
Abstract
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONSThis application claims priority from German Patent Application Number DE 102024117900.7, filed on Jun. 25, 2024, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.The present invention relates to a reservoir for temporary storage of refrigerant in a refrigerant circuit, and a refrigerant circuit that has such a reservoir.Reservoirs are used in motor vehicles for temporary storage of refrigerant in a refrigerant circuit, also known to the person skilled in the art as “refrigerant reservoirs.” In addition to temporary storage, these reservoirs are also needed to separate gaseous refrigerant from liquid refrigerant.
[0004] Based on this, the object of the present invention is to create new forms of reservoirs for temporary refrigerant storage.
[0005] This is achieved with the subject matter of the independent claims. Preferred embodiments are the subject matter of the dependent claims.
[0006] The fundamental idea of the invention is to therefore form an integral deflecting element in the housing of such a reservoir for temporary refrigerant storage, with which the refrigerant is deflected immediately upon entering the housing.
[0007] The flow of the refrigerant can be deflected in a controlled manner with this deflecting element, resulting in an improved phase separation of the gaseous and fluid phases of the refrigerant. Consequently, when the reservoir is integrated in a refrigerant circuit, substantially only liquid refrigerant is removed from the reservoir, while leaving the gaseous refrigerant therein. Furthermore, the refrigerant in the reservoir is better distributed inside the housing by the deflecting element, making better use of the reservoir's volume. By forming the deflecting element integrally in the housing, i.e. forming the housing and deflecting element as an integral unit, this deflecting element can be produced easily and inexpensively. This has a positive impact on the overall production costs for the reservoir.
[0008] In detail, the reservoir obtained with the invention has a housing through which the refrigerant can flow. There is at least one intake on the housing for the refrigerant. The reservoir also has an outlet for the refrigerant.
[0009] The reservoir has a deflecting element that is integrally formed in the housing for deflecting refrigerant entering the housing through the intake. The housing and deflecting element therefore form an integral unit made of a single material. The housing and deflecting element can be made of metal, in particular steel or aluminum, or plastic.
[0010] The deflecting element in a preferred embodiment of the reservoir has a segment at a distance to the housing that deflects refrigerant striking it. This deflecting segment is connected to the housing with an attachment segment. These two segments can form an integral component. The deflecting segment can deflect the refrigerant in the desired manner through its shape and surface contour as well as its orientation in the housing. Because the orientation and shape of the deflecting element can be determined easily during the production of the reservoir, a variety of deflecting elements can be obtained for specific applications.
[0011] In an advantageous design, the reservoir has a circumferential wall. In particular, the housing in this embodiment can form a hollow cylinder. At least one deflecting element is formed as an integral part of the circumferential wall in this embodiment, which protrudes into the housing. This is particularly advantageous when the intake for the refrigerant is also formed in the circumferential wall.
[0012] The circumferential wall preferably extends axially as well as circumferentially about the reservoir. Furthermore, the deflecting element in this variation is formed in the housing such that the refrigerant striking it is deflected in both the axial and circumferential directions. This results in better phase separation of the refrigerant.
[0013] A segment of the deflecting element can preferably extend along the circumference near the intake. This ensures that the deflecting element only extends in the housing where refrigerant entering through the intake can strike the deflecting element.
[0014] In another embodiment, the housing can be made of two parts, one of which forms a container, while the other is a lid that closes the container, or an opening therein. The container comprises a bottom and a circumferential wall, which preferably form an integral unit. The reservoir can ideally be placed such that the force of gravity acts along the axial direction thereof, toward the bottom of the housing. The lid forms the upper surface of the reservoir, while the bottom forms the lower surface thereof. There are a first and second intake in the housing, spaced axially apart from one another along the circumferential wall of the housing that connects the lid and the bottom to one another, radially delimiting the housing toward the exterior. The reservoir also has first and second deflecting elements for the refrigerant entering the housing at the first and second intakes. The first deflecting element is formed as an integral part of the circumferential wall. The second deflecting element in this embodiment is attached to the lid, and preferably formed as an integral part thereof. When the force of gravity is parallel to the axial direction of the reservoir, acting toward the bottom of the housing, the refrigerant can be deflected axially, in particular counter to the force of gravity, thus exploiting gravity to separate the phases of the refrigerant. Consequently, the lighter gaseous phase remains in the upper part of the housing, near the lid. By placing the outlet near the bottom, the gaseous phase remains in the reservoir, while only liquid refrigerant is able to exit the housing.
[0015] The lid can be releasably attached to the container with a threaded connection. This makes it easy to attach the lid to the container. It can also be easily removed from the container, if the interior needs to be accessed, i.e. for servicing. The second deflecting element extends along the entire circumference of the inside of the reservoir. This ensures that a deflecting segment of the deflecting element is always near the intake, regardless of the rotational orientation of the lid on the container, such that any refrigerant entering the reservoir is deflected.
[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the lid can be permanently attached to the container with a material bond, in particular through welding or with an adhesive, such that it cannot be removed. Because the lid can be positioned on the container such that the deflecting element is near the intake before it is bonded to the container when assembling the reservoir, the deflecting element in this embodiment does not need to extend along the entire circumference, unlike with the variation described in the preceding paragraph. This results in more space for refrigerant in the reservoir.
[0017] The deflecting element can preferably be designed and placed in the housing such that refrigerant striking it is deflected along the circumference. When the reservoir is placed such that gravity acts along its axial direction, the phases of the refrigerant can be separated by the centrifugal force acting along the circumference due to the deflection. This centrifugal force causes the heavier liquid phase of the refrigerant to be deflected more strongly toward the radially outer part of the housing interior than the lighter gaseous phase. In this variation, the outlet in the reservoir is at a radial distance to the central axis of the housing, preferably near the outer edge of the bottom of the container, i.e. near the circumferential wall. This ensures that only the liquid refrigerant can exit the housing through the outlet.
[0018] In another preferred embodiment, the housing can have at least one cast deflecting element. This simplifies production of the housing with an integral deflecting element, resulting in significant cost benefits in the production of the reservoir.
[0019] In another preferred embodiment, at least part of the deflecting element can be curved. In this embodiment, the surface of the deflecting element facing the intake, in particular the deflecting surface, can have a concave shape. When the curvature is oriented correctly in the housing, the desired deflection can be obtained relatively easily.
[0020] In an advantageous embodiment, a dehumidifier can be used in the housing to separate water out of the refrigerant, and a filter can be used to remove particles, in particular contaminants. By removing particles and separating out water, it is ensured that they will not damage any components in the refrigerant circuit.
[0021] In a preferred embodiment, a liquid-permeable sheath made of a flexible material can encase the dehumidifier, which encompasses an interior space through which the refrigerant can flow. There is a drying agent in this interior space that absorbs humidity in the refrigerant. This efficiently removes any water in the refrigerant.
[0022] The invention also relates to a refrigerant system with a refrigerant circuit through which refrigerant circulates. The refrigerant system also contains a device for conveying the refrigerant through the refrigerant circuit. The refrigerant system also contains the reservoir described above, which is in the refrigerant circuit and through which refrigerant flows. The advantages of the reservoir obtained with the invention therefore also apply to the refrigerant obtained with the invention.
[0023] Other important features and advantages of the invention can be derived from the dependent claims, the drawings, and the descriptions of the drawings.
[0024] It is understood that the features specified above and described below can be used not only in the given combinations, but also in other combinations or in and of themselves, without abandoning the framework of the present invention.
[0025] Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings and shall be explained in greater detail below, in which the same reference symbols are used for identical, similar, or functionally identical components.
[0026] Therein, schematically:
[0027] FIG. 1 shows an example of a reservoir obtained with the invention, cut longitudinally along the axial direction,
[0028] FIG. 2 shows a cross section of the reservoir from FIG. 1, cut at a right angle to the axial direction, along the line II-Il in FIG. 1,
[0029] FIG. 3 shows a variation of the example shown in FIG. 2, in which the first deflecting element deflects the refrigerant along the circumference,
[0030] FIG. 4 shows another variation of the example shown in FIG. 1, which has two intakes and a deflecting element for both, cut longitudinally.
[0031] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a reservoir 1 obtained with the invention, cut longitudinally. The reservoir 1 has a housing 2 that encompasses an interior 3 through which the refrigerant K can flow. The housing 2 forms a hollow cylinder in this example, which has a circumferential wall 8 and a central axis M, along which the axial direction A of the housing 2 extends. The radial direction R is perpendicular to the axial direction A, and extends at a right angle away from the central axis M. The circumferential direction U is perpendicular to the both the axial direction A and the radial direction R, encompassing the central axis M. The circumferential wall 8 extends along the axial direction A as well as along the circumferential direction 8, and radially delimits the interior 3 of the housing toward the exterior.
[0032] The housing 2 is also made of two parts, comprising a container 9 and a lid 10 for closing an opening 14 in the container. The container 9 has a bottom 11 and a circumferential wall 2, which preferably form an integral unit. The lid 10 is releasably attached to the container 9 with a threaded connection (not shown), i.e. the lid 10 can be screwed onto the container 9. The lid 10 can have an outer threading, and the container 9 can have a complementary inner threading for this (not shown).
[0033] The reservoir 1 is shown in its operating position in all of the figures, in which the gravity S acts antiparallel to the axial direction A, from top to bottom in the drawing plane. The lid 10 thus forms the upper surface 15 of the reservoir 1, and the bottom 11 forms the lower surface 16 of the reservoir 1.
[0034] The circumferential wall 8 in FIG. 1 has a first axial segment 8a that transitions to a radially recessed second axial segment 8b in the axial direction A. The radius of the second axial segment 8b is therefore smaller than the radius of the first axial segment 8a starting from the central axis M. The two axial segments 8a, 8b and a radial separating wall 17 can divide the interior 3 into two subspaces 3a, 3b, which are connected to one another by a hole 18 in the separating wall 17. In a simplified version, the circumferential wall 8 does not need to have axial segments 8a, 8b with different radii R1, R2.
[0035] There are first and second intakes 4a, 4b in the circumferential wall 8, or its first axial segment 8a in the example shown in FIG. 1, which are spaced apart axially, through which refrigerant K can enter the housing interior 3. The reservoir 1 also has an outlet 5 in the circumferential wall 8, or its second axial segment 8b, through which refrigerant K can exit the housing interior 3. The refrigerant K thus enters the first subspace 3a through the two intakes 4a, 4b, enters the second subspace 3b through the hole 18 in the separating wall 17, and exits the housing interior 3 through the outlet 5.
[0036] As shown in FIG. 1, the reservoir 1 has two deflecting elements 6a, 6b in the housing interior 3. The first deflecting element 6a is near the first intake 4a in the housing interior 3, and forms an integral part of the circumferential wall 8 of the housing 2, protruding from this circumferential wall 8 into the housing interior 3. The second deflecting element 6b is near the second intake 4b in the housing interior 3, and can form an integral part of the lid 10 for the housing 2. Both deflecting elements 6a, 6b are designed and placed in the housing interior 3 such that they deflect refrigerant K striking the deflecting segment 7 in the axial direction A and upwards, i.e. toward the lid 10 or the upper surface 15. Both deflecting elements 6a, 6b have a deflecting segment 7 at a distance to the housing 2, with which refrigerant K can be deflected. The deflecting segments 7 of each deflecting element 6a, 6b are curved. The surfaces 13 of the deflecting segments 7 facing the first and second intakes 4a, 4b are concave in the longitudinal section cut along the axial direction A shown here.
[0037] An optional dehumidifier 19 for separating water out of the refrigerant K can be placed in the housing interior 3, specifically the first subspace 3a, indicated schematically by a broken line. There can also be a filter 20 for removing particles, in particular contaminants, in the housing interior 3, specifically the second subspace 3b, also indicated schematically by a broken line. The removal of particles and separating out of water ensures that the particles or water will not damage components in the refrigerant circuit.
[0038] FIG. 2 shows the reservoir 1 from FIG. 1 in a cross section, cut at a right angle to the axial direction A along the line II-Il in FIG. 1. The first deflecting element 6a is near the first intake 4a, and only extends along part the circumference U. the deflecting segment 7 is positioned and oriented in the housing interior 3 such that refrigerant K entering the housing interior 3 strikes the deflecting segment 7 and is deflected in the axial direction A toward the lid 6, i.e. toward the upper surface 15.
[0039] The second deflecting element 6b extends along the circumferential direction U, as indicated in FIG. 2 by a broken line, over the entire circumference of the reservoir 1. Consequently, a deflecting segment 7 of the second deflecting element 6b is always near the second intake 4b, regardless of the orientation of the lid 10 after it has been screwed on. This deflecting segment 7 is also designed to deflect refrigerant K entering the housing interior 3 through the second intake 4b that strikes the deflecting segment 7 in the axial direction A toward the lid 6.
[0040] In a variation of this example, the lid 10 can be materially bonded to the container 9, e.g. through welding or an adhesive, such that it is permanently attached thereto and cannot be removed. In this variation, (not shown in the drawings), the second deflecting element 6b on the lid 10 can be oriented prior to attaching the lid to the container, such that it is near the second intake 4b. Consequently, the second deflecting element 6b only has to be near the second intake 4b, like the first deflecting element 6a, and does not have to extend over the entire circumference.
[0041] FIG. 3 shows a variation of the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in which the circumferential wall 8 does not have two axial segments 8a, 8b with different radii R1, R2, as is the case in FIGS. 1 and 2. The first deflecting element 6a is designed and placed in the housing interior 3 such that it deflects refrigerant entering the housing interior 3 through the first intake 4a and striking the deflecting segment 7 in the circumferential direction U. The second deflecting element 6b (not shown) can be designed like the first deflecting element 6a, such that it deflects refrigerant entering the housing interior 3 through the second intake 4b (not shown in FIG. 3) and striking the deflecting segment 7 in the circumferential direction U. Both deflecting segments 7 have a concave surface 13 facing the intakes 4a, 4b, in the cross section perpendicular to the axial direction A shown herein.
[0042] When the reservoir 1 is placed in the operating position shown in FIG. 3, such that gravity S acts in the direction antiparallel to the axial direction A, the desired phase separation can be obtained using the centrifugal force acting on the refrigerant K due to the deflection in the circumferential direction U. The centrifugal force causes the heavier liquid refrigerant K to be deflected more strongly into the radially outer part 12 of the housing interior 3 than the lighter gaseous refrigerant K. In this variation, the outlet 5 is preferably at an axial distance to the central axis M, and particularly preferably in an radially outer part 12 of the housing interior 3, in particular adjacent to the circumferential wall 8.
[0043] FIG. 4 shows part of another variation of the example, cut longitudinally along the axial direction A. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the reservoir 1 has, like the example shown in FIG. 1, two intakes 4a, 4b, spaced axially apart in the circumferential wall 8. Unlike in FIG. 1, there is only one deflecting element 6 for the two intakes 4a, 4b, the deflecting segment 7 of which is near both the first intake 4a and the second intake 4b in the housing interior. The deflecting element 6 is formed as an integral part of the circumferential wall 8, like the first deflecting element 6a in FIG. 1. The deflecting segment 7 on the deflecting element 6 is designed here such that refrigerant K entering the housing interior 3 through the first intake 4a or second intake 4b is deflected in the axial direction A toward the lid 6 (not shown in FIG. 4). The deflecting segment 7 is curved along the axial direction A for this. The surface 13 of the deflecting segment 7 facing the first and second intakes 4a, 4b is therefore concave along the axial direction A.
[0044] The housing 2 can be cast metal, e.g. steel or aluminum, or plastic, in all of the above examples.
[0045] The specification can be readily understood with reference to the following Numbered Paragraphs:
[0046] Numbered Paragraph 1. A reservoir (1) for temporary storage of refrigerant (K), in particular in a refrigerant circuit, which has
[0047] a housing (2), which encompasses a housing interior (3) through which refrigerant (K) can flow,
[0048] at least one intake (4a, 4b) formed in the housing (2) through which refrigerant (K) can enter the housing interior (3), and at least one outlet (5) formed in the housing (2) through which the refrigerant (K) can exit the housing interior (3),
[0049] at least one deflecting element (6, 6a, 6b) placed in the housing interior (3) and formed as an integral part of the housing (2) for deflecting the refrigerant (K) entering the housing interior (3) through the intake (4a, 4b).
[0050] Numbered Paragraph 2. The reservoir according to Numbered Paragraph 1, characterized in that the deflecting element (6, 6a, 6b) has a deflecting segment (7) at a distance to the housing (2), with which refrigerant (K) striking the deflecting segment (7) is deflected.
[0051] Numbered Paragraph 3. The reservoir according to Numbered Paragraph 1 or 2, characterized in that
[0052] the reservoir (1) has a circumferential wall (8),
[0053] at least one deflecting element (6, 6a, 6b) is formed as an integral part of the circumferential wall (8), and protrudes from the circumferential wall (8) into the housing interior (3).
[0054] Numbered Paragraph 4. The reservoir according to any of the Numbered Paragraphs 1 to 3, characterized in that
[0055] the circumferential wall (8) extends along the axial direction (A) and along the circumferential direction (U) of the reservoir (1),
[0056] the deflecting element (6, 6a, 6b) is designed and placed in the housing interior (3) such that refrigerant (K) striking the deflecting segment (7) is deflected in the axial direction (A) and / or in the circumferential direction (U).
[0057] Numbered Paragraph 5. The reservoir according to Numbered Paragraph 4, characterized in that only a section of the deflecting element (6, 6a, 6b) extends along the circumferential direction (U), near the intake (4a, 4b).
[0058] Numbered Paragraph 6. The reservoir according to any of the preceding Numbered Paragraphs, characterized in that
[0059] the housing (2) comprises two parts, one of which is a container (9), and the other is a lid (10) for closing the container (9), wherein the container (9) comprises a bottom (11) and the circumferential wall (8) of the housing (2),
[0060] the housing (2) has first and second intakes (4a, 4b), both of which are spaced axially apart in the circumferential wall (8),
[0061] first and second deflecting elements (6a, 6b) deflect refrigerant (K) entering the housing interior (3) through the first and second intakes (4a, 4b),
[0062] the first deflecting element (6a) forms an integral part of the circumferential wall (8), and the second deflecting element (6b) is connected to the lid (10), and preferably forms an integral part of the lid (10).
[0063] Numbered Paragraph 7. The reservoir according to Numbered Paragraph 6, characterized in that
[0064] the lid (10) is releasably attached to the container (9) by a threaded connection,
[0065] the second deflecting element (6b) extends over the entire circumference of the reservoir (1) along the circumferential direction (U).
[0066] Numbered Paragraph 8. The reservoir according to Numbered Paragraph 6, characterized in that
[0067] the lid (10) is materially bonded to the container (9), in particular through welding or with an adhesive,
[0068] the second deflecting element (6b) only extends in part along the circumference (U) near the second intake (4b).
[0069] Numbered Paragraph 9. The reservoir according to any of the preceding Numbered Paragraphs, characterized in that
[0070] the deflecting element (6, 6a, 6b) is designed and placed in the housing interior (3) such that it deflects at the deflecting segment (7) in the circumferential direction,
[0071] the outlet (5) is at a radial distance to an axial central axis (M) for the housing.
[0072] Numbered Paragraph 10. The reservoir according to any of the preceding Numbered Paragraphs, characterized in that the housing (2) is cast with at least one deflecting element (6, 6a).
[0073] Numbered Paragraph 11. The reservoir according to any of the preceding Numbered Paragraphs, characterized in that
[0074] at least part of the deflecting element (6, 6a, 6b) is curved,
[0075] the surface (13) of the deflecting element (6, 6a, 6b) facing the intake (4a, 4b), in particular on the deflecting segment (7) is concave.
[0076] Numbered Paragraph 12. A refrigerant system that has
[0077] a refrigerant circuit in which refrigerant (K) can circulate,
[0078] a means for conveying the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit,
[0079] a reservoir (1) in the refrigerant circuit through which refrigerant (K) can flow, according to any of the preceding Numbered Paragraphs, for temporary storage of refrigerant (K).
Claims
1-12. (Canceled)13. A reservoir for temporary storage of refrigerant, in particular in a refrigerant circuit, comprisinga housing, comprising a housing interior through which refrigerant can flow,at least one intake defined in the housing through which refrigerant can enter the housing interior, and at least one outlet defined in the housing through which the refrigerant can exit the housing interior,at least one deflecting element disposed in the housing interior and formed as an integral part of the housing, the deflecting element configured for deflecting refrigerant entering the housing interior through the intake.
14. The reservoir according to claim 13, wherein the deflecting element comprises a deflecting segment disposed at a distance to the housing, with which refrigerant striking the deflecting segment is deflected.
15. The reservoir according to claim 13, whereinthe reservoir has a circumferential wall, andfurther comprising at least one deflecting element formed as an integral part of the circumferential wall, wherein the at least one deflecting element protrudes from the circumferential wall into the housing interior.
16. The reservoir according to claim 15, whereinthe circumferential wall extends along an axial direction and along a circumferential direction of the reservoir,the deflecting element is disposed in the housing interior and is configured such that refrigerant striking the deflecting segment is deflected in the axial direction and / or in the circumferential direction.
17. The reservoir according to claim 16, wherein only a section of the deflecting element extends along the circumferential direction, wherein the section of the deflecting element that extends along the circumferential direction is disposed near the intake.
18. The reservoir according to claim 13, whereinthe housing comprises two parts, one of which is a container, and the other is a lid for closing the container, wherein the container comprises a bottom and the circumferential wall of the housing,the housing has first and second intakes, both of which are spaced axially apart in the circumferential wall,first and second deflecting elements deflect refrigerant entering the housing interior through the first and second intakes,the first deflecting element forms an integral part of the circumferential wall, and the second deflecting element is connected to the lid, and preferably forms an integral part of the lid.
19. The reservoir according to claim 18, whereinthe lid is releasably attached to the container by a threaded connection,the second deflecting element extends over the entire circumference of the reservoir along the circumferential direction.
20. The reservoir according to claim 18, whereinthe lid is materially bonded to the container, in particular through welding or with an adhesive,the second deflecting element only extends in part along the circumference near the second intake.
21. The reservoir according to claim 13, whereinthe deflecting element is designed and placed in the housing interior such that it deflects at the deflecting segment in the circumferential direction,the outlet is at a radial distance to an axial central axis for the housing.
22. The reservoir according to claim 13, wherein the housing is cast with at least one deflecting element.
23. The reservoir according to claim 13, whereinat least part of the deflecting element is curved,the surface of the deflecting element facing the intake, in particular on the deflecting segment is concave.
24. A refrigerant system comprising:a refrigerant circuit in which refrigerant can circulate,a means for conveying the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit,a reservoir in the refrigerant circuit through which refrigerant can flow, according to claim 13, for temporary storage of refrigerant.