Receiver Drier Housing with External Variant Indication Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional receiver drier housings require disassembly for determining the variant of the receiver drier, which is inconvenient and time-consuming, and there is no indication to determine the variant without disassembly, leading to potential performance deviations in air conditioning systems due to incorrect variant installation.

Innovation Solution

A receiver drier housing with redundant features, including a movable component and an external sensor, that indicates the presence of different receiver drier variants without disassembly, using mechanical interaction and external detection to determine the variant by visual inspection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the receiver drier housing completely encloses the receiver drier, then the housing provides complete protection and containment, but it becomes difficult to determine the variant of the receiver drier by visual inspection from outside

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovecontainmentVSAvoidvariant identification
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the identification function from the internal receiver drier and presents it externally through the movable component that responds to the receiver drier's characteristics without requiring disassembly. The indicator mechanism takes out the need for internal inspection by providing external visual feedback about the receiver drier variant.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The movable component acts as an intermediary between the enclosed receiver drier and the external observer. It translates the internal state (receiver drier variant) into an externally visible signal, allowing identification without breaking the enclosure's protective function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If the receiver drier housing is disassembled to access, inspect and determine the variant of the receiver drier, then complete inspection is possible, but the process becomes inconvenient and time consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinspection accuracyVSAvoidinspection time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary identification action through the movable component that automatically responds to the receiver drier's presence and characteristics. This preliminary indication eliminates the need for time-consuming disassembly and manual inspection, providing immediate variant identification.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The receiver drier housing system performs self-identification through the movable component that automatically indicates the receiver drier variant based on its interaction with the enclosed component. The system serves its own identification function without requiring external disassembly or complex inspection procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Productivity

If a standard receiver drier housing is used to house different configurations of receiver drier, then manufacturing costs and assembly time are reduced, but it becomes challenging to ensure the correct variant is received during assembly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly efficiencyVSAvoidcorrect variant installation
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The movable component provides immediate feedback about the receiver drier variant that is received in the housing. This feedback mechanism allows assembly operators to verify correct installation in real-time, preventing wrong variants from being installed while maintaining the efficiency benefits of a standard housing design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces complex mechanical verification systems with a simpler movable component indicator system. Instead of requiring complex mechanical interlocks or verification mechanisms, the system uses a responsive indicator that provides sufficient information to ensure correct variant installation while maintaining assembly efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentEP3978837B1A receiver drier housing
Publication Date: 2023.06.21 VALEO AUTOSYSTY
  • EP3978837B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3978837B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3978837B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A housing (100) houses interchangeably at least two receiver drier variants (110a, 110b). The housing (100) includes indication means (125) that moves between a first position indicative of presence of a first receiver drier variant (110a) and a second position indicative of presence of a second receiver drier variant (110b).