Snap-Fit Modular Refrigerant Filter Cap for Membrane Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerant tanks in automotive HVAC systems face clogging issues due to water condensation at expansion valves, which can be mitigated by removing water from circulating refrigerant, and existing solutions lack effective filtration mechanisms to protect desiccant bags and filter membranes during handling and operation.
Innovation Solution
A filter cap for refrigerant tanks featuring a main body with a threaded region, a filter membrane covered by a snap-on collar that protects the membrane and ensures secure filtration, allowing for easy attachment and detachment while minimizing manufacturing costs and tooling requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a filter membrane is used to filter contaminants from refrigerant, then filtration effectiveness is improved, but the filter membrane is vulnerable to damage during handling and installation
Solution Approach 1:
A protective cap is provided that covers the filter membrane before installation. This preliminary protective action prevents damage to the filter membrane during handling, storage, and installation procedures, ensuring the membrane remains intact and functional when it needs to perform its filtration duty
Solution Approach 2:
The protective cap acts as an intermediary element between the filter membrane and external environmental factors. It serves as a barrier that protects the vulnerable filter membrane from mechanical damage while allowing the system to maintain its filtration functionality
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a protective cap is added to cover the filter membrane, then protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cap assembly is segmented into distinct functional portions: a main body portion that provides structural support and sealing, and a protective cap portion that specifically protects the filter membrane. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The protective cap serves multiple functions simultaneously: it protects the filter membrane from damage, provides structural support for the filter membrane, and can be integrated with the tank cap assembly. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity
3Reliability
If a secure attachment mechanism is used to attach the filter cap, then reliability is improved, but ease of manufacture decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective cap is merged with the tank cap assembly into an integrated unit. This combination ensures secure attachment of the filter cap to the refrigerant tank while utilizing standard manufacturing processes for molded plastic components, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture through injection molding or similar processes
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The filter cap effectively filters contaminants from refrigerant, prevents damage to the filter membrane during handling, and maintains operational efficiency by ensuring a secure and flexible filtration system across various applications.
Implementation Method 1
a filter membrane covering the opening and configured to filter contaminants within the refrigerant
Implementation Method 2
a threaded region configured to mate with a corresponding region of the refrigerant tank
Implementation Method 3
a snap-on collar secured to and fitted about the rim, and at least partially covering the filter membrane to protect the filter membrane
Data Source
AI summary
A filter cap for a body of a refrigerant tank of an automotive HVAC device is provided. The filter cap includes a main body having a rim defining an opening for allowing flow of fluid such as refrigerant. A collar is snap-fit to the cap at the rim. In various embodiments, the collar has a flexible finger that flexes during assembly to the rim, and snaps back into position when fully pressed about the rim. The collar contains a filter membrane between the rim and the collar. The collar has an upper structure such as a plurality of spaced-apart legs. This allows the collar to protect the filter membrane from potential damaging contact while still enabling proper fluid flow through the filter membrane.