AU785448B2 - Improved structure for refrigerant filler - Google Patents

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: Improved structure for refrigerant filler The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: -eeii Carter Smt Beadl Mebue00977 Prne 5 aur 20 1:2)pg reehills Carter Smith Beadle Melboume\003977872 Printed 15 January 2002 (11:21) page 2 IMPROVED STRUCTURE FOR REFRIGERANT

FILLER

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improved structure for refrigerant filler, in particular, to a refrigerant filler equipped with a high pressure refrigerant pathway, a vacuum evacuation pathway, and a common main pathway, wherein a low pressure refrigerant pathway is a sub-pathway parallel to the main 10 pathway without communicating with the vacuum evacuation pathway. By operating three respective rotary switches to actuate their spherical valves, high or low pressure refrigerant filling and vacuum evacuation work can be performed reliably without detaching the high and low pressure refrigerant conducting pipes. A parking terminal is provided for each conducting pipe to 15 rest thereat when not in use.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Fig. 1 is a three dimensional view of conventional refrigerant filler. As shown in Fig. 1, the conventional refrigerant filler comprises a main body 1 in rectangular parallelopiped shape with several tapped holes provided on its front surface for installing a high pressure joint 21, a low pressure joint 22, and a three-way refrigerant intake joint 23, besides, a vacuum evacuation joint 231 is formed right on the refrigerant joint 23. A right plug joint 25 and a left plug joint 24 are respectively formed on the right and the left side surface of the main body 1 of the filler. A high pressure side rotary switch 26, a low pressure side rotary switch 27, and a pellucid window 28 are provided on the top surface of the main body 1.

Referring to Fig. 2, a three dimensional exploded view of a conventional refrigerant filler, there are two rotary knobs 261, 271 respectively provided for the high pressure side and the low pressure side rotary switches 26 and 27 so as to turn bolts 262, 272 located below respective knobs 261, 271 thereby 10 controlling flow of refrigerant. The pellucid window 28 is composed of a base collar 281, a transparent disc 282, a protective ring 283, and a fixincg nut 284. The pellucid window 28 is bolted onto the top surface of the main body 1, and the state of the refrigerant inside the main body 1 can be observed through the transparent disc 282.

However, the conventionai refrigerant filler constructed as such has the following shortcomings: 1. The flow of the refrigerant is roughly controlled by turn-in depth of the bolts of rotary switches into the main body of both high and low pressure sides and is impossible to obtain required accuracy.

2. The vacuum evacuation joint and the refrigerant intake joint are occupying the same position, as a result, during vacuum evacuation operation, the refrigerant intake joint shall be clogged. On the contrary, during inputting the refrigerant, the vacuum evacuation joint shall be clogged, hence, such operation procedures are inconvenient and wasting time.

3. When not in use, the refrigerant intake pipe and the vacuum evacuation pipe must be detached that causes inconvenience for operation.

i.

Aiming at the above depicted shortcomings, the present invention is to 10 propose a newly developed improved structure for refrigerant filler capable of eliminating such shortcomings and inconveniency in operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Hence, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved structure for refrigerant filler wherein a vacuum evacuation rotary switch is provided on a main body of the refrigerant filler in addition to a high and a low pressure side rotary switches. These rotary switches along with a common main pathway formed of the high pressure refrigerant pathway, the vacuum evacuation pathway, and the refrigerant intake pathway, and a sub-pathway formed of the low pressure refrigerant pathway, the whole operation efficiency of the refrigerant filler can be greatly leveled up.

It is another object of the present invention that by further adding three 10 spherical valves controlled by turning right and left of the respective rotary switches for controlling the flow direction and rate of the refrigerant more precisely.

For fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a three dimensional view of a conventional refrigerant filler; Fig. 2 is an exploded view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a three dimensional view of the refrigerant filter according to the present invention; Fig. 4 is an exploded view of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the present invention; Fig. 6 is a schematic view showing a high and a low pressure gauges are equipped with the present invention; Fig. 7 is an illustrative view showing how the vacuum evacuation is carTied out before producing the high pressure refrigerant; Fig. 8 is an illustrative view showing how the high pressure refrigerant is supplied from the refrigerant filler of the present invention; Fig. 9 is an illustrative view showing how the vacuum evacuation is carried our before producing the low pressure refrigerant; 10 Fig. 10 is an illustrative view showing how the low pressure refrigerant is supplied from he refrigerant filler of the present invention; and *oooo Fig. 11 is a three dimensional view of the refrigerant filler in another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIEMNTS The construction and shortcomings of a conventional refrigerant filler shown in Figs. 1 and 2 have been discussed in the above description therefore it is not necessary to repeat here.

Referring to Fig. 3, the refrigerant filler of the present invention, except a high pressure side rotary switch 4, a low pressure side rotary switch 5, and a pellucid window 6, all formed on the top surface of a main body 3, a vacuum evacuation rotary switch 7 is added. And except a high pressure joint 40, a low pressure joint 50, and a refrigerant intake joint 60 all formed on the front surface of the main body 3, a vacuum joint 70 is added. Furthermore, a right plug joint 32 and a left plug joint 31 are respectively formed on the right and the left side surface of the main body 3. Abut on each rotary switch, a stopper stud 4A, or 5A, or 74 (not shown) is provided for limiting turning angle of each corresponding rotary switch 4, or 5, or 7 and also for making sure that the switches are closed.

10 Referring to Fig. 4, the exploded view of Fig. 3 shows that the high pressure side rotary switch 4, the low pressure side rotary switch 5, and the vacuum evacuation rotary switch 7 are all similarly constructed.

For example, the high pressure side rotary switch 4 includes a rotary knob 41, a threaded sleeve 42, a follower rod 43, and a spherical valve 44. The threaded sleeve 42 can be bolted into the main body 3 with its threads formect on outer surface thereof and is provided with a center via hole 422. The follower rod 43 is inserted into the center via hole 422 upward from the lower end of the threaded sleeve 42 with its upper end's flat and straight portion 431 inlaid into the rotary knob 41 so as to be turned by the knob 41. The follower rod 43 is encircled with an 0 ring 432, and its bottom is formed into a claw to clip the upper part 441 of the spherical valve 44. The spherical valve 44 has a via hole 442 at its center portion, and its both ends are respectively attached with teflon washers 45, 46.

8 There are three sleeves 81, 82, 83 provided inside the main body 3.

Among which the first sleeve 81 is fitted to the outer side of the spherical valve 44. The first sleeve 81 has an axial via hole 811 and a radical via hole 812 at its center portion thereof. The second sleeve 82 is installed between a low pressure spherical valve 51 and a vacuum spherical valve 71, and an axial via hole 821 is formed at its center portion, but it is isolately clogged at its center, while radical via holes 822, 823 are respectively formed at its both ends.

The radical via hole 823 serves as a path for the gas during vacuum 10 evacuation. When the vacuum spherical valve 71 is opened, the residual gas in a low pressure or a high pressure bombe is directed through the axial center via hole 821 (valve 71 side) and the radical via hole 823 of the second sleeve 82 into a vacuum pump so as to perform vacuum evacuation. The radical via hole 822 serves as a path for directing low pressure refrigerant into the center via hole 821 (spherical valve 51 side) of the sleeve 82 and then the refrigerant is supplied into an user's low pressure bombe via a center via hole 851 of the third sleeve 85 fitted to a side of the spherical valve 51 thereby completing low pressure refrigerant filling (supplying) operation.

Referring to Fig. 5, a longitudinal cross sectional view which shows various pathways laid in the inner part of the main body 3. As shown in Fig.

a main pathway 33 and a sub pathway 34 are laid axially parallel to each other in the main body 3. For the main pathway 33, the diameter at two sides is different, so that the spherical valves, the teflon washers and the sleeves shall be installed from the two ends. The main pathway 33 is vertically in communication with the high pressure side rotary switch 4, low pressure side rotary switch 5, and the vacuum rotary switch 7, while it is horizontally in communication with a high pressure hole 351, a low pressure hole 352, a vacuum hole 353, a refrigerant passage hole 354, and a high pressure gauge hole 355. After skipping the vacuum rotary switch 7, the sub pathway 34 is in communication with the main pathway 33, and is also conmmunicated with a low pressure gauge hole 356 with its one end.

As shown in Fig. 6, the high and the low pressure gauge holes 355, 356 are respectively for installing a high and a low pressure gauges 83, 84.

For filling (supplying) high pressure refrigerant, reference should be made to Figs. 7 and 8, wherein: 1. Carrying out vacuum evacuation operation by clogging the low pressure refrigerant pathway but clearing the high pressure refrigerant pathway and the vacuum evacuation pathway (see Fig. 7).

2. Filling (supplying) the high pressure refrigerant via the refrigerant passage hole 354, main pathway 33, and the high pressure hole 351 after clogging the vacuum evacuation pathway (see Fig. 8).

For filling (supplying) low pressure refrigerant, reference should be made to Figs. 9 and 10, wherein: 1. Carrying out vacuum evacuation operation by clogging the high pressure refrigerant pathway but clearing the low pressure refrigerant pathway and the vacuum evacuation pathway (see Fig. 9).

*0 &se 10 000.0.

0000 *00* 2. After clogging the vacuum evacuation pathway and opening the low pressure refrigerant bombe, the refrigerant is filled (supplied) to the customer by entering the main pathway of the main body 3 from the refrigerant passage hole, then to the other end of the main pathway by way of the sub pathway, entering the sleeve 82 from the radical via hole 822, and reaching the low pressure hole 352 from the axial via hole 821 (see Fig. The above mentioned refrigerant filling operation is carried out by operating the spherical valves with corresponding rotary switches so as to clear/clog corresponding pathways.

Meanwhile, in another embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig.

11, two non-through threaded parking terminals 601, 701 are provided vertically on the refrigerant joint 60 and the vacuum joint 70. In this version, the other ends of a refrigerant pipe 91 and a vacuum pipe 92 may park on these two terminals 601, 701 when not in use so what the inconveniency of detaching the pipes is prevented. Similarly, the outer surfaces of the right and the left plug joint 32, 31 may be formed into threaded portions 321, 311 respectively so that the other ends of a high and a low pressure refrigerant pipes 93, 94 may park thereon thereby preventing inconveniency of detaching the pipes.

It is clearly understood that the improved structure for refrigerant filler of the present invention is surely convenient and efficient in operation and control that any conventional one has not been able to cope with.

It is therefore to be understood that the above and other modification and changes may be readily made in the construction and arrangement of elements comprising the preferred and modified forms of invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and reasonable equivalents thereof.

Claims (6)

1. An improved structure for refrigerant filler wherein several pathways are formed in a main body of said filler, each exit of said pathways being respectively provided with a high or a low pressure rotary switch, a high or a low pressure joint, and a refrigerant joint; it is characterized in that a vacuum rotary switch and a vacuum joint are provided in said main body of said filler for performing vacuum evacuation operation before high/low pressure refrigerant filling, a high pressure pathway, a vacuum evacuation passage, and a refrigerant pathway in said main body are communicated one another by a conunon main pathway, while a low pressure pathway is a sub pathway which skips said vacuum evacuation passage and is laid parallel to said main pathway, the vacuum evacuation and the high and the low pressure refrigerant filling operation is carried out by operating said 15 rotary switches to control open/close state of corresponding spherical valves equipped beneath without changing connection of refrigerant supply ipes, a vacuum evacuation pipe, and high/low pressure refrigerant pipes so as to simplify refrigerant filling operation.

2. The refrigerant filler of claim 1, wherein two sleeves are provided in said main body of the filler, the first sleeve is fitted to the outer end of said spherical valve installed beneath said high pressure side rotary switch, an axial via hole and a radical via hole is respectively formed at the center portion of said first sleeve; while the second sleeve is installed between a low pressure spherical valve and a vacuum spherical valve, and an axial via 13 hole formed at its center portion is isolating the two sides thereof, and a radical via hole is formed at each end thereof.

3. The refrigerant filler of claim 1, wherein a high and a low pressure gauges are provided on the upper surface of said main body of the filler, said high pressure gauge is communicated with said main pathway while said low pressure gauge is communicated with said sub pathway.

4. The refrigerant filler of claim 1, wherein a non-through threaded parking 10 terminal is respectively provided vertically on said refrigerant joint and said vacuum joint so that the other ends of a refrigerant pipe and a vacuum pipe are able to park on these two parking terminals when not in use i thereby preventing inconveniency of replacing the pipes. 15

5. The refrigerant filler of claim 1, wherein a right and a left plug joints are provided respectively on the right and the left side surfaces on said main body of the filler, both plug joints have outer threaded portions for a high and a low pressure refrigerant supply pipes to park their other ends thereat after having finished operation without extra work for replacing pipes.

6. An inproved structure for refrigerant filler substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 3 to 11 of the accompanying drawings. Access A/C Enterprise Corporation By Freehills Carter Smith Beadle Registered Patent Attorneys for the Applicant Dated: 15 January 2002