Abstract:
A condenser equipped with a receiver includes an inlet portion for refrigerant of the receiver opening in an axial direction of the receiver; an outlet portion for refrigerant of the condenser communicating with the inlet portion of the receiver; and an insertion portion provided on either the inlet portion or the outlet portion. The insertion portion is inserted into the outlet portion or the inlet portion, and the inlet portion and the outlet portion are brought into contact with each other to make a gastight condition between the inlet portion and the outlet portion. In this structure, the workability for attaching the receiver to the condenser and detaching the receiver from the condenser may be improved. Moreover, the strength for fixing the receiver to the condenser may be increased.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a condenser equipped with a receiver, and more specifically to a condenser equipped with a receiver, suitable for use in a refrigerating cycle of an air conditioner for vehicles. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Generally, in a vehicle air conditioner, the refrigeration cycle components, for example, a compressor, a condenser, a receiver, etc., are mounted on a vehicle as individual parts. However, due to recent space saving requirements accompanying the development of a compact engine compartment, a condenser integrally structured with a receiver has been proposed (for example, JP-A-8-35744, JP-A-8-110125), or, a condenser equipped with a receiver after manufacturing the condenser and the receiver separately from each other has been proposed. JP-A-8-75317, JP-A-9-184668 and JP-A-9-217967, all of which are incorporated by reference, in their entireties, show typical condensers equipped with receivers. 
     In such known condensers equipped with receivers, however, several problems exist in a communication portion between an outlet portion of a condenser and an inlet portion of a receiver. For example, in JP-A-8-75317, because a refrigerant pipe that is connected to an outlet portion of a condenser is drawn around, and a nut that is provided on an end of the refrigerant pipe is screwed to a connector provided on an inlet portion of a receiver, screwing operation is required, thus decreasing the workability for the assembly of the receiver to the condenser. In JP-A-9-184668, a connection block that is provided on a condenser and an attachment block that is provided on a receiver are connected by bolts with a liquid-tight condition. However, because an outlet portion of a condenser is usually provided at a lower position of the condenser, such as in the structure disclosed in JP-A-9-184668, detachment of the receiver from the condenser after the assembly on a vehicle may be difficult, thereby decreasing the maintainability. Moreover, because the receiver is fixed to the condenser only by the bolts for connecting the connection block and the attachment block, the connection strength may be poor. In JP-A-9-217967, the strength of the connection is improved, but the workability for the assembly of the receiver to the condenser is correspondingly decreased. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved structure for a condenser equipped with a receiver which may increase the workability for the assembly of the receiver to the condenser, as well as the strength of the connection between the receiver and the condenser. In addition, it is an object of the invention to increase the maintainability of the receiver after installation in a vehicle. 
     To achieve the foregoing and other objects, the structure of a condenser equipped with a receiver according to the present invention is herein provided. The condenser equipped with a receiver comprises an inlet portion for refrigerant of the receiver opening in an axial direction of the receiver, an outlet portion for refrigerant of the condenser communicating with the inlet portion for refrigerant of the receiver, and an insertion portion provided on either the inlet portion or the outlet portion. The insertion portion is inserted into the outlet portion or the inlet portion, and the inlet portion and the outlet portion are brought into contact with each other to make a gastight condition between the inlet portion and the outlet portion. 
     The condenser may comprise a multi-flow type heat exchanger including a pair of header pipes, a plurality of heat transfer tubes interconnecting the pair of header pipes, and a plurality of fins disposed between heat transfer tubes adjacent to each other. The receiver may be provided so as to extend in a direction parallel to a direction in which the heat transfer tubes extend. In this embodiment, the receiver may be fixed to a side member provided at one of outermost positions of the multi-flow type heat exchanger. Alternatively, the receiver may be provided so as to extend in a direction parallel to a direction in which one of the pair of header pipes extends. In this embodiment, the receiver may be fixed to one of the pair of header pipes directly or via a bracket. 
     The receiver may contain a desiccant and at least one filter. The receiver may have an auxiliary equipment such as a pressure switch or a fusible plug. 
     In the condenser equipped with a receiver according to the present invention, the receiver may be easily attached to the condenser while a gastight condition between the outlet portion of the condenser and the inlet portion of the receiver may be ensured, merely by moving the receiver in its axial direction, inserting the insertion portion into the outlet portion or the inlet portion and bringing the inlet portion into contact with the outlet portion. Further, the receiver may be easily detached from the condenser by moving the receiver in a direction opposite to the above-described inserting direction. Therefore, the workability for attaching the receiver to the condenser, and the maintainability after mounting the assembly on a vehicle (the detachment ability of the receiver), may be increased. 
     Moreover, because the receiver may be disposed in either a direction parallel to the heat transfer tubes or a direction parallel to the header pipe of the condenser, an optimum assembly direction may be selected in consideration of a space in an engine compartment of a vehicle and maintenance efficiency. 
     Furthermore, because the receiver may be fixed to the condenser on the side member or the header pipe of the condenser by an appropriate fixing method, the strength for fixing the receiver to the condenser may be increased while the maintainability is increased. 
     Further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying figures. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the accompanying figures, which are given by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the present invention. 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a condenser equipped with a receiver according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged, exploded, partial perspective view of the condenser equipped with a receiver depicted in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the connection portion depicted in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a condenser equipped with a receiver according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged, exploded, partial perspective view of the condenser equipped with a receiver depicted in FIG. 4, showing the connection portion. 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged, exploded, partial perspective view of the condenser equipped with a receiver depicted in FIG. 4, showing the fixing portion. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 to  3 , a condenser equipped with a receiver according to a first embodiment of the present invention is provided. In FIG. 1, condenser equipped with a receiver  1  comprises condenser  2  and receiver  3  assembled thereto. In this embodiment, condenser  2  is formed as a multi-flow type heat exchanger including a pair of header pipes  4 ,  5  disposed in parallel to each other. A plurality of heat transfer tubes  6  disposed in parallel to each other with a predetermined interval (for example, flat-type refrigerant tubes) fluidly interconnect the pair of header pipes  4 ,  5 . Corrugated fins  7  are interposed between the respective adjacent heat transfer tubes  6  and outside of the outermost heat transfer tubes  6  as outermost fins. Side members  19 ,  20  are provided on outermost fins  7 , respectively. 
     An outlet portion  8  for introducing refrigerant out from condenser  2  is provided on the lower portion of header pipe  4 . Outlet portion  8  comprises a block  9  and an insertion portion  10  projected from block  9 , as depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3. O-ring  11  is attached on the periphery of insertion portion  10 . Pin  42  is provided on the same surface as provided with insertion portion  10  of block  9  for positioning. 
     Receiver  3  has an inlet portion  12  for introducing refrigerant into receiver  3  at one end of receiver  3 . Inlet portion  12  is formed as a block  13 . Block  13  has an insertion hole  14  opening in the axial direction of receiver  3  and a positioning hole  43 . Insertion portion  10  is inserted into insertion hole  14 . Pin  42  is inserted into positioning hole  43  for fixing the relative positional relationship between condenser  2  and receiver  3 . The surface of block  9  and the surface of block  13  facing each other are brought into contact with each other. 
     Receiver  3  contains filters  15  and desiccant  16 . Filters  15  fix desiccant  16  from both sides in receiver  3 . Receiver  3  also may have auxiliary equipment. In this embodiment, a pressure switch  50  is attached on receiver  3  for detecting a pressure of refrigerant in receiver  3 . 
     In this embodiment, receiver  3  is disposed at the bottom portion of condenser  2  so that receiver  3  extends in a direction parallel to the direction in which heat transfer tubes  6  extend. Outlet portion  8  of condenser  2  communicates with inlet portion  12  of receiver  3  with a gastight condition by inserting insertion portion  10  provided on block  9  into insertion hole  14  defined in block  13 . At the same time, block  9  and block  13  are positioned in a predetermined positional relationship by inserting pin  42  into positioning hole  43 . Receiver  3  is disposed on lower side member  19  provided on one of the outermost fins  7  of condenser  2 . A block  18  forming an outlet portion  17  of refrigerant of receiver  3  provided on the other end of receiver  3  is fixed to side member  19  via screw  41 . 
     In condenser equipped with a receiver  1  of this embodiment, receiver  3  is attached to condenser  2  as follows. Insertion portion  10  of outlet portion  8  of condenser  2  is inserted into inlet portion  12  of receiver  3  by moving receiver  3  in its axial direction. O-ring  11  serves to achieve a gastight connection between insertion portion  10  and inlet portion  12 . At the same time, pin  42  is inserted into positioning hole  43  so that receiver  3  is positioned relative to condenser  2  accurately at a predetermined positional relationship. Block  9 , forming outlet portion  8 , and block  13 , forming inlet portion  12 , are brought into contact with each other. Thus, outlet portion  8  of condenser  2  and inlet portion  12  of receiver  3  are assembled to each other and communicate with each other at a gastight condition by such an operation. When receiver  3  is detached from condenser  2 , receiver  3  may be merely moved in its axial direction opposite to the direction for attachment. Thus, the detachment or separation of receiver  3  from condenser  2  may be achieved by such an operation. As a result, the workability for the assembly of receiver  3  to condenser  2  and the maintainability of receiver  3  after it is mounted on a vehicle may both be improved. 
     Further, in this embodiment, one end portion of receiver  3 , that is, inlet portion  12  of receiver  3 , is fixed to outlet portion  8  of condenser  2  via the insertion structure of insertion portion  10 , and the other end portion of receiver  3 , that is, outlet portion  17  of receiver  3 , is fixed to side member  19  which is sufficiently strong. Therefore, receiver  3  may be fixed to condenser  2  at both end portions with a sufficiently strong connection, thereby ensuring a sufficiently strong connection between receiver  3  and condenser  2 . Further, in this embodiment, because outlet portion  17  of receiver  3  is fixed to side member  19  via screw  41 , the attachment of receiver  3  to condenser  2  and the detachment of receiver  3  from condenser  2  may both be facilitated. Although outlet portion  17  of receiver  3  is fixed directly to side member  19  in this embodiment, outlet portion  17  also may be fixed via a bracket (not shown) connected to side member  19 . 
     FIGS. 4 to  6  depict a condenser equipped with a receiver according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 4, condenser equipped with a receiver  21  comprises condenser  22  and receiver  23  assembled thereto. In this embodiment, condenser  22  is formed as a multi-flow type heat exchanger including a pair of header pipes  24 ,  25  disposed in parallel to each other. A plurality of heat transfer tubes  26  disposed in parallel to each other at a predetermined interval (for example, flat-type refrigerant tubes) fluidly interconnect the pair of header pipes  24 ,  25 . Corrugated fins  27  are interposed between the respective adjacent heat transfer tubes  26  and outside of the outermost heat transfer tubes  26  as outermost fins. 
     An outlet portion  28  for introducing refrigerant out from condenser  22  is provided on the lower portion of header pipe  25 . Outlet portion  28  comprises a block  29  and an insertion portion  30  projecting from block  29 , as depicted in FIG.  5 . O-ring  31  is attached on the periphery of insertion portion  30 . Pin  44  is provided on the same surface that is provided with insertion portion  30  of block  29  for positioning. 
     Receiver  23  has an inlet portion  32  for introducing refrigerant into receiver  23  at an lower end of receiver  23 . Inlet portion  32  is formed as a block  33 . The connection structure of outlet portion  28  and inlet portion  32  is substantially the same as that in the first embodiment. Therefore, the labels of the elements in this portion of the second embodiment are shown in FIG. 3 in parenthesis. Namely, block  33  has an insertion hole  34  opening in the axial direction of receiver  23  and a positioning hole  45 . Insertion portion  30  is inserted into insertion hole  34 . Pin  44  is inserted into positioning hole  45  for fixing the relative positional relationship between condenser  22  and receiver  23 . The surface of block  29  and the surface of block  33  facing each other are brought into contact with each other. 
     Receiver  23  contains filters  35  and desiccant  36 . Filters  35  fix desiccant  36  from both upper and lower sides in receiver  23 . Receiver  23  also may have auxiliary equipment. In this embodiment, pressure switch  51  is attached on receiver  23  for detecting a pressure of refrigerant in receiver  23 . 
     In this embodiment, receiver  23  is disposed on the side of header pipe  25  of condenser  22  so that receiver  23  extends in a direction parallel to the direction in which header pipe  25  extends. Outlet portion  28  of condenser  22  communicates with inlet portion  32  of receiver  23  with a gastight condition by inserting insertion portion  30 , provided on block  29 , into insertion hole  34 , defined in block  33 . At the same time, block  29  and block  33  are positioned at a predetermined positional relationship by inserting pin  44  into positioning hole  45 . Receiver  23  extends vertically along header pipe  25 . A block  38  forming an outlet portion  37  of refrigerant of receiver  23  provided on the upper end of receiver  23  is attached to header pipe  25  via bracket  39 . Bracket  39  is connected to the outer surface of header pipe  25 . Block  38  is fixed to bracket  39  via screw  40  so that receiver  23  is fixed to header pipe  25  via bracket  39 . 
     In condenser equipped with a receiver  21  of this embodiment, receiver  23  is attached to condenser  22  as follows. Insertion portion  30  of outlet portion  28  of condenser  22  is inserted into inlet portion  32  of receiver  23  by moving receiver  23  in its axial direction. O-ring  31  functions to achieve a gastight connection between insertion portion  30  and inlet portion  32 . At the same time, pin  44  is inserted into positioning hole  45  so that receiver  23  is positioned relative to condenser  22  accurately in a predetermined positional relationship. Block  29 , forming outlet portion  28 , and block  33 , forming inlet portion  32 , are brought into contact with each other. Thus, outlet portion  28  of condenser  22  and inlet portion  32  of receiver  23  are assembled to each other and communicate with each other with a gastight connection by such an operation. When receiver  23  is detached from condenser  22 , receiver  23  may be merely moved in its axial direction opposite to the direction for attachment. 
     Thus, the detachment or separation of receiver  23  from condenser  22  may be achieved also by such an operation. As a result, the workability for assembly of receiver  23  to condenser  22  and the maintainability of receiver  23  after it is mounted on a vehicle may be both facilitated. 
     Further, in this embodiment, the lower end portion of receiver  23 , that is, inlet portion  32  of receiver  23 , is fixed to outlet portion  28  of condenser  22  via the insertion structure of insertion portion  30 , and the upper end portion of receiver  23 , that is, outlet portion  37  of receiver  23 , is fixed to bracket  39  connected to header pipe  25 , which is sufficiently strong. Therefore, receiver  23  may be fixed to condenser  22  at both end portions with a sufficiently strong connection, thereby ensuring a strong connection between receiver  23  and condenser  22 . Further, in this embodiment, because outlet portion  37  of receiver  23  is fixed to bracket  39  via screw  40 , the attachment of receiver  23  to condenser  22  and the detachment of receiver  23  from condenser  22  may both be facilitated. 
     In the above-described embodiments, although insertion portions  10 ,  30  are provided on outlet portions  8 ,  28  of condensers  2 ,  22  and insertion holes  14 ,  34  are defined in inlet portions  12 ,  32  of receivers  3 ,  23 , the insertion portions may be provided on inlet portions  12 ,  32  of receivers  3 ,  23  and the insertion holes may be defined in outlet portions  8 ,  28  of condensers  2 ,  22 . Further, pins  42 ,  44  may be provided on inlet portions  12 ,  32  and positioning holes  43 ,  45  may be defined on outlet portions  8 ,  28 . 
     Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail herein, the scope of the invention is not limited thereto. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the embodiments disclosed herein are only exemplary. It is to be understood that the scope of the invention is not to be limited thereby, but is to be determined by the claims which follow.