Abstract:
An adsorbent unit for mounting relative to a U-bend pipe of a refrigerant accumulator having spaced pipes and a return bend including a porous container, adsorbent in the container, first and second end portions on the container, first and second bands on the first end portion for placement about the spaced pipes, and a mounting tab at the second end portion for mounting onto a filter housing on the return bend.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an improved adsorbent unit for use in a refrigerant accumulator of an air conditioning system which contains a U-shaped return bend pipe. 
     By way of background, in the past when a single adsorbent unit was utilized in a refrigerant accumulator having a U-shaped return bend pipe, certain embodiments had to be secured relative to the spaced pipes by means of an external tie or clip which required extra parts and/or additional manipulative steps. It is with overcoming the foregoing deficiencies of certain prior art adsorbent units that the present invention is concerned. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved single container adsorbent unit for a U-bend pipe of a refrigerant accumulator in which the mounting structure is an integral portion of the adsorbent unit itself. Other objects and attendant advantages of the present invention will readily be perceived hereafter. 
     The present invention relates to an adsorbent unit for mounting relative to a U-bend pipe of a refrigerant accumulator having spaced pipes and a return bend comprising a porous container, adsorbent in said container, first and second end portions on said container, first and second bands on said first end portion for placement about said spaced pipes with said container located between said first mounting means and said return bend, and second mounting means at said second end of said container for mounting relative to said return bend. 
     The present invention also relates to a refrigerant accumulator having a housing with a bottom wall and a side wall and a U-shaped pipe with a return bend adjacent said bottom wall and with first and second pipe portions extending from said return bend along said side wall, and a filter body extending outwardly from said return bend, the improvement of an adsorbent unit comprising a porous adsorbent container, adsorbent in said container, first and second end portions on said container, first and second bands, inner ends on said first and second bands secured to said first end portion, outer ends on said first and second bands, means securing said outer ends of said first and second bands to each other in looping engagement with said first and second pipe portions, a tab extending outwardly from said second end portion of said container, and an aperture on said tab mounting said second tab on said filter body. 
     The various aspects of the present invention will be more fully understood when the following portions of the specification are read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a partially broken away plan view of the adsorbent unit of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevational view taken substantially in the direction of arrows  2 — 2  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of an accumulator type of receiver in which the adsorbent unit is mounted; 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the accumulator of FIG. 3 with the bottom portion removed and the adsorbent unit of the present invention mounted relative to the U-bend pipe therein; 
     FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view taken substantially in the direction of arrows  5 — 5  of FIG. 4; and 
     FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view similar to FIG. 5 but showing the adsorbent unit mounted in a different manner. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The adsorbent unit  10  of the present invention includes a casing  11  formed of porous material, in this instance, heat-fusible felted polyester, but it may be fabricated of any other suitable material. Casing  11  is formed from two sides of felted polyester which are bonded to each other by fused seams, and it comprises a container  12  containing adsorbent  13  with the container having an apertured tab  14  extending outwardly from one end portion thereof and bands  15  and  17  extending outwardly from the other end portion thereof. The preferred adsorbent is molecular sieve but any other suitable adsorbent may be used. 
     Container  12  is defined by fused seams  19 ,  20 ,  21  and  22 . Container  12  has a pronounced convex surface  23  and a less convex surface  24 . Tab  14  includes an outer fused seam  25  which merges into seam  19 . Tab  14  includes an elongated aperture  27  which is defined by fused seam  29 . 
     Tabs  15  and  17 , as noted above, extend outwardly from end portion  16 . The outer edge of end portion  16  includes a fused seam  30  which is spaced from fused seam  21  of container  12 . Tab  15  is defined by fused seam  31  which merges into fused seam  30  and by fused seam  32  which merges into the junction of fused seams  21  and  22 . A barb  33  is formed at the outer end of band  15 , and barb  33  is formed by fusing the two layers of polyester material to each other. Band  17  is defined by fused seam  34  which merges into fused seam  30  and by fused seam  35  which merges into the junction of fused seams  20  and  21 . An aperture  37  is formed in the outer end of band  17  and it is defined by a fused seam  39  which merges into fused seams  34  and  35 . 
     The adsorbent unit  10  is intended to be mounted in a prior art accumulator-type of receiver  40  (FIGS. 3 and 4) which includes an upper cylindrical housing portion  41  having a side wall  42  and a lower cylindrical housing portion  43  having a side wall  44  and having a flange  45  which receives the lower edge portion of upper portion  41  with an interference fit, and a joint is thereafter hermetically welded at  47 . Insofar as pertinent here, the accumulator  40  includes a U-bend pipe  49  having a refrigerant inlet end  50  which receives a mix of gaseous and liquid refrigerant and conducts it through pipe  51  having an open end  52  proximate concave surface  53  such that the refrigerant impinges thereon and enters the accumulator. The upper end  54  of U-shape pipe  49  is open and it receives gaseous refrigerant which passes through pipe  55 , return bend  57 , pipe  60 , and pipe  61  to outlet  62  which leads to the compressor, as is well known in the art. As noted above, the gaseous refrigerant passes through U-shaped tube  49  because it rises to the top while the liquid refrigerant from the evaporator drops to the bottom of the accumulator. A lubricant inlet (not shown) is located at the underside of the return bend  57 . A filter housing  63  having a filter  64  thereon is in communication with the lubricant inlet in the return bend  57  such that lubricant which accumulates in depression  65  of bottom wall  66  is induced into the return bend and conveyed with the gaseous refrigerant to the compressor, as is well known in the art. As can be seen from FIG. 4, the U-bend  49  includes two spaced pipes  55  and  60  which are connected by U-bend  57 . In the present instance, pipe  60  is substantially vertical and pipe  55  is inclined. The U-bend  49  is sometimes referred to as a J-bend. 
     In FIGS. 4 and 5 the adsorbent unit  10  is shown mounted on U-bend  49 . In this respect filter housing  63  is received within aperture  27  of tab  14 . The side  24  of container  12  is placed adjacent U-bend pipe  49 . The end portion  16  of casing  11  is threaded through the space between pipes  55  and  60  and bands  15  and  17  are thereafter looped about pipes  55  and  60 , respectively, and barb  33  of band  15  is threaded through aperture  37  of band  17  to provide a looped relationship with pipes  55  and  60 , the looped relationship consisting of the end portion  60  of casing  11  and bands  15  and  17 . 
     In FIG. 6 an alternate mounting arrangement is shown wherein the end portion  16  of casing  11  is not threaded through the space between pipes  55  and  60 , but instead the bands  15  and  17  and end portion  16  are merely looped about pipes  55  and  60 , as depicted in FIG.  6 . 
     While a barb  33  and an aperture  37  have been shown for securing the outer ends of bands  15  and  17  to each other, it will be appreciated that any other suitable types of fastening structure may be used. 
     While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed, it will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.