ES1289794U - Unified cold group with modular structure (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Unified cold group with suitable modular structure for installation in a vehicle attached to the wall of its box in a bunker on the cab, characterized by a structure comprising a central module (16) with a rear hole (3), a previous hole (5) and a cross-sectional septum (13), on the sides of this central module a module with a left hole (9) and a module with a right hole (7), all the holes have windows abroad And the different modules are joined together by removable means. This structure houses the batteries (4) the capacitor (6) the compressor (8) the electronic compressor management elements, the electrical battery management elements (10) and the connections between them all of them in an accessible way and where said Structure is closed by a housing with at least one area practicable per hole and comprises connections with at least one evaporator (15). (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

DESCRIPTION

UNIFIED COLD GROUP WITH MODULAR STRUCTURE

The invention, as its name indicates, refers to a refrigeration unit whose main elements are grouped in a block, close to each other, supported by a modular structure that allows housing the batteries, the condenser, the compressor and the elements control of batteries and the compressor, this structure being light and suitable for fixing to the body of a vehicle, all in a balanced manner without compromising its stability and with easy access to each of the components of the cold group.

In this way, an autonomous, manageable and versatile equipment is achieved, as well as environmentally improved.

The technical sector to which it belongs is that of refrigeration systems for transport vehicles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The transport of perishable goods requires vehicle refrigeration systems and equipment that guarantee the optimal conditions of the products.

These pieces of equipment are usually driven by the vehicle's engine, which has the drawback that the vehicle must be running for the refrigeration unit to work. On long journeys, the driver's rest requirement requires downtimes in which the refrigeration must continue to function, and on last-mile deliveries, the refrigeration must be maintained during delivery vehicle downtimes during which involves home delivery.

A possible solution for the refrigeration equipment to keep running during vehicle stops is to incorporate an additional motor independent of the vehicle's engine. But this adds considerable weight to the equipment, in addition to increasing its price, as well as the extra polluting effects that this option has compared to others.

Other equipment is powered by external batteries so that the refrigeration unit can be kept operational while the vehicle is stationary. Batteries and their systems of recharging, are located in different places of the vehicle with the difficulty that this supposes for its installation, maintenance, diagnosis or repair.

The assembly of these drives varies according to the vehicle, being in some of them a task that entails a significant investment of time and resources, in addition to other associated costs, such as specific tools or operations, rework or disposal of new parts supplied by the vehicle manufacturer. vehicle.

We also find, among the patent literature, some documents referring to refrigeration systems that try to solve said problems.

Thus, for example, patent MX2013003680 refers to an autonomous refrigeration element that includes batteries, arranged in certain parts of the vehicle, as well as different recharging systems for such batteries, such as solar energy.

Patent WO2016/196488 refers to a system to increase the autonomy of a battery cooling system, also including the possibility of recharging by solar energy.

The invention that is proposed, although it is in the field of vehicle cooling systems, focuses on other objectives, all as indicated below.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The proposed invention aims to:

A versatile refrigeration unit in which the cold unit -batteries, compressor, condenser and control electronics- are grouped in a compact modular chest, and the evaporators can be distributed inside the vehicle box depending on the needs of different areas of cold.

The objective of this arrangement is to easily integrate it into the vehicle, since the pre-assembly can be carried out in the workshop and its installation in the vehicle is quick, avoiding the vehicle being inoperative for several days.

On the other hand, by grouping the different components, the length of the connections between them is shortened, reducing both the cost and the weight of the connection pipes, reducing the amount of gas needed in the circuit, so that in the event of a leak, the environmental consequences they are minor.

The proposed unified cold group also facilitates repair operations for two reasons. In the first place, because the arrangement of each of the components within the structure allows easy access. On the other hand, in the event of a severe fault, the block group can be disassembled and replaced or, in the event of a fault that affects a module, that module can be disassembled and replaced in such a way that the times in which the vehicle is inoperative are reduced.

The fact of being unified avoids having to access different parts of the vehicle to verify the operation of one or another component or replace an element.

Another advantage is that since it comes pre-assembled and unified, the number of parts, connections and anchors is reduced, thus reducing the risk of errors and avoiding intervention in different parts of the vehicle.

Another objective of the invention is that any eventuality can be quickly detected and repaired, which is achieved by being the cold group unified and visible.

In addition to reducing the extension of the connections between the elements of the cold group located in the structure, since it is located on the cabin, the extension of the connections between the cold group and the user control interface or with the elements is shortened. battery recharging; solar panels, electric generators or network outlet among others.

The intended cold group comprises:

A) A chest that in turn includes:

- A modular structure suitable for housing and fixing in its interior a plurality of components among them;

■ A condensing unit.

■ Batteries housed, preferably centered, arranged at the rear of the structure so that their weight influences the equipment and the weight distribution per axle of the vehicle as little as possible.

■ A compressor located on one side, in a specific hole. The compressor is of variable speed and includes shock absorbers, minimizing the transmission of noise and vibrations to the rest of the elements and to the structure. The compressor is connected to the rest of the equipment through flexible tubing, thus decoupling possible vibrations with the rest of the system.

■ An electronic compressor management group preferably housed in the same compartment as the compressor.

■ An electrical unit for managing the batteries, preferably housed in a side hole adjacent to the one for the batteries.

■ A series of connections between the different components

B) One or more evaporator units in connection with the chest. The evaporator unit or units are arranged inside the vehicle body, in the desired place and with the desired orientation, being able to generate different temperature zones. The machining required in the body of the vehicle for the connections between the cabinet and the evaporator units is limited to allowing the passage of said connections, therefore a hole is sufficient to allow the passage of its section.

C) External connections:

- Connection with the control interface arranged in the cabin and that allows the user to control the refrigeration equipment.

- External connection for recharging the batteries, this connection being able to come from any recharging system, be it generator, solar panel, the vehicle's own engine battery, electrical network or any other.

The structure of the chest is modular in such a way that the different components can be pre-assembled in their corresponding hole or module and these holes or modules can be assembled together at a later time, allowing simultaneous construction, stocking of independent modules and , in case of breakdown, its replacement, accelerating repair times. The modules are preferably joined together by removable means such as screws, complementary geometries or any other.

All the modules or openings have windows to the outside of the structure through which easy access to the interior and to the components they house is allowed.

Covering the structure is a casing that has practicable areas for access to each hole, preferably coinciding with the windows. We will call practicable areas each specific area of the casing that can be moved or removed from its position, leaving access to the interior of the chest.

In a preferred execution, the casing comprises independent panels, attached to the structure by removable means. These panels can each have a different morphology depending on the characteristics that are necessary to cover each area.

Also in a preferred execution, the distribution of the different components and modules is carried out in the following way, taking as reference the cold unit seen from the front of the vehicle.

The main module, in a central position, comprises a transverse partition that divides it into two openings, one at the front and one at the back.

The 24v or 48v batteries are housed in the rear hole, near the vehicle body and in a central position, thus favoring the distribution of loads from the cold group and greater stability of the whole. The condensing unit is housed in the previous hole to favor air flow.

On one of the sides of this central module, preferably on the left, there is a side frame, anchored to the transverse partition, which delimits a hole, which we will call the left hole, which houses the electrical elements for managing the batteries.

On the opposite side is the compressor module with a hole, which we will call the right hole, in which the compressor, the shock absorbers and the electronic compressor management group are housed, as well as the connections between them. The compressor is 24v or 48v variable voltage and variable speed, and is powered directly from the batteries.

In the preferred execution that is being explained, the structure comprises a series of windows that communicate with the outside with each of the openings;

- The rear hole has a top window to facilitate access to the batteries

- The previous hole presents a diaphanous front-superior window.

- The left slot has an open window on the left side of the chest.

- The right hole has several windows; one at the front, one open on the right side of the cabinet and one at the top to facilitate access to the different refrigeration components

The components must be easily accessible from the outside once the closing panel has been moved or removed.

For this, the elements, inside the hole that houses them, are accessible, which implies that they are arranged close to an access window and without connections or devices interposed between each component and the outside, for which all the connections have been proposed by the internal part of the modules.

The central partition protects the batteries, contributes to stiffening the assembly by making the upper front window transparent, and supports the anchoring of the side frame and collaborates in the anchoring of the compressor module.

In this way, a rigid, light assembly is achieved, with a minimal structure and with large windows that allow easy access to each component in the event of a breakdown.

In a possible execution, the structure can have a lower blind closure independent of the lower closure that each module or hole can have and a rear closure, also blind, but with recesses in some of its parts to lighten the whole.

For a better understanding of the invention, the following figures are presented.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIGURE 1 shows the cold group (1) without the outer casing, where you can see the structure (2) that includes a central module (16) with the rear hole (3) where the batteries (4) are located, the previous hole (5) where the condenser (6) is located, the module with the right hole (7) where the compressor (8) is located together with other electronic elements for its management, and a frame (22) that delimits a left hole where the electrical elements for battery management are located.

The structure comprises a transverse partition (13) that divides the central module into a front hole and a rear hole and allows the upper front window (14) of the front module to be diaphanous, that is, that no element obstructs or crosses it.

FIGURE 2 shows the cold group without the outer casing, from another perspective, where the left hole (9) and the frame (22) that delimit it and that is anchored to the transverse partition (13) can be seen in greater detail. The management elements (10) of the batteries (4) are also seen.

Anchoring elements (11) for fixing the removable panels can also be seen.

FIGURE 3 shows the central module (16) and the module with the right hole (7) exploded.

FIGURE 4 shows different components and elements of the group exploded, thus we can see the central module (16) with a rear hole (3), a front hole (5) and a transverse partition (13), the frame (22) that delimits the left hole and the right hole module (7). All the openings have windows to the outside and the different modules are joined each other by removable means. You can also see the batteries (4), the condenser (6), the compressor (8), the electronic elements for managing the compressor, the electric elements for managing the batteries (10), all of them housed in the structure.

FIGURE 5 shows an exploded view of the panels that cover the structure and make up the casing, some of them perforated. Thus we see the side panels (17) that cover the side windows of the left and right holes, the front panel (18) that covers the entire front part of the structure, the upper right panel (19) that covers the upper right hole , the rear panel (20) and the front panel (21), both upper.

FIGURE 6 shows the cold group (1) mounted on a vehicle (12) where the evaporators (15) arranged inside the truck body can also be seen, generating, in this case, two different cold zones.

DESCRIPTION OF A WAY OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

A way of carrying out the invention is described below, which is neither unique nor limiting, but merely explanatory.

The group of cold unified according to the invention that is intended comprises;

A modular structure (2) that supports the components that are condenser (6), batteries (4), battery management elements (10), compressor (8), compressor management electronic elements and the connections between them.

For this, the structure has a central module that includes the rear hole (3) where the batteries (4) are located in a central manner, and the front one (5) where the condenser (6) is located. This central module also has a transverse partition (13) that divides it into the front and rear holes and protects the batteries.

The structure also has a module with a right hole (7) where the compressor (8) is located along with other electronic elements for its management, and a left hole (9) where the management elements (10) of the batteries.

The different modules and openings are joined together through screws, forming a prismatic block. The prismatic shape of the structure and modules facilitates its manufacture based on profiles and market parts.

Each hole has windows to the outside and the structure, once assembled, has windows at least on its front, sides and top.

The chest is covered by a protective casing comprising a plurality of panels, each one covering an area.

The side panels (17) cover the side windows of the left opening and the right opening, the front panel (18) covers the entire front part of the structure, the upper right panel (19) covers the upper right opening, and the rear panels (20) and front (21), both upper, cover the upper part of the rear hole and the front hole, respectively.

These panels are attached to the structure through screws or fixing knobs, being easily removable. The regular shape of the panels, rectangular or square, facilitates their construction since special molds or complex machining are not required.

As it is possible to remove each panel independently, it is possible to access, in each case, only the hole where the component to be accessed is housed, without the need to completely disassemble the casing, thus avoiding excessive work or exposing the rest of the modules or elements whose access is not necessary.

That the casing is modular, allows the use of different materials, thicknesses or different constructions for the panels, adapting each panel to its destination and its function, some of which may be complete plates (17) and (20), others may have a groove (19) and (21) and others have holes with a grid (18).

The compressor (8), with double speed and variable voltage, includes shock absorbers on which it is mounted to avoid vibrations. In the same way, and also to decouple possible vibrations, it is connected to the rest of the elements through a flexible connection. This compressor is powered directly from the batteries, in this case 24v.

The compressor (8) is located in the right hole (7) in an accessible housing.

We will say that a component is in an accessible housing when between that component and the outside, once the corresponding panel has been removed, there is no part or part of a part or connection that could hinder its access.

The condenser (6) is arranged in the front hole (5) and in a housing accessible from the upper front window (14).

The condenser is arranged close to the compressor (8) to shorten the length of the connections between them, reducing the amount of gas in the circuit, which results in lower cost of parts, assembly and maintenance and, in the event of a leak, less damage. environmental. The reduction of refrigerant gas in the circuit is favored by the use of a condenser coil with an aluminum microchannel configuration.

In the left hole (9) the battery management elements (10) are arranged in a housing accessible from the outside window of the left hole. This left hole is delimited by a frame (22) attached to the central partition (13).

The batteries (4), arranged in the rear compartment (3) in a housing accessible from the upper window of the rear compartment, are located in a laterally centered position and as close as possible to the wall of the vehicle body, thus favoring mode the distribution of loads and the behavior of forces of the assembly.

As has been stated, all the elements are arranged in such a way that their access is easy and the structure has windows of sufficient size to allow the removal of each element without the need to disassemble the assembly, all without reducing the solidity and resistance of the a structure that is also light.

All modules and openings have a rectangular prism shape with windows on their outer sides. The set formed by the union of all the modules and holes forms a rectangular prism.

The cold group presents a series of external connections that are;

- Connection with the evaporator unit or units that are arranged inside the vehicle box. The connection with the evaporator units is made through flexible tubing, facilitating installation and minimizing the possibility of leaks.

- Connection with the control interface arranged in the cabin and that allows the user to control the refrigeration equipment. From the electrical interface area of the equipment and electronic control, the only electrical interface with the driver's cabin is routed with a communication cable between the electrical control of the cabin and the man-machine interface, usually mounted in the area of the vehicle's dashboard.

- External connection for recharging the batteries, this connection being able to come from any recharging system such as;

■ External connection of solar panels: they come from the roof of the vehicle, where the solar panels are located, so routing is short and simple

■ External connection to electrical network; an interface is prepared, usually on one side of the vehicle, to be able to connect to the network

Engine battery, through a cable connected from the engine battery to the recharging electrical control module in the equipment

Claims (10)

1. UNIFIED COLD GROUP WITH MODULAR STRUCTURE suitable for installation in a vehicle attached to the wall of its box in a chest above the cabin, characterized in that it comprises a structure comprising a central module (16) with a rear hole (3 ), a front opening (5) and a transverse partition (13), on the sides of this central module a module with a left opening (9) and a module with a right opening (7), all the openings have windows to the outside and the different modules are joined together by removable means. This structure houses the batteries (4), the condenser (6), the compressor (8), the electronic elements for managing the compressor, the electrical elements for managing the batteries (10) and the connections between them, all of them in an accessible manner and where said The structure is closed by a casing with at least one practicable area for each hole and includes connections with at least one evaporator (15). 2. UNIFIED COLD GROUP WITH MODULAR STRUCTURE according to claim 1 characterized in that the batteries (4) are arranged in the rear hole (3), the condenser (6) in the front hole (5), the compressor (8) and the electronic compressor management elements in the right hole (7) and the electric battery management elements (10) in the left hole (9). 3. UNIFIED COLD GROUP WITH MODULAR STRUCTURE according to claim 1, characterized in that the casing includes removable closing panels for the windows. 4. UNIFIED COLD GROUP WITH MODULAR STRUCTURE according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one evaporator (15) is arranged in the vehicle body. 5. UNIFIED COLD GROUP WITH MODULAR STRUCTURE according to claim 1, characterized in that the structure has the shape of a quadrangular prism and each of the modules in turn has the shape of a quadrangular prism. 6. UNIFIED COLD GROUP WITH MODULAR STRUCTURE according to claim 1, characterized in that the left hole (9) is delimited by a frame (22) attached to the central partition (13). 7. UNIFIED COLD GROUP WITH MODULAR STRUCTURE according to claim 1, characterized in that the central module (16) comprises a diaphanous front-top window (14). 8. UNIFIED COLD GROUP WITH MODULAR STRUCTURE according to claim 1, characterized in that the compressor has variable speed and variable voltage. 9. UNIFIED COLD GROUP WITH MODULAR STRUCTURE according to claim 1, characterized in that it also includes an external connection for recharging the batteries. 10. UNIFIED COLD GROUP WITH MODULAR STRUCTURE according to claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises an external connection with the control interface arranged in the cabin.