JP2000292030A - Liquid receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce a weight and a material cost. SOLUTION: In the liquid receiver comprising a liquid receiver body 11 formed in a cylindrical state, a plug 20 inserted from a lower side opening (one opening) 111 of the body 11 to block the opening 111, and an O-ring (sealing means) 41 interposed between the plug 20 and the body 11, the plug 20 is constituted at a portion of an end side disposed inward the body 11 of a columnar portion 20b, and a part of the portion 20b to the base end side is constituted of a cylindrical portion 20a, thereby reducing a weight and a material cost. An O-ring groove (annular groove) 23 is provided on an outer periphery of the portion 20b, thereby forming the groove 23.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a receiver incorporated in an air conditioner installed in, for example, an automobile or a house, for performing gas-liquid separation of a heat medium liquefied by a condenser. is there.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, as shown in FIG. 20, an air conditioning system used for an air conditioner of an automobile or a house includes a compressor a, a condenser b, a liquid receiver c, an expansion valve d, and an evaporator e. And those connected via a pipe f are known. In the air-conditioning system AC configured as described above, the high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous heat medium discharged from the compressor a performs heat exchange with the heat exchange fluid, for example, air while passing through the condenser b. By releasing latent heat, it begins to condense and liquefy. The high-temperature heat medium mixed with gas and liquid in this manner is separated into gas and liquid while being temporarily stored in the liquid receiver c, and only the liquid is sent to the expansion valve d and injected from a small hole (not shown) by the expansion valve d. As a result, it is adiabatically expanded to form a low-temperature and low-pressure mist and sent to the evaporator e.

In the evaporator e, the heat medium evaporates and evaporates by performing heat exchange with a heat exchange fluid such as air to absorb latent heat. The low-temperature and low-pressure heat medium thus vaporized is sent to the compressor a and adiabatically compressed,
It becomes a high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous heat medium and is sent to the condenser b again. By repeating such a series of cycles, the air conditioning system AC can be used for cooling and heating.

In the air conditioning system AC, the liquid receiver c
Separates the heat medium in a state in which the liquid and the gas sent from the condenser b are mixed into gas and liquid, and temporarily stores the liquid therein.
Further, it plays a role of removing impurities and the like contained in the heat medium in the course of one cycle.

[0005] That is, as shown in FIG.
It is configured by closing upper and lower openings of a liquid receiver main body g formed in a cylindrical shape. However, the drawing does not show the entirety of the liquid receiver c, but shows only a main part of the lower part of the liquid receiver c which closes the lower opening with the plug h. The liquid receiver main body g is provided with a heat medium inlet (not shown) at a position above the peripheral wall g1 and a heat medium outlet g2 at a lower position. .

On the other hand, the plug h is formed in a columnar shape, and has an O-ring groove h1 formed on the outer peripheral surface thereof.
A ring (seal means) i is provided. O-ring i
Is in close contact with the inner surface of the receiver body g to prevent the heat medium from leaking out from between the plug h and the receiver body g. Further, a filter j is detachably attached to a tip end surface h2 of the plug h by a screw j3.
The filter j is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and is configured to remove impurities in the heat medium by a filtration membrane j1 provided on a peripheral surface. That is, the above-mentioned outlet g2 is disposed beside the filtration membrane j1, and the filter j
The heat medium flowing into the inside from the tip side flows through the filtration membrane j1 to the outlet g2.

[0007] The outer peripheral surface of the filter j and the receiver g
There is a predetermined gap between the inner peripheral surface of the receiver j and the outer periphery of the distal end of the filter j.
2 are provided.

The plug h has an external thread h3 formed on the outer periphery on the distal end side thereof.
A female screw g3 to be screwed with the male screw h3 is formed.
Further, the stopper h has a hexagonal wrench hole h at its base end surface.
4 are formed. That is, the plug h is inserted into the wrench hole h4 by turning a hexagon wrench (not shown),
It is detachable from the receiver body g.

Further, a flange h5 is formed on the outer periphery of the base end of the plug h. When the stopper h is screwed into the receiver main body g and tightened, the flange h5 hits the lower end surface g4 of the receiver main body g and functions as a stopper for determining the insertion position of the stopper h and the filter j. To fulfill. Further, the flange portion h5 also has a function as a grip allowance when removing the plug h from the receiver main body g.

When closing the lower opening of the receiver main body g with the above-described plug h, a filter j is attached to the tip end surface h2 of the plug h with a screw j3, and then the filter j and the plug j are plugged. The body h is inserted into the receiver body g, and the stopper h is turned with a hexagon wrench in a direction to tighten the screw. Then, the plug h
The male screw h3 of the above-mentioned bites into the female screw g3 of the receiver main body g, and the plug h is gradually inserted into the receiver main body g. When the flange h5 of the stopper h comes into contact with the lower end face g4 of the receiver main body g, the stopper h is fixed to the receiver main body g with a predetermined force by further tightening with a predetermined torque. It will be in the state that was done.

[0011]

However, in the conventional liquid receiver c, since the plug h is formed of a cylindrical solid material, there is a problem that the weight is increased and the material cost is high. there were.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid receiver that can reduce weight and material cost.

[0013]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid receiving device having a cylindrical shape, and a liquid receiving device inserted through at least one opening of the liquid receiving device main body. Wherein the plug has a plug closing the opening, and a sealing means interposed between the plug and the liquid receiver main body. The portion on the tip side located on the side is constituted by a cylindrical portion, and the portion on the base end side from the cylindrical portion is constituted by a cylindrical portion. On the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion, an annular groove for holding the sealing means is provided. It is characterized by having been provided.

With this configuration, the base portion of the plug is formed as a hollow cylindrical portion, so that weight and material cost can be reduced. Moreover, since the front end portion of the plug is formed in a solid shape by the cylindrical portion, there is no problem even if an annular groove for holding the sealing means is formed.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the stopper is provided with a grip portion which is located inside the cylindrical portion and protrudes from the cylindrical portion toward the base end.

With this configuration, the stopper can be easily taken out of the liquid receiver main body by gripping the grip portion with, for example, pliers. And the gripping part can be thin and small projecting from the cylindrical part,
The weight and material cost can be reduced as compared with the case where the flange portion is used as the grip portion as shown in the conventional example.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a liquid receiver according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same reference numerals are given to elements common to the constituent elements shown in the conventional example,
The description will be simplified.

First Embodiment First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, a liquid receiver 10 shown in the first embodiment includes a liquid receiver main body 11 formed in a cylindrical shape, and a lower opening (one side) of the liquid receiver main body 11. A plug 20 inserted through the opening) 111 to close the lower opening 111, an O-ring (seal means) 41 interposed between the plug 20 and the receiver main body 11, A filter 30 is attached to the distal end surface 26 of the stopper 20 located inside the liquid receiver main body 11 and captures impurities in the heat medium supplied into the liquid receiver main body 11. In this case, the stopper 20 is configured such that a portion on the distal end side located inside the liquid receiver main body 11 is a cylindrical portion 20b.
A portion closer to the base end than b is constituted by a cylindrical portion 20a, and an O-ring groove (annular groove) 23 for holding an O-ring 41 is provided on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 20b. An annular circumferential groove 114 is provided on the circumferential surface (inner circumferential surface) 113 a at a position corresponding to the base end surface 27 of the plug 20, and the circumferential groove 114 is used to prevent the plug 20 from coming off. A retaining ring 42 is provided. Further, the plug 20 includes
A projection (holding portion) 20c protruding from the cylindrical portion 20b to the base end side in the cylindrical portion 20a is provided.

Hereinafter, the above configuration will be described in more detail. That is, as shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the liquid receiver 10 is in a state of being attached to the condenser b.

As shown in FIG. 8, the condenser b includes a pair of header pipes 2a and 2b and these header pipes 2a and 2b.
a, a heat exchange fin, for example, a corrugated fin 4, which is interposed between the heat exchange tubes 3 and integrally joined together. I have.

The header pipes 2a and 2b are formed in a substantially cylindrical shape by, for example, an extruded member made of aluminum.
A cap member 5 is fixedly attached to the upper and lower ends. Further, for example, near the upper end on the outer side of one header pipe 2a (left side in FIG. 8), a heat medium inlet 7 is provided, and the lower end on the outer side of the other header pipe 2b (right side in FIG. 8). A heat medium outlet 8 is provided in the vicinity. Furthermore, on the side of the header pipe 2a,
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 9, an outlet 9 a and an inlet 9 b of the heat medium are formed to communicate with the liquid receiver 10, and communicate with the outlet 9 a and the inlet 9 b. Thus, the receiver 10 is integrally brazed to the header pipe 2a. The header pipe 2a has:
A partition plate 9c for separating the outflow hole 9a side and the inflow hole 9b side is provided.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, the heat exchange tube 3 is formed of, for example, an extruded shape member made of aluminum, for example, in a flat plate shape, and has a longitudinally extending inside thereof. A plurality of flow paths (not shown) for the heat medium are formed to penetrate. Both ends of the heat exchange tube 3 formed in this way are inserted and fixed to a plurality of slits (not shown) arranged parallel to each other at appropriate intervals on opposite sides of the side surfaces of the header pipes 2a and 2b. Have been.

Heat exchange fins or corrugated fins 4
As shown in FIG. 8, is formed in a continuous wave shape by bending a plate made of, for example, aluminum, and is interposed between the heat exchange tubes 3 and brazed. In this case, the corrugated fins 4 are also brazed to the outer sides of the heat exchange tubes 3 arranged at the uppermost stage and the lowermost stage, and both corrugated fins 4 are protected to protect these corrugated fins 4. Further, a side plate 6 is brazed to the outer side.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 10, the liquid receiver main body 11, which is a component of the liquid receiver 10, is formed of, for example, an extruded aluminum material and has a cylindrical shape. Joints 16 and 17 for brazing to the header pipe 2a are integrally formed at upper and lower positions in the portion. As shown in FIG. 1, the lower joint portion 17 has an inlet 12 formed at a position corresponding to the outlet hole 9a of the header pipe 2a and a position corresponding to the inlet hole 9b. An outlet 13 is formed.

The outflow hole 9a and the inflow port 12 are located above the partition plate 9c in the header pipe 2a and the receiver main body 11
It communicates with the inlet side of the filter 30 in the inside. On the other hand, the inflow hole 9b and the outflow port 13 communicate between the lower side of the partition plate 9c in the header pipe 2a and the outlet side of the filter 30 in the receiver main body 11.

The upper opening 111 of the receiver main body 11 is also provided.
a is closed by the cap member 15. The cap member 15 is formed of aluminum, and is fixed to the receiver main body 11 by, for example, brazing. And the inner peripheral surface of the liquid receiver main body 11
Reference inner peripheral surface 112 and enlarged inner peripheral surface 113 having a circular cross section
Is formed by The reference inner peripheral surface 112a is a first reference inner peripheral surface 112a corresponding to a portion for storing the desiccant 44.
And a second reference inner peripheral surface 1 corresponding to a portion for accommodating the filter 30 and having a slightly larger diameter than the first reference inner peripheral surface 112a.
12b. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 5, the boundary between the first reference inner peripheral surface 112a and the second reference inner peripheral surface 112b is a step 112c.

As shown in FIG.
The diameter of the portion originally serving as the second reference inner peripheral surface 112b is increased by plastic working such as spinning, and is formed by a parallel inner peripheral surface 113a and a tapered inner peripheral surface 113b. The second reference inner peripheral surface 112b and the tapered inner peripheral surface 113b, and the tapered inner peripheral surface 113b and the parallel inner peripheral surface 11
3a is formed continuously through a smooth curved surface.

The plug 20 is, as shown in FIGS.
It is formed in a circular cross section by a metal such as aluminum, and has a reference diameter portion 21 at a distal end fitted to the second reference inner peripheral surface 112b. The portion is an enlarged diameter portion 22. An O-ring groove 23 for attaching an O-ring 41 is formed in the reference diameter portion 21. The enlarged diameter portion 22 is formed so as to fit on the parallel inner peripheral surface 113a, and has a length in the axial direction slightly shorter than that of the parallel inner peripheral surface 113a.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the O-ring 41 protrudes in an arc shape from the outer peripheral surface of the reference diameter portion 21 in a state where the O-ring 41 is attached to the O-ring groove 23. However, the diameter of the parallel inner peripheral surface 113a is equal to or larger than the outer diameter of the O-ring 41. Therefore, when the plug 20 is inserted into the receiver main body 11, the O-ring 41 does not undergo compression deformation from the parallel inner peripheral surface 113a. However, as shown in FIG. 1, when the O-ring 41 is inserted into the second reference inner peripheral surface 112 b, the O-ring 41 is compressed and deformed to almost the outer diameter of the reference diameter portion 21, and
It comes into close contact with the reference inner peripheral surface 112b.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a retaining ring 42 is provided on the parallel inner peripheral surface 113a of the liquid receiver main body 11.
Are formed in a circumferential groove 114 for fitting and holding.
The position of the circumferential groove 114 is such that the retaining ring 42 fitted in the circumferential groove 114 just abuts on the base end surface 27 of the plug 20 in a state where a seal portion 314 of the filter 30 described later abuts on the step portion 112c. Is in position.

The retaining ring 42 is formed in a C-shape as shown by oblique lines crossing in the direction of 45 degrees in FIG. 2, and is provided at each end in the circumferential direction and at a position facing each other. A locking hole 42a is formed. The locking holes 42a are elastically reduced in diameter by deforming them with a jig in a direction in which the locking holes 42a are brought closer to each other. It is possible to easily fit into the direction groove 114.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the plug 20 has a cylindrical portion 20a from the base end surface 27 to a predetermined position on the distal end side. The portion on the side is a cylindrical portion 20b. The above-mentioned O-ring groove 23 is formed in the cylindrical portion 20b. Note that the cylindrical portion 20b only has to be at least in a portion where the O-ring groove 23 is formed, and the other portion is preferably formed by the cylindrical portion 20a. In the cylindrical portion 20a, there is provided a projection 20c protruding from the axial center position of the columnar portion 20b to the base end side. The projection 20 c has a circular cross section and a height that does not protrude from the base end surface 27.

The plug 20 has a recess 26a of a predetermined depth extending in the axial direction at an axial position of the distal end surface 26 thereof. The recess 26a has a circular cross section. The recess 26a is also formed in the column 20b. The plug 20 is made of a metal such as aluminum described above, and is cast, plastically processed,
It is formed integrally using a processing method such as mechanical processing.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the filter 30 has a cylindrical peripheral wall 311 and a peripheral wall 311.
11 has a bottom wall portion 312 for closing one open end, and the bottom wall portion 312 is attached such that the bottom surface 33 of the bottom wall portion 312 comes into contact with the distal end surface 26 of the plug 20. The bottom surface 33 of 312 is provided with a convex portion 33a that fits into the concave portion 26a.

That is, the filter 30 comprises a filter body 31 integrally formed of, for example, nylon as a synthetic resin, and a filter membrane 3 similarly formed of nylon in a mesh form.
2 is provided. The filter body 31 has a peripheral wall 311 formed in a cylindrical shape, and a bottom wall 312 is formed below the peripheral wall 311. The upper side of the peripheral wall portion 311 is opened as it is, and a cylindrical seal portion 314 is formed around the opening end on the upper side via a flange portion 313.

As shown in FIG. 3, a window 311a is formed in the peripheral wall 311 at a position equally divided into four in the circumferential direction.
Each window 311a is formed in a square shape in side view,
A column 311b in the peripheral wall portion 311 is between the windows 311a.
It has become.

The bottom wall 312 is formed with a projection 33a at an axial position of the bottom surface 33 thereof. This projection 33a is
The cross section is formed in a circular shape, and fits into the concave portion 26a. The fitting accuracy between the convex portion 33a and the concave portion 26a is a fitting tolerance of a loose fit that can be easily fitted.

The flange 313 is formed thin and is connected to a substantially central position in the axial direction of the seal 314. The seal portion 314 is formed so that its outer diameter forms an interference fit with the second reference inner peripheral surface 112b.
It is formed slightly larger than the diameter of the reference inner peripheral surface 112b. That is, the seal portion 314 is formed on the second reference inner peripheral surface 112.
Under the compression force from b, it is elastically slightly deformed together with the flange portion 313, and comes into close contact with the second reference inner peripheral surface 112b. The distal end edge of the seal portion 314 comes into contact with the step portion 112c in a predetermined pressurized state when the stopper 20 is fixed to the receiver main body 11 by the retaining ring 42. Thereby, the filter 30
Are not separated from the plug 20.

The filter membrane 32 is formed in a mesh shape with, for example, a nylon thread, and is integrally fixed to the filter body 31 when the filter body 31 is formed. However, the filtration membrane 32 is formed by forming a plurality of holes in the filter main body 31 in a mesh shape, thereby forming the filter main body 31.
May be completely integrated.

As shown in FIG. 6, the desiccant 44 located on the first reference inner peripheral surface 112a forms a square cloth 44a with polyester fibers and then forms a bag 44b from the cloth 44a. The bag 44b is filled with a moisture absorbing means (not shown) such as silica gel to form an elliptic rod. The bag 44b is a cloth 44 shown in FIG.
A connection margin 44c of a predetermined width is provided at the peripheral edge of the line a, and the connection margin 44c is formed by connecting the connection margin 44c in a state of being bent at the center line L1. However, the bag 44b is left open at one end in the longitudinal direction, and after filling with moisture absorbing means from this opening, the connection margin 44 of the opening is used.
By connecting c, the moisture absorbing means is confined. The connection margin 44c is connected by heat welding. In addition, the inner line L of the connection allowance 44c
The connection margin 44c may be connected by sewing with a sewing machine, hand sewing, or the like along 2.

As shown in FIG. 6C, the connection margin 44c is formed with an arc-shaped notch 44e at each corner 44d. The notch 44e is formed after connecting the connection margin 44c. However, at the time of the cloth 44a shown in FIG. 6A, a portion corresponding to the corner 44d may be cut out in an arc shape.

In this case, the width of the connection margin 44c is about 5
mm, and the radius of the notch 44e is about 3 on the side of the center line L1.
mm, the side distant from the center line L1 is about 5 mm. The dimensions of the elliptical column containing the moisture absorbing means are about 200 mm in length, about 30 mm in major axis, and about 15 m in minor axis.
m.

As described above, by providing the notch 44e in the corner 44d of the connection margin 44c, when the filter 30 is inserted into the receiver main body 11, for example, the connection margin 44c is connected to the filter 30 and the second reference inner circumference. It is possible to prevent pinching with the surface 112b. That is, if the corner 44d is sharp at a right angle, as shown in FIG. 7, when the tip of the sharp portion inserts the filter 30 into the receiver body 11,
It is easy to enter between the filter 30 and the second reference inner peripheral surface 112b, and there is a risk of forming a flow path that bypasses the filter 30. However, by providing the notch 44e in the corner 44d, there is no sharp part, so the connection margin 44c
Can be prevented from being caught between the filter 30 and the second reference inner peripheral surface 112b.

To assemble the liquid receiver 10 configured as described above, first, the desiccant 44 is inserted into the liquid receiver main body 11, and then the plug 20 having the filter 30 is received from the filter 30 side. It is inserted into the liquid container body 11. At this time, since the diameter of the parallel inner peripheral surface 113a is formed to be larger than the diameter of the second reference inner peripheral surface 112b, the seal portion 314 of the filter 30 is not caught by the lower opening 111 or the circumferential groove 114. Instead, it smoothly enters the parallel inner peripheral surface 113a. Further, the seal portion 314 is guided by the tapered inner peripheral surface 113b to smoothly compress and
It enters the reference inner peripheral surface 112b and is brought into close contact with the reference inner peripheral surface 112b with a predetermined pressure.

On the other hand, although the O-ring 41 has a large swelling amount from the reference diameter portion 21, the diameter of the parallel inner peripheral surface 113 a is O
Since the ring 41 is formed to have a diameter that does not compressively deform the ring 41, the ring 41 smoothly enters the parallel inner peripheral surface 113 a without being caught by the lower opening 111 and the circumferential groove 114. Further, the O-ring 41 is guided by the tapered inner peripheral surface 113b to smoothly compress and
It enters the reference inner peripheral surface 112b and is brought into close contact with the reference inner peripheral surface 112b with a predetermined pressure.

Then, the seal portion 314 of the filter 30 contacts the step portion 112c, and the flange portion 313 and the like are elastically deformed by a predetermined amount. By this deformation, the step portion 112c is removed from the filter 30.
At this time, the base end surface 27 of the plug 20 and the inner side surface of the circumferential groove 114 substantially coincide with each other. Therefore, the retaining ring 42 whose diameter has been elastically reduced is inserted into the parallel inner peripheral surface 113a from the lower opening 111, and the diameter reduction deformation of the retaining ring 42 is released at the position of the circumferential groove 114. Then, the retaining ring 42 elastically expands in diameter and fits in the circumferential groove 114, and the base end surface 27 of the plug 20 comes into contact with the retaining ring 42. As a result, the position of the plug 20 is determined, and the seal portion 314 of the filter 30 continues to be pressed against the step portion 112c with a predetermined pressure.

On the other hand, for replacement of the desiccant 44 and the filter 30, the stopper ring 42 is reduced in diameter and taken out from the circumferential groove 114 and the parallel inner peripheral surface 113a, and then the stopper 20 is pulled out from the receiver main body 11. This can be easily performed. The plug 20 can be removed from the receiver main body 11 by pulling out the plug 20c by grasping the projection 20c with a gripping means such as pliers. In addition, the filter 30 can be easily attached to and detached from the plug 20 by inserting the convex portion 33a into the concave portion 26a of the plug 20 and pulling out the filter 33.

Further, into the receiver 10 assembled as described above, a heat medium flows from the outlet hole 9a of the header pipe 2a in the condenser b through the inflow port 12, and the heat medium flows into the desiccant. 44 and the filter 30. Thereby, impurities and water contained in the heat medium can be removed. Of the heat medium thus purified, the liquefied portion passes through the inflow hole 9b of the header pipe 2a from the outflow port 13, flows into the header pipe 2a, and is cooled again by the condenser b. That is, the gaseous portion remains at the upper part in the receiver main body 11.

According to the liquid receiver 10 configured as described above, since the base portion of the plug body is formed as a hollow cylindrical portion, the weight can be reduced. Further, when the plug 20 is formed by casting or plastic working, the material cost can be reduced along with the reduction in weight. Even when the plug 20 is formed by machining, for example, when aluminum is used, the cutting waste can be completely reused. Can be reduced. Moreover, since the front end portion of the plug 20 is a solid cylindrical portion 20b, there is no problem even if the O-ring groove 23 is formed.

After the plug 20 is inserted into the receiver main body 11 through the lower opening 111, the retaining ring 42 is fitted into the circumferential groove 114, so that the plug 20 can be easily and simply operated.
Can be fixed to the liquid receiver main body 11. Therefore, the number of assembling steps can be reduced. In addition, since it is not necessary to process the male screw or the female screw as shown in the conventional example, the processing cost can be reduced. Therefore, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

On the other hand, at the time of maintenance such as replacement of the filter 30 or the desiccant 44, the stopper 20 can be easily taken out of the receiver main body 11 by grasping the projection 20c with, for example, pliers. Since the projection 20c is thin and small, the weight and material cost can be reduced as compared with the case where the flange is used as a grip as shown in the conventional example.

The O-ring 41 is connected to the lower opening 111.
It can be inserted up to the second reference inner peripheral surface 112b without being caught in the peripheral groove 114 or the like. Further, the seal portion 314 of the filter 30 is not caught by the lower opening portion 111, the circumferential groove 114, or the like, and the second reference inner circumferential surface 112
b. Therefore, the stopper 20 can be easily inserted into the receiver main body 11 without damaging the O-ring 41 and the filter 30, and the O-ring 41 is sufficiently compressed and deformed, so that the receiver Body 20
It is possible to reliably prevent the heat medium from leaking out from the space between them. In addition, since the enlarged inner peripheral surface 113 and the second reference inner peripheral surface 112b are smoothly and continuously connected, O
When the ring 41 undergoes compression deformation in the receiver main body 11, there is no damage at all.

Further, the filter 30 has a sealing portion 31
4 comes into close contact with the second reference inner peripheral surface 112b with a predetermined pressure, and the contact area is elongated in the axial direction. Therefore, it is ensured that the heat medium bypasses the outside of the seal portion 314. Can be prevented. Therefore, the filtering performance of the filter 30 can be improved.

Further, the filter 30 can be easily attached to the plug 20 simply by fitting the projection 33a and the concave portion 26a, so that the filter is fixed to the plug with screws as in the conventional case. And mounting the filter 30,
Removal becomes extremely easy. Therefore, the filter 30
It is possible to reduce the number of man-hours for attaching the plug 20 to the plug 20. In addition, since screws are not required, the number of parts can be reduced, and the number of processing steps such as drilling a screw hole can be reduced. As a result, when mass production is performed, a particularly large cost reduction can be achieved.

Further, by fitting the convex portion 33a and the concave portion 26a, the axis of the plug 20 and the axis of the filter 30 can be easily made to coincide with each other. It can be easily matched with the axis of the container body 11. That is, in the conventional case where the filter is fixed to the plug with a screw, it was difficult to match the axis of the filter with the axis of the plug, but in the present embodiment, the alignment of this axis is extremely simple. become. Therefore, also from this point, the number of assembling steps can be reduced.

Further, when the stopper 20 is fixed to the receiver main body 11 by the retaining ring 42, the tip of the seal portion 314 of the filter 30 is locked to the step portion 112c with a predetermined pressure. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the filter 30 from separating from the plug 20. Moreover, by the contact between the tip of the seal portion 314 and the step portion 112c,
Since the area sealed by the seal portion 314 is increased, it is possible to more reliably prevent the heat medium from bypassing the outside of the filter 30.

Further, a connection margin 44 in the desiccant 44 is used.
Since the notch 44e is formed in the corner portion 44d of c, it is possible to prevent the connection margin 44c from being caught between the filter 30 and the second reference inner peripheral surface 112b. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent a flow path that bypasses the filter 30 from being formed due to the connection margin 44c being sandwiched.

Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. However, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as the components shown in the first embodiment, and the description will be simplified. The main difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that the retaining ring 42 is provided with a reinforcing projection 42b.

That is, the retaining ring 42 has a structure shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIG.
b are provided. One of the reinforcing projections 42b is positioned at a center position between the locking holes 42a, 42a.
The other two reinforcing projections 42b are provided at positions separated by 90 degrees to the left and right with respect to the same central position.

On the other hand, the receiver main body 11 is provided with a circumferential groove 11.
At a position corresponding to each of the reinforcing projections 42b of the retaining ring 42 fitted to the retaining ring 4, a holding hole 115 having a shape fitted to each of the reinforcing projections 42b is provided. Each holding hole 115 is formed to penetrate the wall of the liquid receiver main body 11.

According to the liquid receiver 10 configured as described above, the retaining ring 42 is more strongly fixed to the liquid receiver main body 11 by fitting each reinforcing projection 42b into each holding hole 115. Will be. Therefore, the stopper 20 is connected to the receiver main body 11.
Can be fixed more firmly. In addition, since the reinforcing protrusion 42b fits into the holding hole 115, the retaining ring 4
Since the rotation of the retaining ring 2 is prevented, abrasion due to sliding as caused by rotation of the retaining ring can be prevented.

Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. However, the same components as those of the first and second embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be simplified. The difference between the third embodiment and the second embodiment is that
The point is that a holding groove 116 is provided instead of the holding hole 115.

That is, as shown in FIG. 13, the holding groove 116 extends from the lower opening 111 of the receiver main body 11 to the position of the circumferential groove 114, and reinforces the retaining ring 42 fitted in the circumferential groove 114. It is located at a position corresponding to the convex portion 42b and has a circumferential width to be fitted with the reinforcing convex portion 42b.

According to the liquid receiver 10 configured as described above, the reinforcing protrusion 42b is fitted into the holding groove 116, and the retaining ring 42 is thereby prevented from rotating.
As in the embodiment, abrasion due to sliding of the retaining ring 42 can be prevented. Moreover, since the holding groove 116 is formed so as to reach the circumferential groove 114 from the lower opening 111, the circumferential groove 114 can be formed even from outside the receiver main body 11.
And the position of the reinforcement convex portion 42b can be easily understood. Therefore, the retaining ring 42 can be easily fitted into the circumferential groove 114.

In the first to third embodiments, one stopper ring 42 is provided for the plug 20. However, as shown in FIG. 14, two stopper rings 42 are provided. It may be configured to be provided, or may be configured to be provided three or more although not shown. In this case, even if the retaining ring 42 that directly holds the stopper 20 comes off, the stopper 20 can be retained by the second and subsequent retaining rings 42.
Safety can be improved. Further, the second retaining ring 42 does not receive a load from the plug 20 in the normal state, so that there is no reduction in strength due to fatigue or the like. Therefore, when the first retaining ring 42 comes off the circumferential groove 114, the plug 20 can be reliably held by the second retaining ring 42. That is, the highly reliable liquid receiver 10
Can be provided.

In the second and third embodiments, three reinforcing projections 42b are provided. However, it is needless to say that the number is not limited to three. However, as shown in the second and third embodiments, it is preferable to provide them at equally spaced positions in the circumferential direction. For example, when two reinforcing projections 42b are provided, the locking holes 42a, 42a
It is preferable to provide them at a position 90 degrees to the left and right with respect to the central position between them. When four reinforcing projections 42b are provided, it is preferable that the four reinforcing projections 42b are provided at positions 45 degrees left and right with respect to the central position and at positions 90 degrees further left and right from these positions.

Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. However, the same components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description will be simplified. The fourth embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the plug 20 is configured to be held by bolts 45.

That is, as shown in FIG. 15, a hole 117 is formed in the parallel inner peripheral surface 113a of the liquid receiver main body 11 so as to extend perpendicularly to the axis thereof. On the other hand, as shown in FIG.
At a position corresponding to the hole 117, a groove 25 formed in a U-shape from the base end face 27 is formed. The groove 25 has a bottom 25 a formed by a semicircle having substantially the same diameter as the hole 117. The center position of the semicircular bottom 25a is equal to the center position of the hole 117 when the seal portion 314 of the filter 30 is in contact with the step portion 112c. Instead of the groove 25, a hole having substantially the same diameter as the hole 117 may be provided at a position corresponding to the hole 117.

A bolt 45 for fixing the plug 20 to the receiver main body 11 is inserted into the hole 117 and the groove 25, and the bolt 45 has a nut 46 for retaining it.
Is screwed. The protrusion 20c protrudes to a position before reaching the bottom 25a of the groove 25. That is, the protrusion 20c is formed at a height that does not contact the bolt 45 inserted into the groove 25.

In the liquid receiver 10 configured as described above, the seal portion 314 of the filter 30 comes into contact with the step portion 112c, and the flange portion 313 and the like are elastically deformed by a predetermined amount. When a predetermined amount of pressure acts on the portion 112c, the center of the bottom 25a of the groove 25 and the center of the hole 117 of the liquid receiver main body 11 are aligned. Then, a bolt 45 is inserted into the hole 117 and the groove 25, and the bolt 45 is fixed to the receiver main body 11 with a nut 46. In addition, the filter 30 moves the plug 20 to the base end side by the pressure of the elastic deformation or the pressure of the heat medium, and the bottom portion 2 of the groove 25 is moved.
5a is brought into contact with the bolt 42, but the state where the seal portion 314 presses the step portion 112c with a predetermined pressure is maintained.

According to the liquid receiver 10, since the plug 20 is fixed to the liquid receiver main body 11 by the bolts 45 and the nuts 46 which are inexpensive and easily available, an increase in cost is prevented. As well as bolts 4
There is also an advantage that even when the item 5 is urgently needed, it can be easily obtained.

In the fourth embodiment, the bolt 45
The case where the plug 20 is fixed to the receiver main body 11 using the nut 45 and the nut 46 has been described.
6 and a fixing pin that penetrates the receiver main body 11 and the plug 20 and a stopper such as E that engages with a protrusion of the fixing pin.
A ring or the like may be used.

In each of the first to fourth embodiments, the cross section of the projection 20c is formed in a circular shape. However, the cross section of the projection 20c may be square, flat, or any other shape. It goes without saying that it is good.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the projection 3
The filter 30 is plugged with the plug 20 by the
Although the filter 30 is attached to the plug 20, the filter 30 may be attached to the plug 20 with a screw j3 as shown in the conventional example of FIG. Then, in this case, the reference inner peripheral surface 112 may simply be configured with the diameter of the second reference inner peripheral surface 112b. That is, the movement of the filter 30 can be prevented without providing the step portion 112c. Further, in this case, the circumferential groove 114 is
The parallel inner peripheral surface of the liquid receiver main body 11 is located at a position corresponding to the base end surface 27 of the plug 20 at the time when the distal end of the enlarged diameter portion 22 hits a predetermined position on the tapered inner peripheral surface 113b. 11
3a is preferably provided. That is, it is preferable that the plug body 20 is configured to be held by the tapered inner peripheral surface 113b and the retaining ring 42 of the circumferential groove 114.

Further, the projections 33a and the recesses 26a are configured to be fitted by loose fit.
And the concave portion 26a may be configured to be fitted with an interference fit. When this interference fit is adopted, the protrusion 33
The filter 30 can be fixed to the plug 20 by the frictional force between the a and the recess 26a. However, when the interference fit is adopted, the tip of the convex portion 33a and the concave portion 26a
It is preferable that a tapered or curved chamfer is provided at one or both of the entrance portions of the projections 33a so that the projections 33a can easily enter the recesses 26a.

The filter 30 is formed with the projection 33a and the plug 20 is formed with the recess 26a. However, the filter 30 is formed with a recess and the plug 20 is formed with a projection. May be. In addition, the convex portion 33a and the concave portion 26a may be formed in an irregular cross-sectional shape different from a circular shape. That is, as the convex portion 33a and the concave portion 26a,
For example, it may be formed with a cross-sectional shape such that one or more protrusions protrude from the circumference of a circle, may be formed with a polygonal cross-sectional shape such as a triangle, a quadrangle, or a hexagon, or may be formed as an ellipse. May be formed with a modified cross-sectional shape.

As described above, when the convex portion 33a and the concave portion 26a are formed to have irregular cross sections, the filter 30
Can be prevented from rotating with respect to the plug 20. That is, it is possible to prevent the filter 30 from rotating or vibrating with respect to the plug 20 due to the passage of the heat medium or the like. Therefore, it is possible to prevent abrasion, abnormal noise, and the like caused by the filter 30 sliding with respect to the plug 20.

As for the desiccant 44, as shown in FIG. 17, the inner line L2 of the portion corresponding to the corner 44d is formed.
May be formed in an arc shape so that the radius of the notch 44e can be increased. The desiccant 44 shown in FIG. 17 also forms the notch 44e after connecting the connection margin 44c. The desiccant 44 shown in FIG. 18 has a cutout 44e formed at the stage of the cloth 44a, and a cutout 44e having a cutout 44e can be obtained simply by connecting a connection margin 44c. Further, the desiccant 44 shown in FIG. 19 has a linear cutout 44f extending in a 45-degree direction instead of the circular cutout 44e. The desiccant 44 shown in this figure also forms a cutout 44f at the stage of the cloth 44a.

On the other hand, in each of the above-described embodiments, the entire cylindrical wall is bulged radially outward to form the enlarged inner peripheral surface 113. However, only the inner surface of the wall is expanded. The enlarged diameter inner peripheral surface 113 may be formed by increasing the diameter.

Although the heat medium that has flowed out of the liquid receiver 10 flows into the condenser b again, the heat medium may flow out of the liquid receiver 10 directly to the expansion valve d. However, in order to enhance the cooling effect on the heat medium, it is preferable that the liquid heat medium flows from the receiver 10 into the condenser b again.

[0081]

As described above, according to the present invention, because of the above-described configuration, the following excellent effects can be obtained.

(1) According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the base end portion of the plug is formed as a hollow cylindrical portion, the weight and material cost can be reduced. Moreover, since the front end portion of the plug is formed in a solid shape by the cylindrical portion, there is no problem even if an annular groove for holding the sealing means is formed.

(2) According to the second aspect of the present invention, the stopper can be easily taken out of the receiver main body by gripping the gripping portion with, for example, pliers. Since the grip portion can be thin and small projecting from the columnar portion, the weight and material cost can be reduced as compared with the case where the flange portion is used as the grip portion as shown in the conventional example. Can be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a liquid receiver shown as a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing the liquid receiver.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a filter in the liquid receiver,
(A) is a plan view, (b) is a cross-sectional view, and (c) is a bottom view.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a stopper in the liquid receiver,
(A) is a plan view, (b) is a cross-sectional view, and (c) is a bottom view.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a contact state between a filter and a step portion in the liquid receiver.

FIG. 6 is a view showing a desiccant in the liquid receiver,
(A) is a development view showing a cloth, (b) is a front view showing a state in which a moisture absorbing means is closed by a bag, (c) is a front view showing a state in which a cutout is formed in a corner, and (d) is a view (c). FIG.

FIG. 7 is a view showing a desiccant in the liquid receiver, and is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a problem that occurs when there is no notch in a corner.

FIG. 8 is a front view showing a condenser equipped with the liquid receiver.

FIG. 9 is a side view showing a condenser equipped with the liquid receiver.

FIG. 10 is a view showing a condenser equipped with the liquid receiver, and is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX of FIG.

11A and 11B are diagrams showing a liquid receiver shown as a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 11A is a side view of a main part, and FIG. 11B is a bottom view.

FIG. 12 is a front view showing a retaining ring in the liquid receiver.

FIGS. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing a liquid receiver shown as a third embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 13A is a side view of a main part, and FIG. 13B is a bottom view.

FIG. 14 is a sectional view of a main part showing another example of the circumferential groove and the retaining ring shown in the first to third embodiments.

FIG. 15 is a sectional view of a main part of a liquid receiver shown as a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a view showing a stopper in the liquid receiver,
(A) is a plan view, (b) is a cross-sectional view, and (c) is a bottom view.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a first other example of the desiccant shown in the first to fourth embodiments, wherein (a) is a developed view showing a cloth,
(B) is a front view showing a state in which the moisture absorbing means is enclosed by a bag,
(C) is a front view showing a state where a notch is formed in a corner.

FIG. 18 is a view showing a second other example of the desiccant shown in the embodiment, wherein (a) is a developed view showing a cloth, and (b) is a state in which the moisture absorbing means is enclosed by a bag. It is a front view.

FIG. 19 is a view showing a third other example of the desiccant shown in the embodiment, wherein (a) is a developed view showing a cloth, and (b) is a state in which the moisture absorbing means is enclosed by a bag. It is a front view.

FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional air conditioner.

FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a liquid receiver in the air conditioner,
(A) is an exploded sectional view of a main part, and (b) is a bottom view of the plug.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Liquid receiver 11 Liquid receiver main body 111 Lower opening part (one opening part) 20 Plug body 20a Cylindrical part 20b Column part 20c Projection (grip part) 23 O-ring groove (annular groove) 41 O-ring (sealing means)

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A liquid receiver main body formed in a tubular shape, a plug inserted through at least one opening of the liquid receiver main body, and closing the opening, the plug and the liquid receiver In the liquid receiver provided with a sealing means interposed between the main body and the main body, the plug body includes a cylindrical portion at a distal end portion located inside the liquid receiver main body, and the base portion is formed by the cylindrical portion. A liquid receiver characterized in that an end portion is constituted by a cylindrical portion, and an annular groove for holding the sealing means is provided on an outer periphery of the cylindrical portion. 2. The liquid receiver according to claim 1, wherein the stopper is provided with a grip portion in the cylindrical portion and protruding from the cylindrical portion toward the base end.