JP2001194034A - Method for removing air in refrigeration cycle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus for removing air in a refrigeration cycle provided with a repeatedly usable coupling metal having an open/close mechanism of convenient structure in which a container, encapsulated with a substance for absorbing gas substituted for air remaining in the refrigeration cycle at the time of installation, can be coupled easily to the refrigeration cycle side. SOLUTION: A gauge manifold 24 on the refrigeration cycle side is coupled with an adapter 16 which is coupled with an absorbing container 41 encapsulated with a substance through a coupling metal 1 having an open/close mechanism. A valve mechanism part 3 and a cutter 4 are provided in the body 2 of the coupling metal 1. The cutter breaks the sealing member 44 of the absorbing container 41 and the valve mechanism part 3 is pressed by a valve stem 20 on the adapter 16 side and opened thus interconnecting the refrigeration cycle side and the absorbing container 41 side.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for removing air in a refrigeration cycle for removing air in a pipe or an indoor unit during installation in a separate type air conditioner in which an outdoor unit and an indoor unit are connected by a pipe. The present invention relates to a connector with an opening / closing mechanism used in this method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a refrigerating cycle of a separate type air conditioner, for example, one having a structure shown in FIG. 8 is generally employed. That is, the refrigeration cycle includes an outdoor unit 46, an indoor unit 47, and a pipe 48 connecting the outdoor unit 46. More specifically, the outdoor unit 46 includes a compressor 49, a heat exchanger 50,
The indoor unit 47 has a heat exchanger 52. Further, between the outdoor unit 46 and the pipe 48, check valves 53 and 54 including a three-way valve and the like are provided. At the time of construction, one check valve 54
Is connected to a gauge manifold 24 having an on-off valve. At the time of construction of the refrigeration cycle, the outdoor unit 46
Side is filled with the refrigerant, and the check valves 53 and 54
Is closed and connected to the indoor unit 47 side by a pipe 48. In this case, air remains on the pipe 48 and the indoor unit 47 side. If air remains in the refrigeration cycle during use, the air acts as a non-condensable gas, lowering the refrigeration capacity, and its oxygen and moisture degrade refrigeration oil and iron materials inside the refrigeration cycle. For this reason, it is necessary to remove the residual air existing in the piping and the like. Various methods have been conventionally used as a method for removing the residual air. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a vacuum pump 55 is connected to the pipe 48 side to suction and remove air, and a check valve 53 is used. , 54 are opened to allow the refrigerant in the outdoor unit 46 to flow toward the pipe 48 or the indoor unit 47, and the other check valves 53, 54 are relaxed to release air from the connection port to remove air. There is a way to do it. On the other hand, as a known technique relating to a method of removing residual air in a separate type refrigeration cycle, for example, JP-A-3-70953, JP-A-7-159004, and JP-A-7-269.
994 and JP-A-9-292168. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-70953 discloses a technique in which the inside of a refrigeration cycle is once replaced with oxygen, and then the refrigerant is charged and a vacuum pump is not used. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 7-159004 discloses that a substance capable of absorbing two or more of gases such as moisture, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide in air is sealed in a part of a refrigeration cycle to remove residual air. Techniques are disclosed. In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 269994 discloses a technique for removing residual air by disposing a composition that absorbs oxygen, moisture, carbon dioxide, and organic substances in a refrigerant circulation system of a cooling system for refrigeration of chlorofluorocarbons. Also, JP-A-9-292168 discloses that
An air absorbing device that holds zeolite as an adsorbent is disposed in any of the outdoor unit, the indoor unit, and the connection pipe thereof to remove air, and then the air absorbing device is separated from the refrigeration system side to remove the air from the refrigeration system. There is disclosed a technique for circulating a refrigerant through a pipe.

[0003]

In the method of removing residual air in a refrigeration cycle using a vacuum pump, a power supply for driving the vacuum pump is required, and the method may not be available depending on a construction place or an installation place. Many. In addition, the method of replacing air with a refrigerant has a problem in that chlorofluorocarbon, which is a refrigerant, is released into the atmosphere, which adversely affects the global environment (warming). In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. Hei 7-269994 and
The method of disposing an oxygen absorbent disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 292168 is effective in removing residual air, but is insufficient in handling properties and repeatability, and the removal rate of residual air is insufficient. Has problems.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, has a simple structure, has good handling and operability, has a good removal rate of residual air, has little refrigerant leakage, and has a low environmental impact. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of removing air from a refrigeration cycle, which is preferable for the present invention, and a connector with an opening and closing mechanism suitable for the method.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for removing air from a refrigeration cycle, wherein the refrigerant sealed in an outdoor unit is made inert to the refrigerant before flowing through the indoor unit and piping. After replacing the air in the indoor unit and the pipe with one or more types of gas that is a gas at normal temperature and normal pressure,
An air removal method for a refrigeration cycle that removes air in the indoor unit and the pipe by absorbing the gas in an absorption container enclosing a substance that absorbs the gas, wherein the indoor unit or the pipe and the The connection between the absorption container and the indoor unit is performed by using a connector with an opening / closing mechanism that is detachably connected to both the absorption container and has a valve mechanism for communicating the indoor unit or the pipe with the absorption container by the connection operation. It is characterized by connecting to a machine or the pipe. Claim 2
According to the present invention, in the air removal method for a refrigeration cycle according to claim 1, the connection port of the absorption container is sealed in advance in a state where the substance that absorbs the gas is sealed, and an opening / closing mechanism is provided. The connecting port of the absorbing container is opened by the connecting device with the opening and closing mechanism when the connecting device connects the absorbing container to the indoor unit or the pipe. The connecting device with an opening / closing mechanism according to the third aspect of the present invention is an air-conditioning apparatus including: an absorbing container in which a substance that is inert to a refrigerant and absorbs one or more types of gas that is a gas at a normal temperature and a normal pressure is enclosed. And an opening / closing mechanism connecting the indoor unit or the piping, and having a valve mechanism for communicating an internal passage by a connection operation with the indoor unit or the piping. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the connector with the opening and closing mechanism according to the third aspect, a connector main body detachably connected to the indoor unit or the pipe and the absorption container, and the inside of the connector main body. And a blade for opening the absorption container by connecting the connecting device main body and the absorption container. Claim 5
According to the present invention, the connecting device with the opening and closing mechanism according to the third or fourth aspect is provided with a gas permeable filter. According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the method for removing air from a refrigeration cycle according to the first or second aspect, the gas contains carbon dioxide and the substance contains zeolite. It is characterized by.

[0006]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A method for removing air from a refrigeration cycle according to a first embodiment of the present invention is to remove air remaining in an indoor unit or a pipe at the time of construction. An absorption vessel in which a gas that is inert to the refrigeration cycle and is a gas at normal temperature and normal pressure is introduced into the pipe to replace the residual air, and then filled with a substance having a function of absorbing the gas. A connecting device with an opening / closing mechanism is connected between the pipe and the pipe side to absorb the gas in the absorption container, and as a result, removes air on the pipe side. This simple operation ensures that the remaining air is removed. In addition, when the air-removal capability of the absorption container is reduced by using the connection device with the opening and closing mechanism, only the absorption container can be removed and replaced, and the connection device can be reused. The cost of the removing operation can be reduced.

A method for removing air from a refrigeration cycle according to a second embodiment of the present invention uses an absorption container whose connection port is sealed in advance, and connects an absorption container with an opening / closing mechanism to an indoor unit or a pipe. At the time of connection operation, the connection port of the absorption container is opened by the connecting device with the opening and closing mechanism, so that the gas absorbing substance sealed in the absorption container can be kept in the initial state until just before use, and the ability to remove the gas absorbing substance Can be secured sufficiently.

The connecting device with an opening / closing mechanism according to the third embodiment of the present invention has a valve mechanism for connecting an internal passage by an operation of connecting to an indoor unit or a pipe, so that the air removing capability of the absorbing container is reduced. In this case, only the absorption container can be removed and replaced, and the connection device with the opening and closing mechanism can be used repeatedly.

The connecting device with an opening / closing mechanism according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention has a blade for opening the absorbing container by being connected to the absorbing container, so that the gas absorbing substance sealed in the absorbing container is used. The initial state can be maintained until immediately before, and the ability to remove the gas absorbing substance can be sufficiently ensured.

The connecting device with an opening / closing mechanism according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention includes a gas permeable filter, and the gas permeable filter eliminates the possibility that the substance on the absorption container side enters the pipe side. The reliability of the refrigeration cycle is ensured. The gas can easily pass through the gas permeable filter.

[0011] The connecting device with an opening and closing mechanism according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention employs a gas containing carbon dioxide as a gas, whereby the absorption speed can be increased. In addition, zeolite is used as a substance, so that carbon dioxide can be absorbed quickly and in a large amount.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, the connecting device 1 with an opening and closing mechanism will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in the figure, the connector 1 with the opening / closing mechanism is screwed to the adapter 16 which is screwed to the external thread 26 of the connecting portion 25 of the gauge manifold 24, and is screwed to the connection port 43 of the absorption container 41 described later. And a structure connected to them.

The connecting tool 1 with an opening and closing mechanism includes a connecting tool body 2 and
The valve mechanism section 3 housed inside the connector body 2
In this embodiment, a gas permeable filter 5 is provided in the connector body 2.

The connecting member main body 2 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and has an outer screw 18 screwed to the inner screw 17 of the adapter 16 formed on one side of the drawing, and a connecting port 4 of an absorbing container 41 formed on the other side.
The inner screw 19 is screwed to the outer screw 45 formed in the third screw 3. On the other hand, the valve mechanism section 3 includes a valve seat section 6 fixed in the connector body 2, a valve core 7, a spring 8, and the like. The valve core 7 includes a valve seat 6
A taper-shaped valve portion 11 is formed at one end, which is in contact with the seat surface 10 of the opening 9, and a head 12 is formed at the top of the other end, which is in contact with the valve stem 20 of the adapter 16. A spring receiving part 13 is formed in the middle part. The spring 8 is provided between the valve seat portion 6 and the spring receiving portion 13 and urges the valve portion 11 of the valve core 7 in a direction in which the valve portion 11 comes into pressure contact with the seat surface 10.

The blade 4 is fixed to the other end of the connector body 2 and has a sharp conical shape having a through hole 14 at the center. An elastic member 15 having a sealing function is fitted near the blade 4. The elastic member 15 comes into contact with the peripheral edge of the sealing member 44 of the absorption container 41 and
The sealing between the first side and the side of the connector main body 2 is performed.

The gas permeable filter 5 is made of a filter member that does not allow solids to pass through, such as a mesh having a mesh structure or a punching structure, or a gas permeable fiber such as steel wool. , But not through a substance such as zeolite. The gas permeable filter 5 prevents dust and the like from entering the refrigeration cycle.
In this embodiment, the gas permeable filter 5 is provided in the connector main body 2, but may be provided in the absorption container 41. However, it is preferable to provide the connector main body 2 in order to reduce the number of components on the side of the absorption container 41 and to maintain cost reduction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the adapter 16 is formed of a cylindrical body having a valve stem 20 protruding at an intermediate portion, and an internal screw 23 screwed to an external screw 26 of the connecting portion 20 of the gauge manifold 24 at one end. Is screwed, and on the other end side, an inner screw 17 screwed with the outer screw 18 of the connector body 2 is screwed. Also,
A through hole 22 is formed in the intermediate plate 21 forming the valve stem 20. Although the separate adapter 16 is used in the present embodiment, it may be formed on the gauge manifold 24 side.

With the above structure, as will be described later in detail, by connecting the connecting device 1 with an opening and closing mechanism between the indoor unit or the pipe and the absorbing container 41, the absorbing container 41 is opened and the valve stem 20 is opened. The opening 9 of the valve seat section 6 is opened by the operation of the valve mechanism section 3, and the indoor unit or the pipe on the refrigeration cycle side communicates with the absorption vessel 41.

Next, a method for removing residual air in a refrigeration cycle using the connecting device 1 with the opening and closing mechanism of this embodiment and the operation of the connecting device 1 with the opening and closing mechanism at that time will be described. FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 illustrate means for replacing air and gas remaining in the refrigeration cycle. First, the adapter 28 and the pressure vessel 29 attached to the gauge manifold 24 via the adapter 28 will be described. As shown in the figure, the adapter 28 includes a cylindrical body 30 and a blade 31 formed inside the cylindrical body 30. In this embodiment, the cylindrical body 30 and the blade 31 are of an integral structure. In addition, the blade 31 does not necessarily need to be integral with the cylindrical body 30.

The cylindrical body 30 includes a large-diameter cylindrical body 30a that forms an internal screw 32 that is screwed to the external screw 26 of the connecting part 25 of the gauge manifold 24, and a reduced-diameter cylindrical body 30b that forms a blade 31 inside. It is composed of The blade 31 is formed with a small hole 33 penetrating therethrough communicating with the inside of the enlarged diameter cylinder 30a. Further, inside the reduced-diameter cylindrical body 30b, an internal screw 36 which is screwed with the external screw 35 of the connection port 34 of the pressure vessel 29 is provided.
Are formed. The adapter 30 shown in FIG.
The enlarged diameter cylinder 30a and the reduced diameter cylinder 30b are arranged on the same axis, but may be arranged inclined.

The pressure vessel 29 is a vessel for filling and sealing a gas 37 for replacing the residual air in the indoor units and pipes constituting the refrigeration cycle, and includes a vessel body 38 and the connection port 34.
Consists of The opening end of the connection port 34 is closed by a film-shaped sealing member 39, and the gas 37 is sealed in the container. The gas 37 is composed of one or more types of mixed gas that is inert to the refrigeration cycle and is a gas at normal temperature and normal pressure. For example, a gas having a smaller global warming potential (GWP) than the refrigerant used in the refrigeration cycle is used. preferable.
Specifically, for example, when the refrigerant is R410A, since the global warming potential is 1730, carbon dioxide of GWP = 1, propane of GWP <3, butane of GWP <3, and the like can be mentioned. The carbon dioxide that can be optimal. The sealing member 39 for closing the connection port 34 is made of a relatively thin film, and for example, a known material such as a stainless thin film or an aluminum foil can be used. In addition, in the case of aluminum foil, it is 15 μm or more and 5
Those having a thickness of 0 μm or less are desirable.

The blade 31 has the above configuration, but may be an injection needle having a minute hole 33 formed therein.
Further, any material can be used as long as it can press and open the sealing member 39 made of the above-mentioned material with a small pressing force, and for example, is preferably made of a material such as stainless steel.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the replacement of the gas 37 in the pressure vessel 38 with air in the refrigeration cycle. The refrigeration cycle
An outdoor unit 46, an indoor unit 47, and a pipe 4 for connecting them;
8 The piping 48 is provided with check valves 53 and 54 formed of a three-way valve, and the check valve 54 is connected to the gauge manifold 24. The outdoor unit 46
A refrigerant is sealed in advance inside. Next, the adapter 28 is connected to the connecting portion 25 of the gauge manifold 24. In this case, the open / close valve 27 of the gauge manifold 24
(FIG. 1) is opened and the check valve 53 is slightly loosened. However, even if the check valve 53 is loosened, the refrigerant sealed in the outdoor unit 46 does not leak from the check valve 53.

Next, a pressure vessel 29 is connected to the adapter 28. Thus, the blade 31 provided on the adapter 28 opens the sealing member 39 of the pressure vessel 29, and the pressure vessel 29 and the pipe 48 communicate with each other. The gas 37 in the pressure vessel 29 is supplied from the minute hole 33 in the adapter 28 to the gauge manifold 24.
Through the pipe 48 and the indoor unit 47. in this case,
Whether the gas 37 has been filled in the pipe 48 or the indoor unit 47 can be determined by detecting the state of gas leakage from the check valve 53 and the leakage sound. Note that accurate determination can be made by using a gas flow meter. By filling the gas 37, air is released from the check valve 53, and the air and the gas 37 are replaced. Next, the pressure vessel 29 and the adapter 28 are removed from the gauge manifold 24. Thus, the replacement of the residual air with the gas 37 is completed, and the gas 37 is filled in the pipe 48 and the indoor unit 47.

FIG. 4 shows a connecting device 1 with an opening and closing mechanism shown in FIG.
2 shows an absorption container 41 in which a substance 40 having a property of absorbing the gas 37 is filled and filled. As shown in FIG. 4, the absorption container 41 includes a container main body 42 in which a substance 40 is sealed, and the opening end of the connection port 43 is closed by a sealing member 44. As the sealing member 44, a stainless thin film or an aluminum foil is used similarly to the sealing member 39 of the pressure vessel 29. As the substance 40, zeolite, epoxy compound, calcium hydroxide, or the like is adopted, and zeolite is optimal because it has a high absorption rate. For example, Tosoh Corporation (trade name F-9) or Union Showa Corporation (trade name 13
X) is optimal. Although the shape of the zeolite is not particularly specified, a spherical shape is preferable because it is hard to be crushed. In addition, zeolite adsorbs nitrogen, carbon dioxide, water and the like in the air by physical adsorption. The adsorption strength is in the order of water> carbon dioxide> nitrogen. For example, in the case of zeolite to which water is already adsorbed, the ability to adsorb carbon dioxide is reduced. Also, when the zeolite adsorbing nitrogen is brought into contact with carbon dioxide, nitrogen is released and carbon dioxide is adsorbed. In addition to zeolite, those that physically adsorb the gas in the air include silica gel and activated carbon, but zeolite is suitable because it can produce carbon dioxide that can absorb carbon dioxide most quickly and in large quantities.

Further, it is preferable that the absorption container 41 be sealed in order to avoid a decrease in performance due to being released to the atmosphere other than when used. As a sealing method, it is preferable to fix the sealing member 44 to the connection port 43 of the absorption container 41 in a vacuum. The substance 40 such as zeolite needs to be initialized by drying in order to exhibit its high adsorption performance. 35
Vacuum drying at 0 ° C. or higher is preferable because a trace amount of water such as zeolite can be removed. When the thin film sealing member 44 is formed in the absorption container 41, zeolite is put into the absorption container 41, and the container is sealed in vacuum after vacuum drying, or after introducing carbon dioxide into a vacuum device and reducing the pressure to atmospheric pressure. It is best to seal quickly and at high temperatures. By sealing in a vacuum, the ability of the zeolite to absorb the carbon dioxide gas 37 can be maximized, and the ultimate vacuum can be increased. Further, by introducing carbon dioxide into the vacuum device, reducing the pressure to atmospheric pressure, and then sealing, the zeolite in the absorption container 41 is not brought into contact with air. Therefore, the absorption container 4
1 can be reduced in the amount of nitrogen mixed therein, and the gas absorption performance can be improved.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the operation of sucking the gas 37 filled in the refrigeration cycle to the substance 40 side. First, the connector 1 with the opening and closing mechanism is connected to the absorption container 41. The outer screw 45 of the connection port 43 of the absorption container 41 is screwed into the inner screw 19 of the connector body 2, and the sealing member 44 comes into contact with the elastic member 15 when tightened.

When the absorption container 41 is screwed into the elastic member 1,
The blade 5 is compressed, the blade 4 hits the sealing member 44, and further screwed, the sealing member 44 is broken by the blade 4, and the sealing member 44 is opened as shown in FIG. Therefore, the absorption container 41
Communicates with the lower side of the valve seat portion 6 on the connector main body 2 side through the through hole 14 of the blade 4. But in this case,
Since the valve core 7 is in the closed state, the absorption container 41 and the upper side of the connector main body 2 do not communicate with each other.

Next, the connecting member main body 2 is screwed into the adapter 16 previously attached to the gauge manifold 24 side and tightened, so that the valve stem 20 of the adapter 16 presses the valve core 7. Therefore, the valve portion 11 of the valve core 7
Is opened and the opening 9 is opened. Thereby, the absorption container 41
Side and the adapter 16 side communicate with each other. Further, since the through hole 22 is formed in the adapter 16, the gauge manifold 24 side communicates with the absorption container 41, and the refrigeration cycle side and the absorption container are opened by opening the opening / closing stopper 27 (FIG. 1) on the gauge manifold 24 side. It communicates with the 41 side. FIG. 6 shows this state clearly. As described above, the gas 37 on the refrigeration cycle side is sucked by the substance 40 in the absorption container 41. After a sufficient suction operation has been performed, the on-off valve 27 on the gauge manifold 24 side is closed, and the adapter 16, the connecting device 1 with an opening-closing mechanism, and the absorption container 41 are removed, thereby completing the entire air removal operation process. In addition, when one absorption container 41 is not enough, this connection device 1 with an opening / closing mechanism is used.
The remaining gas 37 can be sucked by replacing only the absorption container 41 with the connection. Further, the connection device 1 with the opening and closing mechanism can be repeatedly used any number of times.

FIG. 7 shows a graph in which the degree of vacuum in the pipe 48 and the indoor unit 47 in which the gas 37 is absorbed by the substance 40 is measured by a capacitance manometer. That is, the elapsed time is plotted on the horizontal axis, and the degree of vacuum (Pa) is plotted on the vertical axis.
The mark に よ る is obtained by the conventional vacuum pump, and the mark ▲ is obtained by the method of the above embodiment of the present invention. Both are about 2
Within 7 minutes, a degree of vacuum of 7 kPa or less was obtained, and it was proved that there was no difference between the two. Therefore, the air in the refrigeration cycle can be removed without using the vacuum pump, and for example, the air conditioner can be installed on a roof where a power supply cannot be used. Also, by using the adapter having the above structure, there is almost no dead space between the outlet of the pressure vessel or the absorption vessel and the charge port, so that harmful air is hardly mixed in during the refrigeration cycle, and the vacuum pump The air in the refrigeration cycle can be removed without using, and deterioration of the refrigeration cycle can be prevented.

In the above description, the connection with the connecting device with opening / closing mechanism 1, the adapters 16 and 28, the gauge manifold 24, etc., the pressure vessel 29, the absorption vessel 41 and the like is made by screw connection.
However, the invention is not limited thereto, and other connection means having a sealing property may be used.

[0032]

According to the present invention, in order to remove air remaining in the indoor unit and the piping during construction, the piping is inactive before the refrigeration cycle and is gaseous at normal temperature and normal pressure. The gas is introduced to replace the residual air, and then a connecting device with an opening and closing mechanism is connected between the absorption container filled with a substance having the function of absorbing this gas and the pipe side to absorb the gas in the absorption container As a result, the air on the pipe side is removed. This simple operation ensures that the remaining air is removed. In addition, when the air removal capability of the absorption container is reduced by using the connection device with the opening and closing mechanism, only the absorption container can be removed and replaced, and there is no need to remove the connection device. The work process can be shortened. Further, according to the present invention, the connection of the absorption container is performed by the connecting device with the opening / closing mechanism at the time of the connecting operation between the absorbing container and the indoor unit or the pipe by the connecting device with the opening / closing device using the absorbing container whose connection port is previously sealed. In order to open the mouth, the gas absorbing substance sealed in the absorption container,
The initial state can be maintained until just before use, and the ability to remove the gas absorbing substance can be sufficiently ensured. Further, according to the connector with the opening / closing mechanism according to the present invention, since the connection mechanism with the indoor unit or the pipe has the valve mechanism for communicating the internal passage, when the air removal capability of the absorption container is reduced, only the absorption container is used. Can be removed and replaced, and the connection device with the opening and closing mechanism can be used repeatedly. Further, according to the connecting device with the opening and closing mechanism according to the present invention, since the connection device is provided with a blade for opening the absorption container by connection with the absorption container, the gas absorbing substance sealed in the absorption container is
The initial state can be maintained until just before use, and the ability to remove the gas absorbing substance can be sufficiently ensured. In addition, according to the connector with the opening / closing mechanism according to the present invention, a gas permeable filter is provided, and the gas permeable filter eliminates the possibility that the substance on the absorption container side enters the pipe side, thereby ensuring the reliability of the refrigeration cycle. Is done. The gas can easily pass through the gas permeable filter. According to the present invention, a gas containing carbon dioxide is adopted as the gas, whereby the absorption speed can be increased. Also,
The material used is zeolite, which allows the carbon dioxide to be absorbed quickly and in large quantities.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view showing a configuration of a connection tool with an opening / closing mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a configuration of an adapter and the like for connecting a pressure vessel in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a refrigeration cycle diagram showing a state where the pressure vessel of FIG. 2 is connected.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a connector with an opening / closing mechanism for connecting the absorption container in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a refrigeration cycle diagram showing a state in which the absorption container is connected by the connection tool with the opening / closing mechanism of FIG.

FIG. 6 is an axial sectional view for explaining the operation of the connecting device with the opening and closing mechanism according to the embodiment at the time of gas suction;

FIG. 7 is a vacuum degree-elapsed time curve for comparing the vacuum degree on the refrigeration cycle side of the present invention with the vacuum degree obtained by a conventional vacuum pump.

FIG. 8 is a refrigeration cycle diagram showing a conventional air removal method using a vacuum pump.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Connector with opening / closing mechanism 2 Connector body 3 Valve mechanism part 4 Blade 5 Gas permeable filter 6 Valve seat part 7 Valve core 8 Spring 9 Opening part 10 Seat surface 11 Valve part 12 Top part 13 Intermediate part 14 Through hole 16 Adapter 20 Valve Rod 22 Through hole 24 Gauge manifold 28 Adapter 29 Pressure vessel 31 Blade 38 Container body 39 Sealing member 40 Substance 41 Absorption container 42 Container body 45 Sealing member 46 Outdoor unit 47 Indoor unit 48 Piping 53 Check valve 54 Check valve

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Hiroyuki Takeuchi 1006 Kazuma Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Claims (6)

[Claims] Before the refrigerant enclosed in the outdoor unit is allowed to flow through the indoor unit and the piping, one or more types of gas that is inert to the refrigerant and is a gas at normal temperature and normal pressure are used as the indoor unit and the refrigerant. An air removal method for a refrigeration cycle that removes air in the indoor unit and the pipe by replacing the air in the pipe and then absorbing the gas in an absorption container filled with the substance that absorbs the gas. A connection device with an opening / closing mechanism, which is detachably connected to both the indoor unit or the pipe and the absorption container, and has a valve mechanism for communicating the indoor unit or the pipe with the absorption container by the connection operation. A method for connecting the absorption container to the indoor unit or the pipe by using the air. 2. The absorption container, in which the substance for absorbing the gas is sealed, and a connection port thereof is sealed in advance, and a connection between the absorption container and the indoor unit or the pipe by a connector with an opening / closing mechanism is provided. The method for removing air from a refrigeration cycle according to claim 1, wherein the connection port of the absorption container is opened by the connection tool with the opening / closing mechanism during the connection operation. 3. An absorption container in which a substance that absorbs one or more types of gas that is inert to a refrigerant and that is a gas at normal temperature and normal pressure is connected to an indoor unit or a pipe constituting an air conditioner. A connector with an opening / closing mechanism, comprising: a valve mechanism for communicating an internal passage by an operation of connecting to the indoor unit or the pipe. 4. A connector body detachably connected to the indoor unit or the pipe and the absorption container, and a connector body fixedly held in the connector body and connecting the connector body and the absorption container to each other. The connector with an opening and closing mechanism according to claim 3, further comprising a blade that opens the absorption container. 5. The connecting device with an opening and closing mechanism according to claim 3, further comprising a gas permeable filter. 6. The method for removing air from a refrigeration cycle according to claim 1, wherein the gas contains carbon dioxide, and the substance contains zeolite.