Front-end integral air-conditioning unit
View Patent ↗A sub-unit for a vehicle air conditioning system is shipped with a condenser, chiller and fluid lines. Snap together couplings are placed on free ends of the fluid lines whereby the sub-unit can be pre-charged, shipped, installed into the front end of a vehicle engine compartment and connected to an air conditioning compressor.
1. A sub-unit for a refrigerant circuit comprising:
a condenser;
a chiller in fluid communication with said condenser;
a high pressure fluid line coupled to said condenser and extending to a free end;
a low pressure fluid line coupled to said chiller and extending to a free end;
a refrigerant in said condenser and in said chiller and in said lines; and
a valve unit disposed on each of said free ends for retaining said refrigerant in said sub-unit and each of said valves has a normally closed position and is movable to an open position in response to connection to a connector for allowing said refrigerant to flow into and out of said lines.
2. A sub-unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein said valve unit defines a snap together coupling with the connector that moves said valve unit to said open position when said valve unit and the connector are snapped together.
3. A sub-unit as set forth in claim 2 further comprising an expansion device interconnecting said condenser and said chiller.
4. A sub-unit as set forth in claim 3 further comprising a receiver interconnecting said chiller and said condenser.
5. A sub unit as set forth in claim 4 further comprising an accumulator interconnecting said chiller and said free end.
6. A sub-unit as set forth in claim 5 wherein said condenser is connected to said chiller.
7. A sub-unit for a refrigerant circuit comprising:
a condenser;
a chiller in fluid communication with said condenser;
said condenser is disposed above and connected to said chiller;
an expansion device interconnecting said condenser and said chiller;
a receiver interconnecting said chiller and said condenser;
a high pressure fluid line coupled to said condenser and extending to a free end;
a low pressure fluid line coupled to said chiller and extending to a free end;
an accumulator interconnecting said chiller and said free end;
a refrigerant in said condenser and in said chiller and in said lines;
a valve unit disposed on each of said free ends for retaining said refrigerant in said sub-unit and each of said valves has a normally closed position and is movable to an open position in response to connection to a connector for allowing said refrigerant to flow into and out of said lines; and
said valve unit defines a snap together coupling with the connector that moves said valve unit to said open position when said valve unit and the connector are snapped together.
8. A vehicle comprising:
a body defining an engine compartment having a front and a rear in spaced relationship to said front;
a sub-unit for an air-conditioning circuit disposed within said engine compartment and including:
a condenser,
a chiller in fluid communication with said condenser,
a high pressure fluid line coupled to said condenser and extending to a free end,
a low pressure fluid line coupled to said chiller and extending to a free end,
a refrigerant in said condenser and said chiller and said lines,
a connector in fluid communication with a compressor, and
a valve unit disposed on each of said free ends for retaining said refrigerant in said sub-unit and each of said valve units defining a normally closed position and being movable to an open position in response to connection to said connector for allowing said refrigerant to flow into and out of said lines.
9. A sub-unit as set forth in claim 8 wherein said sub-unit is disposed at said front of said engine compartment for permitting airflow to said condenser.
10. A sub-unit as set forth in claim 9 wherein said valve unit and said connector further define a snap together coupling that moves said valve unit to said open position when said valve unit and said connector are snapped together.