Method for Recharging a Refrigerated Appliance by Weighing and Dispensing Small Amounts of Hydrocarbon Refrigerant Gases

Abstract

A method for weighing and dispensing small amounts of HC refrigerant gases for appliances such as refrigerators, room air conditioners, small ice makers, wine coolers, etc. More particularly, it relates to method of weighing and dispensing small quantities of HC, or blended HC, gas refrigerants for such refrigerated appliances. Due to the safety hazards associated with large quantities of HC refrigerant gases in an enclosed space, only small containers, holding pre-measured amounts of HC refrigerant gas, are taken into the enclosed space where the refrigerated appliance is located.

Claims

1. A method for weighing and dispensing small amounts of an HC refrigerant gas into a chilling system of a refrigerated appliance, wherein said method comprises: selecting a container having a predetermined amount of said HC refrigerant gas; inspecting said refrigerated appliance to determine a quantity of said HC refrigerant gas required to be charged into the refrigerated appliance; weighing at least one said selected container to determine a precise amount of said HC refrigerant gas contained within said selected container; determining an even multiple number of said selected containers that contain at least said quantity of said HC refrigerant gas required to be charged in the refrigerated appliance; determining a fractional amount of said HC refrigerant gas contained within one said selected container that exceeds said determined precise amount of said HC refrigerant gas required to be charged into the refrigerated appliance; venting at least a portion of said fractional amount of said HC refrigerant gas from at least one said selected container; and dispensing said determined quantity of said HC refrigerant gas required into a chiller system of said refrigerated appliance.

2. The method for weighing and dispensing small amounts of HC refrigerant gas into a chilling system of a refrigerated appliance of claim 1 wherein said refrigerated appliance is selected from a group consisting of refrigerators, room air conditioners, small ice makers, and wine coolers.

3. The method for weighing and dispensing small amounts of HC refrigerant gas into a chilling system of a refrigerated appliance of claim 1 wherein said selected container is adapted to contain between approximately 50 to 100 grams of HC refrigerant gas.

4. The method for weighing and dispensing small amounts of HC refrigerant gas into a chilling system of a refrigerated appliance of claim 3 wherein said selected container is adapted to contain approximately 90 grams of HC refrigerant gas.

5. The method for weighing and dispensing small amounts of HC refrigerant gas into a chilling system of a refrigerated appliance of claim 1 wherein said step of weighing said selected container to determine a precise amount of HC refrigerant gas contained within said selected container is performed with a scale capable of sub-gram accuracy.

6. The method for weighing and dispensing small amounts of HC refrigerant gas into a chilling system of a refrigerated appliance of claim 1 wherein HC refrigerant gas is propane.

7. The method for weighing and dispensing small amounts of HC refrigerant gas into a chilling system of a refrigerated appliance of claim 1 wherein HC refrigerant gas is a blend of propane and butane.

8. The method for weighing and dispensing small amounts of HC refrigerant gas into a chilling system of a refrigerated appliance of claim 1 wherein said fractional amount of said HC refrigerant gas is vented from one said selected container.

9. The method for weighing and dispensing small amounts of HC refrigerant gas into a chilling system of a refrigerated appliance of claim 1 wherein said step of venting at least a portion of said fractional amount of said HC refrigerant gas from at least one said selected container is performed at a selected location away from an enclosed space in which said refrigerated appliance is located.

10. A method for weighing and dispensing small amounts of an HC refrigerant gas into a chilling system of a refrigerated appliance, wherein said method comprises: selecting a container having a predetermined amount of said HC refrigerant gas wherein said selected container is adapted to contain between approximately 50 to 100 grams of HC refrigerant gas; inspecting said refrigerated appliance to determine a quantity of said HC refrigerant gas required to be charged into the refrigerated appliance; weighing at least one said selected container on a scale capable of sub-gram accuracy to determine a precise amount of said HC refrigerant gas contained within said selected container; determining an even multiple number of said selected containers that contain at least said quantity of said HC refrigerant gas required to be charged in the refrigerated appliance; determining a fractional amount of said HC refrigerant gas contained within one said selected container that exceeds said determined precise amount of said HC refrigerant gas required to be charged into the refrigerated appliance; venting at least a portion of said fractional amount of said HC refrigerant gas from at least one said selected container; and dispensing said determined quantity of said HC refrigerant gas required into a chiller system of said refrigerated appliance.

11. The method for weighing and dispensing small amounts of HC refrigerant gas into a chilling system of a refrigerated appliance of claim 10 wherein said refrigerated appliance is selected from a group consisting of refrigerators, room air conditioners, small ice makers, and wine coolers.

12. The method for weighing and dispensing small amounts of HC refrigerant gas into a chilling system of a refrigerated appliance of claim 10 wherein said selected container is adapted to contain approximately 90 grams of HC refrigerant gas.

13. The method for weighing and dispensing small amounts of HC refrigerant gas into a chilling system of a refrigerated appliance of claim 10 wherein HC refrigerant gas is propane.

14. The method for weighing and dispensing small amounts of HC refrigerant gas into a chilling system of a refrigerated appliance of claim 10 wherein HC refrigerant gas is a blend of propane and butane.

15. The method for weighing and dispensing small amounts of HC refrigerant gas into a chilling system of a refrigerated appliance of claim 10 wherein said fractional amount of said HC refrigerant gas is vented from one said selected container.

16. The method for weighing and dispensing small amounts of HC refrigerant gas into a chilling system of a refrigerated appliance of claim 10 wherein said step of venting at least a portion of said fractional amount of said HC refrigerant gas from at least one said selected container is performed at a selected location away from an enclosed space in which said refrigerated appliance is located.

17. A method for weighing and dispensing small amounts of an HC refrigerant gas into a chilling system of a refrigerated appliance, wherein said method comprises: selecting a container having a predetermined amount of said HC refrigerant gas wherein said selected container is adapted to contain between approximately 50 to 100 grams of HC refrigerant gas; inspecting said refrigerated appliance to determine a quantity of said HC refrigerant gas required to be charged into the refrigerated appliance; weighing at least one said selected container on a scale capable of sub-gram accuracy to determine a precise amount of said HC refrigerant gas contained within said selected container; determining an even multiple number of said selected containers that contain at least said quantity of said HC refrigerant gas required to be charged in the refrigerated appliance; determining a fractional amount of said HC refrigerant gas contained within one said selected container that exceeds said determined precise amount of said HC refrigerant gas required to be charged into the refrigerated appliance; venting at least a portion of said fractional amount of said HC refrigerant gas from one said selected container, wherein said fractional amount of said HC refrigerant gas is vented from one said selected container at a selected location away from an enclosed space in which said refrigerated appliance is located; and dispensing said determined quantity of said HC refrigerant gas required into a chiller system of said refrigerated appliance.

18. The method for weighing and dispensing small amounts of HC refrigerant gas into a chilling system of a refrigerated appliance of claim 17 wherein said refrigerated appliance is selected from a group consisting of refrigerators, room air conditioners, small ice makers, and wine coolers.

19. The method for weighing and dispensing small amounts of HC refrigerant gas into a chilling system of a refrigerated appliance of claim 17 wherein said selected container is adapted to contain approximately 90 grams of HC refrigerant gas.

20. The method for weighing and dispensing small amounts of HC refrigerant gas into a chilling system of a refrigerated appliance of claim 17 wherein HC refrigerant gas is selected from a group consisting of propane, butane, and a blend of propane and butane.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The above-mentioned features of the invention will become more clearly understood from the following detailed description of the invention read together with the drawings in which:

[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the prior art method of weighing and dispensing refrigerant gases, such as CFC's, HFC's, and HFO's from a twenty-pound tank using a hose set having various hoses and gauges.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the components utilized in the method of the present invention;

[0019] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing further components utilized in the method of the present invention; and

[0020] FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating the steps of the method of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] The present invention is directed towards a method for recharging a refrigerated appliance by weighing small amounts of HC gas, or blended HC gas, refrigerants. These HC refrigerants are then dispensed, into the chilling system of a refrigerated appliance in a confined space. It will be understood that hereinafter reference to HC refrigerant gas refers to both a single-gas HC refrigerant gas and a blended HC refrigerant gas. In this regard, as discussed above, in the field of refrigerated appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, room air conditioners, small ice makers, wine coolers, and other similar appliances, there is a movement away from using CFC's, HFC's, and HFO's for refrigerant gases, relying instead upon HC, or blended HC, refrigerant gases. As discussed above, refrigerated appliances typically require up to approximately five hundred grams of refrigerant or less. For instance, those skilled in the art will recognize that a commercial refrigerator typically takes about five hundred grams or less of a refrigerant gas while a residential refrigerator typically has a capacity of about ninety (90) grams or less of a refrigerant gas. Thus, the present method is directed towards accurately, safely, and efficiently weighing out and dispensing small amounts of HC refrigerant gas.

[0022] According to the present invention, start with a predetermined amount of HC refrigerant gas in a small container, such as container 10 illustrated in FIG. 2, see step 110 in FIG. 4. In an exemplary embodiment, container 10 contains approximately 50 to 100 grams of the selected HC refrigerant gas. In a further exemplary embodiment, container 10 contains 90 grams of the selected HC refrigerant gas. The refrigerated appliance is then inspected to determine the quantity of the selected HC refrigerant gas required to be charged into the refrigerated appliance, step 120. Container 10 is weighed on a scale, step 130, such as scale 25, in order to precisely determine the amount of HC refrigerant in container 10. In an exemplary embodiment, scale 25 is capable of accurate sub-gram measurements,

[0023] When the amount of HC refrigerant gas required to charge a refrigerated appliance is less than the amount of HC refrigerant gas contained within container 10, then the excess is vented, step 160, from container 10 with can tap valve 35. If, however, the required amount of HC refrigerant gas is greater than the capacity of container 10, then more than one container 10 will be required; and, the fractional amount of HC refrigerated gas within a container 10 that is required, above an even multiple numbers of containers 10, will be calculated, step 140, and a container 10 will be vented to the amount of the fractional amount needed, step 160. Excess HC refrigerant is vented slowly from container 10 while container is being weighed on scale 25 in order to precisely monitor the amount of HC refrigerant remaining in container 10. In an exemplary embodiment, the step of venting container 10 to the desired weight is performed or accomplished at a selected location away from the enclosed space in which the refrigerated appliance is located. Then, container 10, which now contains the desired amount of HC refrigerant gas, is connected to a selected valve, as appropriate, on the chilling system of the refrigerated appliance by means of a hose 30 and the measured amount of HC refrigerant gas is dispensed into the chiller system of the refrigerated appliance, step 170.

Example 1: Refrigerated Appliance Requires 65 Grams of HC Refrigerant Gas

[0024] In this Example, a residential refrigerator requires 65 grams of HC refrigerant gas. And, a service technician has a supply of containers, such as container 10, that each hold 90 gams of HC refrigerant gas. According to the present invention, the technician would connect can tap valve 35 to container 10, place container 10 on scale 25 and confirm that container 10 contains 90 grams of HC refrigerant gas. The technician would then slowly vent 25 grams of HC refrigerant gas from container 10. Because HC refrigerated gas is not a greenhouse gas, and has little, if any, detrimental effect on the environment, the excess HC refrigerated gas can be vented to the atmosphere; or, if desired, can be reclaimed. Once the technician confirms that container now has only 65 grams, i.e. the selected amount, of HC refrigerated gas, container 10 is connected to the appropriate port on the refrigerated appliance with hose 30 and the HC refrigerated gas is dispensed into the chilling system of the refrigerated appliance.

Example 2: Refrigerated Appliance Requires 80 Grams of HC Refrigerant Gas

[0025] In this Example, a residential countertop ice maker requires 80 grams of HC refrigerant gas. And, a service technician has a supply of containers, such as container 10, that each hold 90 grams of HC refrigerant gas. According to the present invention, the technician would connect can tap valve 35 to container 10, place container 10 on scale 25 and confirm that container 10 contains 90 grams of HC refrigerant gas. Upon confirming the amount of HC refrigerant gas contained within container 10, the technician would then slowly vent 10 grams of HC refrigerant gas from container 10. Because HC refrigerated gas is not a greenhouse gas, and has little, if any, detrimental effect on the environment, the excess HC refrigerated gas can be vented to the atmosphere; or, if desired, can be reclaimed. Once the technician confirms that container 10 now has only 80 grams, i.e. the selected amount, of HC refrigerated gas, container is connected to the appropriate port on the refrigerated appliance with hose 30 and the HC refrigerated gas is dispensed into the chilling system of the refrigerated appliance.

Example 3: Refrigerated Appliance Requires 500 Grams of HC Refrigerant Gas

[0026] In this Example, a commercial refrigerator/freezer requires 500 grams of HC refrigerant gas. And, a service technician has a supply of containers, such as container 10, that each hold 90 grams of HC refrigerant gas. According to the present invention, more than one container 10 will be required. In this example, six 90-gram containers will be required; five of which will be required to discharge or dispense the full 90 grams, leaving a fractional portion of grams that will be required from the sixth container 10. The technician would place each of the first five 90-gram containers 10 on scale 25 and confirm that each of the five 90-gram containers does indeed contain 90 grams of HC refrigerant gas. With the sixth 90-gram container, and similar to the first example, the technician would connect can tap valve 35 to the sixth container, such as container 10, place container 10 on scale 25, confirm that container 10 contains 90 grams of HC refrigerant gas, and then slowly vent 40 grams of HC refrigerant gas from container 10. Because HC refrigerated gas is not a greenhouse gas, and has little, if any, detrimental effect on the environment, the excess HC refrigerated gas can be vented to the atmosphere; or, if desired, can be reclaimed. Once the technician confirms that container 10 now has only 50 grams, i.e. the selected amount, of HC refrigerated gas, each of the five containers holding 90 grams each of the HC refrigerant gas, and the sixth container 10, containing 50 grams of HC refrigerated gas, are each connected to the appropriate port on the refrigerated appliance with hose 30 and the HC refrigerated gas is dispensed into the chilling system of the refrigerated appliance until a total of 500 grams of HC refrigerant gas has been dispensed.

[0027] Because in an exemplary embodiment, excess HC refrigerant gas is being vented to the atmosphere, this method could not be used with a CFC, HFC, or HFO refrigerant gas. And, because only small containers, holding pre-measured amounts of HC refrigerant gas, are being taken into the enclosed space where the refrigerated appliance is located, the risks and dangers of a catastrophic explosion are significantly mitigated if not eliminated.

[0028] While the present invention has been illustrated by description of several embodiments and while the illustrative embodiments have been described in detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicant's general inventive concept.