FLUID COLLECTOR

Abstract

A fluid collector having a housing having a tubular circumferential wall with a first end face having a first opening and with a second end face having a second opening, which is situated opposite the first opening of the first end face, a first cover being provided, which closes the first opening on the first end face, and a second cover being provided, which closes the second opening on the second end face. The tubular circumferential wall has an area with an, in particular, planar connecting surface, on which at least one flange element is arranged and fastened as a connecting element, at least one bore or one channel being provided in the area having the connecting surface, which fluidically connects the interior of the housing to the at least one connecting element.

Claims

1. A fluid collector comprising: a housing having a tubular circumferential wall with a first end face having a first opening and with a second end face having a second opening that is arranged opposite the first opening of the first end face; a first cover closes the first opening on the first end face; a second cover closes the second opening on the second end face, at least one flange element, wherein the tubular circumferential wall has an area with a planar connecting surface, on which the at least one flange element is arranged and fastened as a connecting element; and at least one bore or one channel being provided in the area having the connecting surface, which fluidically connects the interior of the housing to the at least one connecting element.

2. The fluid collector according to claim 1, wherein the area having the planar connecting surface is designed to form a single piece with the circumferential wall of the housing or is manufactured as a single piece by extrusion molding, extrusion, or deep drawing.

3. The fluid collector according to claim 1, wherein the area having the planar, connecting surface is formed from a projection of the circumferential wall.

4. The fluid collector according to claim 3, wherein the projection forms a laterally protruding wing or two laterally protruding wings, which protrude in opposite directions from each other.

5. The fluid collector according to claim 1, wherein the flange element is arranged and fastened as a connecting element, a bore or a channel being provided in the area having the connecting surface, which fluidically connects the interior of the housing to the one connecting element, or wherein the lange element is arranged and fastened as a connecting element, and two bores or two channels being provided in the area having the connecting surface, which fluidically connect the interior of the housing to the one connecting element, or wherein two flange elements are arranged and fastened as connecting elements, two bores or two channels being provided in the area having the connecting surface, which fluidically connect the interior of the housing to one of the connecting elements in each case.

6. The fluid collector according to claim 1, wherein the flange element includes an inflow connection or an outflow connection or an inflow connection and an outflow connection, or wherein two flange elements are designed such that one of the two flange elements includes an inflow connection and the other of the two flange elements includes an outflow connection.

7. The fluid collector according to claim 5, wherein the one bore or the one channel connected to the inflow channel is arranged at a distance from the one bore or the one channel connected to the outflow connection.

8. The fluid collector according to claim 1, wherein a filter for filtering the through-flowing fluid and/or a dryer for drying the same is/are arranged in the interior of the housing.

9. The fluid collector according to claim 8, wherein the filter is inserted into the housing as an insert, and wherein a sealing lip is provided, which is arranged on the inside of the circumferential wall or runs between bores or between the channels.

10. The fluid collector according to claim 8, wherein the dryer is arranged so as to be integrated into the insert or is arranged separately from the insert or as a filled container or a filled pouch.

11. The fluid collector according to claim 1, wherein the fluid collector is a refrigerant collector.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a schematic exploded representation of an example of a fluid collector according to the invention;

[0021] FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective representation of the fluid collector according to FIG. 1;

[0022] FIG. 3 shows a schematic sectional representation of the housing of the fluid collector according to FIG. 1; and

[0023] FIG. 4 shows a schematic perspective representation of an example of a fluid collector according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The invention relates to a fluid collector 1, in particular a refrigerant collector. Fluid collectors 1 of this type, such as refrigerant collectors, may be used, for example, in a refrigerant circuit of a motor vehicle.

[0025] FIGS. 1 through 3 show different representations of an example of a fluid collector 1, and FIG. 4 shows a further example of a fluid collector 1.

[0026] Fluid collector 1 according to the example in FIGS. 1 through 3, which is designed as an example of a refrigerant collector, includes a housing 2 having a tubular circumferential wall 3, tubular circumferential wall 3 of housing 2 being designed with a first end face 4 having a first opening 5 and with a second end face 6 having a second opening 7. Second end face 6 is situated opposite first end face 4, and first opening 5 is thus also situated opposite second opening 7.

[0027] In the illustrated example in FIGS. 1 through 3, a first cover 8 is provided, which closes first opening 5 on first end face 4. A second cover 10 is furthermore provided, which closes second opening 7 on second end face 6. Covers 8, 10 are preferably designed as plastic and/or metal covers, which are inserted into particular opening 5, 7 in a sealed manner and are fixed in position. For example, at least one sealing ring 11 or a sealing lip is provided for sealing purposes. Two sealing rings 11 are shown on first end face 4 in FIG. 1. Other seals may also be provided, for example an adhesive, etc.

[0028] Housing 2 has an interior 9, which is enclosed by circumferential wall 3. This interior 9 is used for the through-flow and storage of fluid, in particular refrigerant.

[0029] According to FIGS. 1 through 3, tubular circumferential wall 3 has an area 12 with an, in particular planar, connecting surface 13. In the illustrated example, this area 12 of wall 3 is a section of circumferential wall 3. which is designed to be thicker or more stable compared to the rest of the circumferential wall and which includes or forms connecting surface 13.

[0030] Connecting surface 13 in the illustrated example is designed as a rectangular planar surface, which is formed from area 12.

[0031] At least one flange element 14 or multiple flange elements 14 is or are arranged and fastened on connecting surface 13 as a connecting element or as connecting elements for the purpose of fluidically connecting or interconnecting fluid connector 1.

[0032] For this purpose, at least one bore 15 or one channel, which fluidically connects interior 9 of housing 2 to the at least one flange element 14, is provided as the connecting element in area 12 having connecting surface 13 for connecting the at least one flange element 14.

[0033] The at least one flange element 14 may be placed and fastened as needed on connecting surface 13, corresponding bore 15 or the corresponding channel then being suitably placed for this purpose. Particular flange element 14 may be fastened on connecting surface 13 in a materially bonded and/or form-fitting manner.

[0034] According to the illustrated example, area 12 having the, in particular planar, connecting surface 13 is designed to form a single piece with circumferential wall 3 of housing 2. Area 12 is manufactured with wall 3, for example to form a single piece, for example by means of extrusion molding, extrusion, deep drawing, etc. Housing 2 may thus be manufactured together with wall 3 and area 12.

[0035] It is also apparent from FIGS. 1 through 3 that area 12 having the, in particular planar, connecting surface 13 is formed from a projection 16 of circumferential wall 3. Projection 16 protrudes radially to the outside and forms connecting surface 13. For this purpose, area 12 is defined, for example, by projection 16.

[0036] According to FIG. 3, it is apparent that projection 16 forms at least one laterally protruding wing 17 or, as illustrated, two laterally protruding wings 17, which protrude in opposite directions from each other. The surface area of connecting surface 13 is enlarged on the side thereby, which allows the arrangement of the at least one flange element 14 to be designed more flexibly because more surface area is available for this purpose.

[0037] A flange element 14 may be arranged and fastened as the connecting element, a bore 15 or a channel being provided in area 12 having connecting surface 13, which fluidically connects interior 9 of housing 2 to the one connecting element, or a flange element 14 may be alternatively arranged and fastened as the connecting element, for example, two bores 15 or two channels being provided in area 12 having connecting surface 13, which fluidically connect interior 9 of housing 2 to the one connecting element, cf. FIGS. 1 through 3, or two flange elements 14 may also be arranged and fastened as connecting elements, two bores 15 or two channels being correspondingly provided in area 12 having connecting surface 13, which fluidically connect interior 9 of housing 2 to one of the connecting elements in each case, cf. FIG. 4.

[0038] The one flange element 14 may thus have an inflow connection 18 or an outflow connection 19 or an inflow connection 18 and an outflow connection 19, or the design may also be provided in such a way that the two flange elements 14 according to FIG. 4 are designed in such a way that one of the two flange elements 14 has an inflow connection 18 and the other of the two flange elements 14 has an outflow connection 19.

[0039] Bores 15 are arranged accordingly in such a way that the one bore 15 or the one channel connected to inflow channel 18 is arranged at a distance from the one bore 15 or the one channel connected to outflow connection 19; cf. FIG. 1.

[0040] It is also apparent from FIG. 1 that a filter 20 for filtering the through-flowing fluid and/or a dryer 21 for drying the same is/are arranged in interior 9 of housing 2.

[0041] Filter 20 may be inserted into housing 2 as an insert, a sealing lip 22 being able to be provided, which is arranged on the inside of circumferential wall 3, in particular running between bores 15 or between the channels.

[0042] Dryer 21 may be arranged so as to be integrated into the insert, or it may be arranged separately from the insert, in particular as a filled container or as a filled pouch, etc., cf. FIG. 1, in which dryer 21 is shown to be arranged in a pouch.

[0043] FIG. 4 shows a further example of a fluid collector 1, similar to the example of fluid collector 1 in FIGS. 1 through 3. However, projection 16 of area 12 does not have any laterally protruding wings. Two flange elements 14 are illustrated in FIG. 4 as flange elements 14, which each have only one inflow connection 18 or one outflow connection 19. Otherwise, reference is hereby made to the description of FIGS. 1 through 3 for the description of the fluid collector in FIG. 4.

[0044] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.