OIL REFILL CONTAINER

Abstract

An oil refill container that can be coupled to a coolant refill station in an air conditioning system for motor vehicles comprises a body defining an oil containment compartment adapted to be mixed with the coolant circulating in said air conditioning system, and a closing cap provided with quick coupling means adapted to be connected to the refill station or a seat adapted to removably connect the quick coupling means to said closing cap, said closing cap comprising a cover and an under-cap adapted to define a compartment suitable for containing at least an amount of a drying substance when coupled to the cover.

Claims

1. An oil refill container, configured for coupling to a coolant refill station in an air conditioning system for motor vehicles, the container comprising: a body defining an oil containment compartment adapted to be mixed with a coolant circulating in an air conditioning system, and a closing cap provided with a quick coupling device adapted to be connected to the refill station, or provided with a seat adapted to removably connect the coupling device to the closing cap, the closing cap comprising a cover and an under-cap, wherein the under-cap is adapted to define a compartment suitable for containing at least an amount of a drying substance when the under-cap is coupled with the cover.

2. The container according to claim 1, further comprising one or more sealing elements configured with a shape corresponding to geometry of the under-cap and placed in the container such a way that a tight seal is created between cover, under-cap and body.

3. The container according to claim 2, wherein said sealing elements are plastic O-rings.

4. The container according to claim 1, wherein the closing cap comprises a sealing ring external to the under-cap, the sealing ring being placed between the cover and the under-cap and being configured to restrain the cover and under-cap assembly by friction.

5. The container according to claim 1, wherein the closing cap comprises a valve configured to open by pressure difference and let air in to release oil, wherein the air takes the place of the oil through dedicated passage holes in the under-cap and allows ascent of the oil through said closing cap.

6. The container according to claim 1, further comprising an oil suction device associated with the cover and in fluid communication with the quick coupling device.

7. The container, according to claim 6, wherein the under-cap has an opening adapted to house the suction device.

8. The container according to claim 6, wherein the oil suction device is in the shape of a tubular element extending axially from the cover up to within the containment compartment.

9. The container according to claim 8, wherein the tubular element forming the suction device is coaxial and in fluid communication with a tubular connector in the quick coupling device.

10. The container according to claim 1, wherein the quick coupling device is provided with a sealed check valve that preserves the oil within the body, the sealed check valve being configured to open only when the body is connected to a system to be filled.

11. The container according to claim 1, wherein the under-cap is directly associable to the cover and the cover is directly screwable on a corresponding thread of the container body.

12. The container according to claim 1, wherein the under-cap is associable to both the container body, by at least a first threaded portion, and to the cover, by a second threaded portion.

13. The container according to claim 6, comprising an air sealing system arranged between the cover and the suction device.

14. A cartridge containing drying material adapted to absorb air humidity, and shaped to be contained in a compartment closed by a closing cap according to claim 1.

15. A closing cap associable to a container configured for coupling to a coolant refill station in an air conditioning system for motor vehicles, the closing cap comprising a cover and an under-cap which is adapted to define a compartment suitable for containing at least an amount of a drying substance when the under-cap is coupled with the cover; wherein the closing cap is provided with a quick coupling device adapted to be connected to the refill station or is provided with a seat adapted to removably connect said coupling device to the closing cap.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0039] This and other features will become more apparent from the following description of some of the configurations, illustrated purely by way of example in the accompanying drawings.

[0040] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the container with closing cap according to the invention,

[0041] FIG. 2: shows the container and a median section thereof,

[0042] FIG. 3 shows the detail of the cover and under-cap of said container,

[0043] FIG. 4: shows a median and perspective section of the assembly formed by the container body and the closing cap,

[0044] FIG. 5: shows the operation of a valve associated with the closing cap to allow the air intake during the oil suction step.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0045] With particular reference to FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 indicates as a whole an oil refill container object of the present invention.

[0046] Container 1 can be coupled to a coolant refill station (not shown) in an air conditioning system for motor vehicles.

[0047] Container 1 comprises an oil containment body 2 for the containment of oil adapted to be mixed with the coolant circulating in said air conditioning system and a closing cap 3 for closing body 2, preferably by screwing.

[0048] A quick coupling device 5 is associated, axially arranged, with said closing cap 3, and an oil suction device 12 is associated, inside body 2, with said closing cap 3; in particular, the quick coupling device is configured for the connection with said refill station.

[0049] With reference to the figures, the quick coupling device 5 comprises a tubular connector 51 adapted to be connected to the refill station. The oil suction device 12 is made in the shape of a tubular element 12a extending axially from cover 31 up to within the containment compartment. It should be noted that the tubular element 12a is coaxial and in fluid communication with the tubular connector 51.

[0050] The closing cap 3 comprises a cover 31. Between said body 2 and cover 31 there is a rigid enclosure. Preferably, said rigid enclosure is located below the cover and is defined as under-cap 4.

[0051] In other words, the closing cap 3 comprises cover 31 and the under-cap 4 coupled to cover 31 in a position below it.

[0052] Once cover 31 is associated with under-cap 4, due the conformation of said enclosure (which protrudes towards the container body 2 once assembled), as an inner compartment 7 is defined which can accommodate at least one drying substance or material.

[0053] The under-cap 4 is therefore shaped in such a way as to define, with cover 31, a compartment 7 suitable for containing at least an amount of a drying substance.

[0054] The function of the drying material is to dry the air inside body 2, which replaces the ejected oil (suctioned by the refill station connected thereto) and which is present in the remaining inner volume of container 1.

[0055] In order to allow the air intake, one or more valves 6 are provided, arranged and configured to allow the air passage inside the container, in replacement of the ejected oil.

[0056] Said one or more valves 6 are advantageously arranged in the closing cap, outer portion, in assembled configuration of the container.

[0057] As said, when vacuum is made in the system, the oil is suctioned through the quick coupling device 5, also known as quick coupling: at this moment, by differential pressure, valve 6 opens, allowing air to enter and let the oil go out.

[0058] The air passing through compartment 7 containing the drying substance is dehydrated to preserve the oil. The air replaces the oil by means of suitable passage holes 10 and allows the rising of the oil itself through the suction device 12, also known as draft. Said holes 10 are preferably arranged in the under-cap, as shown in FIG. 3, on the body side, in a configuration of container coupled to the closing cap 3.

[0059] With reference to the suction device 12, it is provided with an air sealing system, precisely on cover 31, on the side facing towards the refill station.

[0060] Container 1 is adapted to be filled with 250 cc of oil suitable for the specific system that is being refilled (PAG or POE).

[0061] According to the foregoing, container 1 can be hermetically closed and/or sealed by means of the aforementioned cover 31 and under-cap 4 containing a drying material, preferably contained in a breathable bag or enclosure; preferably, said drying material is silica-gel. The hermetic seal between cover 31, under-cap 4 and container 2 is obtained by means of O-rings having geometry of the under-cap 4.

[0062] It should be noticed the presence of a sealing 11, outer O-ring. Preferably, said sealing ring is of neoprene. With this solution, the sealing ring brakes cover 31 by packing it with the under-cap 4 so as to facilitate the loosening of the assembly formed by cover 31 and the relative under-cap 4 for filling body 2 of container 1.

[0063] The quick coupling is provided with a sealed check valve which preserves the oil the bottle, the sealed check valve opens only when the body is connected to the system to be filled. In the event of malfunction or in any case, in the event that a higher pressure than the ambient one is created inside body 2, the sealed check valve is configured to open thereby allowing the pressure rebalancing inside the bottle itself.

[0064] Said under-cap 4 has an opening 41 adapted to receive said suction device 12.

[0065] With reference to the figures, the tubular element 12a is axially extended from cover 31 up to the inside of the containment compartment through opening 41.

[0066] Said under-cap 4 is directly associable to cover 31 and said cover 31 is directly screwable on the corresponding thread of body 2 containing the oil. Alternatively, said under-cap 4 is associable to both body 2 of container 1, by at least a first threaded portion 9, and to cover 31, by a second threaded portion 8.

[0067] The following are also protected: [0068] separate cartridge or enclosure, containing drying material adsorbing the air humidity (i.e. adapted to absorb the air humidity), associable to a closing cap of an oil to a cap of a container of oil refill container, said container couplable to a coolant refill station of an air conditioning system for motor vehicles. [0069] the closing cap, comprising a cover and an under-cap suitable for containing drying material adsorbing the air humidity; said closing cap associable to a container, the container associable to a coolant refill station of an air conditioning system for motor vehicles.

[0070] It is clear that several changes and/or additions of parts may be made to the transfer apparatus and relevant method described herein without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0071] It is also clear that while the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a man skilled in the art can certainly implement many other equivalent embodiments of the transfer apparatus and relevant method, having the features set forth in the claims, and thus all falling within the scope of protection defined by them.