Air conditioning system

Abstract

An air-conditioning system contains an evaporator housing having an air inlet, an air outlet, and an inner space formed therein. An air-through flow evaporator is disposed in the evaporator housing. At least one injection device is supported by the evaporator housing and is directed into the inner space. A supply line is connected to the injection device, and through the supply line and the injection device a cleaning agent and/or a disinfecting agent is injected into the evaporator housing.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] Field of the Invention

[0002] The invention relates to an air conditioning system, in particular for a motor vehicle, with a refrigerant conveyed in a closed circuit and with an evaporator housing having an air inlet, an air outlet, an inner space and an air-through flow evaporator disposed on the latter.

[0003] Air conditioning systems, in particular those for motor vehicles, with a refrigerant conveyed in a closed circuit and with an evaporator housing having an air inlet, an air outlet, an inner space and an air-throughflow evaporator disposed in the latter, are known in many different forms of construction.

[0004] Such air conditioning systems have the disadvantage that their often highly fissured inner space is accessible only with great difficulty, if at all, but that microbes or fungal cultures colonize, in particular, in the evaporator and the air guide ducts surrounding the latter and located downstream in the direction of flow and may flourish uninhibitedly there. This results in that the interior climate in a passenger space is appreciably impaired or even becomes hazardous to health, since fungal spores and other impurities are conveyed directly into the passenger space by the cooling-air stream.

[0005] So that such impurities can be eliminated, it is necessary, as a rule, to open the evaporator housing of an air conditioning system and clean it by a cleaning and/or disinfecting agent, but this is highly labor-intensive and therefore costly, so that this maintenance work on an air conditioning system is often neglected for reasons of cost, this also being detrimental to the satisfactory functioning of the air conditioning system. Owing to the highly fissured inner space, such cleaning often cannot be carried out very thoroughly, with the result that the entire cleaning process is of little effectiveness.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an air conditioning system that overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art devices of this general type, which can be maintained in an optimum operating state in a simple and cost-effective way.

[0007] With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, an air-conditioning system. The air-conditioning system contains an evaporator housing having an air inlet, an air outlet, and an inner space. An air-through flow evaporator is disposed in the evaporator housing. At least one injection device is supported by the evaporator housing and directed into the inner space. A supply line is connected to the injection device, and through the supply line and the injection device a cleaning agent and/or a disinfecting agent is injected into the evaporator housing.

[0008] What is achieved by the fact that the at least one injection device directed into the inner space of the evaporator housing is disposed on the latter, and the injection device being connected to a supply line through which the cleaning and/or disinfecting agent can be injected into the evaporator housing, is that the evaporator housing no longer has to be dismantled in order to clean the air conditioning system. The result is that the work becomes vastly easier and can be carried out quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively, thus also affording the advantage that the cleaning frequency of the air conditioning system can be increased markedly, without cleaning being an appreciable cost factor in the maintenance of the motor vehicle.

[0009] The cleaning itself in this case takes place, as is customary, when the engine and the air conditioning system are at a standstill, after which, when the cleaning and/or disinfecting agent has been injected, a relatively long active time and vaporization time have to be adhered to, whereupon the air conditioning system can be put into operation again immediately.

[0010] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the injection device formed of the supply line which is led from outside into the evaporator housing and which is provided, within the evaporator housing, with outlet orifices for the cleaning agent which may consist, for example, of simple pierced holes introduced into the supply line. Such an embodiment of an injection device is extremely cost-effective and is also particularly advantageous because the regions of the supply line that are provided with the outlet orifices can be matched optimally to the contour of the evaporator housing. Furthermore, using T-pieces or other connectors, a division of the supply lines into two or more injection devices can be carried out.

[0011] According to another preferred embodiment of the subject of the invention, the injection device contains separate nozzles that extend through the wall of the evaporator housing and are connected to a common supply line. It thereby becomes possible to select nozzles with a defined injection angle and predeterminable injection quantity and injection quality, so that the cleaning result is further improved, if appropriate along with a minimized use of cleaning or disinfecting agents.

[0012] It is also advantageous if a plurality of injection devices are disposed upstream and also downstream of the evaporator in a conveying direction of the air. A configuration in the upper region of the evaporator housing being appropriate, since the cleaning agents can then run slowly downward, exerting their cleaning action, as a consequence of gravity and by virtue of their adhesion along the inner surface of the evaporator housing and of the evaporator, and in the meantime evaporate, so that a further optimized cleaning result can be achieved.

[0013] According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the injection direction of some of the outlet orifices or nozzles is oriented such that the cleaning and disinfecting agents are conveyed through the evaporator in parallel with a direction of flow of the air through the latter, thus making it possible to ensure that the entire large surface of the evaporator and the inner walls of the evaporator housing and of the cooling-air feed lines are wetted by the cleaning agent.

[0014] In order to ensure that even regions downstream of the evaporator housing undergo sufficient cleaning, part of the injection device may be located in the region of the air outlet of the evaporator housing in the direction of flow of the cooled air, so that fungal cultures located there are likewise killed.

[0015] It is particularly advantageous, furthermore, that a coupling piece is provided on the supply line for the connection of a cleaning-agent feed, so that the latter can be connected without major outlay to the air conditioning system, without the use of tools becoming necessary.

[0016] Furthermore, particular importance is attached to an embodiment of the air conditioning system in which a reservoir for a cleaning agent is permanently connected via an activatable switching valve to the supply line of the injection device. The switching valve being actuable manually, semi-automatically or fully automatically via an electronic control, so that cleaning or disinfection of the air conditioning system may be carried out not necessarily solely during a workshop visit, but may be carried out at regular time intervals or as a function of the actual operating hours, when it is ensured that the vehicle is not put into operation again for a minimum period of time after the cleaning has been carried out.

[0017] It is advantageous, furthermore, for the injection device to be configured as a retrofitting kit, so that even older air conditioning systems can be equipped with it.

[0018] Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

[0019] Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in an air conditioning system, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

[0020] The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, side sectional view of an evaporator housing according to the invention;

[0022] FIG. 2 is a top, sectional view of the evaporator housing of FIG. 1;

[0023] FIG. 3 is a side-elevational view of the evaporator housing with a variation of the injection device;

[0024] FIG. 4 is a top, sectional view of the evaporator housing shown in FIG. 3; and

[0025] FIG. 5 is a top, sectional view of a further evaporator housing with an injection device integrated into an evaporator.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a part of an conditioning system, in particular one for motor vehicles, and operated, as a rule, with a refrigerant which is circulated in a circuit and which is expanded in a heat exchanger configured as an air-through flow evaporator 2 and evaporates, and at the same time absorbing heat from the air supplied.

[0027] An evaporator housing 1 has a free inner space 3, in which the evaporator 2 is disposed in such a way that the inner space 3 is divided into two separate spaces. Furthermore, the evaporator housing 1 has an air inlet 9 and an air outlet 10, to which is connected a cooling-air duct 11, through which the cooled air is conveyed into the passenger space of a motor vehicle.

[0028] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the inner space 3 of the evaporator housing 1 has provided in it, on each side of the evaporator 2, a hose-like injection device 4 which is provided with simple outlet orifices 7 which are configured as holes but which are directed into the inner space 3 preferably toward the evaporator 2, so that cleaning and disinfecting agents 13 can wet the entire surface of the evaporator 2 of lamellar construction, before they have vaporized. The configuration of the injection device 4 as a hose or thin tube makes it possible to match it to the often highly complex contour of the evaporator housing 1, so that it can be disposed in the evaporator housing 1 extremely effectively, and to cause little obstruction to the air stream.

[0029] A second embodiment, such as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, has an injection device 5 possessing separate nozzles 8 which are disposed, for example, in the wall of the evaporator housing 1 and are connected to a common supply line 6. The configuration of the nozzles 8 does not necessarily have to take place in the wall of the evaporator housing 1, but may be carried out at any desired point within the evaporator housing 1, for example on separate fastening brackets or directly on the evaporator 2.

[0030] The embodiment of the injection device 5 with the nozzles 8 makes it possible also to utilize the pressure or the outlet velocity of the cleaning and disinfecting agent in order to improve the cleaning result. Furthermore, individual nozzles 8 can also be used in the region of the air outlet 10 of the evaporator housing 1 with an outflow direction in the direction of the cooling-air duct 11 or else directly into this, so that the cooling-air ducts 11, too, can be cleaned, at least as far as their first branch, by the cleaning and disinfecting agent.

[0031] As illustrated in FIG. 5, the injection device 5 may also be integrated in the evaporator 2, so that an optimum cleaning action can be achieved.

[0032] A coupling piece 12 for the connection of a cleaning-agent feed is provided on the supply line 6, a reservoir 15 for the cleaning agent 13 being capable of being permanently connected to the supply line 6 via an activatable switching valve 14, the switching valve 14 being actuable manually, semiautomatically or fully automatically via an electronic control 16 (see FIG. 3), the latter being capable of being used, for example in terms of a maximum operating time of the air conditioning system, a maximum time lapse or a traveling distance covered, as a pulse generator for putting the injection device 4, 5 into operation.

Claims

1. An air-conditioning system, comprising:

an evaporator housing having an air inlet, an air outlet, and

an inner space formed therein;

an air-through flow evaporator disposed in said evaporator housing;

at least one injection device supported by said evaporator housing and directed into said inner space; and

a supply line connected to said injection device, and through said supply line and said injection device at least one agent selected from the group consisting of a cleaning agent and a disinfecting agent being injected into said evaporator housing.

2. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein said injection device includes said supply line and said supply line is introduced into said evaporator housing from outside, said supply line, within said evaporator housing, having outlet orifices formed therein for the agent.

3. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein said injection device includes a plurality of separate nozzles connected to said supply line.

4. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein said injection device is one of a plurality of injection devices disposed upstream and downstream of said air-through flow evaporator in a conveying direction of air.

5. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein said evaporator housing has an upper region, and said injection device is disposed in said upper region.

6. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein said injection device is integrated in said air-through flow evaporator.

7. The air conditioning system according to claim 2, wherein an injection direction of some of said outlet orifices is oriented parallel to a main direction of flow of air through said air-through flow evaporator.

8. The air conditioning system according to claim 3, wherein an injection direction of some of said nozzles is oriented parallel to a main direction of flow of air through said air-through flow evaporator.

9. The air conditioning system according to claim 2, wherein at least one of said outlet orifices is disposed in a region of said air outlet of said evaporator housing so that the agent can be injected in a direction of flow of a cooling-air duct.

10. The air conditioning system according to claim 3, wherein at least one of said nozzles is disposed in a region of said air outlet of said evaporator housing so that the agent can be injected in a direction of flow of a cooling-air duct.

11. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, further comprising a coupling piece disposed on said supply line for connecting to a cleaning-agent feed.

12. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an activatable switching valve; and

a reservoir for storing the cleaning agent and permanently connected to said supply line through said activatable switching valve.

13. The air conditioning system according to claim 12, further comprising an electronic control connected to said activatable switching valve, said activatable switching valve is actuable one of manually, semiautomatically and fully automatically via said electronic control.

14. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein said injection device is a retrofit kit for retrofitting existing air conditioning systems.

15. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioning system is for use in motor vehicles with a refrigerant conveyed in a closed circuit.