Ac and hp service valves for manufactured housing

#This invention relates to a service unit for use in an air conditioning system and, in particular, to a service unit that allows a pre-charged section of a split system to be quickly connected into the system after shipment into the field.

#This invention has specific application in the manufactured home industry in which split air conditioning systems are supplied by the seller as part of the home. A split air conditioning system includes an outdoor section and an indoor section each of which contains a heat exchanger coil. The sections are connected by a pair of refrigerant lines one of which carries liquid refrigerant between the sections and the other of which carries refrigerant vapor. In the case of a heat pump, the role of the refrigerant lines can be reversed in response to the mode of operation that is selected by the user. Heretofore, split systems were shipped into the field in an uncharged condition and as a consequence a good deal of time had to be spent by the installer making the necessary refrigerant line connections as well as charging the system with refrigerant and testing the system for leaks.

#It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to improve split air conditioning systems.

#For a better understanding of these and other objects of the present invention reference will be made to the following detailed description of the invention which is to be read in association with the following drawings, wherein:

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a split air conditioning system containing an indoor section and an outdoor section embodying the teachings of the present invention; and

#FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a service unit employed in the air conditioning system illustrated in FIG. 1.

#Turning now to FIG. 1, there is illustrated an air conditioning system, generally referenced 10, that embodies the teachings of the present invention. The term air conditioning system as herein used relates to a system utilizing a thermodynamic refrigerant cycle for producing either heating or cooling. The present system is a split air conditioning system that employs an indoor section 12 and an outdoor section 13. Each section contains a heat exchanger coil that acts either as a condenser or an evaporator depending on whether the system is operating in a cooling mode or in a heating mode. The coil of the indoor section is identified at 15 while that of the outdoor section is identified at 17.

#The two sections of the system are connected in final assembly by means of a line set made up of two refrigerant lines 18 and 19. One of the lines serves as a liquid line for bringing liquid refrigerant from the indoor coil when the indoor coil is acting as a condenser to the outdoor section the coil of which is acting as a condenser to the coil that is acting as an evaporator. The other refrigerant line serves as a vapor line for bringing refrigerant in a vapor state from the coil acting as an evaporator back to the condenser. In this particular embodiment of the invention, a compressor 20 is mounted in the outdoor section for increasing the pressure of refrigerant as it moves between the evaporator and the condenser. Although not shown, a throttling device is also included in the system to expand the refrigerant moving between the condenser and the evaporator thus separating the high pressure side of the system from the low pressure side. In a heat pump embodiment, a four-way valve will also be included for reversing the flow of refrigerant through the system. It should be evident to one skilled in the art that the compressor and throttling device and four-way valve can be located in either of the sections without departing from the teachings of the present invention.

#A pair of service units, generally referenced 30, are mounted upon the outdoor section of the system. The construction of the service units is shown in greater detail in FIG. 2. Each unit contains a body member 31 which is fabricated from a square or rectangular piece of common bar stock that is fastened to the outdoor section of the system by any suitable type of fastening means such as threaded fasteners or the like. A main channel 33 is passed through opposing side walls of the body member and a piece of preferably copper tubing 34 is secured as by brazing in one end of the channel. The distal end of the tubing is equipped with a threaded fastener 35. The tubing passes into the indoor section of the system and is attached to a suitable refrigeration line (not shown) located within the section.