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AssigneeUnisia Jecs Corporation
InventorsMasaru Kuribara, Kazumitsu Kobayashi
Estimating the term…
A refrigerant sensor which generates an output corresponding to the amount of liquid phase refrigerant in contact with the sensor is provided in a closed refrigerant circulation circuit of an air conditioning apparatus. A refrigerant insufficiency is detected by sensing a rotational speed of a compressor and comparing the refrigerant sensor output with a judgment value set to correspond to the rotational speed. As a result, even if the liquid surface of refrigerant in the refrigerant sensor fluctuates corresponding to an increase in rotational speed of the compressor, and an output value greater than that for the actual refrigerant fill amount is generated, since the judgment value is set to counterbalance this, a refrigerant insufficiency can be accurately detected. Moreover, problems such as seizing of the compressor due to the refrigerant insufficiency can be reliably prevented.
A method for detecting an insufficiency of refrigerant in an airconditioning apparatus, said airconditioning apparatus comprising refrigerant circulation piping, and a compressor, condenser and evaporator provided successively along said piping in a direction of circulation of refrigerant in said piping, a refrigerant sensor being provided in said piping at a location between said evaporator and said condenser, said refrigerant sensor generating an output value corresponding to an amount of contact of liquid phase refrigerant, a refrigerant insufficiency being detected on the basis of a signal from said refrigerant sensor, said method including;
An apparatus for detecting an insufficiency of refrigerant in an airconditioning apparatus, said airconditioning apparatus comprising refrigerant circulation piping, and a compressor, condenser and evaporator provided successively along said piping in a direction of circulation of refrigerant in said piping, a refrigerant sensor being provided in said piping at a location between said evaporator and said condenser, said refrigerant sensor generating an output value corresponding to an amount of contact of liquid phase refrigerant, a refrigerant insufficiency being detected on the basis of a signal from said refrigerant sensor, said apparatus including;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.