Manifold for a refrigerant receiver
AssigneeFord Motor Company
InventorsHenry Beckwith, Ming Li
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There is provided herein a refrigerant receiver for use in an automotive air conditioning system. The receiver includes a generally cylindrical body, a circular closure member secured at one end of the body and a manifold member configured to engage the closure member. The manifold includes a bottom surface having a stepped configuration which sealingly engages a corresponding stepped surface on the closure member. A single threaded fastener is utilized to secure the manifold to the closure member.
Claims12
A refrigerant receiver for use in an automotive air conditioning system, comprising:
- a generally cylindrical body having a closed end portion and an open end portion and a wall disposed therebetween, said closed end portion, said open end portion and said wall defining a predetermined volume;
- a generally circular closure member secured in said open end portion of said body, said closure member including:
- a generally planar top surface including a stepped portion of predetermined configuration with at least one generally straight edge;
- an inlet channel disposed through said stepped portion in communication with said volume;
- and
- an outlet channel disposed through said stepped portion in communication with said volume, said outlet channel being disposed radially centrally in said closure member;
- and
- a generally cylindrical manifold member configured to engage said closure member, said manifold member comprising:
- a top surface and a bottom surface and a generally cylindrical wall member disposed therebetween, said bottom surface having a stepped configuration with at least one generally straight edge adapted to sealingly engage said at least one straight edge of said closure member;
- an inlet channel adapted to fluidly communicate with said closure member inlet channel;
- an outlet channel adapted to fluidly communicate with said closure member outlet channel;
- and
- a single threaded fastener for securing said manifold member to said closure member.
A manifold for fluidly connecting a pair of fluid lines to a fluid receiver in an air conditioning system, comprising:
- a generally cylindrical body having a trunk wall, a top surface and a bottom surface;
- means for locating and sealing said body to said fluid receiver, said means including a stepped portion defined on said bottom surface of said body, said stepped portion having a predetermined configuration with at least one generally straight edge, said stepped portion being configured to matingly engage a corresponding surface on said fluid receiver;
- fluid communication channels disposed through said body adapted to fluidly communicate fluid to and from a remote fluid source;
- and
- a single threaded fastener disposed through said body for securing said body to said fluid receiver.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.