Accumulator with full-flow filtering

Abstract

An accumulator for an air conditioning system is adapted to ensure that any fluid exiting the accumulator has been filtered. Fluid comprising gaseous refrigerant, liquid refrigerant and oil enters the accumulator. Ideally, only gaseous refrigerant and oil will exit the accumulator. According to one embodiment, gaseous refrigerant is substantially separated from liquid refrigerant. Oil is entrained within the gaseous refrigerant. The gaseous refrigerant with the entrained oil is filtered prior to exiting the accumulator. In another embodiment, gaseous refrigerant, which has been separated from the liquid refrigerant, is filtered before the oil is entrained with it. The oil is then separately filtered.

1 . An accumulator for an air conditioning system for processing a fluid, the fluid comprising gaseous refrigerant, liquid refrigerant and oil, the accumulator comprising a separator means for substantially separating the gaseous refrigerant and the oil from the liquid refrigerant, and a filter for filtering the substantially separated gaseous refrigerant and the oil, whereby the filter is adapted to ensure that all fluid exiting the accumulator has been filtered.  
   
   
       2 . The accumulator of  claim 1 , wherein the accumulator is a liner-style accumulator comprising 
 an inlet opening;    an outlet opening;    an accumulator can;    a liner disposed within and spaced from the accumulator can;    one or more passageways adapted to allow the gaseous refrigerant to flow to a gap between the liner and the can;    an oil return hole in the liner; and    an outlet passage positioned downstream from the oil return hole, and the outlet passage being positioned down stream from the gap, wherein the outlet passage communicates with the outlet opening;    wherein the filter extends across the outlet passage.    
   
   
       3 . The accumulator of  claim 2 , wherein the outlet passage comprises an outlet tube, and the filter being positioned at or near a lower end of the outlet tube.  
   
   
       4 . The accumulator of  claim 3 , wherein the filter is generally cone shaped, and positioned pointing upward.  
   
   
       5 . The accumulator of  claim 3 , wherein the outlet passage comprises an outlet tube and the filter is positioned at or near an upper end of the outlet tube.  
   
   
       6 . The accumulator of  claim 5 , wherein the filter is generally cone shaped, and positioned pointing downward.  
   
   
       7 . The accumulator of  claim 2 , wherein the outlet passage comprises an outlet tube and a filter housing, the filter housing being positioned downstream from the outlet tube, the filter housing having a diameter greater than the diameter of the outlet tube and the filter extending across a cross-section of the filter housing.  
   
   
       8 . The accumulator of  claim 7 , wherein the accumulator further comprises a deflector positioned downstream from the inlet opening, the deflector having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion of the deflector being adapted to deflect the fluid entering the accumulator through the inlet opening and the lower portion comprising at least a part of the filter housing.  
   
   
       9 . The accumulator of  claim 8 , wherein the filter housing comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being the lower portion of the deflector, and the second portion being positioned between the outlet tube and the first portion, and the filter being secured between the first portion and the second portion.  
   
   
       10 . An accumulator for an air conditioning system for processing a fluid, the fluid comprising gaseous refrigerant, liquid refrigerant and oil, the accumulator comprising 
 a separator means for substantially separating the gaseous refrigerant from remaining fluid, wherein the remaining fluid comprises oil and liquid refrigerant;    a first filter for separately filtering the separated gaseous refrigerant; and    a second filter for filtering the oil;    wherein the first filter and the second filter ensure that all fluid exiting the accumulator has been filtered.    
   
   
       11 . The accumulator of  claim 10 , wherein the accumulator is a liner-style accumulator comprising 
 an inlet opening;    an outlet opening;    an accumulator can;    a liner disposed within and spaced from the accumulator can;    one or more passageways adapted to allow the separated gaseous refrigerant to flow to a gap between the liner and the can;    an oil return hole in the liner; and    an outlet passage positioned down steam from the oil return hole, and the outlet passage being positioned down stream from the gap, wherein the outlet passage communicates with the outlet opening.    
   
   
       12 . The accumulator of  claim 11  wherein the second filter is adapted to filter all of the fluid passing through the oil return hole and wherein the first filter is positioned in or near the one or more passageways, the first filter being adapted to filter all gaseous refrigerant flowing through the one or more passageways.  
   
   
       13 . The accumulator of  claim 11 , wherein the second filter is adapted to filter all of the fluid passing through the oil return hole, and the first filter comprises one or more passageway filters, wherein each one of the one or more passageways has a corresponding passageway filter, and each one of the one or more passageway filters is positioned in or near the corresponding one of the one or more passageways.  
   
   
       14 . The accumulator of  claim 11  wherein the second filter is adapted to filter all of the fluid passing through the oil return hole, and wherein the first filter is positioned in the gap between the liner and the can, the first filter being adapted to filter all of the separated gaseous refrigerant flowing through the gap.  
   
   
       15 . The accumulator of  claim 11  wherein the second filter is adapted to filter all of the fluid passing through the oil return hole, and wherein the first filter is positioned in a space between a deflector and the can, the first filter being adapted to filter all of the separated gaseous refrigerant flowing through the space.  
   
   
       16 . The accumulator of  claim 10 , wherein the accumulator comprises 
 an inlet opening;    an outlet opening;    an outlet tube communicating with the outlet opening; and    a pickup tube for entraining oil with the separated gaseous refrigerant, the pickup tube comprising the second filter for filtering the oil, the pickup tube extending from or near a bottom of the accumulator, the pickup tube communicating with the outlet tube;    wherein the first filter is positioned upstream from the outlet tube and is adapted to filter all of the separated gaseous refrigerant entering the outlet tube.    
   
   
       17 . The accumulator of  claim 16 , wherein the accumulator further comprises a deflector having an upper portion comprising a deflecting surface and a lower portion, the first filter extending across the lower portion of the deflector, and an opening of the outlet tube being positioned within the lower portion of the deflector downstream from the first filter.  
   
   
       18 . The accumulator of  claim 10 , wherein the accumulator is a J-tube style accumulator comprising: 
 an accumulator can; and    a J-tube disposed within the can, the J-tube comprising an inlet, an outlet and an oil return hole;    wherein the first filter is adapted to filter all gaseous refrigerant entering the inlet of the J-tube and the second filter is adapted to filter all fluid passing through the oil return hole.    
   
   
       19 . The accumulator of  claim 18  wherein the first filter is securely engaged over the J-tube inlet, the first filter comprising a filter body, a filter mesh and a solid top, the filter body being generally cylindrical, having longitudinal ribs, with the ribs supporting the filter mesh.  
   
   
       20 . The accumulator of  claim 10 , wherein the accumulator is a liner-style accumulator comprising: 
 an inlet opening;    an outlet opening;    an accumulator can;    a liner disposed within and spaced from the accumulator can, thereby creating a gap between the accumulator can and the liner;    an oil return hole formed in the liner; and    a gas flow conduit disposed within an interior of the accumulator can for directing the separated gas refrigerant to the gap;    wherein the first filter is adapted to filter all of the gaseous refrigerant flowing through the gas flow conduit and the second filter is adapted to filter all of the fluid passing through the oil return hole.