Refrigerant recycling system with automatic detection of optional vacuum pump

• US 6,427,457 B1
• Filed: 04/11/2001
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Technologies Incorporated (Snap-On Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Technologies Incorporated (Snap-On Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pfefferle, Dean P., Moller, Larry G., Govekar, Craig F., Meeker, Michael B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Esquivel, Denise L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Drake, Malik N.
• Application Number:
  US09/833,108
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 621/49, 624/75, 62/77
• US Class Current: 62/149
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00585 Means for monitoring, testing or servicing the air-conditioning
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2345/002 Collecting refrigerant from a cycle
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2345/003 Control issues for charging or collecting refrigerant to or from a cycle
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 45/00 Arrangements for charging or discharging refrigerant

Abstract

An automatic refrigerant handling apparatus has a compressor pump for withdrawing a refrigerant from an associated refrigeration system to be serviced, a condenser for liquefying the refrigerant and a storage vessel for storing the recovered refrigerant, the compressor pump also being capable of evacuating the refrigeration system to a first refrigeration system pressure. The apparatus has a connection jack for receiving a connector of an associated optional vacuum pump, the connector including a jumper which interconnects two terminals on the jack when the vacuum pump is connected so that the control circuitry of the apparatus can recognize the presence of the vacuum pump, whereupon the program routine of the control processor utilizes the vacuum pump instead of the compressor pump to draw a vacuum on the associated refrigeration system.

Claims

1. An automatic refrigerant handling apparatus comprising:

a compressor pump having a suction port adapted to be coupled to an associated refrigeration system to be serviced and a discharge port,

a condenser coupled to the discharge port,

a refrigerant storage vessel coupled to the condenser,

control circuitry including a processor operating under control of a stored program and coupled to the compressor pump for controlling operation thereof in accordance with a predetermined procedure for withdrawing refrigerant from the refrigeration system, and

a connection jack connected to the control circuitry and adapted to mateably receive a connector of an associated optional device,

the control circuitry including a sensing circuit for detecting connection of the connector to the jack,

the stored program including a routine responsive to the sensing circuit for altering the predetermined procedure to utilize the optional device if connection of the connector to the jack is detected.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry includes two sense terminals on the connection jack adapted to be connected by a jumper on the connector of the associated optional device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optional device is a vacuum pump, and further comprising a pneumatic circuit for pneumatically coupling the vacuum pump to the refrigeration system to be serviced.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the pneumatic circuit includes one or more valves operable by the control circuitry.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the program routine is operable whenever the apparatus is operable in a mode for drawing a vacuum on the associated refrigeration system to be serviced.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the program routine utilizes the vacuum pump to reduce the pressure in the associated refrigeration system to be serviced to a pressure lower than that which could be achieved with the compressor pump.

7. An automatic refrigerant handling apparatus comprising:

a compressor pump having a suction port adapted to be coupled to an associated refrigeration system to be serviced and a discharge port,

a condenser coupled to the discharge port,

a refrigerant storage vessel coupled to the condenser,

control circuitry including a processor operating under control of a stored program and coupled to the compressor pump for controlling operation thereof in accordance with a predetermined procedure for withdrawing refrigerant from the refrigeration system and for evacuating the refrigeration system to a first system pressure,

a vacuum pump removably connectable to the refrigeration system for evacuating the refrigeration system to a second system pressure below the first system pressure, and

coupling structure for removably coupling the vacuum pump to the control circuitry and including a sensing circuit,

the processor being coupled to the sensing circuit for detecting the presence of the vacuum pump, the stored program including a routine for altering the predetermined procedure to utilize the detected vacuum pump rather than the compressor pump for evacuating the refrigeration system.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the coupling structure includes a connection jack connected to the control circuitry and a connector connected to the vacuum pump and adapted to be mateably received in the connection jack.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the sensing circuit includes two terminals on the connection jack and a jumper on the connector for interconnecting the two terminals when the connector is connected to the jack.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, and further comprising a pneumatic circuit for pneumatically coupling the vacuum pump to the associated refrigeration system to be serviced.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the pneumatic circuit includes one or more valves operable by the control circuitry.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the program routine is operable whenever the apparatus is operable in a mode for drawing a vacuum on the associated refrigeration system to be serviced.

13. A method of handling refrigerant for a refrigeration system comprising:

providing refrigerant handling apparatus including a compressor pump and using the compressor pump to withdraw refrigerant from the refrigeration system and return refrigerant to the refrigeration system in accordance with a predetermined procedure,

sensing whether or not an optional device is connected to the refrigerant handling apparatus, and

if the optional device is connected to the refrigerant handling apparatus, modifying the predetermined procedure to utilize the optional device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the optional device is a vacuum pump, and further comprising, if the vacuum pump is not connected, using the compressor pump to evacuate the refrigeration system to a first system pressure and, if the vacuum pump is connected, utilizing the vacuum pump rather that the compressor pump to evacuate the refrigeration system to a second system pressure lower than the first system pressure.

15. The method of claim 14, and further comprising coupling the vacuum pump to the refrigerant handling apparatus.