Service device for air-conditioning systems

• US 9,448,140 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2012
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: REFCO Manufacturing Ltd.
• Original Assignee: REFCO Manufacturing Ltd.
• Inventors: Ulrich, Manfred, Demuth, Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hung T
• Application Number:
  US14/432,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20150241316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: 340/611, 340/614, 340/626, 62/77, 621/49, 621/92, 622/92, 624/74, 737/53, 737/56, 737/33
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/19 Pressures
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/21 Temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 45/00 Arrangements for charging or discharging refrigerant
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/04 using a separate indicating element for each variable
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 11/00 Measuring temperature based upon physical or chemical changes not covered by groups G01K3/00, G01K5/00, G01K7/00 or G01K9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/083 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 99/008 by doing functionality tests
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/473 by flowing liquids H01L23/4332, H01L23/4338 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change

Abstract

A service or maintenance device is provided by which the maintenance work to be done on air-conditioning systems is made easier. An internal measuring system for the evaluation and display of measured data may have a display control means configured to optionally show measured values in a dynamic analog scale type in parallel to a numerical value, and to allow a comparison with a set memory marking.

Claims

1. A service device for air-conditioning systems, comprising:

an electronically controllable display;

a display controller connected to the electronically controllable display and configured to control the electronically controllable display;

a housing;

a high-pressure port comprising an associated valve;

a low-pressure port comprising an associated valve;

a service port;

a pressure sensor port on a low-pressure side;

a pressure sensor port on a high-pressure side;

an electronic evaluation unit; and

a port by which the evaluation unit is connectable to external temperature probes, a port for an external vacuum sensor, or both, wherein

the electronic evaluation unit is provided with and fed by an energy storing device, connected to keys, configured to be connected to internal pressure sensors that are tightly connected to the pressure-sensor ports, and comprises a data memory, and

the display controller further configured to cause the electronically controllable display to;

show successively detected measured values for at least one pressure detected by the service device on the electronically controllable display in an analog representation as a virtual pointer instrument in order to output the measured values in analog as pointer values, or in analog as pointer values and as digital numerical values at the same time,

change the analog representation on the virtual pointer instrument upon a change in the successively detected measured values,

show the determined measured values on the electronically controllable display in analog and dynamically in relation to final values, and

displayed vapor pressure temperatures are calculated in accordance with a selected refrigerant and a measured pressure.

2. The service device of claim 1, wherein the display controller is further configured to display measured values of pressure and/or vacuum as pointers on a circular or partially circular scale extending between changeable final values.

3. The service device of claim 1, wherein the display controller is further configured to dynamically show an analog pointer value at the same time as, and relative to, an adjustable memory marking.

4. The service device of claim 1, wherein the service device further comprises:

a plurality of pressure ports having a first common symmetrical axis, wherein

the electronically controllable display comprises a viewing axis, and

the first common symmetrical axis of the ports is inclined relative to a viewing axis of the electronically controllable display.

5. The service device of claim 4, wherein the first common symmetrical axis of the ports is inclined with respect to the viewing axis of the display at between 20°

and 70°

.

6. The service device of claim 1, wherein the electronically controllable display is circular and the display controller is further configured to show a pointer position on the electronically controllable display via a LCD, a dot matrix, or a segment indication on the electronically controllable display.

7. The service device of claim 6, wherein the display controller is further configured to display the pointer position via a bar on a periphery of the electronically controllable display and display an associated digital numerical value on the electronically controllable display.

8. The service device of claim 1, wherein the display controller is further configured to control the electronically controllable display such that a measurement activity or a tendency is signaled by a pointer changing position or flashing in a pulsed manner.

9. The service device of claim 1, further comprising:

an optical device interface configured to be coupled to a mobile receiver, wherein

the display controller is configured to control the electronically controllable display to image a machine-readable code, a QR code, or a bar code.

10. The service device of claim 1, wherein the display controller is further configured to output data via a flashing frequency of a lamp, or an LED or a section of the electronically controllable display.

11. The service device of claim 1, wherein the service device is sealed via a plastic overmolding of an inspection glass that covers the electronically controllable display.

12. The service device of claim 1, wherein a part of the service device with a display is detachable from a remainder of the service device, or the part of the service device with the display is connectable to the service device via a plug-in socket or configured, as a self-sufficient device, to communicate wirelessly with an evaluation unit.

13. The service device of claim 1, wherein the electronically controllable display is touch-sensitive and is provided with switching functions or key functions.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

an electronically controllable display;

a display controller connected to the electronically controllable display and configured to control the electronically controllable display;

a housing;

a high-pressure port comprising an associated valve;

a low-pressure port comprising an associated valve;

a service port;

a pressure sensor port on a low-pressure side;

a pressure sensor port on a high-pressure side;

an electronic evaluation unit; and

a port by which the evaluation unit is connectable to external temperature probes, a port for an external vacuum sensor, or both, wherein

the electronic evaluation unit is provided with and fed by an energy storing device, connected to keys, configured to be connected to internal pressure sensors that are tightly connected to the pressure-sensor ports, and comprises a data memory,

the display controller further configured to cause the electronically controllable display to;

show successively detected measured pressure values detected by the apparatus on the electronically controllable display in an analog representation for low-pressure and high-pressure ranges of an air-conditioning system as a virtual pointer instrument in order to output the measured values in analog as pointer values, or in analog as pointer values and as digital numerical values at the same time,

show the determined measured values on the electronically controllable display in analog and dynamically in relation to final values, and

display vapor pressure temperatures calculated in accordance with a selected refrigerant and a measured pressure.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a key that, when pressed, causes the apparatus to store a position pointer in accordance with a measured value and causes the display controller to cause the display to show a marking on the virtual pointer instrument.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

an electronically controllable display;

a display controller connected to the electronically controllable display and configured to control the electronically controllable display;

a housing;

a high-pressure port comprising an associated valve;

a low-pressure port comprising an associated valve;

a service port;

a pressure sensor port on a low-pressure side;

a pressure sensor port on a high-pressure side;

an electronic evaluation unit; and

a port by which the evaluation unit is connectable to external temperature probes, a port for an external vacuum sensor, or both, wherein

the electronic evaluation unit is provided with and fed by an energy storing device, connected to keys, configured to be connected to internal pressure sensors that are tightly connected to the pressure-sensor ports, and comprises a data memory,

the display controller further configured to cause the electronically controllable display to;

show a virtual pointer instrument providing an analog representation for low-pressure and high-pressure side scales of an air-conditioning system,

show successively detected measured pressure values for at least one pressure detected by the apparatus on the virtual pointer instrument as a low-pressure side scale and a high-pressure side scale in order to output the measured values in analog as pointer values, or in analog as pointer values and as digital numerical values at the same time,

change the analog representation on the low-pressure side scale, the high-pressure side scale, or both, upon a change in the successively detected measured values,

show the determined measured values on the electronically controllable display in analog and dynamically in relation to final values, and

display vapor pressure temperatures calculated in accordance with a selected refrigerant and a measured pressure.