US3333610A

US3333610A - Apparatus for automatically charging fluid under pressure

Info

Publication number: US3333610A
Application number: US431354A
Authority: US
Inventors: Andre E Roux
Original assignee: INV RECH APPLIC ET DE REALISAT
Current assignee: D'etudes Invention Recherche Application Et De Realisations Dite Seirar Ste; INV RECH APPLIC ET DE REALISAT
Priority date: 1964-02-28
Filing date: 1965-02-09
Publication date: 1967-08-01
Anticipated expiration: 1984-08-01
Also published as: DE1253680B; NL6409829A; LU46562A1; BE650107A; FR1395017A

Description

Aug. 1, 1967 A. E. ROUX 3,333,610

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CHARGING FLUID UNDER PRESSURE Filed Feb. 9, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 oeur 2:44 9

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CHARGING FLUID UNDER PRESSURE Filed Feb. 9. 1965 A. E. ROUX Aug. 1, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,333,610 APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CHARGING FLUID UNDER PRESSURE I Andr E. Roux, Eaubonne, France, assignor to Societe dEtudes, Invention, Recherche Application et de Realisations dite S.E.I.R.A.R., Paris, France Filed Feb. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 431,354 Claims priority, application France, Feb. 28, 1964, 965,502 13 Claims. (Cl. 141-40) The present invention relates to an automatic apparatus which is intended for filling hermetic circuits containing volatile fluids, notably cooling circuits. Hermetic construction of such circuits, generally called systems, ensures complete safety from the viewpoint of fluid tightness, but it requires high precision in the feed control during the operation of charging with cooling fluid, which precision is rendered necessary by the fact that it is almost impossible subsequently to adjust this feed control by reason of the very hermeticity of the systems.

The present invention is not concerned exclusively with cooling circuits, but includes all apparatus operating with the aid of volatile fluids which have at normal temperature a saturated vapour pressure which is higher than atmospheric pressure, such as, for example, fire extinguishers, atomisers for perfumes, insecticides, paints, etc., which necessitate a precise fluid charge, whether the fluid be employed as a functional object or a propulsion agent or vehicle.

The present invention relates to:

An automatic charging device for fluids whose saturated vapour pressure at ambient temperature is higher than atmospheric pressure, consisting of a first controlledfeed receptacle supplied with liquid through a duct extending from a reservoir and comprising means for automatically closing the said duct; a second controlled-feed receptacle whose upper level is situated below the lower level of the first controlled-feed receptacle, the second controlled-receptacle being connected on the one hand to the said first controlled-feed receptacle by a lower duct for the liquid phase and by an upper duct for the vapour phase of the fluid, and being connected on the other hand by any appropriate duct to a device for the distribution of the fluid comprising means for hermetically coupling it to the unit to be charged, the second controlled-feed receptacle comprising means for simultaneously producing the decoupling of the distribution member and the closing of its supply duct, so that in a first operation the first controlled-feed receptacle is emptied by gravity into the second controlled-feed receptacle, and in a second operation the first controlled-feed receptacle is filled and the second controlled-feed receptacle is simultaneously emptied into the unit to be charged.

The invention is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a hermetic cooling system.

FIGURE 2 is an example of an embodiment of the invention applicable in particular to the hermetic system of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an example of a construction of a spray gun adapted to efiect the connection of the system of FIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawings, there may be seen in FIG- URE 1 a hermetic cooling system, of which the compressor 21 is connected by a tube 22 to an automatic valve 23 designed to effect the substantially instantaneous connection of the system to the station to be charged with cooling fluid, and the disconnectio of the system at the end of the charging.

3,333,610 Patented Aug. 1, 1967 The charging station proper, which is advantageously constructed in the form of a cabinet, comprises a duct 7 for the supply of cooling fluid coming from a constantpressure reservoir (not shown). This duct supplies a dehydrator 8. Two dehydrators are shown in the drawing, because it is essential to be able to change a dehydrator without interrupting the operation of the charging station. The shut-off valves are provided upstream and downstream of the dehydrators. The dehydrated fluid then passes through a shut-off valve 9, a cock 10 for the manual adjustment of the rate of flow and an automatic valve 11 and enters a controlled-feed receptacle 1. This controlledfeed receptacle contains a float 5 adapted to interrupt the light beam illuminating the photoelectric cell 12 which controls the closing of the automatic valve 11.

Masking of the cell 12 produces in addition the extinction of the lamp 25 illuminating the said cell.

The controlled-feed receptacle 1 is in communication, with regard to the vapour phase, with an identical controlled-feed receptacle 2 through the duct 4.

The controlled-feed receptacles 1 and 2 are also in communication, with regard to the liquid phase, through a duct 3 comprising a cock 13 for the adjustment of the rate of flow and an automatic valve 14, closing of which is controlled'by a photoelectric cell 15, of which the control light beam may be masked by a float 6.

The same float 6 may, in the lower position in which it is illustrated, mask the light beam controlling another photoelectric cell 18, which cell 18 controls in turn the opening of an automatic three-way valve 19 supplying com pressed air to a jack 20 and provided with an exhaust outlet 24.

The liquid contained in the controlled-feed receptacle 2 may flow through the flexible duct 16 to the mouthpiece 17, which is disposed in a spray gun provided with a trigger which can be operated to eifect the connection to the mouthpiece 23 of the system to be charged.

The spray gun is diagrammatically illustrated in FIG- URE 3.

The fluid supply duct 16 leads to the mouthpiece 17. The duct 33 supplies compressed air to the automatic three-way valve 19 disposed in the grip. The jack 20 is disposed in the body of the gun. It consists of a cylinder 41 in which there is slidably mounted the piston 36 urged forwards by the spring 37. The piston 36 comprises an external fork 38 fast with the ring 39 surrounding the mouthpiece 17.

The compressed air coming from the valve 19 can penetrate into the cylinder 41 situated in front of the piston 36.

The gun is provided with a trigger 34 which, by mechanical action, retracts the piston 36 and the ring 39 so as to permit engagement of the mouthpiece 23, which is locked when the trigger 34 is released and when the ring 39 and the piston 36 move forwards. The detent or lever 35 actuates a switch 35 which closes the circuit of the relays of the charging station and permits preparation of the feed quantity necessary for the next charging.

The apparatus operates as follows: it will be assumed that one charging operation has just been etfected. The controlled-feed receptacle 1 is full, and the float 5 has masked the photoelectric cell 12 which has brought about the closing of the valve 11 and the extinction of its excitation lamp 25. The excitation lamp 27 of the cell 15 is extinguished. The valve 14 is closed and the controlled-feed receptacle 2 is empty. The float 6 has masked the cell 18 which has brought about the extinction of its excitation lamp 26, the opening of the automatic valve 19 and the excitation of a time delay relay 42. The piston 36 of the jack 20 is retracted under the action of the compressed air, bringing with it the fork 38 and the ring 39. The male mouthpiece 23 of the charged system is unlocked and is ejected from the mouthpiece 17 of the gun under the double action of the expansion of a spring disposed in the mouthpiece 17 and traces of pressurised fluid remaining in the volume contained in the very small space separating the two mouthpieces. The time delay relay closes the valve 19 and opens the exhaust outlet 24, the compressed air contained in the space 41 being discharged into the atmosphere and the piston 36 is moved under the action of the spring 37 toward-the left as viewed in FIG. 3, and the ring 39 being returned in the forward direction. The time delay relay produces in addition the ignition of the excitation lamp 27 of the cell 15, which in turn causes the opening of the automatic valve 14.

At this instant, the feed quantity is prepared by transfer of the fluid from the controlled-feed receptacle 1 to the controlled-feed receptacle 2 merely under the action of gravity, at constant saturated vapour pressure, temperature and volume. This preparation of the feed quantity takes place in the very short interval of time between the ejection of the spray gun at the end of one charging operation and the positioning of the same spray gun on a new apparatus to be charged.

When the float 6 masks the cell 15, it produces the closing of the valve 14 and the extinction of the lamp 27. The station is ready to supply a further charge.

The operator grasps the grip of the charging gun and actuates the trigger 34 and subsequently the detent 35.

The trigger 34 retracts the piston 36 and the fork 38, which carries with it the ring 39. It is then possible to engage the mouthpiece 23 of the new system to be charged in the mouthpiece or chuck 17 of the gun, both mouthpieces comprising a normally closed valve which opens when the two mouthpieces are connected together.

On release of the trigger 34, the spring 37 expands and the ring 39 is moved forwards, thus locking the mouthpiece 23. The fluid charge can then flow into the system to be charged.

Actuation of the detent 35 brings about the excitation of relays which ignite the two

lamps

25 and 26. The

cells

12 and 18 are thus excited and the cell 12 opens the valve 11.

There then simultaneously take place in the charging station a filling of the controlled-feed receptacle and an emptying of the controlled-feed receptacle 2. These two operations may be carried out at the same speed by adjustment of the cock 10. Since the two receptacles are in communication by way of the duct 4, the two receptacles are at the same pressure and at the same temperature.

I At the end of the charging, the float masks the cell 12, thus producing extinction of the lamp 25 and closing 'of the valve 11, and the float 6 masks the cell 18, thus producing the extinction of the lamp 26, the opening of the valve 19, the excitation of the time delay relay 42 and the ejection of the spray gun.

All the operations take place at the same pressure which is that supplied by the fluid reservoir, in particular the preparation of the feed quantity by flow from the controlled-feed receptacle 1 into the controlled-feed receptacle and the charging of fluid into the system to be charged. I

The speed with which the controlled-feed receptacle 1 is filled may be adjusted by means of the cock 10. When this speed is the same as the speed at which the fluid flows into the system to be charged, the volume of liquid is constant in the charging station. The operation of the charging station is then isothermal.

The described means afford great operating safety and prevent the operating faults which result in over-charging and under-charging.

Under-charging is avoided since the fluid feed defined by the movement of the float 6 in the controlled-feed receptacle 2 is automatically poured into the apparatus to be charged.

Over-charging is avoided by automatic ejection of the spray gun at the end of the charging.

In the described apparatus, the charging is effected with a precision higher than 1% by volume. This precision could be increased by employing controlled-feed receptacles of greater height and smaller cross-section.

The vertical position of the photoelectric cells may be adjusted at will. More particularly, the relative positions of the

cells

15 and 18 may be varied to adjust the feed quantity to be supplied to the system to be charged.

With a feed quantity between 50 and 250 cc., the'charging of systems can be carried out at an accelerated rate in the neighbourhood of 24-0 operations per hour.

The capacity of the control-feed receptacles may vary within very wide limits, the lower limit being of the order of a cubic centimetre, and the upper limit being that given to the controlled-feed receptacles, the crosssectional areas of fluid flow being made proportional to the capacities of the controlled-feed receptacles and to the desired speeds of flow which may be adjusted with the aid of the

cocks

10 and 13.

In addition, the duct 4 affording communication between the two controlled-feed receptacles in regard to the vapour phase must have a sufficient cross-section.

The charging station is advantageously constructed in the form of a cabinet.

What I claim is:

1. Automatic charging apparatus for fluids whose saturated vapour pressure at ambient temperature is above atmospheric pressure, comprising a first controlled-feed receptacle fed with liquid through a duct extending from a reservoir and comprising means for automatically closing the said duct, a second controlled-feed receptacle whose upper level is situated below the lower level of the first controlled-feed receptacle, the second controlledfeed receptacle being on the one hand connected to the said first controlled-feed receptacle by a lower duct for the liquid phase and by an upper duct for the vapour phase of the fluid, and on the other hand connected by any appropriate duct to a fluid distribution member comprising means for hermetically coupling it to the unit to be charged, the second controlled-feed receptacle comprising means for simultaneously producing the decoupling of the distribution member and the closing of its supply channel, so that in a first operation the first controlled-feed receptacle is emptied by gravity into the second controlled-feed receptacle and in a second operation the first controlled-feed receptacle is filled and the second controlled-feed receptacle is simultaneously emptied into the unit to be charged.

2. Charging apparatus according to claim 1 made in the form of a cabinet.

3. Charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for automatically closing the ducts are automatic valves controlled by photelectric cells whose excitation beam is masked by a float moving within the said controlled-feed receptacles.

4. Charging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the means for the ejection of the said mouthpiece con'rprises an automatic valve provided in a compressed-air duct and controlled by a photoelectric cell, of which the excitation beam is masked by a float.

'5. Charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for fitting the mouthpiece of the said flexible duct to the unit to be charged comprises a spray gun including a device for locking the mouthpiece of the unit to be charged.

6. Charging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein 5 the said spray gun comprises a jack having a piston fast with a ring by which the said mouthpiece is locked.

9. Charging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the said spray gun comprises a trigger and a detent adapted to be manually operated.

10. Charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein dehydrators are provided in the duct extending from the reservoir.

11. Charging apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a shut-0E valve is provided in the said duct.

12. Charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein cocks for the adjustment of the rate of flow are provided 5 justable along the controlled-feed receptacles.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,789,586 4/1957 McBean 141- 0 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Exami H. S. BELL, Assistant Examiner.