Servicing device for vehicle air-conditioning systems and method for operating said device

Abstract

The invention relates to a servicing device for vehicle air-conditioning systems comprising an evacuation assembly for withdrawing the coolant/compressor oil mixture from the coolant circuit of a vehicle air-conditioning system and comprising a coolant gas analyzer. In said device, a gas analysis connection is provided on or in at least one of the connection lines between the servicing device and the vehicle air-conditioning system. Said gas analysis connection is fluidically connected or can be fluidically connected to the coolant gas analyzer via an oil separator that can be evacuated and that is connected at least at intervals to an evacuation assembly.

1 . A servicing device for vehicle air-conditioning systems comprising an emptying device for extracting the refrigerant/compressor oil mixture from the refrigerant circuit system of a vehicle air-conditioning system, and a refrigerant gas analyzer, characterized in that a gas analysis connection is provided on or in at least one of the connecting lines between the servicing device and the vehicle air-conditioning system, which gas analysis connection) is connected or can be connected fluidically to the gas analyzer for refrigerant via an oil separator which can be evacuated and is connected at least temporarily to an evacuating device. 
     
     
         2 . The servicing device as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the oil separator can be connected or is temporarily connected fluidically to a separator stage for refrigerant/compressor oil mixture. 
     
     
         3 . The servicing device as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the region of the connecting lines between the oil separator and servicing connection connectors can be emptied of refrigerant/compressor oil mixture via connectors 
     
     
         4 . A method for the upstream refrigerant gas analysis in servicing devices for vehicle air-conditioning systems, characterized in that a sample of refrigerant/compressor oil mixture from the vehicle air-conditioning system is transferred from the vehicle air-conditioning system into a previously evacuated oil separator and, after the connecting line to the vehicle air-conditioning system is closed again and, after a separation into a gas phase and a liquid phase which is carried out in the oil separator, the gas phase region is connected to the gas analyzer for refrigerant analysis. 
     
     
         5 . The method as claimed in  claim 6 , characterized in that the oil separator which is connected upstream of the gas analyzer is connected to a separator stage for refrigerant/compressor oil mixture which comes from the vehicle air-conditioning system, with the result that the sample volume, drawn for the purpose of gas analysis, of refrigerant/compressor oil mixture from the vehicle air-conditioning system is treated further. 
     
     
         6 . The method as claimed in  claim 4 , characterized in that refrigerant/compressor oil mixture which is not accepted by the gas analyzer is discharged separately from the oil separator and the connecting lines to the vehicle air-conditioning system and from the vehicle air-conditioning system, without coming into contact with the remaining lines and containers which are present in the servicing device for refrigerant and/or compressor oil. 
     
     
         7 . The servicing device as claimed in  claim 2 , characterized in that the region of the connecting lines between the oil separator and servicing connection connectors of the servicing device can be emptied of refrigerant/compressor oil mixture via connectors. 
     
     
         8 . The method as claimed in  claim 5 , characterized in that refrigerant/compressor oil mixture which is not accepted by the gas analyzer is discharged separately from the oil separator and the connecting lines to the vehicle air-conditioning system and from the vehicle air-conditioning system, without coming into contact with the remaining lines and containers which are present in the servicing device for refrigerant and/or compressor oil.