Accessory structure for spray cleaning a heat exchanger in a vehicle air-conditioner

Abstract

The present invention relates to an accessory structure for vehicle air-conditioner for improving the compartment atmosphere by cleaning the evaporator as heat exchanger and others or feeding aromatic or other functional solvent in a vehicle air-conditioner for taking in external air or internal air from an air-conditioning air intake route, and more particularly to an accessory structure for vehicle air-conditioner capable of improving the compartment atmosphere, by connecting a solvent feed route to solvent flow injection means provided at the upstream side of the heat exchanger in the air-conditioning air intake route, providing the base end of the solvent feed route with receiving means separated from the solvent source, fixing the receiving means in a specific place in the compartment, and putting in an accommodating space such as glove box, while separating the solvent source such as filled container from the receiving means, thereby preventing the solvent source from being ruptured or damaged, and moreover by receiving the solvent from the solvent source when necessary by the receiving means corresponding to the type of solvent, thereby cleaning the heat exchanger or feeding aromatic or other functional solvent.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A cleaning apparatus for a vehicle air conditioner comprising an air intake route, said apparatus comprising: 
       at least one injection means disposed at an upstream side of a heat exchanger and in said air intake route for applying a cleaning solvent to clean the heat exchanger;  
       a solvent feed route for feeding the cleaning solvent to said at least one injection means; and  
       receiving means separate from a solvent source for receiving the cleaning solvent from the solvent source, said receiving means being connected to communicate with a base end of said solvent feed route and being located in said vehicle.  
     
     
       2. The apparatus of claim  1 , wherein said receiving means comprises a guide means for positioning said solvent source to feed said cleaning solvent to said solvent feed route. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of claim  2 , wherein said guide means comprises a taper larger in diameter at an outward side and smaller in diameter at an inward side. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim  2 , wherein said receiving means comprises a counter flow preventing means disposed between said guide means and said base end of said solvent feed route. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of claim  2 , wherein said receiving means comprises a lid member for covering at least said guide means, and closing means provided inside of said lid member for closing said guide means. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of claim  1 , wherein said receiving means is attached to an interior surface of said vehicle. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of claim  2 , wherein said receiving means is attached to an interior surface of said vehicle. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of claim  3 , wherein said receiving means is attached to an interior surface of said vehicle. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of claim  4 , wherein said receiving means is attached to an interior surface of said vehicle. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of claim  5 , wherein said receiving means is attached to an interior surface of said vehicle. 
     
     
       11. A vehicle air conditioning system comprising: 
       an air intake means;  
       a heat exchanger;  
       a source of cleaning solvent;  
       injection means disposed at an upstream side of said heat exchanger and in said air intake means for applying a cleaning solvent to clean said heat exchanger;  
       solvent feeding means for feeding said cleaning solvent to said injection means; and  
       receiving means separate from said source of cleaning solvent for receiving said cleaning solvent from said source and for feeding said cleaning solvent to said solvent feeding means, wherein said receiving means is located in said vehicle.  
     
     
       12. The system of claim  11 , wherein said receiving means comprises a guide means for positioning said source of cleaning solvent to feed said cleaning solvent to said solvent feeding means. 
     
     
       13. The system of claim  12 , wherein said guide means comprises a taper larger in diameter at an outward side and smaller in diameter at an inward side. 
     
     
       14. The system of claim  12 , wherein said receiving means comprises a counter flow preventing means disposed between said guide means and said solvent feeding means. 
     
     
       15. The system of claim  12 , wherein said receiving means comprises a lid member for covering at least said guide means, and closing means provided inside of said lid member for closing said guide means. 
     
     
       16. The system of claim  11 , wherein said receiving means is attached to an interior surface of said vehicle. 
     
     
       17. A cleaning apparatus for a vehicle air conditioner having an air intake route connected to a heat exchanger by a communication duct, said apparatus comprising: 
       
         at least one injector, having a leading end and trailing end, disposed at an upstream side of the heat exchanger through a wall of the communication duct for applying a cleaning solvent to the heat exchanger;  
       
       
         a solvent feed route connected for feeding cleaning solvent to the injector; and  
       
       
         a solvent source connected to communicate with the solvent feed route for feeding solvent through the solvent feed route to the injector. 
       
     
     
       18. The cleaning apparatus of claim  17  further comprising a flange connected around the injector between its leading end and trailing end on the outside of the communication duct. 
     
     
       19. The cleaning apparatus of claim  17  further comprising a neck, having a leading end and trailing end, surrounding the injector portion passing through the wall of the communication duct for holding the injector to the wall of the communication duct. 
     
     
       20. The cleaning apparatus of claim  19  wherein the neck is tapered with a smaller diameter at its leading end. 
     
     
       21. The cleaning apparatus of claim  20  further comprising protrusions on the neck extending along lines running from the leading to trailing end and spaced around its circumference. 
     
     
       22. The cleaning apparatus of claim  19  further comprising a flange connected around the injector at the trailing end of the neck. 
     
     
       23. The cleaning apparatus of claim  17  wherein the leading end of the injector is closed and injection ports are located along the length of the injector between its leading and trailing end. 
     
     
       24. The cleaning apparatus of claim  23  further comprising a flange connected around the injector between its leading and trailing end on the outside of the communication duct. 
     
     
       25. The cleaning apparatus of claim  24  further comprising a neck having a leading and trailing end surrounding the injector portion passing through the wall of the communication duct. 
     
     
       26. The cleaning apparatus of claim  25  wherein the neck is tapered with a smaller diameter at its leading end. 
     
     
       27. The cleaning apparatus of claim  26  further comprising protrusions on the neck running from its leading to trailing end and spaced around its circumference. 
     
     
       28. A vehicle air conditioning system comprising: 
       
         an air intake means;  
       
       
         a heat exchanger;  
       
       
         a source of cleaning solvent;  
       
       
         an injector having a leading end and a trailing end, disposed at an upstream side of the heat exchanger through a wall of the air intake means for applying a cleaning solvent to the heat exchanger; and  
       
       
         solvent feeding means for feeding cleaning solvent from the source of cleaning solvent to the injection means. 
       
     
     
       29. The vehicle air conditioning system of claim  28  further comprising a flange connected around the injector between its leading and trailing end on the outside of the air intake means. 
     
     
       30. The vehicle air conditioning system of claim  28  further comprising a neck having a leading and trailing end surrounding the injector portion passing through the wall of the air intake means for holding the injector to the wall of the air intake means. 
     
     
       31. The vehicle air conditioning system of claim  30  wherein the neck is tapered with a smaller diameter at its leading end. 
     
     
       32. The vehicle air conditioning system of claim  30  further comprising a flange connected around the injector at the trailing end of the neck.