Domed accumulator for automotive air conditioning system

Claim 1

An accumulator for use in an air conditioning system for an automotive vehicle, said system including a refrigerant circuit having a compressor, and a condenser and an evaporator arranged in series relationship on the high pressure side of the compressor: said accumulator comprising a cylindrical housing comprised of two cylindrical portions joined together in abutting relationship to define a closed cylindrical chamber, said accumulator housing having an upper housing wall and a lower housing wall; a baffle comprising a circular member of generally domed shape with the convex surface thereof facing the upper end wall of said accumulator in close proximity thereto; an inlet tube extending through said upper wall at a location proximate to the geometric center of said baffle, said tube communicating with the outlet side of said evaporator; an outlet tube extending through said upper wall of said housing adjacent the inner wall of said housing and extending through said housing substantially the entire length thereof, said outlet tube being curved at its lower extremity and extending upwardly though said housing to a point within the interior of said baffle in close proximity to the convex surface thereof; said baffle being secured at its margin to the interior of said housing with a radial clearance between said housing and the periphery of said baffle whereby liquid components of the refrigerant passing through said accumulator to said evaporator are separated from the gaseous components thereof as the refrigerant is dispersed across the baffle, the liquid component draining downwardly under the force of gravity to the lower extremity of said accumulator as the gaseous components thereof are returned through the outlet tube to the inlet side of said compressor.