1. A unit for recovering and converting thermal energy from the exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, said unit comprising:
a heat exchanger to be traversed by exhaust gases flowing along a by-pass path branching out from an exhaust gas main line of said internal combustion engine, and
valve means for controlling the flow of the exhaust gases through said path, said valve means being driven by an actuator device, wherein
said by-pass path is a U-shaped path defined entirely by said heat exchanger, starting from an inlet section of said heat exchanger and ending at an outlet section of said heat exchanger, said inlet and outlet sections being located on a same side of the heat exchanger and both opening on an interface conduit portion interposed in said exhaust gas main line,
said heat exchanger is arranged so that said U-shaped path is oriented transversely to the direction of the exhaust gas main line, in such a manner that the exhaust gases traversing the heat exchanger flow firstly in the transverse direction away from the exhaust gas main line and then back in the transverse direction towards the exhaust gas main line,
said valve means being arranged within said interface conduit portion, at a position axially intermediate between merging points of said inlet and outlet portions of the heat exchanger.
2. The unit according to claim 1, wherein said valve means comprise a flap articulated around an axis.
3. The unit according to claim 2, wherein said flap is movable between a rest position in which said flap is arranged so as to allow free flow of the exhaust gases in said exhaust gas main line and a first work position in which said flap obstructs the passage of the exhaust gases through said exhaust gas main line forcing said exhaust gases to pass through said heat exchanger.
4. The unit according to claim 3, wherein said flap has at least one intermediate work position.
5. The unit, according to claim 1, wherein said heat exchanger further comprises a heat exchange unit having an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice, said heat exchange unit being arranged to promote heat exchange between a fluid circulating therein and a fluid circulating in said path.
6. The unit according to claim 5, wherein the unit is arranged to cooperate with an engine unit of a motor vehicle comprising said internal combustion engine, in which the inlet orifice of said heat exchange unit is connected to a heat exchanger for EGR operatively connected to said internal combustion engine and said outlet orifice is connected to a cabin heater.
7. The unit according to claim 6, wherein the fluid circulating inside said heat exchange unit is cooling water of said internal combustion engine.
8. The unit according to claim 5, wherein the unit is arranged to cooperate with an engine unit comprising said internal combustion engine and comprising a pump, an expander, an electrical power generator mechanically connected to said expander and a condenser connected to the outlet of said expander and to said pump, in which the inlet orifice of said heat exchange unit is connected to said pump and the outlet orifice of said heat exchange unit is connected to the inlet of said expander.
9. The unit according to claim 8, wherein said pump, heat exchange unit, expander, condenser are fluid dynamically connected defining a circuit closed and isolated with respect to said internal combustion engine.
10. The unit according to claim 1, wherein said heat exchanger is mounted submerged in an oil sump of said internal combustion engine.
11. The unit according to claim 1, wherein the unite is arranged to cooperate with a metal hydrides storage bed suitable to release or store hydrogen and connected to said heat exchanger through a first and a second channel, in which said first channel comprises a two-position valve arranged thereon in series and said second channel is connected branching with respect to said first channel and comprises a unidirectional valve arranged therein.
12. The unit according to claim 1, wherein said heat exchanger comprises one or more layers of thermoelectric material connected by means of an electric line to a DCDC converter, said DCDC converter being arranged for the connection to a power supply of a vehicle on which said internal combustion engine is installed.
13. The unit according to claim 1, wherein said heat exchanger is positioned downstream of a unit for treating the exhaust gases connected to said internal combustion engine.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An image-forming device comprising:
a casing;
a developing unit that is detachably mounted in the casing and formed with a first opening, the developer unit having a developer carrying member carrying a developer;
a first shutter opening and closing the first opening;
a developer cartridge that is detachably mounted in the casing, accommodates the developer, and is formed with a second opening, the second opening being in alignment with the first opening;
a second shutter opening and closing the second opening; and
an alignment member that is disposed between the developing unit and the developer cartridge and is formed with a third opening, the third opening being in alignment with the first opening and the second opening.
2. The image-forming device according to claim 1, wherein opening and closing operations of the first shutter are performed independently of the opening and closing operations of the second shutter.
3. The image-forming device according to claim 1, wherein the developer cartridge is disposed in the casing so as to confront the developer carrying member in a elongated direction of the developer carrying member.
4. The image-forming device according to claim 3, wherein the alignment member includes a support member supporting one end of the developing unit.
5. The image-forming device according to claim 4, wherein the developing unit includes an image-carrying member on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, image-carrying member having a shaft, and
wherein the support member supports the shaft of the image-carrying member.
6. The image-forming device according to claim 5, wherein the support member is formed with a shaft receiving groove for guiding the shaft of the image-carrying member, the shaft receiving groove extending in parallel to the alignment member.
7. The image-forming device according to claim 1, further comprising a third shutter that is disposed in the alignment member and opens and closes the third opening,
wherein the opening and closing operations of the first shutter are performed in association with the opening and closing operation of the third shutter.
8. The image-forming device according to claim 7, wherein the casing is formed with a fourth opening for mounting and removing the developing unit to and from the casing,
the image-forming device further comprising a cover member wherein the third shutter opens and closes in association with opening and closing operations of the cover member.
9. The image-forming member according to claim 1, further comprising a fourth shutter that is disposed in the alignment member and moves in association with the opening and closing operations of the second shutter.
10. The image-forming device according to claim 1, wherein the first opening includes:
a first supply opening for supplying the developer toward the developer carrying member; and
a first return opening for receiving the developer from the developer carrying member,
wherein the second opening includes:
a second supply opening for supplying the developer toward the first supply opening; and
a second return opening for receiving the developer from the first return opening,
wherein the third opening includes:
a third supply opening for conveying the developer from the second supply opening to the first supply opening; and
a third return opening for conveying the developer from the first return opening to the second return opening.
11. A developer cartridge that is detachably mounted in an image-forming device and supply a developer to a developer carrying member, the developer cartridge comprising:
a first developer accommodating section that is formed substantially cylindrically shaped and accommodates the developer;
a second developer accommodating section that is adjacent to the first developer accommodating section;
a conveying member that conveys the developer in the second developer accommodating section toward the first developer accommodating section; and
an agitating member that is disposed in the first developer accommodating section and includes:
a plurality of shafts; and
a plurality of agitating sections disposed in the plurality of the shafts and agitates a developer that is accommodated in the first developer accommodating section;
wherein the plurality of shafts is disposed parallel to one another while at different positions in a radial direction of the first developer accommodating.
12. The developer cartridge according to claim 11, wherein the first developer accommodating section includes a sidewall that is disposed in an axial direction of the first developer accommodating section and is formed with a supply opening for supplying the developer to the developer carrying member.
13. The developer cartridge according to claim 12, wherein the agitating member comprises:
a first agitating member conveying the developer along a first conveying direction; and
a second agitating member conveying the developer along a second conveying direction different from the first conveying direction.
14. The developer cartridge according to claim 13, wherein the first agitating member conveys the developer in a circumferential direction of the first developer accommodating section, and the second agitating member conveys the developer in an axial direction of the first developer accommodating section.
15. The developer cartridge according to claim 14, wherein the second agitating member conveys the developer toward the supply opening.
16. The developer cartridge according to claim 15, wherein the second agitating member comprises a second agitating shaft that extends along the second conveying direction and coincides with the supply opening in the second conveying direction.
17. The developer cartridge according to claim 15, wherein the sidewall is formed a return opening for receiving the developer from the developer carrying member.
18. The developer cartridge according to claim 17, wherein the first developer accommodating section includes a guiding member guiding the developer from the return opening to the first agitating member.
19. The developer cartridge according to claims 17, wherein the first developer accommodating section includes an interference preventing wall that prevents interference with the second agitating member by the first agitating member.
20. The developer cartridge according to claim 17, further comprising a transmit member that couples together the first agitating member and second agitating member and transmits a force that rotates one of the first agitating member and second agitating member to another of the first agitating member and second agitating member.
21. An image-forming device comprising a casing and the developer cartridge according to claim 17 detachably mounted in the casing.
22. The image-forming device according to claim 21, wherein the casing is formed with an opening so as to confront the developer cartridge,
the image-forming device further comprising:
a cover that is disposed in the casing and covers or exposes the opening; and
a shutter that is disposed in the developer cartridge and covers or exposes the supply opening and the return opening in association with the covering and exposing operating of the cover.
23. The image-forming device according to claim 22, wherein the first developer accommodating section comprises:
an outer casing that accommodates the shutter; and
an inner casing that is disposed in the outer casing and is formed with the supply opening and the return opening.