Excellent connection for CO2 air conditioning units

Our reliable ContiLock R connection solution for CO₂ vehicle air conditioning systems received the Automotive Innovation Technology Award 2021, presented by the Chinese offshoot of the German trade magazine Automobil Industrie. With its resistance to high temperatures and pressures (up to 165 °C and 176 bar), it effortlessly withstands the tough conditions of use in CO₂ air conditioning units.

Vehicle air conditioning units with the environmentally friendly CO₂ refrigerant (R744) run at seven to eight times higher system pressure and significantly higher temperatures than conventional air conditioning units. That means they require a particularly dependable connection solution for refrigerant lines within the air conditioning system. Ultimately, the system can only be as leak-proof as the connections between the lines. Continental has developed the ideal solution for these critical points with its patented ContiLock R flat connection.

New application for proven technology

In the ContiLock R sealing concept, a spring-steel washer with a paper-thin elastomer coating is clamped between the male and female elements. The flexible sealing component compensates for temperature changes and vibrations, while the elastomer coating ensures a perfectly leak-proof connection – with a leakage rate well below 0.5 g per year. The underlying technology has long since proven itself many times over in large-scale production. The principle corresponds to the cylinder head gaskets of diesel self-ignition engines.

Process-reliable and service-friendly

Customers like ContiLock R’s process reliability and serviceability. Whether during reworking in assembly or in servicing, for example after an accident, the seals can always be loosened and retightened without jeopardizing their positive properties. The seals can also be replaced without removing the lines.

All these features make ContiLock R the new standard for the leak-tight connection of CO₂ refrigerant lines.