Patent · US Expired

Refrigerant purge valve

US4982578A · kind A · utility

11Cited by
8References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 22, 1989
Grant dateJan 8, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 22, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T137/794
  • WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

This valve (12) for sensing and purging non-condensible gases in a refrigerant includes a valve body (30) having a lower refrigerant inlet (32), an upper exhaust outlet (36) and a valve passage (44) therebetween controlled by a valve element (54) extending between a spring (72) and a diaphragm (86). A housing (100) containing a "pure" refrigerant charge and a spring (110) are provided at the other side of the diaphragm (86) and the housing (100) is exposed to temperature of the system refrigerant. One side of the diaphragm (86) is subjected to the combined pressure of the spring (72) and the pressure of the system refrigerant at the inlet (32) and the other side of the diaphragm (86) is subjected to the balancing pressure provided by the combined pressure of the refrigerant charge and the spring (110). The valve (12) opens in response to increased pressure of the system refrigerant at the inlet (32) resulting from the presence of non-condensible gases and exhausts the gases to atmosphere.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.