Patent · US Expired

Refrigerant metering device

US5097866A · kind A · utility

12Cited by
6References
1Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 30, 1990
Grant dateMar 24, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 30, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T137/8122
  • WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A refrigerant metering device for a vapor compression refrigeration system. The metering device employs a restrictor fabricated of a porous material to achieve the desired pressure reduction across the device. The porous material is housed in a casing that provides support for the restrictor and enables installation of the device into the system. Any suitable porous material may be used to make the restrictor, but in the preferred embodiments, a porous polyethylene material is used. In the preferred embodiments, a filter is provided upstream in the refrigerant flow path to reduce the possibility of restrictor fouling and resultant system performance degradation. In one embodiment, the filter and restrictor are combined as two sections of an integral filter and restrictor. The device is effective in reducing refrigerant flow noise during both steady state operation and post shutdown transients.

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