The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 25, 1987
Filed:
May. 27, 1986
George N Sawyer, Flint, TX (US);
American Standard Inc., New York, NY (US);
Abstract
In a heat pump system for selectively heating or cooling a plurality of zones with a corresponding plurality of zone heat exchangers, the subject invention is used for preventing refrigerant condensate from flooding any inactive heat exchangers. Each zone heat exchanger is typically connected to both a liquid line and a gas line for passing refrigerant therethrough. The invention includes an arrangement of valves disposed only on the liquid line of each zone heat exchanger and eliminates the need for an additional shut-off valve on the gas line. When the heat pump system operates in the cooling mode, each zone heat exchanger functions as an evaporator with the invention operating as an expansion valve, regulating the refrigerant flow entering the heat exchanger to meet the temperature conditioning demand. In the heating mode each zone heat exchanger functions as a condenser and the invention conducts the flow of refrigerant leaving each zone heat exchanger to allow a flow therethrough that enables its corresponding zone heat exchanger to meet its heating demand. When the demand for heat in a zone is satisfied, the heat exchanger associated with that zone becomes inactive and the flow therefrom is restricted to a minimum level sufficient to prevent flooding thereof.