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:
Sep. 26, 1995
Filed:
Feb. 16, 1994
Lee J Erickson, Eagan, MN (US);
Thermo King Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
A refrigerant compressor having a cylinder assembly which includes a piston mounted for reciprocal movement within a cylinder to provide suction and compression strokes which respectively introduce and compress a refrigerant vapor which may have entrained compressor lubricant. The piston includes a suction ring valve which is operated by pressure differentials during the suction and compression strokes to cause the suction ring valve to contact predetermined end surfaces of a predetermined end portion of the piston during the compression stroke and thereby close a refrigerant vapor supply opening surrounded by the predetermined end surfaces, and to cause the suction ring valve to lift from the predetermined end surfaces of the piston during the suction stroke to open the refrigerant vapor supply opening and introduce refrigerant vapor into a compression chamber of the cylinder assembly. The predetermined end surfaces of the piston include an open ended spiral groove which provides a spiral support surface for the suction ring valve, and a spiral depression which collects compressor lubricant entrained in refrigerant vapor, to provide support for the suction ring valve while reducing stiction forces created between the suction ring valve and the piston.