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. 10, 1999
Filed:
Oct. 31, 1997
Arnold M Hanson, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Thomas Donald Chandler, Coon Rapids, MN (US);
Century Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, MN (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for recovering and recycling refrigerant from an air conditioning unit. The apparatus includes a combined oil separator and heat exchanger for condensing purified refrigerant and for vaporizing contaminated refrigerant. The combined oil separator and heat exchanger includes a canister having a top wall, a bottom wall, and a substantially cylindrical side wall. The canister further includes a high pressure region comprising heat exchange coils and having high pressure inlet for providing purified refrigerant vapor and high pressure outlet for removing purified refrigerant liquid, and a low pressure region having low pressure inlet for introducing contaminated refrigerant proximate the heat exchange coils, low pressure outlet through the top wall for removal of refrigerant vapor, and condensed oil outlet for removal of condensed oil. By introducing the contaminated refrigerant proximate the heat exchange coils, improved separation efficiency is obtained. A method for utilizing the combined oil separator and heat exchanger is additionally provided.