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. 17, 1999
Filed:
Oct. 09, 1997
Andy L Derryberry, Nashville, TN (US);
International Comfort Products Corporation (USA), Nashville, TN (US);
Abstract
The present invention is a charge balance device for a heat pump. The heat pump system has a heating and a cooling mode and includes an indoor heat exchanger, an outdoor heat exchanger, a compressor, refrigerant circuitry connecting the heat exchangers and the compressor in series arrangement, with the charge balance device connected in parallel arrangement with the outdoor heat exchanger. An accumulator is connected in line with the refrigerant circuit at a point immediately upstream of the suction side of the compressor for storing excess liquid refrigerant during heating mode. The charge balance device includes a check valve for blocking refrigerant flow, thus preventing the diversion of refrigerant flow around the outdoor heat exchanger during cooling mode, and a restrictor orifice for throttling refrigerant flow, thus regulating the flow of refrigerant diverted around the outdoor heat exchanger during heating mode. The check valve and restriction orifice are integrally formed for diverting a regulated portion of liquid refrigerant around the outdoor heat exchanger during heating mode such that excess liquid refrigerant is allowed to be stored in the accumulator at a relatively low pressure.