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:
Jun. 03, 2003
Filed:
May. 07, 2001
Todd W. Herrick, Tecumseh, MI (US);
Rick L. Bunch, Tecumseh, MI (US);
Tecumseh Products Company, Tecumseh, MI (US);
Abstract
A refrigeration system including a pair of heat exchangers, a hermetic compressor assembly having a compressor housing containing refrigerant fluid, fluid conveying lines and a flow restriction device forming a working refrigerant system, an evacuation volume having one of a first, substantially evacuated state and a second, fluid-containing state, a control valve located between the working refrigeration system and the evacuation volume and having an initial, closed position and an open position, and at least one refrigerant gas detector located externally of the working refrigeration system and in communication with the control valve. The evacuation volume is fluidly isolated from the working refrigeration system in the valve closed position and in fluid communication with the working refrigeration system in the valve open position. The valve is opened in response to refrigerant gas being detected by the detector, and refrigerant fluid in the working refrigeration system is sucked into the evacuation volume with the evacuation volume undergoing a change from its first to its second state and the valve resuming its said closed position when the evacuation volume is in the second state.