Patent ID: 6354092
Filing Date: 2002-03-12
Classification: F16K,F25B

Abstract:
A liquid arresting valve for a refrigeration compressor having a refrigerant intake, comprising:a housing having an inlet end to receive refrigerant from an evaporator and an outlet end for connection to the refrigerant intake of the compressor; a valve body movable in the housing between an open position permitting substantially unrestricted flow of vapor phase refrigerant between the inlet and outlet ends of the housing when the refrigerant flow contains no more than a preselected acceptable level of liquid refrigerant, and a flow restricting position to cause liquid containing refrigerant entering the inlet end of the housing to flash and exit through the outlet end of the housing as vapor phase refrigerant when more than the preselected level of liquid refrigerant is in the refrigerant flow; and a spring that retains the valve body in the open position under force of vapor phase refrigerant flow and yields to the flow restricting position under force of liquid containing refrigerant.