Cylinder Head Assembly For A Reciprocating Compressor Including A Cylinder Head With An Integral Valve Plate

A discharge valve assembly for a compressor, comprising:

• a discharge valve configured to seat against a discharge valve seat defined by a valve plate to prevent fluid communication between a cylinder of the compressor and a discharge chamber within a cylinder head that covers the valve plate;
• a biasing member configured to bias the discharge valve against the discharge valve seat;
• and
• a retainer configured to extend through a top wall of the cylinder head and toward the discharge valve seat to retain the discharge valve in a vicinity of the discharge valve seat.

A compressor, comprising:

• a housing defining a cylinder and having a mounting surface surrounding an opening of the cylinder;
• a piston disposed within the housing, movable within the cylinder, and defining a compression chamber within the cylinder;
• a valve plate configured to mount to the mounting surface of the compressor and including a suction chamber, a suction passage providing fluid communication between the suction chamber and the compression chamber, a suction valve seat through which the suction passage extends, and a discharge passage extending through the valve plate and defined by a discharge valve seat;
• and
• a cylinder head at least partially covering the valve plate and defining a discharge chamber that is in selective fluid communication with the compression chamber via the discharge passage, the cylinder head and the valve plate being formed together as a unitary body.