Poppet valve assembly

A poppet valve assembly, comprising:

• a valve seat defining at least one inlet port extending therethrough, the at least one inlet port having an inlet port center axis and configured to receive a working fluid;
• a valve guard coupled to or integral with the valve seat, the valve guard having a planar surface facing the valve seat and defining at least one outlet port configured to discharge the working fluid therefrom;
• and
• a valve member having a valve member center axis coaxial with the inlet port center axis, the valve member disposed in a guide pocket defined in the valve guard, and the valve member comprising
• a primary impact surface configured to contact the planar surface of the valve guard;
• and
• a secondary impact surface configured to contact a bottom portion of the valve guard within the guide pocket after a structural failure of the primary impact surface prevents substantially all of the primary contact surface from contacting the planar surface.

The poppet valve assembly of claim, 15 wherein:

• the primary impact surface has a surface area;
• the secondary impact surface has a surface area;
• and
• a ratio of the surface area of the primary impact surface to the surface area of the secondary impact surface is about 2.5:1.25.

A compressor comprising:

• a compression cylinder;
• a piston configured to be driven by a crankshaft and translated within the compression cylinder in a reciprocating motion;
• and
• a valve assembly configured to regulate flow of a working fluid into or out of the compression cylinder, the valve assembly comprising
• a valve body comprising
• a valve seat defining at least one inlet port extending therethrough, the at least one inlet port having an inlet port center axis and configured to receive the working fluid;
• and
• a valve guard defining at least one outlet port extending therethrough, the at least one outlet port having an outlet port center axis and configured to discharge the working fluid therefrom;
• and
• a valve member having a valve member center axis coaxial with the inlet port center axis, the valve member disposed in a guide pocket defined in the valve guard, and the valve member comprising
• a valve stem comprising a first end portion, a second end portion axially opposing the first end portion, and a cylindrical sidewall extending along the valve member center axis between the first end portion and the second end portion;
• and
• a valve head disposed at the first end portion of the valve stem, the valve head configured to reciprocate between contact with the valve seat and contact with the valve guard to regulate a flow of the working fluid from the at least one inlet port to the at least one outlet port,
• wherein a gap is formed between a bottom portion of the valve guard and the second end portion of the valve stem within the guide pocket when contact between the valve head and the valve guard occurs.