Heat pump having improved compressor lubrication
AssigneeMitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorTakashi Nakamura
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heat pump having improved compressor lubrication wherein an adequate amount of refrigerator oil is returned to the compressor at all times and the circulation time for the refrigerator oil is reduced. An oil separator is connected between a discharge side of the compressor and a four-way valve of the heat pump system. A bypass is connected between the oil separator and the accumulator. The bypass is provided with an electromagnetic valve for selectively opening and closing the bypass. A control device periodically opens the electromagnetic valve during the operation of the compressor to provide for supply of refrigerator oil to the compressor from the oil separator.
Claims7
In a heat pump comprising an accumulator, a serially connected compressor, a four-way valve, an outdoor heat-exchanger, a throttling device, an indoor heat-exchanger, a refrigerant and an oil, the improvement wherein said heat pump further comprises:
- an oil separator connected between a discharge side of said compressor and said four-way valve for separating said oil from said refrigerant;
- a bypass connected between said oil separator and said accumulator for transferring said separated oil to said accumulator in which said transferred oil is combined with said refrigerant, said bypass comprising an electromagnetic valve;
- and
- a control device comprising means for periodically opening said electromagnetic valve during operating periods of said compressor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.