Compressor valve noise attenuation

An improved valve assembly comprising:

• a valve plate having a valve plate opening therethrough, said valve plate opening having a wall defining a valve seat;
• a valve member movable between a closed position engaging said valve seat to prevent flow of a fluid through said valve plate opening and an open position spaced away from said valve seat to permit flow of the fluid through said valve plate opening;
• and
• a retainer member fixed with respect to said valve plate and at least in part spaced therefrom to define a retainer chamber therebetween, said valve member being disposed in said retainer chamber, said retainer member having a plurality of retainer openings therethrough to permit flow of the fluid therethrough during opening movement of said valve member away from said valve seat toward said retainer member, said retainer member including peripheral edges spaced relatively close to said valve plate to define a first effective flow area therebetween, said retainer openings defining a second effective flow area in parallel fluid flow relationship with respect to said first effective flow area, said second effective flow area being approximately seven times as large as said first effective flow area.

An improved valve assembly comprising:

• a valve plate having a valve plate opening therethrough, said valve plate opening having a wall defining a valve seat;
• a neck member fixedly disposed in said valve plate opening;
• a valve member slidably disposed on said neck member and being movable between a closed position engaging said valve seat and an open position spaced from said valve seat, said valve member and said neck member each having an annular sealing surface thereon;
• a seal member for preventing flow of a fluid betweeen said valve member and said neck member when said valve member is in said closed position, said seal member sealingly engaging each of said annular sealing surfaces when said valve member is in said closed position;
• and
• a retainer member fixed with respect to said valve plate and at least in part spaced therefrom to define a retainer chamber therebetween and to define a first predetermined restricted flow area therebetween, said valve member being disposed in said retainer chamber, said retainer member having a plurality of retainer openings therethrough for permitting parallel flow of the fluid through said retainer openings and said first predetermined restricted flow area during opening movement of said valve member away from said valve seat toward said retainer member, said retainer openings collectively defining a flow area which is sufficiently smaller than the area of said retainer member to define a second predetermined restricted flow area tending to restrict the flow of the fluid from said retainer chamber during said opening movement of said valve member, said second restricted flow area being greater than said first restricted flow area, said restricted fluid flow tending to dampen said opening movement of said valve member and thereby minimize the force of any impact between said valve member and said retainer member during said opening movement.

An improved valve assembly comprising:

• a valve plate having a valve plate opening therethrough, said valve plate opening having a wall defining a valve seat;
• a valve member movable between a closed position engaging said valve seat to prevent flow of a fluid through said valve plate opening and an open position spaced away from said valve seat to permit flow of the fluid through said valve plate opening;
• and
• a retainer member fixed with respect to said valve plate and at least in part spaced therefrom to define a retainer chamber therebetween, said valve member being disposed in said retainer chamber, said retainer member having peripheral edges spaced relatively close to said valve plate to substantially cover said valve plate opening and to define a first predetermined restricted flow area therebetween, said retainer member further having a plurality of retainer openings collectively defining a second predetermined restricted flow area in parallel fluid flow relationship with respect to said first effective flow area, said second restricted flow area being greater than said first restricted flow area, said first and second flow areas tending to restrict the flow of the fluid from said retainer chamber during said opening movement of said valve member to dampen said opening movement of said valve member and thereby minimize the force of any impact between said valve member and said retainer member during said opening movement.