Filter for a vapor compression cycle device
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsJames Day, Arnold Factor, Charles E. Baumgartner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A filter for the lubricating oil and refrigerant within refrigerators, freezers and heat pumps is provided which does not interfere with the cooling cycle. The filter utilizes a housing with an orifice that functions as an outlet and an inlet for the transfer of fluids. The filter withdrawn fluids from a location between the compressor and the condenser when the compressor cycles on and returns the fluids when the compressor cycles off. Preferred embodiments of this invention provide for the release of additives to the fluids from the filter material. Also provided by the invention are vapor compression cycle devices which incorporate such a filter and a method of filtering said fluids.
Claims30
A filter for combined fluids comprising working fluid and lubricating oil within a vapor compression cycle device having a high pressure side and a low pressure side, said filter comprising a housing having disposed therein a porous absorbent material capable of separating and trapping impurities from said combined fluids which flow therethrough,
- wherein said housing is provided with an orifice means to function as both an inlet and an outlet for said combined fluids transferred in and out of said housing,
- wherein said housing is additionally constructed to accept connection with a means for transferring said combined fluids to said orifice from the high pressure side of a vapor compression cycle device,
- wherein said housing is provided with volume to accept condensed working fluid and said lubricating oil during periods of increasing pressure in said device and,
- wherein said porous absorbent material contains at least one absorbed additive in sufficient quantity to release said additive into said combined fluid which passes therethrough.
A filter for filtering fluorocarbon refrigerant within a refrigerator comprising a housing having only one orifice for the transfer of said fluorocarbon refrigerant in and out of said housing, a porous absorbent material being disposed within said housing for separating impurities and wherein said porous absorbent material contains an absorbed additive in sufficient quantity to release said additive into the fluorocarbon refrigerant which passes therethrough and a means for connecting said housing to a conduit which transfers said fluorocarbon refrigerant to said orifice from a location between a compressor and a condenser of the refrigerator.
A vapor compression cycle device comprising a closed circuit for combined fluids comprising a working fluid and lubricating oil, a means for filtering said combined fluids and a means for dispensing at least one additive into said combined fluids,
- said closed circuit comprising a compressor, a condenser and an expansion device connected in series with conduit for the cyclic transport of said combined fluids,
- said means for filtering the working fluids comprising a filter and a conduit,
- said filter comprising a housing capable of condensing working fluid during periods of increasing pressure in said device,
- said housing having disposed therein a porous absorbent material containing at least one absorbed additive in sufficient quantity to release said additive into said combined fluids which pass therethrough, said housing having one orifice for the transfer of said combined fluids into and out of said housing, and
- said conduit being capable of transporting said combined fluids, having one end connected to the housing at the orifice and the other end connected to the closed circuit at a position between the compressor and the condenser of said closed circuit.
A dispensing filter for combined fluids comprising working fluid and lubricating oil within a vapor compression cycle device having a high pressure side and a low pressure side, said filter comprising a housing having disposed therein a porous absorbent material capable of separating impurities from said combined fluids which flow therethrough, said porous absorbent material further contains at least one or more absorbed additives in sufficient quantity to release said additives into said combined fluids,
- wherein said housing is provided with an orifice means to function as both an inlet and an outlet for said combined fluids transferred in and out of said housing,
- wherein said housing is further provided with connection with a feed line from said high pressure side of said device for transferring said combined fluids to said housing and,
- wherein said housing is provided with volume to accept condensed working fluid and said lubricating oil during periods of increasing pressure in said device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.