Refrigerant recovery and recycling apparatus

A refrigerant recovery and recycling apparatus for transferring refrigerant from a first container to a second container, the refrigerant recovery and recycling apparatus comprising:

• a compressor having a suction side and a discharge side;
• a first releasable hose coupling in fluid communication with the suction side of the compressor;
• a second releasable hose coupling exposed on the apparatus, the second hose coupling being in fluid communication with the discharge side;
• a liquid/vapor sensor fluidly coupled between the first hose coupling and the suction side of the compressor, the liquid/vapor sensor being positioned to detect whether refrigerant passing into the apparatus through the first coupling is in a liquid state or a vapor state;
• a heater located between the first hose coupling and the suction side of the compressor, the heater being responsive to the liquid/vapor sensor to vaporize liquid refrigerant passing through the first hose coupling into the apparatus;
• a condenser having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet of the condenser being in fluid communication with the discharge side of the compressor;
• and
• a filter having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet of the filter being in fluid communication with the outlet of the condenser, and the outlet of the filter being in fluid communication with the second hose coupling.

A refrigerant recovery and recycling apparatus for transferring refrigerant from a first container to a second container, the refrigerant recovery and recycling apparatus comprising:

• a compressor having a suction side and a discharge side, the suction side being in fluid communication with the first container, and the discharge side being in fluid communication with the second container;
• a liquid/vapor sensor, which detects whether the refrigerant from the first container is in a liquid state or a vapor state, the liquid/vapor sensor being in fluid communication with the first container through a first conduit;
• a first valve, actuatable between an open and a closed state, in fluid communication with the liquid/vapor sensor through a second conduit;
• a heat exchanger having two fluid paths, the first fluid path including an inlet and an outlet and the second fluid path including an inlet and an outlet, the inlet of the first fluid path of the heat exchanger being in fluid communication with second conduit and the outlet of the first fluid path of the heat exchanger being in fluid communication with the suction side of the compressor through a third conduit, the inlet of the second fluid path of the heat exchanger being in fluid communication with the discharge side of the compressor through a fourth conduit;
• a second valve, actuatable between an open and a closed state, located in the fourth conduit between the second fluid path of the heat exchanger and the compressor, the second valve only being in the open state in response to the liquid/vapor sensor detection of refrigerant from the first container in the liquid state;
• a condenser having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet of the condenser being in fluid communication with the outlet of the second fluid path of the heat exchanger through a fifth conduit, the inlet of the condenser also being in fluid communication with the discharge side of the compressor through a sixth conduit;
• and
• a third valve, actuatable between an open and a closed state, located in the sixth conduit, the third valve only being in the open state in response to the liquid/vapor sensor detection of refrigerant from the first container in the vapor state.