Variable flow area refrigerant expansion device
OwnerRichard C. Kozinskiinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A refrigerant flow metering device for use in a refrigeration system which uses a movable piston with a fixed flow passage in series with a variable area flow passage. The variable flow area is defined by the position of the piston relative to the valve body. The position of the movable piston is a function of refrigerant pressure differential across the piston and the force of a spring member acting in an opposite direction on the piston. In one embodiment, the variable flow area is defined as the clearance between a tapered fixed housing and a tapered portion of the movable piston. In an alternative embodiment, the metering device includes a two-piece piston having a re-open feature that increases the inlet orifice diameter of the piston.
Claims20
A variable flow area refrigerant expansion device for controlling fluid flow having variable fluid pressure, comprising:
- a valve body having an axially extending aperture partially extending therethrough, said aperture including an inlet end and at least one flow aperture, wherein a portion of an inner surface of said valve body terminates in said at least one flow aperture;
- a piston slidably received in said aperture of said valve body, said piston having a flow passageway partially extending therethrough, said flow passageway having an inlet and an outlet end, wherein said outlet end terminates in a cross-bore formed through said piston;
- wherein said piston includes a metering member having a tapered section and a straight section positioned downstream from said cross-bore, said tapered portion having a first end defined by a first diameter and second end defined by a second diameter, wherein said first diameter of said tapered section is greater than said second diameter of said tapered section;
- and
- a spring member operatively connected to said piston to resiliently urge said piston in a first predetermined direction.
A variable flow area refrigerant expansion device for controlling fluid flow having variable fluid pressure, comprising:
- a valve body having an axially extending aperture partially extending therethrough, said aperture including an inlet end and at least one flow aperture, wherein a portion of an inner surface of said valve body is tapered from a first diameter to a second diameter and terminates in said at least one flow aperture, wherein said first diameter is larger than said second diameter;
- a piston having first and second piston members, said piston slidably received in said aperture of said valve body;
- wherein said first piston member has a flow passageway extending therethrough, said flow passageway having an inlet end an outlet end, wherein said outlet end has a diameter larger than the diameter of said inlet end;
- wherein said second piston member includes a mating end that is selectively receivable within said outlet end of said flow passageway and an elongated tapered end portion that terminates in a generally cylindrical end portion;
- and
- a spring member operatively connected to said piston to resiliently urge said piston in a first predetermined direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.