Directional flow valve structure for reciprocating compressors

A reciprocating compressor comprising:

• a front housing;
• a cylinder block, wherein a plurality of cylinder bores are formed within said cylinder block;
• a rear housing;
• a valve plate positioned between said cylinder block and said rear housing, wherein said valve plate has a suction hole formed therethrough;
• a plurality of pistons, each of which is slidably positioned within a corresponding cylinder bore;
• a drive mechanism adapted to reciprocate each of said pistons within said corresponding cylinder bore;
• a suction chamber formed between said rear housing and said valve plate;
• a suction valve reed formed on said valve plate, wherein said suction valve reed regulates the flow of a fluid through said suction hole;
• and
• a limiting recess formed within an end of said cylinder block adapted to receive said suction valve reed, wherein said limiting recess comprises a pair of arced segments intersecting at or intersecting proximate to a center axis of said suction valve reed to form a ridge extending towards a center axis of said cylinder bore.

A reciprocating compressor comprising:

• a front housing;
• a cylinder block, wherein a plurality of cylinder bores are formed within said cylinder block;
• a rear housing;
• a valve plate positioned between said cylinder block and said rear housing, wherein said valve plate has a suction hole formed therethrough;
• a plurality of pistons, each of which is slidably positioned within a corresponding cylinder bore;
• a drive mechanism adapted to reciprocate each of said pistons within said corresponding cylinder bore;
• a suction chamber formed between said rear housing and said valve plate;
• a suction valve reed formed on said valve plate, wherein said suction valve reed regulates the flow of a fluid through said suction hole;
• and
• a limiting recess formed within an end of said cylinder block adapted to receive said suction valve reed, wherein said limiting recess comprises a pair of arced segments intersecting at an axis offset from a center axis of said suction valve reed to form a ridge extending towards a center axis of said cylinder bore.