US3220639A - Compressor unit - Google Patents

Description

R. T. CHEW COMPRESSOR UNIT I Nov. 30, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 16, 1962 FIG.

V REC.

CO N D.

EVA P.

INVENTOR: ROY T CHEW Nov. 30, 1965 R. T. CHEW 3,220,639

COMPRESSOR um'r Filed July 16, 1962 i e Sheets-Sheet 2 ROY T. CHEW ATT'YS WWI Nov. 30, 1965 R. 1'. CHEW COMPRESSOR UNIT Filed July 16, 1962 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 5

I 28' @41 Y- Q INVENTOR.

ROY T. CHEW TT'YS Nov. 30, 1965 R. T. CHEW 3,22

COMPRESSOR UNIT Filed July 16, 1962 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 F|G.8 H

I I I I I E I 5- I I I E l I I I I I T I I 55 '1 P531 I I L-- I I l I :--54 I I I I I L INVENTOR: ROY T. CHEW ATT'YS R.-T. CHEW COMPRESSOR UNIT Nov. 30, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 16, 1962 INVENTOR. ROY T. C H E W ATT YS Nov. 30, 1965 R. T. CHEW 3,220,639

COMPRESSOR UNIT Filed July 16, 1962 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR; ROY T. CHEW ATT'YS 3,220,639 CONIPRESSOR UNIT Roy T. Chew, 11322 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. F iied July 16, 1962, Ser. No. 209,945 16 Claims. (Cl. 230-208) This invention relates to refrigeration compressors and particularly to improvements in the construction of such devices with the object of improving their operating efficiency and simplifying the refrigeration systems in which they are used.

Conventional refrigeration systems generally involve extraneous heat exchange devices and connections, in addition to the usual condenser and evaporator, for assuring gasification of liquid entrained in the cold gas returning from the evaporator and, in the case of multistage compressors, for intermediate cooling of the gas as it passes from one stage of compression to another. This usually requires extra valves and branch conduit connections, as Well as the external heat exchange devices themselves, and not only complicates the refrigeration system circuitry but also adds considerably to the system cost.

Therefore, the main objects of this invention are to provide an improved compressor unit that will simplify the construction of refrigeration systems and reduce the cost thereof; to provide an improved unitary compressor-heat exchanger construction for use in refrigeration systems; to provide a compressor housing incorporating therein a labyrinth of contiguous, parallel passages for refrigerant flow, from the evaporator directly to the compressor and from the compressor to the condenser, so arranged that counterflow of the refrigerant through contiguous passages effects a positive heat transfer to the incoming cold gas to assure conversion of the refrigerant into a completely vaporized state before entering the compression cylinder; to provide such a compressor construction having a self contained suction accumulator and oil separator and a discharge muffler means; to provide a compressor unit arrangement of this kind for use in either a single-stage single cylinder compressor construction or a multi-stage compressor having either a single cylinder or a multiple cylinder construction; and to provide an improved compressor unit of this kind of such simple form as to make its manufacture exceedingly practical and economical and its operation highly facile and eflicient. v

Specific embodiments of this invention are shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating the labyrinth arrangement of fluid flow passages as they would generally be embodied iu'the housing of a two-stage single cylinder compressor constructed inaccordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the piston arrangement for a two-stage single cylinder, compressor construction embodying a fluid flow passage system such as that illustrated by FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a two-stage, single cylinder compressor housing constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view, of the second-stage end of the housing body shown in FIG. 3, taken on the plane of the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view, of the first-stage end of the housing body shown in FIG. 3, taken on the plane of the line 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view, of the secondstage end header of the housing shown in FIG. 3, taken on the plane of line 66 of FIG. 3; Y

taken on the plane of the line 7-7 of FIG. 3;

United States Patent Pat ent ed Nov. 30, 1965 FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing a labyrinth passage arrangement for a two-stage, two cylinder compressor constructed in accordance with this invention, the view illustrating the interconnection of the passages with the first and second compression stages of the two cylinders;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a two-stage, two cylinder compressor constructed in accordance with this invention and embodying the internal passage scheme of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a right-hand end view of the body block, for the compressor shown in FIG. 9, taken on the plane of the line 1010 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a transverse sectional view, of the righthand header shown in FIG. 9, taken on the plane of the line 1111 of FIG. 9; and

FIG. 12 is a transverse sectional view of the header for a singe-stage single-cylinder compressor constructed in accordance with this invention.

The essential concept of this invention involves the incorporation into a compressor housing of a heat transfer flow passage labyrinth for the contiguous, reversely directional flow of a refrigerant to, through, and from the compressor, the passageways also being arranged to provide a suction accumulator function and a discharge mufiier function all within the said housing.

A combination compressor-heat exchanger unit embodying the foregoing concept comprises a housing H with one or more cylinder-piston components CP and wherein is incorporated a labyrinth L affording circuitous refrigerant flow between an inlet port I and an outlet port 0.

The adaptation shown in FIGS. 1-7 is a two-stage single cylinder construction (called single-cylinder because the first and second stage pistons are axially aligned); the adaptation shown in FIGS. 811 is a twostage multiple cylinder construction; and the adaptation shown in FIG. 12 is a single-stage single cylinder construction. The following is a detailed description of each of these adaptations.

In the adaptation of FIGS. 1-7 the housing H is shown as a block 14 of rectangular form more or less centrally of which are located the opposed first and second stage cylinders 15 and 16 wherein reciprocate the interconnected pistons 17 and 18 (FIG. 1). The block 14 mounts the usual headers 19 and 20 respectively between which and the block 14 are interposed the respective valve plates 21 and 22.

The housing block 14, along its upper portion, is formed with the labyrinth L comprising the five, contiguous, parallel passages a, a, b, c, and d-d' for directing the flow of the refrigerant between the inlet port I and the outlet port 0, via the hereinafter-described chambers in the headers 19 and 20 and in the opposed ends of the housing block 14, as determined by the reciprocation of the pistons 17 and 18 in the respective cylinders 15 and 16.

As most clearly indicated in FIG. 3, the labyrinth passages a, a, b, c, and d-d' extend lengthwise of the block 14, parallel with axes of the cylinders 15-16, and are separated by comparatively thin walls to permit the most facile heat transfer between the fluids flowing through these passages.

The passes a and a, in the block 14, are connected with the inlet port I through a relatively large chamber 25 formed in the left hand end of the block 14, into which chamber extends a nozzle 30 from the inlet port I (FIG. 4). At the opposite end of the block 14 the Walls of these passages a and a extend to the end of the block and the passages connect, through openings 23 and 24 in the valve plate 21, with communicating chambers 23 and 24 in the right-hand header 19 opposed to the larger cylinder 15 ant. (See FIG. 7). From the cylinder 15 the compressed 3 gas is discharged into the chamber 26 and thence into the passage b through valve plate passage 26 (FIGS. 3 and 7). The walls of passage 12 extend the entire length of the block 14 and the passage b leads through an opening 27 in the valve plate 22 into a chamber 27 in the header 20, opposed to the cylinder 16 wherein occurs the second-stage compression of the refrigerant (See FIG. 6). From cylinder 16 the compressed gas is discharged into a chamber 28 in the header 20 and thence through valve plate opening 28 into the labyrinth passage (FIG. 6). From the passage c the compressed refrigerant enters the chamber 29, formed in the first stage end of the block 14, and thence across the cylinder 15 to the opposite side of the block where it enters the labyrinth passage d connecting with the outlet port 0 (FIG. As shown the chamber 29 is relatively large in volume and occupies a considerable portion of the end area of the block for a purpose which will hereafter be explained.

The valve plates 21 and 22 mount conventional flappertype intake and discharge valves. As shown, the plate 21 has concentric series of intake and discharge openings, 31 and 32, communicating respectively with the chamber 2324 and the chamber 26 in the header 19 (FIG. 7). Flow through these openings 31 and 32 is controlled by the respective flapper valves 33 and 34, as influenced by the suction and compression strokes of the piston 17 in the cylinder 15. Similarly, the valve plate 22 has concentric series of openings 36 and 37 communicating respectively with the chambers 27 and 28 in the header 20 (FIG. 6). Refrigerant flow through these openings is controlled by the flapper valves 38 and 39 as influenced by the suction and compression strokes of the piston 18 in the cylinder 16.

It will now be seen that the cold gas inlet, at the second stage end of the compressor, leads through the nozzle 30 directly to the chamber 25 which extends the entire width of the compressor body and across the end of the second stage cylinder 16. This chamber 25 is thus relatively large in volume and function as a built-in suction accumulator and oil separtor for the first stage cylinder. Also the chamber 25, together with the passages a and a and the chambers 23' and 24', serves as a mufller to cut down suction noise. The nozzle 30 serves to direct the incoming cold gas and liquid to the bottom of the accumulator chamber 25 and to prevent its short-circuit from the inlet directly to the passages a-a.

Similarly the chamber 28, which receives the second stage of compressed gas, and the chamber 29, at the first stage end of the compressor body, serve as a built-in discharge mufiler to eliminate pulsation and silence the discharge from the compressor outlet 0. Furthermore, the chamber 29, which extends across and partially surrounds the cylinder 15,'serves as a heat-sink to rapidly heat, the valve plate 21, upon starting up of the compressor, and thereby additionally safeguard the first stage inlet valve against slugging by liquid refrigerant possibly being carried over from the initial heat exchanger or suction accumulator chamber 25.

Thus my improved compressor construction not only provides its own internal subcooler and intermediate gas desuperheater, whereby a greatly increased efliciency of operation is had, but also provides an automatic and built-in, or self-contained, suction accumulator, oil separator, and discharge muffler means. The oil separator function is provided by the legs of the chamber 25. which have small drain holes leading to the compressor crank case.

In the adaptation shown in FIGS. 8-11 the housing H is a rectangular block 41 in which is journalled a crank shaft 42 disposed more or less centrally of the longer dimension thereof. The crank shaft 42 is connected to the opposed pair of first-stage pistons 43-43 and the opposed pair of second-stage pistons 44-44 which operate in the respective cylinders 45-45 and 46-46. As shown, the block 41 mounts the usual opposite end headers 47 and 48 with the interposed valve plates 49 and 50.

The housing block 41, transversely in the upper portion, is formed with a labyrinth L comprising five contiguous, parallel passages f, f, g, g and h, for directing the flow of refrigerant between the inlet port I and the outlet port 0, via the hereinafter described chambers in the headers 47 and 48 and the ends of the block 41, as determined by the reciprocation of the pairs of pistons 43-43 and 44-44 in the cylinders 45-45 and 46-46 respectively.

As most clearly indicated in the schematic FIG. 8, the parallel passages f and f are connected at their ends by cross passages i and i' built into the body casting and the passages g and g are connected medially by an opening i in the wallbetween them. The inlet port I enters medially of the passage 1 and the outlet port 0 is connected medially of the passage h. As shown, these passages are separated by comparatively thin walls to permit the most facile heat transfer between the fluids flowing through them.

For convenience of description, the two-stage doublecylinder compressor illustarted in FIGS. 8 to 11 inclusive is shown with the two first stage pistons 43-43 opposed to each other and with the two second stage pistons 44-44 likewise opposed but out of phase. Thus one end of the compressor is the same as the other, with headers and valve plates differing only as to hand, and the description of one end will suflice for both. It will be understood, however, that any suitable arrangement of stages and cylinders may be employed and still utilize the internal heat exchange, accumulator, and muffler system herein described.

As shown in FIGS; 8 to 11, the passage 1 0nd f lead to the communicating chambers 51 and 52 in each of the headers 47 and 48 opposed to the larger cylinders 45-45 wherein the first-stage compression of the refrigerant is effected. The refrigerant is then discharged through the respective header chamber 53 to the passage g (FIG. 11). The passage g opens, through a restricted area j (FIG. 8) to the passage g which, adjacent its ends, leads to the respective chambers 54 (FIG. 11) in the headers 47 and 48 opening to the respective smaller cylinders 46-46 wherein the second-stage compression of the refrigerant is effected. The compressed refrigerant is then discharged through the respective chambers 55 to the valve plate opening 55 leading to the passage h and the outlet port 0 (FIGS. 10 and 11. As shown in FIG. 8 the solid lines indicate the fluid flow at one end of the compressor and the broken lines indicate the fluid flow at the other end. Each end, however, is identical with the other except for hand.

The valve plates 49 and 50 are of the conventional flapper-valve type. As most clearly shown in FIG. 11, each such plate has concentric series of openings 56 and 57 communicating respectively with the chamber 51-52 and the chamber 53 in the header 47. Refrigerant flow through these openings is controlled by the respective valves 58 and 59 as influenced by the suction and compression strokes of the respective pistons 43-43 in the cylinders 45-45. Also, as most clearly shown in FIG. 11, each of the valve plates 49 and 50 has a second series of concentric openings 61 and 62 communicating With the respective chambers 54 and 55 in the headers 47., Refrigerant flowthrough these openings is controlled by valves 63 and 64 as influenced by the suction and compression strokes of the pistons 44-44 in the cylinders 46-46. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 8 to 11 inclusive, pistons 43 and 44 comprise the first and second stage compression means at one end of the compressor which means is 180 out of phase with the compression means at the opposite end of the compressor.

In the adaptation shown in FIG. 12 the housing H is a cylinder block (not completely shown) centrally of which is a single cylinder and piston means, not shown, of conventional form, the end of the cylinder being closed by a header 67 wherein is formed the labyrinth L. The labyrinth L comprises contiguous passages k, l and m, concentrically arranged around the axis of the cylinder for directing the refrigerant flow between the inlet port I and the outlet port 0, as determined by the reciprocation of the piston in its cylinder.

As with the other adaptations, these passages k, l and m are separated by comparatively thin walls to permit the most facile heat transfer between the refrigerant flowing in opposite directions through the respective passages. The passages have decreasing radial width from the passage k inwardly to accommodate the decreasing volume between the inlet and outlet.

The inlet port I and the outlet port 0 are located near the adjacent ends of the respective passages k and m. The passage 1 leads to the valve plate inlet openings 68. The discharge openings 69 in the valve plate open to a central chamber n which, in turn opens into one end of the passage m. The openings 68 and 69 are controlled by conventional flapper-type valve mechanism in the header plate, (not completely shown here) of a form comparable to that indicated in FIGS. 6 and 7. To the extent here shown, such a valve plate has the concentric series of openings 68 and 69 communicating respectively with the passage l and a channel 71 leading from the chamber n to the passage m1. Refrigant flow between these series of concentric passages is controlled by the valves 72 and 73 respectively shown by the broken line outwardly concentric with the openings 68 and by the full line outwardly concentric with the dotted series of openings 69. In this compressor arrangement the relatively large area of the passage k, adjacent the inlet 1, serves as a suction accumulator and heat exchanger" for heating and gasifying any liquid entrained with the incoming cold gas.

In refrigeration systems provision has to be made for shunting the hot refrigerant flow from the compressor housing outlet 0 to the inlet I so as to temporarily bypass the refrigeration equipment when the demand for the refrigerant drops below a certain level, i.e. when the discharge back pressure on the compressor builds up to a predetermined amount. To that end the passage d in the adaptation of FIGS. 1-7, opens into an auxiliary passage d' (FIGS. 3 and 4), leading to the suction accumulator chamber 25. A conventionual pressure relief valve, not shown, can be suitably disposed in the passage d to control flow therethrough. For the adaptation shown in FIGS. 8-11 such a pressure relief valve can be arranged to connect between the passages f and h, exteriorly of the block 41, as indicated in dotted outline 74 in FIG. 8. For the adaptation shown in FIG. 12 such a conventional pressure relief valve can be arranged to bridge the inlet and outlet ports I and O.

In each of these adaptations the labyrinth passages are so arranged, in relation to each other and to the openings to and from a compression cylinder, that the refrigerant flow to the cylinder is exposed to the warming influence of the refrigerant flow from that cylinder.

In the adaptation shown in FIGS. 1-7 this juxtaposed counter flow is indicated in FIGS. 1 and 3. Here the saturated liquid refrigerant, being drawn from the evaporator by the suction of the first-stage piston, enters' the inlet I and dump into the accumulator chamber 25 from which it traverses the passages a and a in the direction of the arrows shown in these two figures. Between these passages a and a is the intermediate gas flow through passage b, from the first stage of compression to the second stage. The second stage more-highly compressed refrigerant, as a hot gas, is discharged from the cylinder 16 to the passage c, thence to the muffler chamber 29 and then transversely across the first stage end of the block 14 to the outlet port 0.

Thus, it is apparent that the comparatively cold refrigant flowing through the passages a and a is successively warmed by the counter flow of the warmintermediate gas and the hot gas successively discharged from through these several passages and transversely across the ends of the block 14, insures the requisite conversion of any liquid, in the entering cold refrigerant, into a completely vaporous condition so as to preclude all possibility of non-compressible liquid being introduced in to the compressor valves.

In operation the flow path through the combination compressor-heat exchanger unit of the structure shown in FIGS. 1-7 is as follows:

From the inlet port I the refrigerant is directed by the nozzle 30 (FIG. 4) to the bottom of the adjacent leg portion of the chamber 25 and over into the more remote portion thereof en route to being drawn into the passages a and a, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 4. At the opposite ends of the passages a and a, the action of the first-stage cylinder-piston unit 15-17 draws the refrigerant into the communicating chambers 23 and 24 and into the cylinder through the valve openings 31. The refrigerant is then pressured out through the valve openings 32 into the chamber 26 for entrance into the passage b, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 7.

By action of the second-stage cylinder-piston unit 16- 18 the refrigerant is drawn from the passage b into the chamber 27 and through the valve openings 36 into the cylinder 16 from which it is pressured through the chamber 28 into the passage 0 as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 6. From the passage 0 this highly-compressed, hot gas refrigerant is pressured through the muffling chamber 29 transversely across the first-stage end of the block '14 to the outlet port 0 as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 5.

Since the refrigerant will pick up some oil from the compression cylinders, small drain holes 76 (FIG. 4) are formed in the legs of the accumulator chamber 25 to drain into the crank case 77. This arrangement provides an automatic and built-in oil separator.

In operation the flow path through the improved compressor construction shown in FIGS. 8-11 is as follows:

From the inlet port I the refrigerant enters medially of the passage 1 and flows oppositely to and then through the passage i and i, in the respective ends of the block 41, to the passage f, as shown by the arrows in FIGS. 8 and 10. From the opposite ends of the passage f the alternating suction of the first-stage units 43-45, 43'45', causes the refrigerant to be drawn into the communicating chambers 51-52 in the respective headers 47 and 48 and thence through the valve openings 56 into the cylinders 45-45. From these cylinders the gas is discharged into the chamber 53 for entrance into the passage g, as shown by the arrows in FIGS. 8 and 1.

By virtue of the alternating action of the respective second-stage cylinder-piston units 44-46 and 44-46', the refrigerant entering the passage g is drawn through the transverse bafie passage 1' and into the adjacent end of the passage g. The alternating action of these secondstage units draws the refrigerant into the respective cylinders and then discharges the refrigerant into the chamber 55, in the respective headers 47, for discharge through the passage h to the outlet port 0, as shown by the arrows in FIGS. 8 and 11.

In operation the flow path through the compressor unit structured as shown in FIG. 12, is as follows:

From the inlet port I the suction stroke of the piston causes the refrigerant to enter the passage k and to travel around to the passage l where the refrigerant is drawn into the cylinder through the valve openings 68. The compression stroke of the piston then forces the refrigerant out through valve openings 69 into the chamber n and the channel 71 and thence through the passage in to the outlet port 0.

It will now be seen that my invention is applicable to substantially any form of refrigeration compressor construction' and in" any case, by utilizing the heat of compression to warm the cold gas, within the compressor itself, the lnvention provides a means for effecting greater operating efliciencies for both the compressor and the refrigeration system in which it is installed.

The main advantages of this invention reside in the structural arrangement of the compressor unit whereby a built-in suction accumulator and heat-exchanger is provided to lessen the possibility of liquid entrained in the cold gas, from damaging the intake and discharge valves; in the fact that the suction accumulator arrangement also may function as a suction mufiler to dampen suction noise; in the arrangement of the flow passages within the compressor whereby the hot compressed gas is delivered first to a built-in discharge mufiier section and thence to the compressor outlet so as to prevent transmission of discharge noise; in the arrangement in a two-stage compressor whereby the discharge mutfier section of the compressor passages also serves as part of the built-in heat exchanger for warming the cold gas from the evaporator before it enters the first stage of compression; and in the internal heat-transfer arrangement whereby, in a two stage compressor, the cold gas passages also serve as an intermediate gas cooler or desuperheater to increase the efiiciency of compressor operation.

Further advantages of my invention will be found in the fact that in a two stage compressor embodying the invention the compactness of the construction, in relation to capacity, provides a unit that is capable of low temperature operation with high efficiency and with lower power consumption and motor size than prior devices of like capacity; in the fact that my improved compressor reduces the need for extraneous heat transfer arrangements, other than the usual condenser and evaporator; and in the fact that the improved compressor permits simplification and considerable reduction in cost of the refrigeration system in which it is employed.

Although several embodiments of this invention have been herein shown and described it will be understood that details of the structures shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims:

I claim:

1. A compressor comprising a housing having spaced individual inlet and outlet ports for refrigerant fluid, cylinder-piston compression means in said housing, individual inlet and outlet valve means for controlling the flow of refrigerant into and out of the cylinder-piston compression means, and a flow passage labyrinth formed wholly within the body of the housing exteriorally of the cylinder-piston compression means and comprising separate contiguous flow passages arranged in counterflow heat exchange relation with each other for connecting the inlet and outlet ports with said compression means by way of respective ones of said valve means.

2. A compressor housing as set forth in claim 1 wherein an enlarged chamber portion is formed in the fluid flow path between said inlet and the said labyrinth to provide a suction accumulator section.

3. A compressor housing as defined by claim 1 wherein the cylinder-piston compression means comprises first and second stage compression units, valve means are provided for each of said units, and said labyrinth includes a passage leading from the valve means of the first stage unit to the valve means of the second stage unit and in heat transfer relation with a passage leading from said inlet to the valve means of the first stage unit.

4. A compressor housing as set forth in claim 3 wherein the compression units are axially parallel and the labyrinth passages are disposed parallel to the axes of the 0nd stage valve meansand communicating uninterruptedly with said inlet port, A

(b) first channel means in said housing connecting said first chamber with the intake valve means of the first stage compression unit,

(c) passage means in said housing arranged in heat exchange relation with said first channel means and connecting the discharge valve means of the first stage compression unit with the intake valve means of the second compression unit,

(d) a second chamber in said housing communicating with the discharge valve means of the second stage compression unit, and second channel means leading from said second chamber to said outlet port in heat exchange relation with said first channel means,

6. A compressor construction as defined in claim 5 wherein the first and second stage compression units are axially aligned, and the first channel means and said passage means are parallel with the axis of the compression units.

7. A compressor constructed according to claim 5 wherein the first and second stage compression units are axially aligned, and the said second chamber is located adjacent the first stage valve means.

8. A compressor construction according to claim 5 wherein the first and second stage compression units are axially aligned and operate from opposite ends of said housing, and means is provided for controlled direct communication between said second chamber and said first chamber.

9. The compressor construction defined in claim 5 wherein the first and second stage compression units are axially parallel, and the first channel means and said passage means are parallel with the axes of the compression units.

10. The compressor construction defined in claim 9 wherein the first and second stage compression units communicate with a common header, and the first and second chambers are at the same end of the housing.

11. A compressor construction as defined in claim 9 wherein the housing has opposed sets of first and second stage compression units and the like units of the two sets are axially aligned, the first and second stage units of each set communicating with a respective common header and the two headers being at opposite ends of said housing, the first and second chambers for each set of compression units are the respective end of the housing, and the first channel means and the passage means and the said inlet and outlet ports are common to both sets of compression units.

12. A compressor comprising (a) a housing having spaced inlet and outlet ports,

(b) a cylinder-piston compression component incorporated in the housing and including first- .and secondstage compression units,

(c) a refrigerant flow passage labyrinth incorporated in the housing exteriorly of the cylinder-piston compression component and providing a plurality of contiguous parallel passages (1) one pair of said passages being cross connected for joint communication with the inlet port and the first-stage compression unit,

(2) a third passage being interposed between the said one pair of passages and interconnecting the firstand second-stage compression units,

(3) and a fourth passage disposed in heat transfer relation with one of the said pair of passages and connecting the second-stage unit with the outlet port, and

(d) valve means for each of said compression units for controlling the How of refrigerant between the ports successively through the said pair of passages and the third and fourth passages.

13. A compressor as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cylinder-piston compression means is a single-stage unit and the flow passage labyrinth is arranged generally concentrically of the axis of the said compression means.

14. A compressor for gaseous fluids comprising a housing having a cylinder-piston compression means therein, intake valve means and discharge valve means for controlling the fiow of said fluid into and from said compression means, and a cold gas inlet port and a hot gas outlet port on said housing, said housing having (a) first flow passage means therein for connecting said inlet port with said intake valve means, and (b) separate flow passage means Within said housing for connecting said discharge valve means with said outlet port, said first flow passage means and said separate flow passage means extending side-by-side Within said housing and in counterfiow heat transfer relation With each other.

15. A compressor for gaseous fluids comprising a housing having first and second stage compression units therein, intake and discharge valve means for each of said compression units for controlling the flow of said fluid into and from the respective unit, a cold gas inlet port and a hot gas outlet port on said housing, said housing having therein (a) a first flow passage means for connecting said inlet 'port with the intake valve means of the said first stage compression unit,

(b) a conduit connecting the discharge valve means of the first stage compression unit With the intake valve means of the second stage unit, and

(c) a separate flow passage connecting the discharge valve means of said second stage unit with said hot gas outlet port,

said first flow passage leading from the cold gas inlet port being generally in contiguous counter-flow heat transfer relation with the said conduit and the said separate flow passage leading to the hot gas outlet port.

16. A compressor as defined by claim 15 wherein the first flow passage and the said separate flow passage each includes a chamber portion providing a suction accumulator section and a discharge muffier section respectively.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,761,391 9/1956 Johnston 103-203 X LAURENCE V. EFNER, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH H. BRANSON, JR., Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A COMPRESSOR COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING SPACED INDIVIDUAL INLET AND OUTLET PORTS FOR REFRIGERANT FLUID, CYLINDER-PISTON COMPRESSION MEANS IN SAID HOUSING, INDIVIDUAL INLET AND OUTLET VALVE MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF REFRIGERANT INTO AND OUT OF THE CYLINDER-PISTON COMPRESSION MEANS, AND A FLOW PASSAGE LABYRINTH FORMED WHOLLY WITHIN THE BODY OF THE HOUSING EXTERIORALLY OF THE CYLIN-

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