Abstract: An oil level regulator is disclosed for use in a refrigeration system which has an oil reservoir and at least one compressor with a crankcase for containing oil. The regulator has a body with an interior fluid chamber for receiving oil. An inlet communicates with the fluid chamber of the body and is connected by a conduit to the oil reservoir of the system. An outlet communicates from the fluid chamber through a conduit through to the crankcase of the compressor. A level detecting mechanism is disposed within the fluid chamber for detecting an oil level therein. The level detector mechanism includes a solenoid assembly which is actuated by the detector mechanism when the oil level within the chamber is determined to be at or below a predetermined level. A microprocessor is provided on the regulator which communicates with the detector mechanism and the solenoid assembly.

Abstract: A sight glass assembly for visually indicating the presence of moisture, oil or an acid in a refrigerant flow of a refrigeration or air conditioning system and a method of manufacture thereof is disclosed. The sight glass assembly includes an indicator cap attached to an in-line connector body. The indicator cap includes a piece of transparent sight glass. The sight glass is attached to the indicator cap and to a retaining tube that holds an indicator material. In a preferred embodiment, the sight glass is attached to the indicator cap and to the retaining tube by at least partially melting the sight glass so that it bonds with the indicator cap and, when the sight glass is in at least a partially molten condition, pressing the retaining tube into an inside surface of the sight glass to fixedly attach the retaining tube to the sight glass.

Abstract: An oil level regulator is provided for controlling the oil level in the crankcase of one or more refrigeration compressors or the like. The regulator has a closed chamber for containing the oil. An inlet valve assembly extends into the chamber and includes a float-controlled valve for introducing liquid into the chamber as necessary to maintain the oil level in the chamber and compressor crankcases. The inlet valve assembly includes a vertically telescoping piston for adjusting the float valve and the oil level regulator in the regulator chamber. The piston is moveable from outside the chamber in response to rotation of a concentric stem having a bore through which oil flows into the chamber. The float valve includes a lever bracket which extends horizontally across the chamber to contact a top of a float ball. The lever bracket pivots to cause side-to-side motion of a valve needle against a valve seat to control oil flow into the chamber.

Abstract: An oil separator for separating liquid oil from a gaseous refrigerant in a refrigerant system has an oil separator chamber and an oil reservoir chamber arranged horizontally adjacent to one another. The oil separator chamber contains an oil separator having an inlet for receiving a refrigerant/oil mixture, a separator for separating the gas and oil from the oil/gas mixture, a gas outlet and an oil outlet leading from the very bottom of the oil separator chamber into the oil reservoir chamber. The oil reservoir chamber contains an oil return inlet opening near a bottom of the oil reservoir chamber leading to an outside of the oil reservoir chamber. Also, an arrangement is provided at the oil outlet for allowing a flow of oil from the oil separator chamber to the oil reservoir chamber, but preventing a flow of oil from the oil reservoir chamber to the oil separator chamber.

Abstract: An oil level regulator is provided for controlling the oil level in the crankcase of one or more refrigeration compressors or the like. The regulator has a closed chamber for containing the oil. A float-controlled switch is operable to actuate a solenoid valve for introducing liquid into the chamber as necessary to maintain the oil level in the chamber and compressor crankcases.

Abstract: An improved oil/gas separator having an upright cylindrical housing with a radial oil/gas inlet and a gas outlet pipe arranged within the housing downward and terminating within the housing with an open end. A helical wall is mounted coaxially around the gas outlet pipe and an oil collection zone is arranged below the open end of the gas outlet pipe. A drip ring is mounted at a low end portion of the gas outlet pipe adjacent to the open end to prevent oil from being entrained into the gas proceeding into the open end. A replaceable porous filter can be provided above an exit end of the gas outlet pipe for a last stage of oil removal from the gas flowing through the separator. A baffle is arranged below the porous filter and above the helical wall for collecting oil removed by the porous filter.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved oil separator in which the oil/refrigerant mixture is caused to flow through two different filter elements. Each of the filter elements is contained in a separate chamber within the separator. A valve assembly is also provided that selectively permits only oil to flow from the first chamber to an oil collection area in the second chamber. The valve assembly regulates the flow of collected oil to the collection area such that the oil/refrigerant mixture cannot escape from the first chamber except by flowing through the filter element of the second chamber. In one embodiment, the valve assembly can include an elongated oil drain extending from a first end adjacent to an oil drain aperture in a dividing wall separating the first and second chambers to a second, open end. A valve seat is formed on the second end of the oil drain.

Abstract: An oil level sensor device for sensing and controlling the level of oil in the crankcases of refrigeration compressors, each compressor having a crankcase with a housing for oil that accumulates during the compression operation and each housing having an opening with a prism member mounted in it, the prism members having two angularly relating surfaces exposed to the oil in the crankcase and a light source and a light sensor mounted adjacent to the prism on the outside of the crankcase housing such that the light from each light source impinges on one of the angularly related prism surfaces and is reflected thereby to the second angularly related surface and then back to the light sensor. Each light sensor has an output which is connected to the input of the control circuit which operates to energize a solenoid valve to add oil to the crankcase from a remote source when the oil level in the crankcase as sensed is below a predetermined level.

Abstract: An oil control system and regulator for controlling the oil level in the crankcase of one or more refrigeration compressors or the like are disclosed. The regulator comprises a shell and end cap closures defining a closed chamber for containing the oil. An inlet extends through one of the end cap closures and includes a float controlled valve for admitting liquid to the chamber as necessary to maintain the oil level in the chamber and compressor crankcases and also includes a piston which is movable up and down to adjust the float and the oil level in the regulator chamber. A threaded adjusting pin extends through the end cap closure and into the chamber and threads on the adjusting pin are threaded through a coupling bracket which couples the pin with the piston to move the piston, float and valve for adjusting the oil level.