Refrigeration systems

Claim 1

IN A CHARGED REFRIGERATION SYSTEM COMPRISING A COMPRESSOR UNIT HAVING MEANS THEREON DEFINING AN OPENING EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF SAID UNIT, SAID COMPRESSOR UNIT BEING ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A REFRIGERANT UNDER PRESSURE, A VALVE INCLUDING A VALVE BODY, A CHAMBER IN SAID BODY, A PROJECTION ON SAID VALVE BODY PROVIDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID CHAMBER AND THE EXTERIOR OF SAID BODY, MEANS DEFINING AN OPENING ON SAID COMPRESSOR UNIT INCLUDING AN ANNULAR SEALING SURFACE LYING IN A PLANE GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE AXIS OF THE OPENING, SAID PROJECTION HAVING A COMPLEMENTARY ANNULAR SEALING SURFACE LYING IN A PLANE GENERALLY PERPENDICUALR TO THE AXIS OF THE PASSAGEWAY THROUGH SAID PROJECTION, AN ANNULAR RIB ON ONE OF SAID ANNULAR SEALING SURFACES CLOSELY ADJACENT BUT SPACED RADIALLY FROM SAID OPENING, THE RADIAL WIDTH OF SAID ANNULAR RIB BEING A RELATIVELY NARROW PART OF THE RADIAL WIDTH OF SAID ONE ANNULAR SURFACE, THE OTHER SAID ANNULAR SEALING SURFCE BEING FORMED WITH A COMPLEMENTARY GROOVE THEREIN HAVING A RADIAL WIDTH GREATER THAN THE WIDTH OF SAID RIB, A RING OF DEFORMABLE MATERIAL POSITIONED IN AND FILLING SAID GROOVE RADIALLY, AND MEANS FOR DRAWING AND HOLDING SAID VALVE AGAINST SAID COMPRESSOR UNIT TO BRING SAID RIB INTO HIGH UNIT PRESSURE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RING PROVIDING A GAS TIGHT SEAL BY MANUAL FINGER FORCE AND PERMITTING RELATIVE ANGULAR ADJUSTMENT OF SAID BODY RELATIVE TO SAID REFRIGERATION UNIT BY MANUAL FORCE WITHOUT LOSING REFRIGERANT, SAID ANNULAR RIB ENGAGING SAID RING WHEN THE VALVE IS IN FIXED OPERATING POSITION ON SAID COMPRESSOR UNIT AND CAUSING SAID RING TO FLOW SO THAT THE ANNULAR SEALING SURFACES ARE IN ENGAGEMENT IN THE AREAS SURROUNDING SAID GROOVE TO PROVIDE RIGIDITY TO SAID VALVE, SAID MEANS BEING INDEPENDENT OF THE ANUGLAR POSITION OF SAID BODY RELATIVE TO SAID REFRIGERATION UNIT, WHEREBY SAID BODY MAY BE ANGULARLY POSITIONED RELATIVE TO SAID COMPRESSOR UNIT IN ACCORDANCE WITH SPACE LIMITATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DIRECTION IN WHICH IT IS DESIRED TO HAVE THE FIRST PASSAGEWAY EXTEND.