Heat pumps

Claim 1

IN A REFERIGERTION APPARATUS HAVING A COMPRESSOR; A CONDENSER; AN EVAPORATOR; AND FLUID CONDUIT MEANS FORMING A CLOSED REFRIGERANT CIRCUIT CONNECTING SAID COMPRESSOR, SAID CONDENSER, AND SAID EVAPORATOR AND INCLUDING A RETURN CONDUIT CONNECTED TO SAID EVAPORATOR FOR RETURNING REFRIGERANT TO SAID COMPRESSOR; THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING STABILIZER MEANS RESPONSIVE SUBSTANTIALLY ONLY TO EVAPORATOR LOAD VARIATIONS AND BEING OPERATIVE TO SEPARATE AND REMOVE FROM CIRCULATION THROUGH SAID CIRCUIT THE LIQUID PHASE OF THE REFRIGERANT STREAM FLOWING THROUGH SAID RETURN CONDUIT, SAID STABILIZER MEANS COMPRISING AN ENLARGED SECTION FORMING A PART OF SAID RETURN CONDUIT AND DEFINING A SEPARATION CHAMBER; BAFFLE MEANS DISPOSED IN SAID SEPARATION CHAMBER FOR EFFECTING THE SEPARATION OF THE LIQUID PHASE IN THE REFRIGERANT STREAM FROM THE GASEOUS PHASE THEREOF; A CLOSED CONTAINER DISPOSED EXTERIORLY OF SAID SEPARATION CHAMBER AND RETURN CONDUIT AND BEING CONNECTED IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH SAID SEPARATING CHAMBER FOR REMOVING AND COLLECTING THE LIQUID PHASE SEPARATED IN SAID CHAMBER; AND AN OIL RECOVERY FLUID CONDUIT CONNECTED AT ONE END TO SAID CONTAINER AT A REGION ADJACENT THE BOTTOM THEREOF AND NORMALLY BELOW THE LEVEL OF LIQUID COLLECTED THEREIN AND AT THE OTHER END TO THE PORTION OF SAID RETURN CONDUIT EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SEPARATION CHAMBER AND THE SUCTION SIDE OF SAID COMPRESSOR FOR CONTINUOUSLY RETURNING RELATIVELY SMALL MEASURED AMOUNTS OF COLLECTED LIQUID TOGETHER WITH ANY COMPRESSOR LUBRICANT OIL ADMIXED THEREWITH TO SAID COMPRESSOR DURING OPERATION THEREOF.