Oil separation arrangement in refrigeration systems

Claim 1

REFRIGERATION SYSTEM HAVING A COMPRESSOR TO COMPRESS A GASEOUS REFRIGERATION MEDIUM, A CONDENSER, MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID COMPRESSOR AND CONDENSER AND MEANS TO SEPARATE LEAKAGE OIL FROM THE GASEOUS MEDIUM CONNECTED TO SAID INTERCONNECTION MEANS, SAID SEPARATING MEANS COMPRISING MEANS FORMING A SEPARATING CHAMBER TO COLLECT HEATED, COMPRESSED REFRIGERATION MEDIUM AND OIL PARTICLES; INLET MEANS FOR SAID REFRIGERATION-OIL MIXTURE; REFRIGERATION MEDIUM OUTLET MEANS; AND OIL OUTLET MEANS; AND A THERMOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED OUTLET VALVE ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CHAMBER CONTROLIING FLOW THROUGH SAID OIL OUTLET MEANS, SAID VALVE HAVING A SENSING MEANS LOCATED AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID CHAMBER AND WITH RESPECT TO SAID REFRIGERATION INLET AND REFRIGERATION OUTLET MEANS TO HAVE ITS SURFACE AREA EXPOSED TO THE OIL SEPARATED FROM SAID MIXTURE, THE RELATIVE DEGREE OF EXPOSURE OF SURFACE AREA TO OIL WITH RESPECT TO THE SURFACE AREA EXPOSED TO THE OIL-REFRIGERATION MEDIUM MIXTURE DEPENDING UPON THE LEVEL OF SAID OIL WITHIN SAID SETTLING CHAMBER; SAID VALVE BEING SET TO PERMIT FLOW OF OIL THROUGH SAID OIL OUTLET MEANS IF THE TEMPERATURE OF ALL SAID SURFACE AREA IS IN EXCESS OF THE EVAPORATION TEMPERATURE OF SAID REFRIGERATION MEDIUM, SAID THERMOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED OUTLET VALVE INCLUDING AN INVERTED, PERFORATED CUP LOCATED IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID CHAMBER, A VALVE SEAT ARRANGED AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID CHAMBER AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID OIL OUTLET MEANS; A VALVE BODY SEATING ON SAID VALVE SEAT; SAID TEMPERATURE SENSITIVE ELEMENT BEING LOCATED WITHIN SAID PERFORATED CUP AND DIRECTLY OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE BODY TO OPERATE SAID VALVE BODY AND OPEN SAID VALVE WHEN THE TEMPERATURE ACTING ON A PREDETERMINED PORTION OF THE SURFACE AREA OF SAID SENSING ELEMENT EXCEEDS THE EVAPORATION TEMPERATURE OF SAID REFRIGERATION MEDIUM; A MESH SCREEN SURROUNDING SAID INVERTED, PERFORATED CUP; AND HEATING MEANS SURROUNDING SAID MESH SCREEN.