Open cycle cooled refrigerant recovery apparatus

Claim 1

An apparatus for recovery, storage and recharging of refrigerants as are used in an outside refrigeration system comprising: A storage reservoir means including A connecting and conveying means to allow the filling or draining of said storage reservoir means and connection of storage reservoir means to an outside refrigeration system, and A required minimum charge of cooled refrigerant of the type to be recovered, stored in the storage reservoir means, which is normally maintained in its low temperature state utilizing A compressing means inducing stored refrigerant vapor from the storage reservoir means through A connecting means such that the stored refrigerant vapor is itself used directly in a evaporative cooling cycle such that said refrigerant is the operating refrigerant, which is compressed and discharged to An externally cooled condensing means which rejects heat outside the system and condenses said refrigerant which flows through An expansion valving means to reduce the pressure of said refrigerant and return same to the storage reservoir means, such described direct refrigeration cycle thereby providing the quantity of cooled liquid refrigerant which is utilized for recovery of refrigerant from an outside system as described below utilizing A valving and conveying means to distribute the flow of recovered refrigerant from the outside refrigeration system into the storage reservoir means and utilizing the difference of saturation pressures due to the subambient temperature of the stored refrigerant and contact condensation of the recovered refrigerant vapors by the cooled stored refrigerant, so as to induce the flow of the recovered refrigerant into the storage reservoir.

Claim 2

An apparatus for recovery, storage and recharging of refrigerants as are used in an outside refrigeration system comprising: A storage reservoir means including A connecting and conveying means to allow the filling or draining of said storage reservoir means and connection of storage reservoir means to an outside refrigeration system, and A required minimum charge of cooled refrigerant of the type to be recovered, stored in the storage reservoir means, which is normally maintained in its low temperature state utilizing A compressing means inducing stored refrigerant vapor from the storage reservoir means through A connecting means such that the stored refrigerant vapor is itself used directly in a evaporative cooling cycle such that said refrigerant is the operating refrigerant, which is compressed and discharged to An externally cooled condensing means which rejects heat outside the system and condenses said refrigerant which flows through An expansion valving means to reduce the pressure of said refrigerant and return same to the storage reservoir means, such described direct refrigeration cycle thereby providing the quantity of cooled liquid refrigerant which is utilized for recovery of refrigerant from an outside system as described below utilizing A valving and conveying means to distribute the flow of recovered refrigerant from the outside refrigeration system into the storage reservoir means and utilizing the difference of saturation pressures due to the subambient temperature of the stored refrigerant and contact condensation of the recovered refrigerant vapors by the cooled stored refrigerant, so as to induce the flow of the recovered refrigerant into the storage reservoir.