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Liquid refrigerant transfer method and system

  • US 5,046,320 A
  • Filed: 02/09/1990
  • Issued: 09/10/1991
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1990
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method of environmentally safely transferring low-pressure liquid refrigerant between a closed refrigeration system and a transportable, liquid refrigerant storage container, the refrigeration system including a drain valve and drain fitting located below a normal level of liquid refrigerant in the system and a fill valve and fill fitting located above the normal level of liquid refrigerant in the system, the liquid refrigerant storage container including at least two separate fittings providing separate access to the container interior, comprising the steps of:

  • sealingly coupling a liquid refrigerant pump between the drain fitting and one of the two storage container fittings through drain hosing, the drain hosing including at an end proximal the storage container one of a pair of mating, quick disconnect fittings of a quick disconnect coupling, the drain hosing further including a shut-off valve in the one quick disconnect fitting, the valve closing automatically when the pair of mating quick disconnect fittings are uncoupled, sealingly coupling the remaining one of the two storage container fittings and the refrigeration system fill fitting through vent hosing, and opening the system drain and fill valves;

    activating the pump to transfer low-pressure liquid refrigerant from the system through the drain hosing into the storage container;

    conducting refrigerant vapor and any liquid refrigerant overflow from the storage container back to the refrigeration system through the vent hosing;

    deactivating the pump;

    closing the drain hosing valve and disconnecting the drain hosing from the storage container by disconnecting the pair of fittings of the quick disconnect coupling and further disconnecting the vent hosing from the storage container;

    coupling the drain hosing and vent hosing with a second storage container and opening the drain hosing valve; and

    reactivating the pump to transfer liquid refrigerant from the system into the second storage container.

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