Compressor for single or multi-stage operation
First Claim
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1. Compressor means having a crankcase, a suction inlet adapted to be connected to an evaporator and a discharge adapted to be connected to a condenser comprising:
- a plurality of banks;
at least one bank of said plurality of banks normally connected to said suction inlet;
another bank of said plurality of banks normally connected to said crankcase and said discharge;
means for selectively connecting said at least one bank to either said crankcase or said discharge;
means for fluidly connecting said crankcase to said suction inlet when said at least one bank is connected to said discharge;
whereby when said at least one bank is connected to said crankcase, said another bank acts as a second stage and when said at least one bank is connected to said discharge said at least one bank and said another bank act as parallel single stage compressors.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a positive displacement compressor having a plurality of banks, operation can be multi-staged or single staged. Single stage operation can be of a single bank or plural banks in parallel. Switch-over between modes of operation is under the control of a microprocessor responsive to sensed inputs.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. Compressor means having a crankcase, a suction inlet adapted to be connected to an evaporator and a discharge adapted to be connected to a condenser comprising:
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a plurality of banks; at least one bank of said plurality of banks normally connected to said suction inlet; another bank of said plurality of banks normally connected to said crankcase and said discharge; means for selectively connecting said at least one bank to either said crankcase or said discharge; means for fluidly connecting said crankcase to said suction inlet when said at least one bank is connected to said discharge; whereby when said at least one bank is connected to said crankcase, said another bank acts as a second stage and when said at least one bank is connected to said discharge said at least one bank and said another bank act as parallel single stage compressors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. Compressor means having a crankcase, a suction inlet adapted to be connected to an evaporator and a discharge adapted to be connected to a condenser comprising:
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three banks; a first and a second one of said three banks being normally connected to said suction inlet; a third one of said plurality of banks being normally connected to said crankcase and said discharge; means for selectively connecting said first and second banks to either said crankcase or said discharge; means for fluidly connecting said crankcase to said suction inlet when said first and second banks are connected to discharge; whereby when said first and second banks are connected to said crankcase they act as a first stage and said third bank acts as a second stage and when said first and second banks are connected to discharge they act as a single stage and said third bank acts as a single stage in parallel with said first and second banks. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. Refrigeration means for cooling a zone including a closed circuit serially including compressor means, condenser means, expansion means and evaporator means:
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said compressor having three banks, a crankcase, a suction inlet connected to said evaporator and a discharge connected to said condenser; a first and a second one of said three banks being normally connected to said suction inlet; a third one of said three banks being normally connected to said crankcase and said discharge; means for selectively connecting said first and second banks to either said crankcase or said discharge; means for fluidly connecting said crankcase to said suction inlet when said first and second banks are connected to discharge; whereby when said first and second banks are connected to said crankcase they act as a first stage and said third bank acts as a second stage and when said first and second banks are connected to discharge they act as a single stage and said third bank acts as a single stage in parallel with said first and second banks. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for operating a compressor having three banks, a crankcase, a suction inlet adapted to be connected to an evaporator and a discharge adapted to be connected to a condenser comprising the steps of:
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supplying gas from said suction inlet to a first and second bank of said three banks; supplying gas from said crankcase to a third bank of said three banks; delivering compressed gas from said third bank to said discharge; selectively connecting said first and second banks to either said crankcase or said discharge whereby when said first and second banks are connected to said crankcase they act as a first stage and said third bank acts as a second stage and when said first and second banks are connected to discharge they act as a single stage and said third bank acts as a single stage in parallel with said first and second banks. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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Specification