System and method for reducing at least one of airflow turbulence and pressure fluctuation proximate a valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10125756-B2
Application number	US-201414579015-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2014
Priority date	Dec 22, 2014
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

A baffle, for directing air within a compressor head, includes a first leg extending along a first direction, positioned proximate to a first valve of the compressor head, and a second leg extending along the first direction and substantially parallel to the first leg, positioned proximate to a second valve of the compressor head. A first portion of air from a first side of the first leg is communicated to a second side of the first leg beyond an end of the first leg. An aperture in the first leg communicates a second portion of the air from the first side of the first leg to the second side of the first leg. A turbulence and/or pressure fluctuation proximate the first valve is reduced by communicating the second portion of the air from the first side to the second side of the first leg.

First claim

We claim:

1. A compressor head, comprising:
a first portion, including:
a first valve;
a second valve;
a lower portion of an air channel, the first and second valves communicating air into the lower portion of the air channel; and
a first portion of a cooling channel adjacent the lower portion of the air channel;

a second portion, including:
an upper portion of the air channel; and
a second portion of the cooling channel adjacent the upper portion of the air channel; and

a baffle directing the air between the lower portion of the air channel and the upper portion of the air channel, the baffle including:
a first leg, extending between the lower portion of the air channel and the upper portion of the air channel, positioned proximate to the first valve, a first portion of the air being communicated from the lower portion of the air channel to the upper portion of the air channel beyond an end of the first leg;
a second leg, extending between the lower portion of the air channel and the upper portion of the air channel, positioned proximate to the second valve;
a baffle aperture, along a fluid path before the first valve for the air flowing from the second leg to the first leg, communicating a second portion of the air from the lower portion of the air channel to the upper portion of the air channel; and
at least one additional baffle aperture in the first leg, proximate to the first valve and after the baffle aperture along the fluid path of the air flowing from the second leg to the first leg, communicating respective additional portions of the air from the lower portion of the air channel to the upper portion of the air channel;
the communication of the first and additional portions of the air along with the communication of the second portion of the air creating a reduction in at least one of airflow turbulence and pressure fluctuation proximate the first valve.

2. The compressor head as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
the baffle aperture and each of the additional baffle apertures are substantially aligned along an axis of the first leg.

3. The compressor head as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
the first leg is substantially parallel to the second leg.

4. The compressor head as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
the baffle extends a path of the air along a wall adjacent to the cooling channel.

5. The compressor head as set forth in claim 4 , wherein:
the extended path of the air along the wall adjacent to the cooling channel results in a reduced temperature of the air.

6. The compressor head as set forth in claim 1 , further including:
a plate between the first portion of the compressor head and the second portion of the compressor head; and
a plate aperture beyond the end of the first leg;
wherein the lower portion of the air is communicated from the first portion of the air channel to the upper portion of the air channel via the plate aperture.

7. The compressor head as set forth in claim 6 , wherein:
the baffle is secured to the plate.

8. The compressor head as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
the reduction in at least one of the airflow turbulence and the pressure fluctuation reduces a structural stress on the first valve.

9. The compressor head as set forth in claim 8 , wherein:
the first valve is a reed valve; and
the reduction in at least one of the airflow turbulence and the pressure fluctuation proximate the reed valve reduces the structural stress on the reed valve.

10. The compressor head as set forth in claim 9 , wherein:
the reduction in at least one of the airflow turbulence and the pressure fluctuation proximate to the reed valve extends an average useful life of the reed valve.

11. A baffle for directing air within a compressor head, the baffle including:
a first leg extending substantially parallel to a first valve of the compressor head, the first leg including:
a first face facing toward the first valve; and
a second face facing away from the first valve;

a second leg extending substantially parallel to a second valve of the compressor head, the second leg including:
a first face facing toward the second valve; and
a second face facing away from the second valve; and

an aperture in the first leg, along a fluid path before the first valve for the air communicated from the second leg to the first leg along the first faces, a first portion of the air communicated from the second leg to the first leg along the first faces passing the aperture and being communicated to the second face of the first leg past an end of the first leg, and a second portion of the air communicated from the second leg to the first leg along the first faces being communicated to the second face of the first leg via the aperture, communication of the second portion of the air via the aperture reduces at least one of airflow turbulence and pressure fluctuation of the air impacting the first valve.

12. The baffle for directing air within the compressor head as set forth in claim 11 , wherein:
the first portion of the air encounters the second portion of the air on the second face of the first leg.

13. The baffle for directing air within the compressor head as set forth in claim 11 , further including:
at least one additional aperture in the first leg;
wherein a third portion of the air communicated from the second leg to the first leg along the first faces is communicated to the second face of the first leg via the at least one additional aperture.

14. The baffle for directing air within the compressor head as set forth in claim 13 , wherein:
there are two of the at least one additional apertures.

15. A method for communicating air within a compressor head, the method comprising:
receiving air into a first portion of the compressor head via a first valve and a second valve; and
reducing at least one of airflow turbulence and pressure fluctuation proximate the first valve, including:
directing the air in the first portion of the compressor head along a fluid path from the second valve toward the first valve;
directing a first portion of the air from the first portion of the compressor head to a second portion of the compressor head at a first position, along the fluid path, that is beyond a divider between the first portion of the compressor head and the second portion of the compressor head; and
directing a second portion of the air from the first portion of the compressor head to the second portion of the compressor head at a second position along the fluid path that is proximate the first valve and before the first position by passing the second portion of the air through the divider at the second position.

16. The method for communicating air within the compressor head as set forth in claim 15 , wherein the step of passing the second portion of the air through the divider includes:
passing the second portion of the air through the divider at the second position that is one of i) across and ii) before the first valve along the fluid path.

17. The method for communicating air within the compressor head as set forth in claim 15 , further including:
directing a third portion of the air from the first portion of the compressor head to the second portion of the compressor head at a third position, along the fluid path, that is proximate the first valve and before the first position.

18. The method for communicating air within the compressor head as set forth in claim 17 , further including:
passing the second portion of the air through the divider at the second position that is one of across an

Assignees

• Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems Llc

Inventors

• Harte Shane A
• Hoban Edward F
• Gilbert Gene E

Classifications

• F04B39/0055 Primary

  with a special shape of fluid passage, e.g. bends, throttles, diameter changes, pipes · CPC title

• F04B39/125

  Cylinder heads · CPC title

• F04B39/064

  Cooling by a cooling jacket in the pump casing · CPC title

• F04B39/0061 Primary

  using muffler volumes · CPC title

• F04B53/124

  Oscillating valves · CPC title