Discharge valve with dampening

1 . A compressor assembly comprising:

a compressor mechanism defining at least one compression chamber and having at least one discharge port defining at least one discharge passage;

a discharge chamber defined by said assembly, said at least one discharge passage providing fluid communication between said at least one compression chamber and said discharge chamber; and

a valve assembly mounted on said compressor mechanism and controlling the passage of compressed fluid from said at least one compression chamber to said discharge chamber, said valve assembly including a flexible valve member, a rigid valve retainer and at least one dampening element, said flexible valve member having a first portion secured to said compressor mechanism and a second portion freely extending from said first portion, said second portion having a closed position sealingly engageable with said at least one discharge port to thereby prevent passage of fluid from said compression chamber to said discharge chamber through said at least one discharge passage, said second portion being flexible outwardly away from said at least one discharge port thereby allowing passage of fluid from said compression chamber to said discharge chamber through said at least one discharge passage, said rigid valve retainer having a first surface defining a first surface area, said first surface facing said valve member and being disposed to limit the outward flexing of said second portion of said valve member, said at least one dampening element non-movingly affixed to said valve retainer and projecting from said first surface toward said valve member substantially opposite said discharge port wherein said valve member strikes said dampening element before said first surface proximate said dampening element when said valve member is biased away from said discharge port, said dampening element defining a second surface area facing said valve member, said second surface area being less than said first surface area.

2 . The compressor assembly of claim 1 wherein said valve retainer comprises a metallic material and said at least one dampening element comprises a thermosetting material.

3 . The compressor assembly of claim 2 wherein said valve retainer includes at least one mounting aperture, said at least one dampening element being partially disposed within said at least one mounting aperture.

4 . The compressor assembly of claim 1 wherein said at least one dampening element comprises a polyetherimide material.

5 . The compressor assembly of claim 4 wherein said valve retainer comprises a cold rolled steel material.

6 . The compressor assembly of claim 4 wherein said at least one dampening element projects outwardly from said first surface by a distance between approximately 0.004 inches and 0.008 inches.

7 . The compressor assembly of claim 4 wherein said at least one dampening element projects outwardly from said first surface by a distance between approximately 0.004 inches and 0.005 inches.

8 . The compressor assembly of claim 4 wherein said valve retainer includes at least one mounting aperture, said at least one dampening element being partially disposed within said at least one mounting aperture.

9 . The compressor assembly of claim 1 wherein said at least one discharge port includes a plurality of discharge ports defining a plurality of discharge passages providing fluid communication between said at least one compression chamber and said discharge chamber and wherein said second portion of the said valve member is sealingly engageable with said plurality of discharge ports and wherein said at least one dampening element comprises a plurality of discrete dampening elements non-movingly affixed to said valve retainer, said dampening elements being spaced apart and each of said dampening elements projecting from said first surface toward said valve member and disposed substantially opposite a respective one of said plurality of discharge ports wherein said second portion of said valve member strikes said plurality of dampening elements before said first surface proximate said dampening elements when said valve member is biased away from said discharge port.

10 . The compressor assembly of claim 9 wherein said compressor mechanism is a reciprocating compressor mechanism.

11 . A method of dampening a valve impact in a compressor assembly, said method comprising:

compressing a fluid in the compression chamber of a compressor mechanism;

discharging the compressed fluid from the compression chamber to a discharge chamber through at least one discharge port;

securing a valve member to the compressor mechanism wherein said valve member has a freely extending portion sealingly engageable with the discharge port to close the discharge port and being flexible outwardly away from the at least one discharge port;

providing a rigid valve retainer having a first surface defining a first surface area;

securing the valve retainer to the compressor mechanism wherein the first surface faces the valve member and is positioned to limit the outward flexing of the valve member;

affixing a dampening element to the valve retainer substantially opposite the discharge port wherein the dampening element projects outwardly from the first surface towards the valve member and defines a second surface area facing the valve member, the second surface area being less than the first surface area;

biasing the valve member into an open position away from the discharge port towards the valve retainer; and

dampening the impact of the valve member against the valve retainer with the dampening element.

12 . The method of claim 11 further comprising providing the valve retainer with at least one mounting aperture and affixing the at least one dampening element to the valve retainer by partially disposing the at least one dampening element in the at least one mounting aperture.

13 . The method of claim 12 wherein the dampening element is snap-fit into the mounting aperture.

14 . The method of claim 12 wherein the compressed fluid is discharged from the compression chamber to the discharge chamber through a plurality of discharge ports and the freely extending portion of the valve member sealingly engages each of the plurality of discharge ports and is flexible outwardly away from each of the discharge ports; the at least one mounting aperture comprising a plurality of mounting apertures and the at least one dampening element comprising a plurality of discrete dampening elements wherein each of the dampening elements is secured in a mounting aperture substantially opposite one of the plurality of discharge ports, each of the plurality of dampening elements projecting outwardly from the first surface towards the valve member.

15 . The method of claim 14 wherein the valve member has a generally circular shape and is secured to the compressor mechanism at two diametrically opposite locations, the freely extending portion of the valve member comprising two separate freely extending sections.

16 . The method of claim 11 wherein the valve retainer is formed of a metallic material and the at least one dampening element is formed of a thermosetting material.

17 . The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one dampening element is formed of polyetherimide material.

18 . The method of claim 17 wherein the valve retainer is formed of cold rolled steel.

19 . The method of claim 17 wherein the at least one dampening element projects outwardly from the first surface by a distance between approximately 0.004 inches and 0.008 inches.

20 . The method of claim 17 wherein the at least one dampening element projects outwardly from the first surface by a distance between approximately 0.004 inches and 0.005 inches.