Environmental compressor protection assembly

Abstract

A compressor lubrication system including a positive displacement pump, a pressure relief valve assembly, and a divider block. The pressure relief valve assembly includes a housing that has an opening to the fluid distribution system and a relief passage. A conduit is connected from the relief passage to a fluid reservoir. The assembly also includes a pressure relief valve that has an open position in which fluid from the fluid distribution system can enter the relief passage, and a closed position in which fluid is prevented from entering the relief passage. A biasing element maintains a biasing force on the pressure relief valve. The pressure relief valve is maintained in the closed position when the biasing force exceeds the fluid force on the pressure relief valve and the pressure relief valve moves into the open position when the fluid force exceeds the biasing force.

1 - 5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . A relief valve for high pressure, low volume lubrication system for a compressor having the high pressure, low volume of lubrication supplied by a positive displacement pump, comprising:
 a pressure relief valve assembly having an inlet exposed to a lubricant and an outlet in fluid communication with a lubrication supply, the pressure relief valve assembly comprising:
 a main housing comprising a first opening in fluid communication with the lubricant and having a relief passage in fluid communication to an outlet, the main housing comprising a second opening; 
 an end cap moveably coupled to the main housing in the second opening, the end cap comprising at least one indicia; 
 a pressure relief valve comprising a piston to move within the main housing and at least one seal to inhibit lubricant from leaking around the piston, the pressure relief valve having an open position in which the lubricant can enter the relief passage and a closed position in which lubricant prevented from entering the relief passage, wherein the piston is operatively coupled to the end cap such that movement of the piston from the closed position to the open position operatively causes the end cap to move from a first position where the at least one indicia is not visible to a second position where the at least one indicia is visible; 
 a biasing element exerting a force on the piston such that the pressure relief valve is in the closed position when a fluid force is below a pressure relief setting and allowing the fluid force to move the piston to the open position when the fluid force exceeds the pressure relief setting; and 
 a catch, the catch preventing the biasing element from exerting the force on the piston once the piston moves to the open position. 
   
     
     
         7 . The relief valve of  claim 6  further comprising a press fit cap in the first opening wherein the press fit cap is operatively coupled to the main housing to inhibit the piston from leaving the main housing. 
     
     
         8 . The relief valve of  claim 6  wherein the catch comprises a dowel operatively coupled to the end cap to inhibit the end cap from leaving the main housing. 
     
     
         9 . The relief valve of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one indicia comprises a color. 
     
     
         10 . The relief valve of  claim 6 , wherein the biasing element is operatively coupled to the end cap to exert the force on the piston. 
     
     
         11 . The relief valve of  claim 10 , wherein the biasing element comprises a spring. 
     
     
         12 . The relief valve of  claim 11 , wherein the catch comprises at least one spheroid and a dowel and wherein the spheroid has a first position on one side of the dowel such that the spring exerts a force on the piston and a second position on another side of the dowel opposite the first side such that the spring is prevented from exerting a force on the piston. 
     
     
         13 . The relief valve of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one spheroid comprises a plurality of spheroids. 
     
     
         14 . The relief valve of  claim 6 , wherein the catch is reset by pushing the end cap from the second position to the first position. 
     
     
         15 . The relief valve of  claim 6 , wherein the end cap comprises a hole and the catch comprises at least one ball and a pin, the at least one ball being held in a first position at least partially within the hole by the dowel pin when the pressure relief valve is in the closed position such that the biasing element exerts the force on the piston, and moving over the dowel pin and out of the hole to a second position when the pressure relief valve is in the open position, such that the biasing element does not exert the force on the piston. 
     
     
         16 . A relief valve for high pressure, low volume lubrication system for a compressor having the high pressure, low volume of lubrication supplied by a positive displacement pump, comprising:
 a pressure relief valve assembly having an inlet exposed to a lubricant system, an outlet in fluid communication with a lubrication supply, and a relief passage to place the inlet and the outlet in fluid communication, the pressure relief valve assembly comprising:
 a housing wherein the housing includes the inlet in fluid communication with the lubricant system, the relief passage, and the outlet, the housing comprising a second opening opposite the first opening; 
 a device moveably coupled to the housing in the second opening, the device comprising indicia, the device moveable in the housing from a first position where the indicia is not visible to a second position where the indicia is visible; 
 a piston movably coupled to the housing and residing in part in the inlet, the piston having an open position in which the lubricant can enter the relief passage and a closed position in which lubricant prevented from entering the relief passage, wherein the piston is operatively coupled to the device such that movement of the piston from the closed position to the open position operatively causes the device to move to the second position where the indicia is visible; 
 a spring exerting a force on the device such that the piston is in the closed position when a fluid force is below a pressure relief setting and allowing the fluid force to move the piston to the open position when the fluid force exceeds the pressure relief setting; and 
 a catch, the catch to prevent the spring from moving the piston from the open position to the closed position. 
   
     
     
         17 . The relief valve of  claim 16 , wherein the inlet is coupled to a discharge of a positive displacement pump. 
     
     
         18 . The relief valve of  claim 17 , wherein the outlet is coupled to a lubricant reservoir that is in fluid communication with the inlet of the positive displacement pump. 
     
     
         19 . The relief valve of  claim 16 , wherein the indicia is a color. 
     
     
         20 . The relief valve of  claim 16 , wherein the catch is released by moving the device from the second position to the first position. 
     
     
         21 . The relief valve of  claim 16 , wherein the device is a cap. 
     
     
         22 . The relief valve of  claim 16  wherein the device comprises a hole and the catch comprises at least one ball and a pin, the at least one ball being held in a first position at least partially within the hole by the dowel pin when the pressure relief valve is in the closed position such that the biasing element exerts the force on the piston, and moving over the dowel pin and out of the hole to a second position when the pressure relief valve is in the open position, such that the biasing element does not exert the force on the piston 
     
     
         23 . A high pressure, low volume lubrication system for a compressor system comprising:
 a lubrication reservoir;   a positive displacement pump having an inlet coupled to the lubrication reservoir and an outlet;   a divider block, the divider block having an inlet in fluid communication with the outlet of the positive displacement pump and an outlet in fluid communication with a plurality of lubrication points in the compressor system; and   a relief valve in fluid communication with the outlet of the positive displacement pump and the inlet of the divider block, the relief valve comprising:
 a housing wherein the housing includes the inlet in fluid communication with the lubricant system, the relief passage, and the outlet, the housing comprising a second opening opposite the first opening; 
 an end cap moveably coupled to the housing in the second opening, the end cap having a colored portion, the end cap moveable in the housing from a first position where the colored portion is not visible to a second position where the colored portion is visible; 
 a piston movably coupled to the housing and residing in part in the inlet, the piston having an open position in which the lubricant can enter the relief passage and a closed position in which lubricant prevented from entering the relief passage, wherein the piston is operatively coupled to the device such that movement of the piston from the closed position to the open position operatively causes the end cap to move to the second position where the colored portion is visible; 
 a spring exerting a force on the piston such that the pressure relief valve is in the closed position when a fluid force is below a pressure relief setting and allowing the fluid force to move the piston to the open position when the fluid force exceeds the pressure relief setting; and 
 a catch, the catch to prevent the spring from moving the piston from the open position to the closed position.