A valve assembly includes a seat plate having a top surface and a bottom surface, a plurality of first valve modules arranged in a first level relative to the seat plate such that a first seating face of each of the plurality of first valve modules is substantially co-planar with a first plane that is substantially parallel to at least one of the top surface and the bottom surface of the seat plate, and at least one second valve module arranged in a second level relative to the seat plate such that a second seating face of the at least one second valve module is co-planar with a second plane that is substantially parallel to the first plane, wherein the second plane is offset from the first plane by a first distance.

A communication pipe outlet (263) of a suction muffler (26) included in a hermetic compressor (10) includes a communication opening (264). An upper shape (264a) of the communication opening (264) is a curved protruding shape, and a lower shape (264b) of the communication opening (264) is a rectangular shape. A suction hole (33) of a valve plate (30) included in the hermetic compressor (10) is formed such that the cylinder side of the suction hole (33) has a non-recessed closed-curve shape, and the communication pipe side of the suction hole (33) has a shape similar to that of the communication opening (264). The valve plate (30) and a communication pipe (262) are connected in a state where an upper peripheral surface of the communication opening (264) of the communication pipe outlet (263) corresponds to an upper peripheral surface of the suction hole (33).

A piston pump configured to suction and discharge a working fluid includes a plurality of pistons, a cylinder block accommodating the pistons, a shaft combined with the cylinder block, swash plate configured to reciprocate the pistons in accordance with rotation of the cylinder block, a casing accommodating the cylinder block, and a valve plate placed between the cylinder block and the casing. The valve plate has a suction port providing communication between capacity chambers and a suction passage, and the suction port is a cutout part formed by cutting out an outer edge of the valve plate.

A vacuum valve comprises a valve suction port flange; a valve exhaust port flange having a greater opening diameter than that of the valve suction port flange; a valve plate; a valve driver configured to slidably drive the valve plate between a closed position and an opening position; and a gas flow path region including an opening of the valve exhaust port flange and having a changing flow path sectional area. In the gas flow path region, a flow path sectional area of an upstream region end is set to an opening sectional area of the valve suction port flange, and increases toward the opening of the valve exhaust port flange.

An improved air compressor includes a cylinder fitted with a piston body, a main frame for mounting a motor, and an air storage container. The cylinder defines at its top wall a plurality of exit holes, which are separated by a plurality of blocking walls and regulated by a resilient sheet having a plurality of branches corresponding to the exit holes. When the compressed air produced in the cylinder pushes the resilient sheet up to open the exit holes, the instantaneous high-pressure air that flows through the exit holes can be restrained by the air blocking walls to prevent the air from interfering with movements of the branches of the resilient sheet, so that the piston body can conduct reciprocating motion more smoothly and thus the performance of the air compressor can be increased.

A head assembly for a multi-cylinder compressor or pump having a first cylinder and a second cylinder includes a valve plate that has a first cylinder portion, a second cylinder portion, and a third portion positioned therebetween. The valve plate further including a valve plate face with a first aperture extending through the first cylinder portion and a second aperture extending through the second cylinder portion. The head assembly also includes a head cover having a head cover face, and at least one wall extending from one of the valve plate face and the head cover face to form a channel. The head cover being couplable to the valve plate such that the channel cooperates with the other of the valve plate face and the head cover face to form a chamber extending between and enclosing the first and second apertures of the valve plate.

A valve device of a compressor of the present invention comprises a plate (17), a reed (21, 75), and a stopper (31), wherein the reed includes: an opening/closing section (60, 70), a fastened section (61, 71); and a joining section (62, 72), the opening/closing section, the fastened section and the joining section being arranged in a direction in which a symmetric axis extends; wherein in a portion of the joining section which is closer to the opening/closing section, a pair of portions (102, 112, 82, 86) of an outer periphery of each of one or two openings (63, 65, 73, 77) which are closest to both ends of the joining section are symmetric with respect to the symmetric axis so as to form a substantially-V-shape or substantially-U-shape, in a direction from the opening/closing section toward the fastened section; and in a portion of the joining section which is closer to the fastened section, a pair of portions (103, 113, 83, 87) of the outer periphery of each of one or two openings which are closest to the both ends of the joining section are symmetric with respect to the symmetric axis so as to form a substantially-V-shape or substantially-U-shape, in a direction from the fastened section toward the opening/closing section.

A fluid-handling cassette comprising a plurality of diaphragm valves and pumps is configured to have its actuation ports located along a thin or narrow edge of the cassette. Actuation channel % within the cassette lead from the actuation ports to actuation chambers of the valves and pumps in a space between plates that comprise the cassette. The individual plates have a nominal thickness that is sufficient to provide a rigid ceiling for the actuation channels, but sufficiently thin to minimize the overall thickness of the cassette. The cassette can be plugged into or unplugged from an actuation receptacle or a manifold by its narrow edge. A plurality of such cassettes can be stacked together or spaced apart from each other to form a cassette assembly, providing for a convenient way to install and remove the cassette assembly from its actuation receptacle. The arrangement allows for an improved way of connecting a complex cassette assembly to its associated pressure distribution manifold without the use of a plurality of flexible connecting tubes between the two.

Reciprocating-type compressor for refrigeration and/or conditioning and/or heat pump systems, comprisinga casing in which there is defined at least one compression section comprising at least one cylinder and a corresponding compression piston, a head provided on said casing, defining a delivery chamber immediately down-stream of said compression section, and adapted to receive the compressed fluid from said compression section, an intake zone from where the fluid to be compressed in the at least one cylinder of said compression section is introduced, a delivery tap at the operational outlet of said compression chamber, characterized in that it comprises a check valve placed between said operational outlet of said compression chamber and said delivery tap, adapted to prevent the return of fluid into the compression chamber from said delivery tap.

A reed valve module includes a module body and a reed petal. The module body includes a seating surface located on a first side of the module body and a sealing face located on a second side the module body. The reed petal is positioned adjacent to the second side of the module body and adapted to seal against the sealing face when the reed petal is in a closed position, wherein the reed valve module is a self-contained modular unit that is adapted to be inserted into a receiving cavity of a modular reed valve assembly such that the seating surface is positioned adjacent to a retaining surface of the modular reed valve assembly and an interfacing surface of the reed valve module is positioned adjacent to a second retaining surface of the modular reed valve assembly, and wherein the reed valve module is adapted to be captured and retained within the modular reed valve assembly between the first and second retaining surfaces.