Information
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Patent Grant
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6264446
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Patent Number
6,264,446
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Date Filed
Wednesday, February 2, 200024 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, July 24, 200122 years ago
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Inventors
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Original Assignees
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Examiners
- Denion; Thomas
- Trieu; Theresa
Agents
- Harness, Dickey & Pierce, P.L.C.
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CPC
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US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 418 556
- 418 88
- 418 554
- 184 616
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International Classifications
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Abstract
A vertical compressor is converted to a horizontal compressor by laying the vertical compressor on its side and locating it within the standard shell of a larger vertical compressor. The end caps and partition of the smaller compressor are removed while the end caps and the partition of the larger compressor are added. A lubricant pump pumps lubricant from the sump defined between the two shells to all areas of the compressor requiring lubrication.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to scroll machines. More particularly, the present invention relates to scroll compressors which are positioned horizontally and utilize an existing compressor shell to encase a second existing compressor shell within which the scroll compressor is located.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Scroll type machines are becoming more and more popular for use as compressors in both refrigeration as well as air conditioning applications due primarily to their capability for extremely efficient operation. Generally, these machines incorporate a pair of intermeshed spiral wraps one of which is caused to orbit relative to the other so as to define one or more moving chambers which progressively decrease in size as they travel from an outer suction port toward a center discharge port. An electric motor is provided which operates to drive the orbiting scroll member via a suitable drive shaft affixed to the motor rotor. In a hermetic compressor, the bottom of the hermetic shell normally contains an oil sump for lubricating and cooling purposes.
Generally, the motor includes a stator which is secured to the shell of the compressor. The motor rotor rotates within the stator to impart rotation to a crankshaft which is normally press fit within the motor rotor. The crankshaft is rotationally supported by a pair of bearings which are supported by a main bearing housing and a secondary bearing housing. The crankshaft includes an eccentric crank pin which extends into a bore defined in a hub of the orbiting scroll. Disposed between the hub of the crank pin and the inner surface of the bore is a drive bushing which rides against a bearing that is press fit within the bore of the hub.
The design for scroll compressors position the central axis of the crankshaft in a vertical or horizontal position. One difference between the vertical and horizontal scroll compressor designs is the lubrication sump and the delivery systems which deliver the lubricant to the various components of the compressor which require lubrication. In a typical vertically positioned compressor, lubricant is stored in the lower portion of the shell with the lower end of the crankshaft being submerged within the sump. The crankshaft has a relatively large diameter centrally located bore which communicates with a radially outwardly inclined smaller diameter bore which extends to the top of the crankshaft. The larger diameter bore acts as a pump to pump the lubricating fluid up the crankshaft into the smaller diameter bore and ultimately to all of the various portions of the compressor which require lubrication.
When the compressor is positioned horizontally, it is not practical to immerse the end of the crankshaft within the lubricant since this would require filling over one-half of the shell with lubricant. The present invention provides the art with a horizontal compressor which includes a typical vertical compressor which has been positioned horizontally. The horizontally positioned vertical compressor is disposed within the shell of a larger vertical compressor to provide the necessary lubrication sump for the horizontal compressor.
Other advantages and objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the subsequent detailed description, appended claims and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention:
FIG. 1
is a side view of a horizontal scroll type refrigeration compressor in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2
is an end view of the horizontal scroll type refrigeration compressor shown in
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 3
is a vertical cross-sectional view through the center of the scroll type refrigeration compressor shown in
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 4
is an end view of the scroll type refrigeration compressor shown in
FIG. 1
with the cap and partition removed; and
FIG. 5
is an end view of the scroll type refrigeration compressor at the end opposite to the one shown in
FIG. 1
with the end cap and the oil pump removed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in
FIGS. 1-5
a horizontal-type refrigeration scroll compressor in accordance with the present invention which is designated generally by the reference numeral
10
. Compressor
10
comprises an inner generally cylindrical shell
12
and an outer generally cylindrical hermetic shell
14
. Inner generally cylindrical shell
12
is preferably a standard compressor shell from a currently existing vertical compressor. Likewise, outer generally cylindrical hermetic shell
14
is preferably a standard compressor shell from a currently existing vertical compressor which is larger than the compressor from shell
12
. By utilizing two existing compressor shells, one large one small, the costs associated with producing horizontal compressor
10
can be reduced significantly.
Generally cylindrical hermetic outer shell
14
has welded at one end thereof an end cap
16
and at the opposite end an end cap
18
. A plurality of feet
20
are secured to shell
14
to facilitate this positioning of compressor
10
within a refrigeration system. Cap
16
is provided with a refrigerant discharge fitting
22
which may have the usual discharge valve therein. Other major elements affixed to shell
14
include a transversely extending partition
24
which is welded about its periphery at the same point that end cap
16
is welded to shell
14
, a suction fitting
56
, an oil drain fitting
28
, a terminal block
30
, a liquid injection fitting
32
and a sight glass
34
. Inner shell
12
is disposed within outer shell
14
and it is centrally positioned within outer shell
14
by a plurality of spacers
26
.
Major elements which are affixed to shell
12
include a main bearing housing
36
which is suitably secured to shell
12
by a plurality of radially outwardly extending legs and a secondary bearing housing
38
also having a plurality of radially outwardly extending legs each of which is also suitably secured to shell
12
. A motor stator
40
which is generally square or hexagonal in cross-section but with the corners rounded off is press fitted into shell
12
. The flats between the rounded corners on stator
40
provide passageways between stator
40
and shell
12
, which facilitate the flow of lubricant and refrigerant gas within shell
12
.
A drive shaft or crankshaft
42
having an eccentric crank pin
44
at one end thereof is rotatably journaled in a bearing
46
in main bearing housing
36
and a second bearing
48
in secondary bearing housing
38
. Crankshaft
42
has at the opposite end a relatively large diameter concentric bore
50
which communicates with a radially outwardly inclined smaller diameter bore
52
extending through crankshaft
42
. Secured to the outer side of secondary bearing housing
38
is a lubricant pumping system
60
which is powered by crankshaft
42
. Pumping system
60
includes an inlet housing assembly
62
, an inlet tube
64
and a lubricant pump
66
driven by crankshaft
42
. Lubricant pump
66
is secured to inlet housing assembly
62
which is in turn secured to secondary bearing housing
38
. Inlet tube
64
extends from inlet housing assembly
62
to a power position between shells
12
and
14
. The lower position between shells
12
and
14
define a sump
68
within which lubricant is accumulated. Pump
66
draws lubricant from sump
68
through tube
64
and housing assembly
62
and pumps this lubricant into bore
50
and into bore
52
and ultimately to all of the various portions of compressor
10
which require lubrication.
Crankshaft
42
is rotatively driven by an electric motor including stator
40
, windings
70
passing therethrough and a rotor
72
press fitted on crankshaft
42
and having first and second counterweights
74
and
76
, respectively.
The outer surface of main bearing housing
36
is provided with a flat thrust bearing surface
78
against which is disposed an orbiting scroll member
80
having the usual spiral vane or wrap
82
extending outward from an end plate
84
. Projecting outwardly from the opposite surface of end plate
84
of orbiting scroll member
80
is a cylindrical hub
86
having a journal bearing
88
therein and in which is rotatively disposed a drive bushing
90
having an inner bore
92
in which crank pin
44
is drivingly disposed. Crank pin
44
has a flat on one surface which drivingly engages a flat surface (not shown) formed in a portion of bore
92
to provide a radially compliant driving arrangement, such as shown in assignee's U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,382, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. An Oldham coupling
94
is also provided positioned between orbiting scroll member
80
and bearing housing
36
and keyed to orbiting scroll member
80
and a non-orbiting scroll member
96
to prevent rotational movement of orbiting scroll member
80
. Oldham coupling
94
is preferably of the type disclosed in assignee's co-pending U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,506, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Non-orbiting scroll member
96
is also provided having a wrap
98
extending outwardly from an end plate
100
which is positioned in meshing engagement with wrap
82
of orbiting scroll member
80
. Non-orbiting scroll member
96
has a centrally disposed discharge passage
102
which communicates with an upwardly open recess
104
which in turn is in fluid communication with a discharge muffler chamber
106
defined by cap
16
and partition
24
. An annular recess
108
is also formed in non-orbiting scroll member
96
within which is disposed a seal assembly
110
. Recesses
104
and
108
and seal assembly
110
cooperate to define axial pressure biasing chambers which receive pressurized fluid being compressed by wraps
82
and
98
so as to exert an axial biasing force on non-orbiting scroll member
96
to thereby urge the tips of respective wraps
82
,
98
into sealing engagement with the opposed end plate surfaces of end plates
100
and
84
, respectively. Seal assembly
110
is preferably of the type described in greater detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,539, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. Non-orbiting scroll member
96
is designed to be mounted to bearing housing
36
in a suitable manner such as disclosed in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,382 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,316, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Thus, horizontal compressor
10
of the present invention provides the art with an effective cost reducing method of converting a typical vertically oriented compressor into a horizontal compressor. The utilization of two shells from existing vertical compressors enables a low cost conversion to the horizontal system. The existing smaller shell with its compressor mounted within it is located within the shell of a large compressor. The two shells form a lubricant sump from which lubricant is pumped by a pumping system powered by the rotating crankshaft.
While the above detailed description describes the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it should be understood that the present invention is susceptible to modification, variation and alteration without deviating from the scope and fair meaning of the subjoined claims.
Claims
- 1. A horizontal scroll machine comprising:a first shell; a first scroll member disposed within said first shell, said first scroll member having a base plate and a first spiral wrap extending from said first base plate; a second scroll member disposed within said first shell, said second scroll member having a second base plate and a second spiral wrap extending from said second base plate, said second spiral wrap being intermeshed with said first spiral wrap; a drive member for causing said scroll members to orbit relative to one another whereby said spiral wraps create pockets of progressively changing volume between a suction pressure zone and a discharge pressure zone; a second shell; a first end cap attached to said second shell; a second end cap attached to said second shell, said end caps and said second shell defining an internal chamber, said first shell being disposed entirely within said chamber spaced from said first and second end caps, said second shell defining a lubricant sump; and a partition secured to said second shell, said partition separating said internal chamber into said suction pressure zone and said discharge pressure zone.
- 2. The scroll machine according to claim 1, further comprising a lubricant pump driven by said drive member, said lubricant pump being operable to pump lubricant from said sump.
- 3. The scroll machine according to claim 1, further comprising at least one spacer disposed between said first and second shells.
- 4. The scroll machine according to claim 1, wherein said first and second shells are cylindrical, said first and second shells being disposed co-axially.
- 5. The scroll machine according to claim 1, wherein said first and second shells each define a horizontal axis, said axes being parallel.
- 6. The scroll machine according to claim 5, wherein said axes are co-linear.
- 7. The scroll machine according to claim 1, further comprising a main bearing housing secured to said first shell, said main bearing housing rotatably supporting said drive member.
- 8. The scroll machine according to claim 7, further comprising a secondary bearing housing secured to said first shell, said secondary bearing housing rotatably supporting said drive member.
- 9. The scroll machine according to claim 8, further comprising a lubricant pump secured to said secondary bearing housing, said lubricant pump being operable to pump lubricant from said sump.
- 10. The scroll machine according to claim 9, wherein said lubricant pump is driven by said drive member.
- 11. The scroll machine according to claim 1, further comprising a suction inlet extending through said second shell.
- 12. The scroll machine according to claim 11, further comprising a discharge outlet extending through said second shell, said partition being disposed between said discharge outlet and said suction inlet.
- 13. The scroll machine according to claim 1, further comprising a discharge outlet extending through said second shell.
- 14. The scroll machine according to claim 1, further comprising a floating seal disposed between said partition and one of said scroll members.
- 15. A scroll machine comprising:a first shell defining a chamber; a first end cap attached to said first shell; a second end cap attached to said first shell; a partition dividing said chamber into a suction pressure zone and a discharge pressure zone; a second shell disposed within said suction pressure zone spaced from said first and second end caps; a first scroll member disposed within said second shell, said first scroll member having a base plate and a first spiral wrap extending from said first base plate; a second scroll member disposed within said second shell, said second scroll member having a second base plate and a second spiral wrap extending from said second base plate, said second spiral wrap being intermeshed with said first spiral wrap; and a drive member disposed within said second shell for causing said scroll members to orbit relative to one anther whereby said spiral wraps create pockets of progressively changing volume between said suction pressure zone and said discharge pressure zone.
- 16. The scroll machine according to claim 15, wherein a lubricant sump is defined between said first and second shells and said scroll machine further comprises a lubricant pump operable to pump lubricant from said sump.
- 17. The scroll machine according to claim 16, wherein said lubricant pump is driven by said drive member.
- 18. The scroll machine according to claim 15, further comprising at least one spacer disposed between said first and second shells.
- 19. The scroll machine according to claim 15, wherein said first and second shells are cylindrical, said first and second shells being disposed co-axially.
- 20. The scroll machine according to claim 15, wherein said first and second shells each define a horizontal axis, said axes being parallel.
- 21. The scroll machine according to claim 20, wherein said axes are co-linear.
US Referenced Citations (22)