Claims
- 1. A scroll compressor comprising:
a first scroll member having a base and a generally spiral wrap extending from its base; a second scroll member having a base and a generally spiral wrap extending from its base, said scroll wraps of said first and second scroll members interfitting to define compression chambers; a shaft being driven by an electric motor for causing said second scroll member to orbit relative to said first scroll member; an electric motor for driving said shaft; a housing surrounding said first and second scroll members, said motor and said shaft; and said housing including a generally cylindrical center shell extending along a rotational axis of said shaft and having upper and lower end caps, said lower end caps including generally u-shaped structure extending upwardly into said center shell from a lower end, and an outer peripheral surface of said u-shaped structures defining a mounting location for an inner periphery of said center shell, said generally u-shaped structures being circumferentially spaced by gaps, and a weld seam on said center shell being positioned within said one of said gaps.
- 2. A scroll compressor as recited in claim 1, wherein an end of said shaft on a side of said motor remote from said first and second scroll members is mounted in a lower bearing, and said lower bearing being attached to said lower end cap.
- 3. A scroll compressor as recited in claim 1, wherein said u-shaped portions include an inner radius section and a radially outer radius section.
- 4. A scroll compressor as recited in claim 3, wherein an intermediate flat portion is positioned between said inner and outer radius portions.
- 5. A scroll compressor as recited in claim 1, wherein an outer peripheral surface of said u-shaped portions is generally cylindrical and serves as a guiding surface for said lower end of said center shell.
- 6. A method of providing an end cap into a lower end of a compressor comprising the steps of:
1) providing a center shell having a generally cylindrical inner surface, and providing a lower end cap having a plurality of circumferentially spaced guiding structural members, said guiding structural members being provided with an outer peripheral surface; 2) determining the desired location of a final outer peripheral surface of said guiding structure, and machining said outer peripheral surface of said guiding structure to reach said final preferred surface; and 3) mounting said center shell onto said guiding surfaces.
- 7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein a scroll compressor is further positioned within said center shell.
- 8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein a lower bearing member is mounted to said lower end cap, and the location of said desired outer peripheral surface is defined in conjunction with a desired surface for a bearing bore to ensure concentricity between said bearing bore and said desired surface.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/376,915, filed Aug. 18, 1999.