This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Korean Application No. 10-2009-0120792, filed in Korea on Dec. 7, 2009, whose entire disclosure is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field
This relates to a compressor, and in particular, to a rotary compressor capable of supplying refrigerant to a plurality of compression spaces through a single suction passage.
2. Background
In general, refrigerant compressors are used in refrigerators or air conditioners using a vapor compression refrigeration cycle (hereinafter, referred to as ‘refrigeration cycle’). A constant speed type compressor may be driven at a substantially constant speed, while an inverter type compressor may be operated at selectively controlled rotational speeds.
A refrigerant compressor in which a driving motor and a compression device operated by the driving motor are installed in an inner space of a hermetic casing is called a hermetic compressor, and may be used in various home and/or commercial applications. A refrigerant compressor in which the driving motor is separately installed outside the casing is called an open compressor. Refrigerant compressors may be further classified into a reciprocal type, a scroll type, a rotary type and others based on a mechanism employed for compressing a refrigerant.
The rotary compressor may employ a rolling piston which is eccentrically rotated in a compression space of a cylinder, and a vane, which partitions the compression space of the cylinder into a suction chamber and a discharge chamber. Such a compressor may benefit from an enhanced capacity or a variable capacity.
The embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements wherein:
A twin rotary compressor may include a plurality of cylinders that may be selectively operated to provide increased and or variable capacity. Such a twin rotary compressor may employ an independent suction mechanism, in which suction pipes are respectively connected to the cylinders, or an integrated suction mechanism, in which a common suction pipe is connected to one of the two cylinders, or a common suction pipe is connected to a middle plate, which is disposed between the cylinders to partition the compression space. A plurality of coupling bolts may couple, at both sides in an axial direction, the cylinders, the middle plate between the cylinders and a plurality of bearings that cover the cylinders to form each compression space.
However, as the coupling bolts are typically coupled to one of the cylinders, cylinder deformation may occur during coupling. This deformation may cause unstable behavior of the vane, which is inserted in the cylinder to reciprocate in the cylinder, thereby lowering a compression capacity. That is, when the coupling bolts are coupled to one of the cylinders through the bearings and the middle plate, the cylinder may be deformed due to a clamping force generated upon coupling of the coupling bolts, which may cause a vane slot in the vane to be twisted or otherwise deformed, increasing friction between the vane and the vane slot or bending of the vane, and lowering of a sealing force with a rolling piston, thereby deteriorating the compression capacity of the compressor.
As shown in
The compressor 1, as shown in
The inner space of the casing 100 is maintained in a discharge pressure state by a refrigerant discharged from both the first and second compression devices 300 and 400 or from the first compression device 300. A gas suction pipe 140 that allows refrigerant to be drawn in between the first and second compression devices 300 and 400 may be connected to a lower portion of the casing 100, and a gas discharge pipe 250 that allows compressed refrigerant to be discharged into a refrigeration system may be connected to an upper end of the casing 100. The gas suction pipe 140 may be inserted in a middle connection pipe, which is inserted in a suction passage 131 of a middle plate 130, and in certain embodiments, may be welded to the middle connection pipe.
The motor 200 may include a stator 210 secured to an inner circumferential surface of the casing 100, a rotor 220 rotatably disposed within the stator 210, and a crank shaft 230 shrink-fitted to the rotor 220 so as to be rotatable with the rotor 220. The motor 200 may be a constant speed motor, an inverter motor, or other type of motor as appropriate. In consideration of fabricating cost, the motor 200 may be a constant speed motor so as to idle one of the first or second compression devices 300 and 400, when necessary, so as to switch an operational mode of the compressor.
The crank shaft 230 may include a shaft portion 231 coupled to the rotor 220, and first and second eccentric portions 232 and 233 formed at a lower portion of the shaft portion 231 so as to be eccentric to both right and left sides of the shaft portion 231. The first and second eccentric portions 232 and 233 may be symmetrically formed by a phase difference of about 180° therebetween. First and second rolling pistons 320 and 420, which will be described later, may be rotatably coupled to the first and second eccentric portions 232 and 233, respectively.
The first compression device 300 may include a first cylinder 310 having an annular shape and installed within the casing 100, the first rolling piston 320 rotatably coupled to the first eccentric portion 232 of the crank shaft 230 to compress a refrigerant as it orbits in a first compression space V1 of the first cylinder 310, a first vane 330 movably coupled to the first cylinder 310 in a radial direction such that a sealing surface of one end thereof contacts an outer circumferential surface of the first rolling piston 320 so as to partition the first compression space V1 of the first cylinder 310 into a first suction chamber and a first discharge chamber, and a vane spring 340 implemented as, for example, a compression spring, so as to elastically support a rear end of the first vane 330.
The second compression device 400 may include a second cylinder 410 having an annular shape and installed below the first cylinder 310 within the casing 100, the second rolling piston 420 rotatably coupled to the second eccentric portion 233 of the crank shaft 230 to compress a refrigerant as it orbits in a second compression chamber V2 of the second cylinder 410, a second vane 430 movably coupled to the second cylinder 410 in a radial direction and contacting an outer circumferential surface of the second rolling piston 420 so as to partition the second compression space V2 of the second cylinder 410 into a second suction chamber and a second discharge chamber or separated from the outer circumferential surface of the second rolling piston 420 to provide for communication between the second suction chamber and the second discharge chamber, and a vane spring 440 implemented as, for example, a compression spring, to elastically support a rear end of the second vane 430.
The first cylinder 310 and the second cylinder 410 may respectively include a first vane slot 311 and a second vane slot 411 formed at respective inner circumferential surfaces of the first and second compression spaces V1 and V2 to allow a linear reciprocation of the first and second vanes 330 and 430, and a first suction port 312 (suction groove, suction groove, suction slit, etc.) and a second suction port 412 formed at respective sides of the first and second vane slots 311 and 411 to induce a refrigerant into the first and second compression spaces V1 and V2.
The first suction port 312 and the second suction port 412 may be formed with an inclination angle by chamfering a lower surface edge of the first cylinder 310 and an upper surface edge of the second cylinder 410, respectively, which come in contact with upper and lower ends of divergent holes 133 and 134 of a middle plate 130 to be explained later, respectively, so as to be inclined toward the first cylinder 310 and the second cylinder 410.
An upper bearing plate (hereinafter, referred to as ‘upper bearing’) 110 may cover a top of the first cylinder 310, and a lower bearing plate (hereinafter, referred to as ‘lower bearing’) 120 may cover a lower side of the second cylinder 410. The middle plate 130, which forms the first and second compression spaces V1 and V2 together with the both bearings 110 and 120, may be installed between a lower side of the first cylinder 310 and an upper side of the second cylinder 410.
The upper bearing 110 and the lower bearing 120 may have a disc-like shape. A first bearing portion 112 and a second bearing portion 122 having shaft holes 113 and 123, respectively, may protrude from centers of the upper bearing 110 and the lower bearing 120 so as to support the shaft portion 231 of the crank shaft 230 in a radial direction.
The middle plate 130 may have an annular shape with an inner diameter as wide as the eccentric portions 232 and 233 of the crank shaft 230 being inserted therethrough. One side of the middle plate 130 has the suction passage 131 formed therein for allowing the gas suction pipe 140 to communicate with the first suction port 312 and the second suction port 412, which will be explained later. The suction passage 131 may include a suction hole 132 communicating with the gas suction pipe 140, and the first and second divergent holes 133 and 134 for allowing the first and second suction ports 312 and 412 to communicate with the suction hole 132.
The suction hole 132 may have a predetermined depth from the outer circumferential surface of the middle plate 130 in a radial direction.
The first and second divergent holes 133 and 134 may be inclined by a predetermined angle, for example, an angle in the range of 0° to 90° based upon a central line of the suction hole 132. In certain embodiments, an angle in the range of 30° to 60°, from an inner end of the suction hole 132 toward the first and second suction ports 312 and 412, may be appropriate.
The compressor 1 may also include a first discharge valve 350, a first muffler 360, a second discharge valve 450 and a second muffler 460.
Hereinafter, a description of a process of compressing a refrigerant in each compression space in a rotary compressor as embodied and broadly described herein will be provided.
If power is supplied to the motor 200 to rotate the rotor 220, the crank shaft 230 rotates together with the rotor 220 to transfer a rotating force of the motor 200 to the first and second compression devices 300 and 400. The first and second rolling pistons 320 and 420 within the first compression device 300 and the second compression device 400 eccentrically rotate in the first compression space V1 and the second compression space V2, respectively. The first vane 330 and the second vane 430 thus compress a refrigerant while forming the compression spaces V1 and V2, having a phase difference of approximately 180° therebetween, together with the first and second rolling pistons 320 and 420.
For example, if a suction process is initiated in the first compression space V1, refrigerant is introduced into the suction passage 131 of the middle plate 130 through the accumulator 5 and the suction pipe 140. The refrigerant then flows into the first compression space V1 via the first suction port 312 of the first cylinder 310 so as to be compressed therein.
During a compression process in the first compression space V1, a suction process is initiated in the second compression space V2 of the second cylinder 410 having a phase difference of approximately 180° from the first compression space V1. Accordingly, the second suction port 412 of the second cylinder 410 communicates with the suction passage 131, so that refrigerant is drawn into the second compression space V2 via the second suction port 412 of the second cylinder 410 so as to be compressed therein.
The first vane 330 and the second vane 430 may be slidably coupled to the first vane slot 311 and the second vane slot 411 so as to radially reciprocate in response to an orbiting motion of the first and second rolling pistons 320 and 420, thereby partitioning each of the first compression space V1 and the second compression space V2 into a suction chamber and a discharge chamber.
However, if the first and second cylinders 310 and 410 were deformed upon assembly of the first and second compression devices 300 and 400 as described above, the vane slots 311 and 411 could be twisted or an interval between the wall surfaces thereof may become non-uniform so as to present an obstacle to the vanes 330 and 430 intended to reciprocate along a straight line. Consequently, friction may be generated between the vanes 330 and 430 and the vane slots 311 and 411 or a gap (clearance) may be generated therebetween, thereby causing leakage of refrigerant. Hence, obviating the deformation of the cylinders 310 and 410 upon assembly of the compression devices 300 and 400 may improve compressor efficiency and capacity.
In order to obviate twisting of the cylinders due to, for example, a clamping force of coupling bolts, the middle plate 130 and the cylinders 310 and 410 may be coupled while simultaneously limiting a length, namely, a clamping length, of the coupling bolts.
To this end, as shown in
For example, the upper bearing 110 and the first cylinder 310 may include a plurality of through holes 111 and 315, respectively, formed in a circumferential direction to concentrically match each other in an axial direction. Accordingly, the first coupling bolt 150 may be inserted through the plurality of through holes 111 and 315 of the upper bearing 110 and the first cylinder 310 so as to be coupled to the upper side of the middle plate 130. Also, the lower bearing 120 and the second cylinder 410 may include a plurality of through holes 121 and 415, respectively, formed in a circumferential direction to concentrically match each other in an axial direction. Accordingly, the second coupling bolt 160 may be inserted through the plurality of through holes 121 and 415 of the lower bearing 120 and the second cylinder 410 so as to be coupled to the lower side of the middle plate 130. Also, the middle plate 130 may be provided with a plurality of coupling holes 135 formed in a circumferential direction at predetermined intervals such that the through holes 111 and 315 can concentrically match with the through holes 121 and 415.
The first and second coupling bolts 150 and 160 may respectively include bolt head portions 151 and 161, and coupling portions 152 and 162 extending from the bolt head portions 151 and 161 to be coupled to the coupling hole 135 through the through holes 111, 315 and 121, 415. The maximum lengths of the coupling portions 152 and 162 of the coupling bolts 150 and 160 may be established using the following formula so as to reduce deformation of the cylinders 310 and 410. That is, a bolt length Hb of each coupling bolt 150, 160 may be established according to Formula 1, as follows, in proportion to thicknesses Hc1 and Hc2 of the cylinders 310 and 410 and the thickness Hm of the middle plate 130.
In Formula 1 above, a variable A may be in the range of 15<A<20, and in certain embodiments, 17.93, and a variable B may be in the range of 25<B<30, and in certain embodiments, 27.91.
In addition, in view of lengths Hb of the coupling portions 152 and 162 of the coupling bolts 150 and 160, lengths coupled at two opposite sides of the middle plate 130 in a thickness direction may be substantially the same such that depths coupled into the middle plate 130 may also be substantially the same, so as to reduce/eliminate deformation of the cylinders 310 and 410.
In certain embodiments, the total coupling depth of the coupling bolts 150 and 160 coupled to two opposite sides of the middle plate 130 in the thickness direction may be less than two thirds of the thickness of the middle plate 130 to reduce/eliminate deformation of the cylinders 310 and 410.
That is, when the length C of the coupling device is less than the variable A, energy efficiency is lowered drastically. On the contrary, when the length C of the coupling device is greater than the variable B, energy efficiency is relatively gradually lowered as compared to the previous case.
Therefore, when the length C of the coupling device is greater than the variable A and less than the variable B, high energy efficiency may be obtained, indicating that cylinder deformation may be minimized/eliminated and friction loss of the vane and leakage loss between the vane and the rolling piston may be most efficiently reduced.
Consequently, a rotary compressor as described above may obviate the deformation of the vane slots of the cylinders during coupling of the cylinders, and friction loss of the vane and leakage loss between the vane and the vane slot may be resulting in improvement of the compressor function.
Hereinafter, a rotary compressor in accordance with another embodiment as broadly described herein will be discussed.
In the embodiment shown in
A rotary compressor as embodied and broadly described herein may be formed such that the suction hole is formed through the middle plate to distribute a refrigerant into both cylinders and an appropriate size (length) of the coupling bolts for coupling the cylinders to the middle plate may be defined, whereby deformation of the vane slots of the cylinders, which may occur during coupling of the cylinders, may be minimized/eliminated, and friction loss of the vane and leakage loss between the vane and the vane slot may be reduced, resulting in improvement of compressor function.
A rotary compressor according to embodiments as broadly described herein may widely be applicable to refrigeration systems, such as home or commercial air conditioners, and the like.
A rotary compressor is provided that is capable of stabilizing the behavior of a vane by reducing deformation of a cylinder, which may occur upon coupling the cylinder and bearing, and accordingly improving a compression function of the compressor.
A rotary compressor as embodied and broadly described herein may include a plurality of cylinders each having a compression space and having a rolling piston and a vane for compressing a refrigerant in the compression space, a middle plate installed between the cylinders to partition each compression space, and having one suction passage for allowing a refrigerant to be distributed into the compression spaces, a plurality of bearings each configured to cover an outer surface of each cylinder to form the compression space in each cylinder together with the middle plate, and a plurality of coupling bolts inserted through the bearings and the cylinders to be coupled to both side surfaces of the middle plate, wherein the coupling bolt has a bolt length Hb defined by the following Formula in proportion to thicknesses Hc1 and Hc2 of the cylinders and a thickness of the middle plate,
The variable A may be in the range of 15<A<20, and the variable B may be in the range of 25<B<30.
A rotary compressor in accordance with another embodiment as broadly described herein may include a plurality of cylinders each having a compression space and having a rolling piston and a vane for compressing a refrigerant in the compression space, a middle plate installed between the cylinders to partition each compression space, and having one suction passage for allowing a refrigerant to be distributed into the compression spaces, a plurality of bearings each configured to cover an outer surface of each cylinder to form the compression space in each cylinder together with the middle plate, and a plurality of coupling bolts inserted through the bearings and the cylinders to be coupled to both side surfaces of the middle plate, wherein bolt lengths of the coupling bolts coupled to both sides of the middle plate in the thickness direction are the same as each other.
A rotary compressor in accordance with another embodiment as broadly described herein may include a plurality of cylinders each having a compression space and having a rolling piston and a vane for compressing a refrigerant in the compression space, a middle plate installed between the cylinders to partition each compression space, and having one suction passage for allowing a refrigerant to be distributed into the compression spaces, a plurality of bearings each configured to cover an outer surface of each cylinder to form a compression space in each cylinder together with the middle plate, and a plurality of coupling bolts inserted through the bearings and the cylinders to be coupled to both side surfaces of the middle plate, wherein depths by which the coupling bolts are coupled to both sides of the middle plate in the thickness direction are the same as each other.
Any reference in this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,” etc., means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of such phrases in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with any embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the purview of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other ones of the embodiments.
Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.
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Entry |
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Chinese Office Action issued in CN Application No. 201010583516.5 dated Mar. 4, 2013. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20110135526 A1 | Jun 2011 | US |