Patent Grant
11821422
The present disclosure relates to a scroll compressor.
A scroll compressor includes a fixed scroll, which is fixed in a housing, and an orbiting scroll, which orbits relative to the fixed scroll (for example, refer to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2020-193582).
The fixed scroll includes a fixed base plate and a fixed volute wall, which extends from the fixed base plate. The orbiting scroll includes an orbiting base plate and an orbiting volute wall, which extends from the orbiting base plate. The fixed volute wall and the orbiting volute wall mesh each other to define compression chambers. Orbiting motion of the orbiting scroll reduces the volume of each compression chamber so as to compress fluid.
The size of a scroll compressor needs to be suitable for the installation site. This puts a limit on the size of the scroll compressor. On the other hand, the performance of scroll compressors is desired to be improved by increasing the amount of fluid that can be trapped in the compression chambers. In other words, the compression efficiency of scroll compressors is desired to be increased within size limitations.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
In one aspect, a scroll compressor includes a fixed scroll and an orbiting scroll. The fixed scroll includes a fixed base plate and a fixed volute wall extending from the fixed base plate. The orbiting scroll includes a disc-shaped orbiting base plate and an orbiting volute wall. The orbiting base plate faces the fixed base plate. The orbiting volute wall extends from the orbiting base plate toward the fixed base plate and meshes with the fixed volute wall. The scroll compressor is configured such that the orbiting scroll orbits so as to compress a fluid in a compression chamber that is defined by the fixed scroll and the orbiting scroll. The orbiting volute wall is shaped to form an involute and to have a thickness. The orbiting volute wall includes a thin section in which the thickness is less than thicknesses of the adjacent sections. The thin section includes a region corresponding to an involute angle that is obtained by subtracting 360° from a maximum of the involute angle.
Other features and aspects will be apparent from the following detailed description, the drawings, and the claims.
Throughout the drawings and the detailed description, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements. The drawings may not be to scale, and the relative size, proportions, and depiction of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity, illustration, and convenience.
This description provides a comprehensive understanding of the methods, apparatuses, and/or systems described. Modifications and equivalents of the methods, apparatuses, and/or systems described are apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. Sequences of operations are exemplary, and may be changed as apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, with the exception of operations necessarily occurring in a certain order. Descriptions of functions and constructions that are well known to one of ordinary skill in the art may be omitted.
Exemplary embodiments may have different forms, and are not limited to the examples described. However, the examples described are thorough and complete, and convey the full scope of the disclosure to one of ordinary skill in the art.
In this specification, “at least one of A and B” should be understood to mean “only A, only B, or both A and B.”
A scroll compressor 10 according to one embodiment will now be described with reference to
<Housing>
As shown in
The housing 11 includes a cylindrical first component 12, which has a closed end, and a second component 13. The first component 12 and the second component 13 are coupled to each other with their open ends abutting against each other. The inlet 11a is provided in the first component 12. The outlet 11b is provided in the second component 13.
The scroll compressor 10 includes a rotary shaft 14, a compression unit 15, and an electric motor 16. The rotary shaft 14, the compression unit 15, and the electric motor 16 are accommodated in the housing 11.
<Rotary Shaft>
The rotary shaft 14 is rotatably accommodated in the housing 11. The housing 11 accommodates a shaft supporting member 21, which supports the rotary shaft 14. The shaft supporting member 21 is fixed to the housing 11, for example, at a position between the compression unit 15 and the electric motor 16. The shaft supporting member 21 has an insertion hole 23. A first bearing 22 is provided in the insertion hole 23. The rotary shaft 14 extends through the insertion hole 23. The shaft supporting member 21 faces a bottom 12b of the first component 12. A cylindrical boss 24 protrudes from the bottom 12b. A second bearing 25 is provided inside the boss 24. The rotary shaft 14 is rotatably supported by the housing 11 with the bearings 22, 25.
<Electric Motor>
The electric motor 16 is arranged in a part of the housing 11 that is close to the inlet 11a. The electric motor 16 rotates the rotary shaft 14. The electric motor 16 drives the compression unit 15. The electric motor 16 includes a rotor 51, which rotates integrally with the rotary shaft 14, and a stator 52, which surrounds the rotor 51. The rotor 51 is coupled to the rotary shaft 14. The stator 52 is fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the first component 12 of the housing 11. The stator 52 includes a stator core 53, which faces the cylindrical rotor 51 in the radial direction, and a coil 54, which is wound about the stator core 53.
<Compression Unit>
The compression unit 15 is arranged in a part of the housing 11 that is closer to the outlet 11b than the electric motor 16. The compression unit 15 compresses fluid drawn in through the inlet 11a and discharges it from the outlet 11b. The compression unit 15 includes a fixed scroll 31 and an orbiting scroll 32. The fixed scroll 31 is fixed to the housing 11. The orbiting scroll 32 is permitted to orbit with respect to the fixed scroll 31.
The fixed scroll 31 includes a fixed base plate 31a, a fixed volute wall 31b, and a partition wall 31c. The fixed base plate 31a has the shape of a disc that is coaxial with the rotary shaft 14. The fixed volute wall 31b extends from the fixed base plate 31a. The partition wall 31c extends from the outer peripheral edge of the fixed base plate 31a. The partition wall 31c is located on the outer side of the fixed volute wall 31b in the radial direction of the fixed base plate 31a.
The orbiting scroll 32 includes an orbiting base plate 32a and an orbiting volute wall 32b. The orbiting base plate 32a has the shape of a disc that faces the fixed base plate 31a. The orbiting volute wall 32b extends toward the fixed base plate 31a from the orbiting base plate 32a.
The orbiting scroll 32 is accommodated in a space 29 defined in the housing 11. The space 29 is defined by the shaft supporting member 21, the fixed base plate 31a, and the partition wall 31c. The orbiting scroll 32 orbits in the space 29.
The fixed scroll 31 and the orbiting scroll 32 mesh with each other. Specifically, the fixed volute wall 31b and the orbiting volute wall 32b mesh with each other. The distal end face of the fixed volute wall 31b is in contact with the orbiting base plate 32a, and the distal end face of the orbiting volute wall 32b is in contact with the fixed base plate 31a. The fixed scroll 31 and the orbiting scroll 32 define compression chambers 33 that compress fluid. The scroll compressor 10 includes multiple compression chambers 33.
The compression chambers 33 include two compression chambers: a first compression chamber, which is defined by the inner periphery of the fixed volute wall 31b and the outer periphery of the orbiting volute wall 32b, and a second compression chamber, which is defined by the outer periphery of the fixed volute wall 31b and the inner periphery of the orbiting volute wall 32b.
When making an orbiting motion, the orbiting scroll 32 moves along a circular path. The radius of the circular path is referred to as an orbital radius. The orbiting volute wall 32b is provided not to protrude outward from the outer peripheral edge of the orbiting base plate 32a. Thus, the orbital radius of the orbiting scroll 32 is determined by the diameter of the orbiting base plate 32a. Since the orbiting scroll 32 orbits within the space 29, the diameter of the orbiting base plate 32a is determined by the size of the space 29.
The shaft supporting member 21 has a suction passage 34. The suction passage 34 is used to draw fluid into the compression chambers 33. The orbiting scroll 32 is configured to orbit as the rotary shaft 14 rotates. Specifically, a part of the rotary shaft 14 protrudes toward the compression unit 15 through the insertion hole 23 of the shaft supporting member 21. The rotary shaft 14 includes an eccentric shaft 35 on an end face closer to the compression unit 15. The eccentric shaft 35 is located in a position eccentric to an axis L of the rotary shaft 14. A bushing 36 is attached to the eccentric shaft 35. The bushing 36 is coupled to the orbiting base plate 32a with a bearing 37.
The scroll compressor 10 includes rotation prohibiting units 38. Each of the rotation prohibiting units 38 prohibits the orbiting scroll 32 from rotating, while permitting the orbiting scroll 32 to orbit. When the rotary shaft 14 rotates in a predetermined forward direction, the orbiting scroll 32 orbits in the forward direction. The orbiting scroll 32 orbits in the forward direction about the axis of the fixed scroll 31, that is, about the axis L of the rotary shaft 14. This reduces the volume of the first compression chamber and the second compression chamber and thus compresses the fluid that has been drawn into the first compression chamber and the second compression chamber through the suction passage 34. The compressed fluid is discharged from a discharge port 41 in the fixed base plate 31a. The fluid discharged from the discharge port 41 is discharged from the outlet 11b. The fixed base plate 31a is provided with a discharge valve 42, which covers the discharge port 41. The fluid compressed in the compression chambers 33 flexes the discharge valve 42 to be discharged from the discharge port 41.
<Inverter>
The scroll compressor 10 includes an inverter 55. The inverter 55 is a drive circuit that drives the electric motor 16. The inverter 55 is accommodated in a cylindrical cover member 56, which is attached to the bottom 12b of the first component 12 of the housing 11. The inverter 55 is electrically connected to the coil 54.
<Detailed Description of Orbiting Scroll>
An end portion of the orbiting volute wall 32b that includes the first end E has an arcuate shape. Except for some parts, the orbiting volute wall 32b has a shape that extends along an involute and has a thickness. Except for some parts, an outer surface 321 and an inner surface 322 of the orbiting volute wall 32b each have the shape of an involute.
An involute is a plane curve in which a normal to the involute is always a tangent to a base circle. In other words, an involute is a plane curve that is formed by the locus drawn by a point on a straight line when that straight line is rolled on a fixed base circle without sliding.
An involute, which is also known as an evolvent, is a locus drawn by the endpoint of a thread when that thread, which is wound around a base circle, is unwound while being kept taut. An involute angle is defined as a rotational angle of the thread when that thread is unwound about the center of the base circle while being kept taut. In the orbiting volute wall 32b, the first end E corresponds to the winding start of the involute, and the second end S corresponds to the winding end of the involute.
The orbiting volute wall 32b includes an arcuate portion F, which is continuous with the winding start of the involute. The arcuate portion F is an arc that is continuous with the first end E of the orbiting volute wall 32b.
Each point on the path along the orbiting volute wall 32b from the first end E, which is the winding start of the involute represented by the orbiting volute wall 32b, to the second end S, which is winding end of the involute, is expressed by an involute angle [° ]. The minimum of the involute angle is 0 at the first end E. The involute angle increases from the first end E toward the second end S along the orbiting volute wall 32b. The winding number of the fixed volute wall 31b and the orbiting volute wall 32b is, for example, approximately two and half. In this case, the maximum of the involute angle is approximately 900°.
<Thickness of Orbiting Volute Wall>
The dimension of the orbiting volute wall 32b between the outer surface 321 and the inner surface 322 is defined as a thickness W [mm]. As described above, except for some parts, the outer surface 321 and the inner surface 322 of the orbiting volute wall 32b each have the shape of an involute. More specifically, the inner surface 322 is formed by an involute that is offset from the involute forming the outer surface 321 by such an amount that the inner surface 322 will not contact the fixed volute wall 31b during orbiting motion.
As shown in
The orbiting volute wall 32b includes linear sections R1 and a non-linear section R2, which are defined by the relationship between the involute angle and the thickness W. The orbiting volute wall 32b includes the linear sections R1 and the non-linear section R2 between the minimum and the maximum of the involute angle. Specifically, the orbiting volute wall 32b includes two linear sections R1 and one non-linear section R2 in a region where the involute angle is greater than that in the arcuate portion F. That is, the arcuate portion F, a linear section R1, the non-linear section R2, and the additional linear section R1 are arranged in that order between the first end E and the second end S of the orbiting volute wall 32b.
The linear sections R1 are parts of the region from the minimum to the maximum of the involute angle. Each linear section R1 is a region in which the thickness W linearly decreases in accordance with increase in the involute angle. The rate of a decrease in the thickness W to an increase in the involute angle is defined as a rate of change of thickness. Each of the two linear sections R1 is a region in which the rate of change of thickness is constant. In each of the two linear sections R1, the thickness W of the orbiting volute wall 32b linearly decreases as the involute angle increases. The involute angle at the boundary between one of the linear sections R1 that corresponds to the smaller involute angles and the arcuate portion F will be referred to as a first involute angle G1. The two linear sections R1 are provided on opposite sides of the non-linear section R2, which will be discussed below.
The non-linear section R2 is a part of the region from the minimum to the maximum of the involute angle. The non-linear section R2 is a region in which the thickness W changes non-linearly in accordance with an increase in the involute angle. The non-linear section R2 includes a local minimum of the thickness W. Aside from the arcuate portion F, the non-linear section R2 is a region in which the thickness W changes rapidly within the range from the first end E to the second end S of the orbiting volute wall 32b. Of the boundaries between the two linear sections R1 and the non-linear section R2, the boundary between the linear section R1 that corresponds to the smaller involute angles and the non-linear section R2 will be referred to as a second involute angle G2. Also, the boundary between the linear section R1 that corresponds to the larger involute angles and the non-linear section R2 will be referred to as a third involute angle G3. Accordingly, the non-linear section R2 is a region that is located between the second involute angle G2 and the third involute angle G3. The non-linear section R2, which is defined by the second involute angle G2 and the third involute angle G3, is a thin section in which the thickness W is less than those in the adjacent sections. Therefore, the orbiting volute wall 32b includes a thin section in which the thickness W is less than those in the adjacent sections.
In the non-linear section R2, the thickness W rapidly decreases as the involute angle increases from the second involute angle G2 to reach a local minimum, and then increases rapidly from the local minimum toward the third involute angle G3. The thickness W of the orbiting volute wall 32b thus has the local minimum in the non-linear section R2.
As shown in
As shown in
Also, the local minimum of the thickness W of the orbiting volute wall 32b is located closer to the first end E than the reference involute angle G. That is, the local minimum of the thickness W is located at an involute angle that is smaller than the reference involute angle G. Thus, with regard to the orbiting volute wall 32b, the thickness W has the local minimum in a region in the non-linear section R2 that corresponds to an involute angle obtained by subtracting an angle greater than or equal to 360° from the maximum of the involute angle. Therefore, the section of the orbiting volute wall 32b in which the thickness W is the smallest is located in a position in the non-linear section R2 that corresponds to an involute angle that is smaller than the involute angle obtained by subtracting an angle greater than or equal to 360° from the maximum of the involute angle. The second end S of the orbiting volute wall 32b overlaps with the non-linear section R2 in a radial direction of the orbiting base plate 32a.
<Operation and Advantages>
An operation and advantages of the scroll compressor 10 will now be described.
The orbiting scrolls 60 of the comparative examples each include an orbiting base plate 61 and an orbiting volute wall 62, which does not have the non-linear section R2. As indicated by the long-dash double-short-dash line in
In the orbiting scroll 60 of the comparative example shown in
Accordingly, as compared to the comparative example, the amount of fluid trapped in the first compression chamber in the orbiting scroll 32 of the present embodiment is increased due to the non-linear section R2. That is, since the thickness W is reduced by recessing the outer surface 321 of the orbiting volute wall 32b, the amount of fluid trapped in the first compression chamber increases.
Likewise, as compared to the comparative example, the amount of fluid trapped in the second compression chamber is increased due to the non-linear section R2. That is, since the thickness W is reduced by recessing the inner surface 322 of the orbiting volute wall 32b, the amount of fluid trapped in the second compression chamber increases.
Therefore, the orbiting scroll 32, which has the non-linear section R2, increases the winding number of the orbiting volute wall 32b without increasing the size of the orbiting base plate 32a. An increase in winding number of the orbiting volute wall 32b increases the amount of fluid trapped in the compression chambers 33. This increases the compression efficiency of the scroll compressor 10.
Even though a limit is put on the size of the scroll compressor 10 when the ease of installation in the installation site is taken into consideration, the compression efficiency can be increased without increasing the size of the orbiting scroll 32 and thus without increasing the size of the housing 11.
The above-described embodiment may be modified as follows. The above-described embodiment and the following modifications can be combined as long as the combined modifications remain technically consistent with each other.
The non-linear section R2 may be formed by recessing one of the outer surface 321 and the inner surface 322 toward the other.
The region in which the thickness W has a local minimum may be located at the reference involute angle G, which is obtained by subtracting 360° from the maximum of the involute angle, or may be located in a position corresponding to an involute angle greater than the reference involute angle G.
The orbiting volute wall 32b may include multiple regions in each of which the thickness W has a local minimum. In this case, the reference involute angle G is included in one of the non-linear sections R2, each of which includes a region in which the thickness W has a local minimum.
The maximum of the involute angle of the orbiting volute wall 32b may be changed to change the winding number. For example, the maximum of the involute angle of the orbiting volute wall 32b may be slightly greater than 360° to make the winding number slightly greater than one. Alternatively, the maximum of the involute angle may be 540° so that the winding number is one and a half. Further, the maximum of the involute angle of the orbiting volute wall 32b may be 1080° so that the winding number is three. The number of positions of the non-linear sections R2 may be adjusted in accordance with the winding number.
The scroll compressor 10 does not need to be an electric scroll compressor, but may be a scroll compressor 10 driven by an engine.
Various changes in form and details may be made to the examples above without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims and their equivalents. The examples are for the sake of description only, and not for purposes of limitation. Descriptions of features in each example are to be considered as being applicable to similar features or aspects in other examples. Suitable results may be achieved if sequences are performed in a different order, and/or if components in a described system, architecture, device, or circuit are combined differently, and/or replaced or supplemented by other components or their equivalents. The scope of the disclosure is not defined by the detailed description, but by the claims and their equivalents. All variations within the scope of the claims and their equivalents are included in the disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-164862 | Oct 2021 | JP | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6527526 | Chang | Mar 2003 | B2 |
| 9765781 | Murakami | Sep 2017 | B2 |
| 11118583 | Watanabe | Sep 2021 | B2 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 3053090 | Dec 2017 | FR |
| 202014036583 | Mar 2021 | IN |
| H06-336985 | Dec 1994 | JP |
| 2020-193582 | Dec 2020 | JP |
| WO2013104980 | Jul 2013 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20230107523 A1 | Apr 2023 | US |
