A compressor 20 is illustrated in
An eccentric pin 29 at the top of the shaft extends into a slider block 31. The slider block 31 is received within a boss 33 on a rear face of an orbiting scroll 22. As is known, when the rotating shaft 28 rotates, the eccentric pin 29 moves within the slider block 31. The orbiting scroll 22 is supported on a crankcase 30. An Oldham coupling 32 ensures that when the rotating shaft 29 drives the orbiting scroll 22 it will be constrained to orbiting movement, and will not rotate. The structure and operation of the Oldham coupling 32 is as known in the art.
As shown in
In the present invention, the Oldham coupling 32 is formed of titanium or titanium alloy. As mentioned above the titanium or titanium alloy material provides additional strength and resistance to breakage as compared to other more conventional materials such as for example aluminum or cast iron. Pure titanium has good mechanical properties, however titanium is often alloyed. Most commonly, small amounts of aluminum and vanadium are added, however, other stabilizing materials, as provided below, can also be used. Such alloys have very high tensile strength and toughness. Titanium alloys that can be used as potential candidates for the Oldham Coupling, normally would fall into three main classes: alpha, beta, and alpha-beta phase that includes most of the titanium alloys now in use. Typical stabilizing materials include: aluminum, gallium, germanium, carbon, oxygen and nitrogen for alpha stabilizers; and chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese molybdenum, nickel niobium silicon, tantalum, vanadium for beta stabilizers. Alpha-phase titanium is more ductile and beta-phase titanium is stronger but more brittle. Alpha-beta-phase titanium falls somewhere between both. One of the most common alloys currently in use is Ti-6Al-4V. A table, in addition to pure titanium, showing typical alfa, alfa-beta, and beta alloys that can be used for an Oldham coupling is shown below.
It should be noted that the titanium coupling can be delivered first as cast titanium parts, before performing final machining operation. It is clear from this statement and from the drawings that the entirety of the Oldham coupling is formed of the titanium. However, the invention would extend to the use of titanium to form the majority of the Oldham coupling body.
Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.