Patent Application
20090155112
1. Field
A variable capacity rotary compressor is disclosed herein.
2. Background
Variable capacity rotary compressors are known. However, they have various disadvantages, in particularly when changing operational modes.
Embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements, and wherein:
Embodiments will now be described in detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings. Whenever possible like reference numerals have been used for like elements, and duplicative disclosure omitted.
In general, a variable capacity rotary compressor is implemented such that a cooling capacity may be varied (for example, increased or decreased) according to environmental conditions so as to optimize an input-to-output ratio. One recent method utilizes an inverter motor adapted to a compressor to vary the cooling capacity of the compressor. However, in adapting the inverter motor to the compressor, the fabrication cost of the compressor is increased due to the high price of the inverter motor, thereby decreasing price competitiveness of the compressor. Thus, instead of adapting the inverter motor to the compressor, a technique is widely being researched, in which a refrigerant compressed in a cylinder of a compressor is partially bypassed to the exterior so as to vary a capacity of a compression chamber. However, this technique requires a complicated piping system to bypass the refrigerant out of the cylinder. Accordingly, a flow resistance of the refrigerant increases, thereby decreasing efficiency. As such, a method has been proposed, by which the piping system may be simplified without using the inverter motor and the compressor capacity may be varied.
One (first) method allows pressure in an inner space at a cylinder to be changed or varied to a suction pressure or a discharge pressure. Accordingly, at a time of a power driving mode, the suction pressure is applied to the inner space of the cylinder and a vane normally performs a sliding motion, thereby forming a compression chamber. Conversely, at a time of a saving driving mode, the discharge pressure is applied to the inner space of the cylinder and the vane is retreated, thereby not forming the compression chamber (hereinafter this method will be referred to as “first variable capacity method”).
Another (second) method is implemented such that a refrigerant of a suction pressure is only applied via an inlet and the suction pressure and the discharge pressure are alternately applied to a rear side of the vane. Accordingly, upon a power driving mode, the vane normally performs a sliding motion, thereby forming a compression chamber. Conversely, upon a saving driving mode, the vane is retreated, thereby not forming the compression chamber (hereinafter this method will be referred to as “second variable capacity method”).
However, the two aforementioned methods must continuously restrict the vane, especially in a saving driving mode, in order to stabilize the system. Accordingly, vane restricting devices that restrict the vane must be utilized.
For example, regarding the first variable capacity method, as shown in
In addition, regarding the second variable capacity method, as shown in
However, such vane restricting devices can not restrict the vane 3 at the same time when the operation mode of the compressor is switched, thereby lowering the performance of the compressor. In particular, vibration noise is generated by the vane 3, which greatly increases compressor noise. For example, in the method of
Typically, rotary compressors may be classified into single type rotary compressors or double type rotary compressors according to a number of cylinders. For example, for a single type rotary compressor, one compression chamber is formed using a rotational force transferred from a motor. For a double type rotary compressor, a plurality of compression chambers having a phase difference of 180° therebetween are vertically formed, using a rotational force transferred from a motor. Hereinafter, explanation is given of a double type variable capacity rotary compressor in which a plurality of compression chambers are vertically formed, and a capacity of at least one of the compression chambers is varied. That is, a variable capacity double type rotary compressor according to an embodiment will be explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As shown in
The hermetic space of the casing 100 may be maintained in a discharge pressure atmosphere by a refrigerant discharged from the first compression device 300 and the second compression device 400. A first gas suction pipe SP1 and a second gas suction pipe SP2 may be respectively connected to a lower circumferential surface of the casing 100 so as to allow the refrigerant to be sucked into the first and second compression parts 300 and 400. A gas discharge pipe DP may be connected to an upper end of the casing 100 such that the refrigerant discharged from the first and second compression devices 300 and 400 to the hermetic space may be transferred to a refrigeration system.
The motor part 200 may include a stator 210 which may be installed in the casing 100 and that receives power from the exterior, a rotor 220 disposed in the stator 210 with a certain air gap therebetween and rotated by interaction with the stator 210, and a rotational shaft 230 coupled to the rotor 220 that transmits a rotational force to the first compression device 300 and the second compression device 400.
The rotational shaft 230 may include a shaft portion 231 coupled to the rotor 220, and a first eccentric portion 232 and a second eccentric portion 233 eccentrically disposed at both right and left sides below the shaft portion 231. The first and second eccentric portions 232 and 233 may be symmetrically disposed by a phase difference of about 180° therebetween. The first and second eccentric portions 232 and 233 may be respectively rotatably coupled to a first rolling piston 340 and a second tolling piston 430 which will be explained later.
The first compression device 300 and the second compression device 400 may be arranged at upper and lower sides of a lower portion of the casing 100. The second compression device 400 which may be arranged at the lower end of the casing 100 may have a variable capacity.
The first compression device 300 may include a first cylinder 310 having a ring shape and installed in the casing 100, and an upper bearing plate 320 (hereafter, referred to as “upper bearing”) and a middle bearing plate 330 (hereafter, referred to as “middle bearing”) covering upper and lower sides of the first cylinder 310, thereby forming a first compression space V1, that supports the rotational shaft 230 in a radial direction. A first rolling piston 340 may be rotatably coupled to an upper eccentric portion of the rotational shaft 230 and compresses the refrigerant by orbiting in the first compression space V1 of the first cylinder 310. A first vane 350 may be coupled to the first cylinder 310 to be movable in a radial direction so as to be in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the first rolling piston 340 that divides the first compression space V1 of the first cylinder 310 into a first suction chamber and a first compression chamber. A vane supporting spring 360, which may be formed of a compression spring, may elastically support a rear side of the first vane 350. A first discharge valve 370 may be openably coupled to an end of a first discharge opening 321 disposed in a middle of the upper bearing 320 to control a discharge of a refrigerant gas discharged from the first compression chamber of the first compression space V1. Also, a first muffler 380 may be coupled to the upper bearing 320 and may have an inner volume to receive the first discharge valve 370.
The first cylinder 310, as shown in
The second compression device 400 may include a second cylinder 410 having a ring shape and installed at a lower side of the first cylinder 310 inside the casing 100, and the middle bearing 330 and a lower bearing 420 covering both upper and lower sides of the second cylinder 410 to thereby form a second compression space V2, that support the rotational shaft 230 in a radial direction and a shaft direction. A second rolling piston 430 may be rotatably coupled to a lower eccentric portion of the rotational shaft 230 to compress a refrigerant by orbiting in the second compression space V2 of the second cylinder 410. A second vane 440 may be movably coupled to the second cylinder 410 in a radial direction so as to be in contact with or be spaced apart from an outer circumferential surface of the second rolling piston 430, to divide the second compression space V2 of the second cylinder 410 into a second suction chamber and a second compression chamber or that connects the second suction chamber to the second compression chamber. A second discharge valve 450 may be openably coupled to an end of a second discharge opening 421 provided in the middle of the lower bearing 420 to control a discharge of a refrigerant discharged from the second compression chamber. A second muffler 460 may be coupled to the lower bearing 420 and may have a certain inner volume to receive the second discharge valve 450.
The second compression space V2 of the second cylinder 410 may have the same or a different capacity from the first compression space V1 of the first cylinder 310, if necessary. For example, where the two cylinders 310 and 410 have the same capacity, when the second cylinder 410 is driven in a saving driving mode, the compressor may be driven with a capacity corresponding to the capacity of another cylinder (for example, the first cylinder 310), and thus, a function of the compressor may be varied up to 50%. On the other hand, where the two cylinders 310 and 410 have different capacities, the function of the compressor may be varied into a ratio corresponding to a capacity of a cylinder that performs power driving.
The second cylinder 410, as shown in
The vane chamber 413 connected to the common side connection pipe 530 to be explained later may have a certain inner volume. Accordingly, even if the second vane 440 has been completely moved backward so as to be received inside the second vane slot 411, the rear surface of the second vane 440 may have a pressure surface for a pressure supplied through the common side connection pipe 530. The high pressure passage 414, as shown in
The high pressure passage 414 may be formed to have a two-step narrowly formed towards the second vane slot 411 using a two-step drill. An outlet of the high pressure passage 414 may be formed at an approximate middle part of the second vane slot 411 in a longitudinal direction so that the second vane 440 may perform a stable linear reciprocation. A sectional area of the high pressure passage 414 may be equal to or narrower than a pressure surface applied to a rear surface of the second vane 440 via the vane chamber, that is, a sectional area of the second vane slot 411, thereby preventing the second vane 440 from being excessively restricted.
Although not shown in the drawings, the high pressure passage 414 may be recessed a certain depth in both upper and lower side surfaces of the second cylinder 410, or may be recessed by a certain depth in the lower bearing 420 or the middle bearing 330, respectively, coupled to both side surfaces of the second cylinder 410 or formed through the lower bearing 420 or the middle bearing 330. If the high pressure passage 414 is recessed at an upper surface either of the lower bearing 420 or of the middle bearing 330, it may be formed at the same time that the second cylinder 410 or each bearing 420 and 330 is processed, for example, by sintering, to reduce fabrication cost.
The low pressure passage 415 may be arranged on the same line with the high pressure passage 414 such that a pressure difference between a discharge pressure and a suction pressure may be generated at both side surfaces of the second vane 440, thereby allowing the second vane 440 to come in contact with the second vane slot 411. However, the low pressure passage 415 may be formed on a parallel line with the high pressure passage 414 or at an angle thereto so as to be crossed with the high pressure passage 414.
The low pressure passage 415, as shown in
Although not shown in the drawings, a plurality of each of the high pressure passage 414 and the low pressure passage 415 may be formed along a height direction of the second vane 440. The sectional areas of the high pressure passage 414 and the low pressure passage 415 may be the same or different.
The mode switching device 500 may include a low pressure side connection pipe 510 diverged from a second gas suction pipe SP2, a high pressure side connection pipe 520 connected into an inner space of the casing 100, a common side connection pipe 530 connected to the vane chamber 413 of the second cylinder 410 and alternately connected to both the low pressure side connection pipe 510 and the high pressure side connection pipe 520, a first mode switching valve 540 connected to the vane chamber 413 of the second cylinder 410 via the common side connection pipe 530, and a second mode switching valve 550 connected to the first mode switching valve 540 that controls an opening/closing operation of the first mode switching valve 540. The low pressure side connection pipe 510 may be connected between a suction side of the second cylinder 410 and an inlet side gas suction pipe of an accumulator 110, or between the suction side of the second cylinder 410 and an outlet side gas suction pipe (second gas suction pipe SP2).
The high pressure side connection pipe 520 may be connected to a lower portion of the casing 100, thereby to directly introduce oil within the casing 100 into the vane chamber 413, or may be diverged from a middle part of a gas discharge pipe DP. Herein, as the vane chamber 413 becomes hermetic, oil may not be supplied between the second vane 440 and the second vane slot 411, which may generate a frictional loss. Accordingly, an oil supply hole (not shown) may be formed at the lower bearing 420 such that the oil may be supplied when the second vane 440 performs a reciprocating motion.
An operational of a double type variable capacity rotary compressor according to an embodiment disclosed herein will be described as follows.
That is, when the rotor 220 is rotated as power is applied to the stator 210 of the motor 200, the rotational shaft 230 is rotated together with the rotor 220. A rotational force of the motor 200 is transferred to the first compression device 300 and the second compression device 400. Depending on a capacitance of an air conditioner, both the first and second compression devices 300 and 400 may be normally driven (for example, in a power driving mode) so as to generate a cooling capacity of a large capacitance, or the first compression device 300 may perform a normal driving and the second compression device 400 may perform a saving driving, so as to generate a cooling capacity of a small capacitance.
In the case where the compressor or an air conditioner having the same is in a power driving mode, as shown in
At this time, a refrigerant or oil of high pressure may be supplied into the high pressure passage 414 formed in the second cylinder 410 or the bearing 430 or 420, to thereby pressurize one side surface of the second vane 440. However, since the sectional area of the high pressure passage 414 is smaller than that of the second vane slot 411, a pressurizing force of the vane chamber 413 in a lateral direction may be smaller that a pressurizing force of the vane chamber 413 in backward and forward directions. As a result, the second vane 440 may not be restricted.
As such, the first vane 350 and the second vane 440 may be respectively in contact with the rolling pistons 340 and 440, to thereby divide the first compression space V1 and the second compression space V2 into a suction chamber and a compression chamber. As the first vane 310 and the second vane 440 compress each refrigerant sucked into each suction chamber and then discharge the compressed refrigerant. As a result, the compressor or the air conditioner having the same may perform a driving of 100%.
On the other hand, when the compressor or an air conditioner having the same is in a saving driving mode, as shown in
Here, a pressure difference applied onto both side surfaces of the second vane 440 may be increased by the high pressure passage 414 and the low pressure passage 415 formed in the second cylinder 410 or the bearing 330 or 420. Accordingly, the second vane 440 may be efficiently and rapidly restricted. For example, as shown in
Test results are shown in
As such, as the compression chamber and the suction chamber of the second cylinder 410 are connected to each other, refrigerant sucked into the suction chamber of the second cylinder 410 may not be compressed but rather re-moved into the suction chamber along a locus of the second rolling piston 430. Accordingly, the second compression device 400 may not compress the refrigerant, and thus the compressor or the air conditioner having the same performs a driving corresponding to only the capacity of the first compression device 300.
The vane restricting method according to embodiments disclosed herein may be applied to another variable capacity rotary compressor. That is, in the aforementioned embodiment, in the case of supplying a refrigerant at a suction pressure Ps into the inlet 412 at any time regardless of the operation mode of the compressor, the vane chamber 413 may be connected to the inlet 412, so that the discharge pressure Pd of the vane chamber 413 may be rapidly leaked to the inlet 412 when the power driving mode is switched into the saving driving mode. However, in the embodiments shown in
In this case, as shown in
For example, in the embodiment of
Even in the above embodiments, the high pressure passage 414 and the low pressure passage 415 may be connected to both sides of the second vane slot 411. Accordingly, at the time of the saving driving mode, the second vane 440 may be effectively restricted by a pressure difference between the high pressure passage 414 and the low pressure passage 415. However, in these embodiments, at the time of the saving driving mode, since the refrigerant of the discharge pressure Pd may be introduced via the second inlet 412, the high pressure passage 414, unlike in the aforementioned embodiment, may be formed between the second inlet 412 and the second vane slot 411, while the low pressure passage 415 may be formed to be connected to a suction pressure side connection pipe (not shown) provided at an outer surface of the casing 100 from the opposite side to the high pressure passage 414.
An exemplary double type rotary compressor has been described according to the embodiments disclosed herein, but embodiments may equally be applied to a single type rotary compressor. Also, it may equally be applied to every compression device of the double type rotary compressor, explanations all of which are similar to those of the aforementioned embodiments, and thus are not repeated herein.
A variable capacity rotary compressor according to embodiments disclosed herein has numerous applications in which compression of fluid is required. Such application may include, for example, air conditioning and refrigeration applications. One such exemplary application is shown in
Another such exemplary application is shown in
Another such exemplary application is shown in
Embodiments disclosed herein provide a variable capacity rotary compressor capable of greatly reducing noise due to an impact between a vane and a rolling piston by rapidly restricting the vane at a time of switching a compressor mode.
According to embodiments disclosed herein, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided a capacity-variable rotary compressor in which a rolling piston performs an eccentric orbiting motion in an inner space of a hermetic cylinder assembly, a vane performs a linear movement in a radial direction by contacting the rolling piston thereby to divide the inner space into a compression chamber and a suction chamber, and then the vane is restricted by a difference of pressure applied thereto at a time of a saving driving.
According to embodiments disclosed herein, there is also provided a capacity-variable rotary compressor that includes a cylinder assembly installed in a hermetic casing and including a compression space in which a refrigerant is sucked to be compressed, an inlet connected to the compression space, and a vane slot formed at one side of the inlet, a rolling piston for transferring the refrigerant with performing an eccentric orbiting motion inside the compression space of the cylinder assembly, a vane slidibly inserted into the vane slot of the cylinder assembly, having an inner end coming in contact with the rolling piston so as to divide the compression space into a suction chamber and a compression chamber, and a mode switching unit for contacting or separating the vane with/from the rolling piston depending on an operation mode of the compressor, wherein a suction pressure is applied onto one side surface of the vane and a discharge pressure is applied onto the other side of the vane such that the vane can be in contact with the vane slot to thusly be restricted when the compressor performs a saving driving.
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.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2006-0114770 | Nov 2006 | KR | national |
The present application claims priority to Korean Application No. 10-2006-0114770 filed in Korea on Nov. 20, 2006 and to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/908,034 filed in the United States on Mar. 26, 2007, both of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60908034 | Mar 2007 | US |
