# US 12,180,965 B2 · Compressor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,180,965 B2 - Document ID: US12180965B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/920,258 - Filed: 2021-04-13 - Published: 2023-06-08 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2020-04-20 - Assignees: LG Electronics Inc. - Applicants: LG Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Jinho Kim; Kangwook Lee; Cheolhwan Kim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12180965B2 ## CPC - F04C 29/02: Lubrication (of machines or engines in general F01M); Lubricant separation (separation in general B01D) - F04C 18/0215: {where only one member is moving} - F04C 18/0253: {Details concerning the base} - F04C 18/0261: {Details of the ports, e.g. location, number, geometry} - F04C 23/008: {Hermetic pumps} - F04C 29/021: {Control systems for the circulation of the lubricant} - F04C 29/12: Arrangements for admission or discharge of the working fluid, e.g. constructional features of the inlet or outlet - F04C 2210/26: Refrigerants with particular properties, e.g. HFC-134a - F04C 2240/20: Rotors - F04C 2240/30: Casings or housings - F04C 2240/809: Lubricant sump - F04C: ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS (engines F03C); ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS ## Abstract The present invention relates to a compressor wherein, when oil is supplied to a single module, the module can mechanically/structurally supply the oil to a plurality of regions in a selective manner according to the pressure of a refrigerant, etc. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A compressor comprising: a casing; a driver coupled to an inner circumferential surface of the casing; a rotating shaft coupled to the driver and configured to enable oil to flow therethrough; and a compressing portion coupled to the rotating shaft and configured to compress refrigerant and be lubricated with the oil, wherein the compressing portion includes: an orbiting scroll including (i) an orbiting end plate supporting the rotating shaft and configured to orbit and (ii) an orbiting wrap extending along a circumference of the orbiting end plate and configured to compress the refrigerant, a fixed scroll including: a fixed end plate defining (i) a suction hole configured to receive the refrigerant and (ii) a discharge hole spaced apart from the suction hole and configured to discharge the refrigerant, and a fixed wrap extending from the fixed end plate and facing the orbiting wrap, the fixed wrap being configured to compress the refrigerant, a main frame mounted at the fixed end plate and configured to accommodate the orbiting scroll, wherein the rotating shaft extends through the main frame, an oil supply passage configured to supply the oil delivered from the rotating shaft through the orbiting end plate or the fixed end plate to (i) a first passage defined between the orbiting wrap and the fixed wrap and (ii) a second passage defined closer to the suction hole than the first passage is, and an adjusting portion being in fluid communication with the oil supply passage, the first passage, and the second passage, the adjusting portion being configured to selectively supply the oil to at least one of the first passage or the second passage, wherein the adjusting portion includes: a shielding portion configured to, based on an internal pressure of the casing, selectively open and close at least one of the first passage or the second passage, and a housing provided in the fixed end plate and configured to accommodate the shielding portion and enable the shielding portion to reciprocate, the housing being in fluid communication with the first passage, the second passage, and the oil supply passage, and wherein an end of the housing is exposed to an outside of the fixed end plate to thereby expose the shielding portion to the outside of the fixed end plate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The compressor of claim 1, wherein the shielding portion is disposed within the fixed end plate and configured to selectively open and close the second passage based on the internal pressure of the casing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The compressor of claim 2, wherein the housing includes: an acting portion configured to transmit the internal pressure of the casing to the shielding portion; an oil supply portion spaced apart from the acting portion and being in fluid communication with the oil supply passage, the oil supply portion being configured to deliver the oil into the housing; a first supply portion separated from the acting portion and the oil supply portion and configured to deliver the oil to the first passage; and a second supply portion separated from the acting portion and the oil supply portion and configured to deliver the oil to the second passage, wherein the shielding portion is configured to move from the acting portion to the second supply portion and selectively restrict fluid communication between the second supply portion and the oil supply portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The compressor of claim 3, further comprising: an elastic portion disposed between the second supply portion and the shielding portion and configured to move the shielding portion to close the acting portion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The compressor of claim 4, wherein the elastic portion is configured to be compressed based on a reference pressure acting on the shielding portion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The compressor of claim 5, wherein the housing includes an accommodating step having a diameter greater than a diameter of the second supply portion, the accommodating step being configured to accommodate an end of the elastic portion, and wherein the elastic portion has a diameter that is greater than the diameter of the second supply portion and smaller than the diameter of the accommodating step. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The compressor of claim 3, wherein the first supply portion is configured to remain open based on the shielding portion reciprocating from the acting portion to the second supply portion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The compressor of claim 7, wherein the first supply portion is configured to be partially opened by the shielding portion based on the shielding portion closing the second supply portion. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The compressor of claim 3, wherein the shielding portion is configured to contact an inner wall of the housing to thereby restrict fluid communication between the acting portion and the first supply portion or the second supply portion. ### Claim 10 (depends on 3) The compressor of claim 3, wherein the shielding portion includes: an opening/closing body configured to selectively close the oil supply portion or the first supply portion; an extending body extending from the opening/closing body toward the acting portion; and a blocking body extending from the extending body and configured to close the acting portion. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The compressor of claim 2, wherein the housing includes: an acting portion configured to transmit the internal pressure of the casing to the shielding portion; an oil supply portion facing the acting portion and being in fluid communication with the oil supply passage, the oil supply portion being configured to deliver the oil into the housing; a first supply portion separated from the acting portion and the oil supply portion and configured to deliver the oil to the first passage; and a second supply portion separated from the acting portion and the oil supply portion and configured to deliver the oil to the second passage, wherein the shielding portion is configured to selectively shield the first supply portion or the second supply portion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The compressor of claim 11, wherein the adjusting portion includes an elastic portion accommodated in the housing and configured to move the shielding portion toward the acting portion, and wherein the shielding portion includes a movable casing that accommodates the elastic portion and defines (i) a first communication hole being in fluid communication with the first supply portion and (ii) a second communication hole being in fluid communication with the second supply portion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The compressor of claim 12, wherein the second communication hole is configured to, based on the moving casing contacting the acting portion, be in fluid communication with the second supply portion, and wherein the second communication hole is configured to, based on the movable casing being spaced apart from the acting portion, be blocked from being in fluid communication with the second supply portion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The compressor of claim 12, wherein the first communication hole is configured to, based on the movable casing contacting the acting portion, be blocked from being in fluid communication with the first supply portion, and wherein the first communication hole is configured to, based on the movable casing being spaced apart from the acting portion, be in fluid communication with first second supply portion. ### Claim 15 A compressor comprising: an orbiting scroll including (i) an orbiting end plate configured to orbit and (ii) an orbiting wrap extending along a circumference of the orbiting end plate and configured to compress refrigerant; a fixed scroll including: a fixed end plate defining (i) a suction hole configured to receive the refrigerant and (ii) a discharge hole spaced apart from the suction hole and configured to discharge the refrigerant, and a fixed wrap extending from the fixed end plate and facing the orbiting wrap, the fixed wrap being configured to compress the refrigerant; a main frame mounted at the fixed end plate and configured to accommodate the orbiting scroll; an oil supply passage configured to supply oil through the orbiting end plate or the fixed end plate to (i) a first passage defined between the orbiting wrap and the fixed wrap and (ii) a second passage defined closer to the suction hole than the first passage is; and an adjusting portion being in fluid communication with the oil supply passage, the first passage, and the second passage, the adjusting portion being configured to selectively supply the oil to at least one of the first passage or the second passage, wherein the adjusting portion includes: a shielding portion configured to, based on an internal pressure of a casing of the compressor, selectively open and close at least one of the first passage or the second passage, and a housing provided in the fixed end plate and configured to accommodate the shielding portion and enable the shielding portion to reciprocate, the housing being in fluid communication with the first passage, the second passage, and the oil supply passage, and wherein an end of the housing is exposed to an outside of the fixed end plate to thereby expose the shielding portion to the outside of the fixed end plate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The compressor of claim 15, wherein the shielding portion is disposed within the fixed end plate and configured to selectively open and close the second passage based on the internal pressure of the casing.