Shaft axial compliance mechanism
AssigneeTecumseh Products Company
InventorChris D. Hansen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hermetic compressor assembly including a housing having mounted therein a motor and a compression mechanism which are operatively coupled by a drive shaft. The drive shaft is rotatably received in a bearing mounted in the housing. Engaging means are provided in the drive shaft and the bearing to prevent relative movement between the compression mechanism and the drive shaft in both directions along the drive shaft axis of rotation. The engaging means includes a circumferential groove provided in the drive shaft, a bore located in the bearing, and a retaining element may be in the form of a ball or an elongate pin. The circumferential groove and the bore are aligned and each receive a portion of a retaining element to prevent axial movement of the drive shaft.
Claims29
A hermetic compressor assembly comprising:
- a compressor housing;
- a compression mechanism disposed in said housing;
- a motor disposed in said housing;
- a drive shaft operatively coupling said compression mechanism and said motor, said drive shaft having an outer surface in which a circumferential groove is provided, and an axis of rotation which is substantially horizontal;
- a bearing disposed in said housing and fixed relative to said compression mechanism, said bearing disposed about said drive shaft, said bearing provided with a bore;
- and
- a drive shaft retaining element disposed in said bore, a first portion of said retaining element engaging said bore, and a second portion of said retaining element received in and engaging said circumferential groove, whereby relative movement of said compression mechanism and said drive shaft in both directions along said drive shaft axis of rotation is prevented.
A hermetic compressor assembly comprising:
- a compressor housing;
- a compression mechanism disposed in said housing;
- a motor disposed in said housing;
- a drive shaft operatively coupling said compression mechanism and said motor, said drive shaft having an axis of rotation which is substantially horizontal;
- a bearing disposed in said housing and fixed relative to said compression mechanism, said bearing disposed about said drive shaft;
- and
- means for engaging said drive shaft and said bearing and preventing relative movement between said compression mechanism and said drive shaft in both directions along said drive shaft axis of rotation.
A hermetic compressor assembly comprising:
- a compressor housing;
- a compression mechanism disposed in said housing;
- a motor disposed in said housing;
- a drive shaft operatively coupling said compression mechanism and said motor, said drive shaft having an outer surface in which a circumferential groove is provided, and an axis of rotation which is substantially horizontal;
- a bearing disposed in said housing and fixed relative to said compression mechanism, said bearing disposed about said drive shaft, said bearing provided with a bore;
- and
- a ball retained in said bore, a portion of said ball being received in and engaging said circumferential groove, whereby relative movement of said compression mechanism and said drive shaft in both directions along said drive shaft axis of rotation is prevented.
A hermetic compressor assembly comprising:
- a compressor housing;
- a compression mechanism disposed in said housing;
- a motor disposed in said housing;
- a drive shaft operatively coupling said compression mechanism and said motor, said drive shaft having an outer surface in which a circumferential groove is provided, and an axis of rotation which is substantially horizontal;
- a bearing disposed in said housing and fixed relative to said compression mechanism, said bearing disposed about said drive shaft, said bearing provided with a bore;
- and
- a pin extending through said bore, a portion of said pin being received in and engaging said circumferential groove, whereby relative movement of said compression mechanism and said drive shaft in both directions along said drive shaft axis of rotation is prevented.
A method of preventing oscillating axial movement of a substantially horizontal drive shaft in a hermetic compressor comprising:
- forming a circumferential groove in the drive shaft;
- rotatably supporting the drive shaft in a bearing;
- forming a bore in the bearing;
- inserting a retaining element into the bore;
- and
- engaging the bore and the circumferential groove each with a portion of the retaining element, whereby relative axial movement of the shaft and the bearing is prevented.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.