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US 4,954,057 AGranted
Scroll compressor with lubricated flat driving surface
AssigneeCopeland Corporation
InventorsJean-Luc Caillat, Stephen M. Seibel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A scroll machine having an eccentric crank pin on a crankshaft disposed nonrotatably in the bore of a drive bushing for driving the orbiting scroll of the compressor. A flat surface on the crank pin drivingly engages a flat surface in the bore, and a unique lubrication arrangement incorporating a hydrostatic bearing is provided to lubricate the flat surfaces. Several alternative embodiments are also disclosed.
Claims36
In a machine having two bearings, wherein one is a hydrodynamic bearing and the other is a hydrostatic bearing, the improvement comprising:
- first means for supplying lubricating oil from a source thereof to said hydrodynamic bearing;
- and an oil passage for supplying lubricating oil under pessure generated by said hydrodynamic bearing to said hydrostatic bearing to lubricate same, said passage communicating with said hydrodynamic bearing at a point where only relatively high pressures are developed by said hydrodynamic bearing.
A scroll machine comprising:
- (a) a first scroll member and a second scroll member mounted for orbital movement with respect to one another in an intermeshed relationship;
- (b) powered drive means having a generally flat driving surface for causeing said relative orbital movement;
- (c) a generally flat driven surface operatively connected to one of said scroll members, said driving surface driving said driven surface to cause said one scroll member to orbit with respect to the other of said scroll members, said driving engagement including limited transverse movement between said surfaces;
- (d) a hydrodynamic journal bearing operatively disposed between said drive means and said one scroll member;
- and
- (e) hydrostatic bearing means for lubricating the interface between said driving and driven surfaces to minimize sliding friction therebetween, comprising
- means defining a recess on one of said surfaces, and oil supply means for delivering lubricating oil under pressure to a location disposed at said interface between said surfaces, said location being in fluid communication with said recess, said oil supply means receiving oil from the high oil film pressure portion of said journal bearing.
4 more elements
A scroll machine comprising:
- (a) a first scroll member;
- (b) a second scroll member mounted for orbital movement with respect to said first scroll member, said second scroll member having a driven portion, said scroll members having spiral wraps in an intermeshed relationship;
- (c) a rotatable powered drive shaft having a driving portion, said driving and driven portions being arranged with one disposed within the other;
- (d) a generally annular drive bushing disposed between and drivingly interconnecting said driving and driven portions, said drive bushing being connected to one of said portions by means of a hydrodynamic journal bearing and to the other of said portions by means of a flat surface on said bushing drivingly engaging a flat surface on said other portion, said driving engagement including limited sliding movement between said flat surfaces to permit radially compliant engagement of said scroll wraps;
- (e) lubrication means for supplying oil to said bearing journal;
- (f) hydrostatic bearing means for lubricating the interface between said flat surfaces to minimize sliding friction therebetween;
- and
- (g) an oil passage for delivering lubricating oil under pressure generated by said journal bearing to a location disposed at said interface between said surfaces.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.