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US 5,064,356 AGranted
Counterweight shield for refrigeration compressor
AssigneeCopeland Corporation
InventorJames F. Horn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigeration motor compressor assembly has a housing including a lubricant sump in the bottom thereof into which the lower end of the drive shaft and associated rotor extend. A shield is provided which is supported on and positioned by the drive shaft in underlying spaced relationship to the lower end of the rotor and associated counterweight. As the rotor rotates, lubricant disposed between the shield and rotor therein is thrown outwardly across the end turns of the stator thus serving to cool same. The shield serves to restrict the return flow of oil to the area immediately below the rotor thus reducing the viscous drag on the motor yet still allowing sufficient circulation of oil to achieve the desired cooling of the stator.
Claims15
A scroll-type refrigeration compressor comprising:
- an outer shell;
- compressor means disposed in an upper portion of said shell, said compressor means including first and second interleaved scroll members supported for relative orbital movement therebetween so as to define moving fluid pockets of changing volume;
- motor means disposed within said shell below said compressor means and including a stator having end turns and a rotor;
- a lubricant sump containing a supply of lubricant disposed in the lower portion of said shell;
- a drive shaft drivingly connected to said compressor means and having a lower end extending into said sump, said rotor being secured to said drive shaft and operative to rotatably drive same, said rotor having a lower end portion extending below the normal non-operating upper level of said lubricant and said drive shaft having an annular groove positioned below said rotor;
- and
- shield means positioned closely adjacent and in underlying relationship to said rotor, said shield means including integrally formed resilient radially outwardly deflectable means operative to facilitate assembly of said shield means to said shaft and thereafter cooperating with said annular groove in said shaft to support said shield means on said shaft,
- said rotor being operative to expel lubricant from said area between said shield and said rotor during rotation thereof and said shield being operative to restrict return flow of oil into said area whereby power consumption of said motor is reduced.
5 more elements
A refrigeration compressor comprising:
- an outer shell;
- a sump disposed in the bottom of said shell containing a supply of lubricant;
- a compressor within said shell;
- a motor disposed within said shell for driving said compressor, said motor including a stator having end turns and a rotor secured to a shaft drivingly connected to said compressor, the lower end of said rotor being rotatable and extending below the normal upper non-operating level of said lubricant in said sump, said shaft extending downwardly from the lower end of said rotor;
- said shaft including an annular groove formed thereon positioned below said rotor;
- and
- shield means supported on said shaft, said shield means including
- an axially elongated cylindrical body portion;
- a flange portion extending generally radially outwardly from said body portion intermediate the ends thereof;
- means defining a plurality of circumferentially spaced axially extending resilient fingers on said body portion, each of said fingers including a radially inwardly extending flange portion, said radial flange portions being received within said annular groove provided on said drive shaft to thereby retain said shield means in position thereon;
- said shield means being operative to restrict oil flow to the rotating lower end of said rotor and to promote circulation of oil across said end turns for cooling same.
8 more elements
A scroll-type refrigeration compressor comprising:
- an outer shell;
- compressor means disposed in an upper portion of said shell, said compressor means including first and second interleaved scroll members supported for relative orbital movement therebetween so as to define moving fluid pockets of changing volume;
- motor means disposed within said shell below said compressor means and including a stator having end turns and a rotor;
- a lubricant sump containing a supply of lubricant disposed in the lower portion of said shell;
- a drive shaft drivingly connected to said compressor means and having a lower end extending into said sump, said rotor being secured to said drive shaft and operative to rotatably drive same, said rotor having a lower end portion extending below the normal non-operating upper level of said lubricant and said drive shaft having an annular groove positioned below said rotor;
- and
- shield means positioned closely adjacent and in underlying relationship to said rotor, said shield means including integrally formed resilient mounting means comprising a plurality of axially elongated fingers, said fingers including a portion resiliently radially outwardly deflectable to enable said shield to be assembled to said shaft and thereafter being receivable within said groove to axially support said shield means
- said rotor being operative to expel lubricant from said area between said shield and said rotor during rotation thereof and said shield being operative to restrict return flow of oil into said area whereby power consumption of said motor is reduced.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.