Scroll machine sound attenuation

An Oldham coupling for a scroll machine having first and second scroll members having first and second intermeshed scroll wraps, respectively, for preventing relative rotational movement between said first and second scroll members, said Oldham coupling comprising:

• an annular ring, a first pair of aligned abutment surfaces on said ring operatively associated with a first pair of aligned abutment surfaces on said first scroll member to prevent relative rotation between said coupling and said first scroll member, and a second pair of aligned abutment surfaces on said ring operatively associated with a second pair of aligned abutment surfaces on said second scroll member to prevent relative rotation between said coupling and said second scroll member, said first pair of abutment surfaces on said ring being aligned with said second pair of abutment surfaces on said ring at an angle which will permit the machine to operate nominally plus a bias angle chosen to provide an initial swing radius bias which results in an additional moment on said scroll members caused by the contact forces between said wraps.

An Oldham coupling for a scroll machine having an orbiting scroll member and a non-orbiting scroll member, said scroll members having first and second intermeshed scroll wraps, and a fixed housing for supporting said orbiting scroll member, said Oldham coupling being operative to prevent relative rotational movement between said orbiting scroll member and said housing and comprising:

• an annular ring, a first pair of aligned abutment surfaces on said ring operatively associated with a first pair of aligned abutment surfaces on said orbiting scroll member to prevent relative rotation between said coupling and said orbiting scroll member, and a second pair of aligned abutment surfaces on said ring operatively associated with a second pair of aligned abutment surfaces on said housing to prevent relative rotation between said coupling and said housing, said first pair of abutment surfaces on said ring being aligned with said second pair of abutment surfaces on said ring at an angle which will permit the machine to operate nominally plus a bias angle chosen to provide a swing radius bias which results in an additional moment on said scroll members caused by the contact forces between said wraps.

A method of fabricating a scroll machine having improved sound attenuation wherein the machine comprises first and second scroll members each having a spiral wrap disposed thereon, said scroll members being mounted for relative orbital movement therebetween with said wraps intermeshed with one another to define a scroll set, so that said wraps will create pockets of progressively changing volume in response to said orbital movement, said method comprising the following steps:

• accurately controlling initial swing radius bias (dR.sub.is) and generating radius bias (dR.sub.g) during fabrication of the respective components of the machine to maintain a targeted relationship between dR.sub.is and dR.sub.g which results in an additional moment on the scroll members caused by the contact forces between the wraps during operation of the machine;
• and assemblying the machine in such a way as to maintain the targeted dR.sub.is and dR.sub.g.

A method of fabricating a scroll machine having improved sound attenuation wherein the machine comprises first and second scroll members each having a spiral wrap disposed thereon, said scroll members being mounted for relative orbital movement therebetween with said wraps intermeshed with one another to define a scroll set so that said wraps will create pockets of progressively changing volume in response to said orbital movement, said method comprising the following steps:

• accurately controlling initial swing radius bias (dR.sub.is) and generating radius bias (dR.sub.g) during fabrication of the respective components of the machine to maintain a targeted relationship between dR.sub.is and dR.sub.g which will cause said wraps to contact each other only on one side of the geometric center of said scroll set during normal operation of the machine;
• and assemblying the machine in such a way as to maintain the targeted dR.sub.is and dR.sub.g.

A scroll machine having improved sound attenuation, comprising:

• (a) first and second scroll members each having a spiral wrap disposed thereon, said scroll members being mounted for relative orbital movement therebetween with said wraps intermeshed with one another to form a scroll set, said scroll set being configured to have an initial swing Radius bias (dR.sub.is) and a multiple generating radius bias (dR.sub.g), including a first dR.sub.g on an inner portion of said scroll set and a second dR.sub.g on an outer portion of said scroll set;
• and
• (b) means for causing one of said scroll members to orbit with respect to the other scroll member so that said wraps create pockets of progressively changing volumes.

A method of fabricating a scroll machine having improved sound attenuation wherein the machine comprises first and second scroll members each having a spiral wrap disposed thereon, said scroll members being mounted for relative orbital movement therebetween with said wraps intermeshed with one another to define a scroll set, so that said wraps will create pockets of progressively changing volume in response to said orbital movement, said method comprising the following steps:

• accurately controlling generating radius bias (dR.sub.g) during fabrication of the respective components of the machine to maintain a targeted value of dR.sub.g which results in an additional moment on the scroll members caused by the contact forces between the wraps during operation of the machine;
• and assemblying the machine in such a way as to maintain the targeted dR.sub.g.

A method of fabricating a scroll machine having improved sound attenuation wherein the machine comprises first and second scroll members each having a spiral wrap disposed thereon, said scroll members being mounted for relative orbital movement therebetween with said wraps intermeshed with one another to define a scroll set so that said wraps will create pockets of progressively changing volume in response to said orbital movement, said method comprising the following steps:

• accurately controlling generating radius bias (dR.sub.g) during fabrication of the respective components of the machine to maintain a targeted value of dR.sub.g which will cause said wraps to contact each other only on one side of the geometric center of said scroll set during normal operation of the machine;
• and assemblying the machine in such a way as to maintain the targeted dR.sub.g.

A scroll machine having improved sound attenuation, comprising:

• (a) first and second scroll members each having a spiral wrap disposed thereon, said scroll members being mounted for relative orbital movement therebetween with said wraps intermeshed with one another to form a scroll set, said scroll set being configured to have a dR.sub.is, and a multiple generating radius bias (dR.sub.g), including a first dR.sub.g on an inner portion of said scroll set which results in an additional moment on the scroll members caused by the contact forces between the wraps during operating of the machine and a second dR.sub.g on an outer portion of said scroll set;
• and
• (b) means for causing one of said scroll members to orbit with respect to the other scroll member so that said wraps create pockets of progressively changing volumes.