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US 5,370,513 AGranted
Scroll compressor oil circulation system
AssigneeCopeland Corporation
InventorGary K. Fain
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A scroll compressor oil circulation system has the usual concentric bore oil pump which supplies lubricating oil to a chamber within which an impeller rotates. The rotating of the impeller within this chamber pumps lubricating oil through a passage which communicates with a control passage which injects a quantity of lubricant into the compression chambers of the scrolls for cooling and lubrication. The amount of oil injected into the compression chamber is controlled by the shape of the control passage through the orbiting scroll.
Claims19
A scroll machine comprising:
- a first scroll member having on one side a first spiral vane;
- a second scroll member having a second spiral vane disposed in interengaging relationship with said first spiral vane so that as said scroll members orbit with respect to one another, moving pockets of changing volume are formed by said vanes, said moving pockets moving between a suction pressure zone and a discharge pressure zone, said pockets including a first pocket for receiving a suction gas, one of said scroll members including a first passage in fluid communication with said first pocket;
- means forming a chamber disposed within said suction pressure zone in fluid communication with said first passage;
- an impeller disposed in said chamber;
- a pump for supplying a lubricant to said chamber;
- and
- a drive member for causing said scroll members to orbit with respect to one another and said impeller to rotate, said rotating impeller being operative to pump said lubricant from said chamber through said first passage to said first pocket.
4 more elements
The scroll machine according to claim I wherein said first scroll member orbits with respect to said second scroll member, said first passage being located in said first scroll member.
A scroll machine comprising:
- a first scroll member having on one side a first spiral vane;
- a second scroll member having a second spiral vane disposed in interengaging relationship with said first spiral vane so that as said first scroll member orbits with respect to said second scroll member, moving pockets of changing volume are formed by said vanes, said moving pockets moving between a suction pressure zone and a discharge pressure zone, said pockets including a first pocket which opens to receive a suction gas, said first scroll member including a first passage located adjacent said first pocket when said first pocket is open;
- a drive member for causing said scroll members to orbit with respect to one another, said drive member including a counterweight rotating in a chamber located in said suction pressure zone in the vicinity of said first scroll member;
- a pump for supplying a lubricant from a sump to said chamber;
- and
- said machine including a passageway for allowing said lubricant to flow from said chamber through said first passage in said first scroll to said first pocket when said first pocket is open, said lubricant being pumped from said chamber to said first pocket by said rotating counterweight.
3 more elements
A scroll machine comprising:
- a first scroll member having on one side a first spiral vane;
- a second scroll member having a second spiral vane disposed in interengaging relationship with said first spiral vane so that as said first scroll member orbits with respect to said second scroll member, moving pockets of changing volume are formed by said vanes, said moving pockets moving between a suction pressure zone and a discharge pressure zone, said pockets including a first pocket which opens to receive a suction gas, said first scroll including a first passage located adjacent said first pocket when said first pocket is open;
- an upper bearing housing secured to said second scroll member and having a first bearing surface for supporting said first scroll member, said upper bearing housing including a groove formed in the end of said upper bearing housing opposite to said first bearing surface and a second passage having an inlet port in fluid communication with said groove and a first outlet port connecting said second passage to said first bearing surface, said second passage being in communication with said first passage when said first pocket is open;
- a lower bearing housing secured to said upper bearing housing, said lower bearing housing and said upper bearing housing cooperating to form a chamber located in said suction pressure zone in the vicinity of said first scroll member, said upper bearing housing including a third passage for allowing fluid to drain from said chamber;
- a pump for supplying a lubricant from said sump to said chamber;
- a drive member for causing said scroll members to orbit with respect to one another, said drive member including a counterweight rotating in said chamber, said counterweight being operable to pump said lubricant from said chamber to said first pocket through said first and second passages when said first pocket is open.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.