Variable capacity scroll type fluid displacement apparatus

A scroll-type fluid displacement apparatus comprising:

• a housing having a fluid inlet port and a fluid outlet port through which fluid is discharged;
• a base scroll disposed within said housing and having an end plate from which a first spiral wrap extends into the interior of said housing;
• an orbiting scroll having an end plate from which a second spiral wrap extends, said first and second wraps interfitting at an angular and radial offset to form a plurality of line contacts which define at least one pair of sealed off fluid pockets;
• means for mounting said orbiting scroll for orbital and rotational motion with respect to said housing;
• a driving mechanism operatively coupled to said orbiting scroll to effect relative orbital motion between said orbiting scroll and said base scroll;
• and
• coupling means for coupling said base scroll to said orbiting scroll at a fixed, continuous radial offset, wherein said base scroll is operatively coupled through said coupling means for rotation with said orbiting scroll.

A scroll-type fluid displacement apparatus comprising:

• a housing having a fluid inlet port and a fluid outlet port;
• a first scroll disposed within said housing and having an end plate from which a first spiral wrap extends into the interior of said housing;
• a second scroll having an end plate from which a second spiral wrap extends, said first and second wraps interfitting at an angular and radial offset to form a plurality of line contacts which define at least one pair of sealed off fluid pockets;
• a driving mechanism operatively coupled to one of said first or second scrolls to impart a rotational driving force to said one of said first or second scrolls and to effect relative orbital motion between said scrolls;
• and
• coupling means for coupling said scrolls at a fixed, continuous radial offset, wherein said first scroll is operatively coupled through said coupling means for rotation with said second scroll, and wherein said first and second scrolls rotate with a variable rotational velocity.

A scroll-type fluid displacement apparatus comprising:

• a housing having a fluid inlet port and a fluid outlet port through which fluid is discharged;
• a base scroll disposed within said housing and having an end plate from which a first spiral wrap extends into the interior of said housing;
• an orbiting scroll having an end plate from which a second spiral wrap extends, said first and second wraps interfitting at an angular and radial offset to form a plurality of line contacts which define at least one pair of sealed off fluid pockets;
• a driving mechanism operatively coupled to said orbiting scroll to effect the orbital motion of said orbiting scroll, said driving mechanism operatively driving said orbiting scroll at an input speed;
• a rotation prevention means for allowing said orbiting scroll to orbit with respect to said base scroll while preventing said orbiting scroll from rotating with respect to said base scroll whereby the volume of the fluid pockets changes during orbital motion to compress or expand the fluid in said pockets;
• and
• an infinitely variable capacity adjustment means operatively associated with said base scroll for infinitely varying the capacity of said base and orbiting scrolls to compress or expand the fluid in said fluid pockets while substantially maintaining the input speed of said driving mechanism.

A scroll-type fluid displacement apparatus comprising:

• a housing having a fluid inlet port and a fluid outlet port through which fluid is discharged;
• a base scroll disposed within said housing and having an end plate from which a first spiral wrap extends into the interior of said housing;
• an orbiting scroll having an end plate from which a second spiral wrap extends, said first and second wraps interfitting at an angular and radial offset to form a plurality of line contacts which define at least one pair of sealed off fluid pockets;
• a driving mechanism operatively coupled to said orbiting scroll to effect the orbital motion of said orbiting scroll, said driving mechanism operatively driving said orbiting scroll at an input speed;
• a rotation prevention means for allowing said orbiting scroll to orbit with respect to said base scroll with relative orbital speed therebetween while preventing said orbiting scroll from rotating with respect to said base scroll whereby the volume of the fluid pockets changes during relative orbital motion to compress or expand the fluid in said pockets;
• and
• orbital motion varying means operatively associated with said base scroll for varying the relative orbital speed between said orbiting scroll and said base scroll while substantially maintaining the input speed of said driving mechanism.

A scroll-type fluid displacement apparatus comprising:

• a housing having a fluid inlet port and a fluid outlet port through which fluid is discharged;
• a base scroll disposed within said housing and having an end plate from which a first spiral wrap extends into the interior of said housing;
• an orbiting scroll having an end plate from which a second spiral wrap extends, said first and second wraps interfitting at an angular and radial offset to form a plurality of line contacts which define at least one pair of sealed off fluid pockets;
• a driving mechanism operatively coupled to said orbiting scroll to effect the orbital motion of said orbiting scroll;
• a rotation prevention means for allowing said orbiting scroll to orbit with respect to said base scroll with relative orbital speed therebetween while preventing said orbiting scroll from rotating with respect to said base scroll whereby the volume of the fluid pockets changes during relative orbital motion to compress or expand the fluid in said pockets;
• and
• orbital motion varying means operatively associated with said base scroll for varying the relative orbital speed between said orbiting scroll and said base scroll;
• wherein
• said base scroll is rotatably mounted in said housing, and said orbital motion varying means comprises a braking means, operatively coupled to said base scroll, for applying a braking force to said base scroll.

A scroll-type fluid displacement apparatus comprising:

• a housing having a fluid inlet port and a fluid outlet port through which fluid is discharged;
• a base scroll rotatably mounted in said housing and having an end plate from which a first spiral wrap extends into the interior of said housing;
• an orbiting scroll having an end plate from which a second spiral wrap extends, said first and second wraps interfitting at an angular and radial offset to form a plurality of line contacts which define at least one pair of sealed off fluid pockets;
• a driving mechanism operatively coupled to said orbiting scroll to effect the orbital motion of said orbiting scroll;
• a rotation prevention means for allowing said orbiting scroll to orbit with respect to said base scroll while preventing said orbiting scroll from rotating with respect to said base scroll whereby the volume of the fluid pockets changes during orbital motion to compress or expand the fluid in said pockets;
• and
• an infinitely variable capacity adjustment means for infinitely varying the capacity of said base and orbiting scrolls to compress or expand the fluid in said fluid pockets, said infinitely variable capacity adjustment means comprising a braking means for applying a braking force to said base scroll.

A method of displacing fluid in a scroll-type fluid displacement apparatus, said apparatus comprising a housing having a fluid inlet port and a fluid outlet port through which fluid is discharged, a first scroll disposed within said housing and having an end plate from which a first spiral wrap extends into the interior of said housing, a second scroll having an end plate from which a second spiral wrap extends, said first and second wraps interfitting at an angular and radial offset to form a plurality of line contacts which define at least one pair of sealed off fluid pockets, a driving mechanism operatively coupled to one of said first or second scrolls, said method comprising the steps of:

• driving one of said first or second scrolls with said driving mechanism at a certain input speed to effect orbital motion between said scrolls;
• preventing relative rotation between said first and second scrolls while allowing said first and second scrolls to have relative orbital motion therebetween;
• and
• infinitely varying the capacity of said first and second scrolls to compress or expand the fluid in said fluid pockets by controlling the amount of relative orbital motion between said first and second scrolls while substantially maintaining the input speed of said driving mechanism.

A method of displacing fluid in a scroll-type fluid displacement apparatus, said apparatus comprising a housing having a fluid inlet port and a fluid outlet port through which fluid is discharged, a first scroll disposed within said housing and having an end plate from which a first spiral wrap extends into the interior of said housing, a second scroll having an end plate from which a second spiral wrap extends, said first and second wraps interfitting at an angular and radial offset to form a plurality of line contacts which define at least one pair of sealed off fluid pockets, at least one of said first and second scrolls rotatably mounted in said housing, a driving mechanism operatively coupled to one of said first or second scrolls, said method comprising the steps of:

• driving one of said first or second scrolls with said driving mechanism to effect orbital motion between said scrolls;
• preventing relative rotation between said first and second scrolls while allowing said first and second scrolls to have relative orbital motion therebetween;
• infinitely varying the capacity of said first and second scrolls to compress or expand the fluid in said fluid pockets by controlling the amount of relative orbital motion between said first and second scrolls;
• and
• applying a braking force to the other of said first and second scrolls not driven by said driving mechanism to generate relative orbital motion between said first and second scrolls.