US 5,785,151 AGranted

Compressor with improved oil pump and filter assembly

AssigneeTecumseh Products Company

InventorsEmanuel D. Fry, Scott L. Reiniche

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A compressor having an oil pick-up tube which filters incoming lubricant, and increases the volumetric pumping capacity of the compressor. The oil pick-up tube is attached to the crankshaft of the compressor, and is partially disposed within an oil sump also provided in the compressor. When the motor of the compressor is energized, the crankshaft and the oil pick-up tube rotate, and oil from the oil sump is drawn into the oil pick-up tube. A passageway is provided within the motor shaft to communicate oil from the oil pick-up tube to the compressor mechanism of the compressor for lubrication purposes. A cylindrical screen is also provided within the oil pick-up tube to both filter the incoming oil and provide a surface to which the oil adheres as it migrates upward through the rotating tube and expels the oil radially outward to increase the velocity of the migrating oil. The volumetric pumping capacity of the compressor is thereby increased. A pitot tube is provided at the top of the axial oil passageway to create an additional vacuum within the axial oil passageway and thus increase the volumetric pumping capacity of the compressor.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A compressor, comprising:

an outer housing;
a compressor mechanism disposed within said housing and having a crankshaft;
a motor disposed within said housing and driving said crankshaft, said crankshaft including an axial passageway having an upper end and a lower end, said axial passageway in fluid communication with said compressor mechanism;
an oil pick-up tube connected to said crankshaft for rotation therewith and extending into an oil sump provided within said housing, said pick-up tube including a lower reduced diameter section and an upper enlarged diameter section, oil from said sump being drawn into an inlet provided in said reduced diameter section when said crankshaft rotates;
and
a cylindrical screen disposed within said lower reduced diameter section and at least a portion of said upper enlarged diameter section of said oil pick-up tube, an annular space formed between said cylindrical screen and said enlarged diameter section, rotation of said crankshaft and screen causing the oil from said sump to migrate up said screen through said reduced diameter section, the oil being expelled from said screen radially outward to said enlarged diameter section and upward to said axial passageway and said compressor mechanism, whereby the pumping capability of said oil pick-up tube is enhanced.

3 more elements

A compressor, comprising:

a housing;
a compressor mechanism disposed within said housing and having a crankshaft;
a motor disposed within said housing and driving said crankshaft, said crankshaft including an axial passageway having an upper end and a lower end, said axial passageway in fluid communication with said compressor mechanism;
an oil pick-up tube having an upper enlarged diameter end connected to said crankshaft for rotation therewith and a lower reduced diameter end extending into an oil sump provided within said housing, said upper end being in fluid communication with said axial oil passageway and said lower end having an opening receiving oil from said sump when said crankshaft rotates;
and
a cylindrical screen disposed within said oil pick-up tube, an annular space formed between said cylindrical screen and said upper enlarged diameter end of said oil pick-up tube, whereby the rotation of said crankshaft and said screen causes oil from said sump to migrate up said screen, the oil being expelled from said screen radially outward to said inner surface and upward to said axial passageway and said compressor mechanism, whereby the pumping capability of said oil pick-up tube is enhanced.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.