Scroll compressor

A scroll-type compressor comprising:

• an outer shell;
• a first scroll member disposed in said shell and including a first end plate having a first upstanding spiral wrap provided thereon;
• a second scroll member disposed in said shell and including a second end plate having a second upstanding spiral wrap provided thereon, said second spiral wrap being intermeshed with said first spiral wrap;
• a stationary body disposed within said shell, said stationary body supporting said second scroll member for orbital movement with respect to said first scroll member whereby said first and second scroll members cooperate to define moving fluid pockets which decrease in size as they travel from the radially outer ends of said first and second wraps to the radial inner ends of said first and second wraps, said stationary body including a bearing;
• a suction inlet in said shell for supplying suction gas to said first and second scroll members;
• a discharge port centrally located on said first scroll member for discharging fluid compressed by said first and second scroll members;
• a drive shaft rotatably supported by said bearing and drivingly connected to said second scroll member;
• a partition disposed in said shell and cooperating therewith to partition said shell into a discharge chamber and a suction chamber, said partition including a discharge passage therethrough sealingly communicating with said discharge port whereby compressed gas discharged through said discharge port is directed to said discharge chamber;
• a low pressure lubricant sump in said suction chamber;
• a high pressure lubricant sump in said discharge chamber;
• a lubricant flowpath for supplying oil from said high pressure sump to said moving fluid pockets intermediate the radially inner and outer ends of said first and second wraps;
• a level control assembly for directing accumulations of lubricant in said high pressure sump above a predetermined level to said low pressure sump;
• and
• a lubricant pump for supplying lubricant from said low pressure sump to said suction gas being supplied to said first and second scroll members.

A scroll-type machine comprising:

• a first scroll member including a first end plate having a first spiral wrap provided thereon;
• a second scroll member including a second end plate having a second spiral wrap provided thereon, said second spiral wrap being intermeshed with said first spiral wrap;
• a stationary body having a surface supporting said second scroll member for relative orbital movement with respect to said first scroll member whereby said first and second scroll members define moving fluid pockets;
• an Oldham coupling supported on said stationary body radially outwardly of said surface supporting said second scroll and operative to prevent relative rotational movement between said first and second scroll members;
• a drive shaft rotatably supported by a first bearing in said stationary body, said drive shaft being drivenly connected to said orbiting scroll member through a second bearing;
• a lubricant supply for supplying lubricant to said first and second bearings;
• and
• passages in said stationary body for supplying lubricant from one of said first and second bearings to said Oldham coupling, said passages opening radially outwardly around the outer periphery of said stationary body.

A compressor comprising:

• an enclosed shell;
• a compressing mechanism disposed within said shell;
• a low pressure lubricant sump in said shell;
• a high pressure lubricant sump in said shell;
• a lubricant flowpath for supplying oil from said high pressure sump to said compressing mechanism without circulating said oil through said low pressure sump;
• and
• a level control assembly for directing accumulations of lubricant maintained in said high pressure sump above a predetermined level to said low pressure sump.

A scroll-type gas compressor comprising:

• an enclosed shell;
• a first scroll member disposed within said shell and including a first end plate having a first spiral wrap thereon;
• a second scroll member disposed within said shell and including a second end plate having a second spiral wrap thereon;
• said scroll members being supported for orbital movement relative to one another;
• said first and second spiral wraps being intermeshed so as to define moving fluid pockets which decrease in size in response to said orbital movement to compress gas;
• a low pressure lubricant sump in said shell for supplying lubricant to said compressor;
• a high pressure lubricant sump in said shell;
• and
• a temperature sensor disposed within said high pressure sump, said temperature sensor being operative to de-energize said compressor in response to an excessive temperature in said sump.

A scroll-type compressor comprising:

• an enclosed shell;
• a first scroll member disposed within said shell and including a first end plate having a first spiral wrap thereon;
• a second scroll member disposed within said shell and including a second end plate having a second spiral wrap thereon;
• said scroll members being supported for orbital movement relative to one another;
• said first and second spiral wraps being intermeshed so as to define moving fluid pockets which decrease in size in response to said orbital movement to compress a gas in said shell;
• a lubricant sump disposed in said shell;
• a suction inlet through said shell for supplying suction gas to said scroll members;
• a lubricant delivery system for delivering lubricant from said sump to said fluid pockets;
• a first lubricant separator disposed within said shell, said lubricant separator being operative to separate lubricant from said compressed gas and return said separated lubricant to said sump;
• and
• a second lubricant separator disposed within said shell, said second lubricant separator being downstream from said first lubricant separator and operative to separate lubricant from said compressed gas and return said lubricant to said sump.

A scroll-type air compressor comprising:

• an enclosed shell;
• a first scroll member disposed within said shell and including a first end plate having a first spiral wrap thereon;
• a second scroll member disposed within said shell and including a second end plate having a second spiral wrap thereon;
• said scroll members being supported for orbital movement relative to one another;
• said first and second spiral wraps being intermeshed so as to define moving fluid pockets which decrease in size in response to said orbital movement to compress a gas in said shell;
• a lubricant sump disposed in said shell;
• a lubricant delivery system for delivering lubricant from said sump to said fluid pockets;
• a lubricant separator disposed within said shell, said lubricant separator being operative to separate lubricant from said compressed gas and return said separated lubricant to said sump;
• and
• a removable filter assembly for filtering said separated lubricant being returned to said sump, laid filter assembly including a portion extending inwardly through said shell.

A scroll-type machine comprising:

• a first scroll member including a first end plate having a first spiral wrap provided thereon;
• a second scroll member including a second end plate having a second spiral wrap provided thereon, said second spiral wrap being intermeshed with said first spiral wrap;
• a stationary body supporting said first and second scroll members for relative orbital movement whereby said first and second scroll members define moving fluid pockets;
• an Oldham coupling operative to prevent relative rotational movement between said first and second scroll members;
• a drive shaft rotatably supported by a first bearing in said stationary body for causing said orbital movement;
• a lubricant supply for supplying lubricant to said first bearing;
• and
• passages in said stationary body for supplying lubricant to said Oldham coupling, said passage opening radially outwardly around the outer periphery of said stationary body.