US 6,283,737 B1Granted

Oiless rotary scroll air compressor antirotation assembly

AssigneeWestinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation

InventorsMichael V. Kazakis, Charlie E. Jones

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Abstract

An anti-rotation device for a scroll compressor. The scroll compressor includes intermeshed and nested stationary and orbiting scroll elements which define at least one spiraling compression pocket therebetween and an orbital drive mechanism for driving the central axis of the orbiting scroll element about the central axis of the stationary scroll element. The anti-rotation device maintains the orbiting scroll element substantially non-rotational with respect to the stationary scroll element during its orbit thereabout and includes at least one anti-rotation bearing which includes a first bearing element mounted stationary with respect to the stationary scroll element, a second bearing element mounted on the orbiting scroll element and an offset crank member. The offset crank member has a first shaft portion rotatably engaging the first bearing element and a second shaft portion which is radially offset from the first shaft portion by a distance equal to the radius of orbit, is parallel thereto and rotatably engages the second bearing element. Preferably, the first and second bearing elements are rotational bearing components, the second shaft portion of the offset crank member non-rotatably engages, via a conically tapered fitting, a bushing member, which itself rotationally engages the second rotational bearing component, and at least three such anti-rotation bearings are disposed at equal angular displacements (e.g., 120°) about the central axis of the scroll compressor.

Claims26

Dependent claims

An anti-rotation device for a scroll compressor, such scroll compressor including a housing, a stationary scroll element mounted within such housing substantially stationary with respect to such housing, such stationary scroll element including a stationary spiral flange, an orbiting scroll element disposed within such housing, such orbiting scroll element including an orbiting spiral flange, such stationary and orbiting spiral flanges being intermeshed and nested with one another to define a spiraling compression pocket therebetween, each of such stationary and orbiting scroll elements having a substantially central axis, and an orbital drive mechanism for driving such central axis of such orbiting scroll element in an orbit at a radius or orbit about such central axis of such stationary scroll element, said anti-rotation device comprising:

at least one anti-rotation bearing assembly for maintaining such orbiting scroll element substantially non-rotational with respect to such stationary scroll element during such orbit of such orbiting scroll element about such stationary scroll element, said at least one anti-rotation bearing assembly comprising:
a first bearing element mounted substantially stationary with respect to such stationary scroll element;
a second bearing element mounted on said orbiting scroll element;
and
an offset crank member;
said offset crank member including a first shaft portion rotatably engaging said first bearing element mounted substantially stationary with respect to such stationary scroll and a second shaft portion rotatably engaging said second bearing element mounted on such orbiting scroll element, said first and second shaft portions of said offset crank member being separated from one another by a radially offset distance.

3 more elements

In a scroll compressor including a housing, a stationary scroll element disposed within such housing substantially stationary with respect to such housing, such stationary scroll element including a stationary spiral flange, an orbiting scroll element disposed within such housing, such orbiting scroll element including an orbiting spiral flange, such stationary and orbiting spiral flanges being intermeshed and nested with one another to define a spiraling compression pocket therebetween, each of such stationary and orbiting scroll elements having a substantially central axis, and an orbital drive mechanism for driving such central axis of such orbiting scroll element in an orbit at a radius of orbit about such central axis of such stationary scroll element, an improved anti-rotation device, said improved anti-rotation device comprising at least one anti-rotation bearing assembly for maintaining such central axis of such orbiting scroll element substantially non-rotational with respect to such central axis of such stationary scroll element during such orbit of such central axis of such orbiting scroll element about such central axis of such stationary scroll element, said at least one anti-rotation bearing assembly including:

a first bearing element mounted substantially stationary with respect to such stationary scroll element;
a second bearing element mounted on said orbiting scroll element;
and
an offset crank member;
said offset crank member including a first shaft portion rotatably engaged with said first bearing element mounted substantially stationary with respect to such stationary scroll and a second shaft portion rotatably engaged with said second bearing element mounted on such orbiting scroll element, said second shaft portion of said offset crank member being disposed at a radial offset with respect to said first shaft portion of said offset crank member.

2 more elements

A scroll compressor including an anti-rotation device, comprising:

a housing;
a stationary scroll element mounted within said housing substantially stationary with respect to said housing, said stationary scroll element including a stationary spiral flange;
an orbiting scroll element disposed within said housing, said orbiting scroll element including an orbiting spiral flange;
said stationary and orbiting spiral flanges being intermeshed and nested with one another to define a spiraling compression pocket therebetween;
each of said stationary and orbiting scroll elements having a substantially central axis;
orbital drive means for driving said central axis of said orbiting scroll element in an orbit at a radius of orbit about said central axis of said stationary scroll element;
and
an anti-rotation device for maintaining said orbiting scroll element substantially non-rotational with respect to said stationary scroll element during orbiting of said central axis of said orbiting scroll element about said central axis of said stationary scroll element, said anti-rotation device including:
at least one anti-rotation bearing assembly for interconnecting said orbiting scroll element to and positioning said orbiting scroll element with respect to said stationary scroll element, said at least one anti-rotation bearing assembly including:
a first bearing element mounted substantially stationary with respect to said stationary scroll element;
a second bearing element mounted on said orbiting scroll element;
and
an offset crank member;
said offset crank member including a first shaft portion rotatably engaged with said first bearing element mounted substantially stationary with respect to said stationary scroll and a second shaft portion rotatably engaged with said second bearing element mounted on said orbiting scroll element, said first and second shaft portions of said offset crank member being separated by a radially offset distance.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.