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US 6,485,268 B1Granted
Oil utilized as motor protector trip for scroll compressor
AssigneeScroll Technologies
InventorsJason Hugenroth, Thomas Barito
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A scroll compressor has lubricant flow which passes lubricant over a portion of a compressor pump set which will be at an elevated temperature under certain adverse conditions. If the adverse conditions are occurring, then this lubricant will reach an elevated temperature. This lubricant is returned over a motor protector such that it can cause the motor protector to trip and stop further operation of the scroll compressor. The flow of lubricant can be selective, and only occur when a predetermined temperature is reached by a sensing unit, or can be ongoing.
Claims17
A scroll compressor comprising:
- a compressor pump unit having a first scroll member having a base and generally spiral wrap extending from said base, a second scroll member having a base and a generally spiral wrap extending from said base, said spiral wraps of said first and second scroll members interfitting to define compression chambers, and a crankcase for supporting said second scroll member;
- a shaft for driving said second scroll member to orbit relative to said first scroll member, and compression chambers between said wraps of said first and second scroll member decreasing in size as said second scroll member orbits to compress an entrapped refrigerant;
- a motor for driving a shaft to cause said second scroll member to orbit, said motor having a rotor and a stator, and a motor protector associated with said motor stator, said motor protector being operable to stop further operation of said motor in the event it senses an undesired condition;
- and
- an oil return passage for passing lubricant over a heating portion of said compressor pump unit, said oil return passage being positioned to return oil from said heating portion of said compressor pump unit onto said motor protector, said passage including a portion in said first scroll member base.
2 more elements
A scroll compressor comprising:
- a compressor pump unit having a first scroll member having a base and generally spiral wrap extending from said base, a second scroll member having a base and a generally spiral wrap extending from said base, said spiral wraps of said first and second scroll members interfitting to define compression chambers, and a crankcase for supporting said second scroll member;
- a shaft for driving said second scroll member to orbit relative to said first scroll member, and compression chambers between said wraps of said first and second scroll member decreasing in size as said second scroll member orbits to compress an entrapped refrigerant;
- a motor for driving a shaft to cause said second scroll member to orbit, said motor having a rotor and a stator, and a motor protector associated with said motor stator, said motor protector being operable to stop further operation of said motor in the event it senses an undesired condition;
- an oil return passage for passing lubricant over a heating portion of said compressor pump unit, said oil return passage being positioned to return oil from said portion of said compressor pump unit onto said motor protector;
- and
- an oil tube communicates downwardly into a oil sump at an end of said compressor remote from said compressor pump unit, and a pump on said oil tube drives lubricant from said oil sump upwardly onto said heating portion of said compressor pump unit.
3 more elements
A scroll compressor comprising:
- a compressor pump unit having a first scroll member having a base and generally spiral wrap extending from said base, a second scroll member having a base and a generally spiral wrap extending from said base, said spiral wraps of said first and second scroll members interfitting to define compression chambers, and a crankcase for supporting said second scroll member;
- a shaft for driving said second scroll member to orbit relative to said first scroll member, and compression chambers between said wraps of said first and second scroll member decreasing in size as said second scroll member orbits to compress an entrapped refrigerant;
- a motor for driving a shaft to cause said second scroll member to orbit, said motor having a rotor and a stator, and a motor protector associated with said motor stator, said motor protector being operable to stop further operation of said motor in the event it senses an undesired condition;
- an oil return passage for passing lubricant over a portion of said compressor pump unit, said oil return passage being positioned to return oil from said portion of said compressor pump unit onto said motor protector;
- the communication of lubricant to said portion of said compressor pump unit is selective and occurs once a predetermined temperature is sensed by a sensor associated with said compressor pump unit;
- a valve is moved by a temperature sensitive member to allow flow of lubricant over said portion of said compressor pump unit, or prevent flow of lubricant over said compressor pump unit based upon a sensed temperature;
- said valve includes a valve member movable to block communication between two flow passages in the event said predetermined temperature is reached;
- and
- said valve is biased outwardly by a temperature sensitive spring to be at said blocking position, and a second motor protector oil return passage then communicates with oil being returned when said valve is moved to said blocking position.
6 more elements
A scroll compressor comprising:
- a compressor pump unit having a first scroll member having a base and generally spiral wrap extending from said base, a second scroll member having a base and a generally spiral wrap extending from said base, said spiral wraps of said first and second scroll members interfitting to define compression chambers, and a crankcase for supporting said second scroll member;
- a shaft for driving said second scroll member to orbit relative to said first scroll member, and compression chambers between said wraps of said first and second scroll member decreasing in size as said second scroll member orbits to compress an entrapped refrigerant;
- a motor for driving a shaft to cause said second scroll member to orbit, said motor having a rotor and a stator, and a motor protector associated with said motor stator, said motor protector being operable to stop further operation of said motor in the event it senses a predetermined high temperature;
- and
- an oil return passage for passing lubricant over said first scroll member and then returning oil from said first scroll member onto said motor protector, said oil passage being selectively opened by a movable valve, when a predetermined temperature is reached in said compressor pump unit.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.