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US 9,261,094 B2Granted
Rotary compressor
AssigneeCaire Inc.
InventorJason James Hugenroth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aspect of the present disclosure involves a rotary compressor that is primarily optimized for use without the need for liquid lubricants, such as in the flow path of the fluid being compressed, and is efficient and quiet to use. The compressors described herein are efficient, run quietly, use less power, and last longer than those previously known in the art. The compressors are useful for medical applications and other clean gas applications, for instance, where lubricants could contaminate the fluid being compressed and/or increased noise and/or vibration may be problematic.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a first inlet configured to receive fluid that is to be compressed;
- a first piston configured to rotate around a first eccentric of a shaft in an orbital fashion in order to compress the fluid, the first piston being coated with an abradable coating, the fluid being used as a lubricant for lubricating the first piston, the use of the fluid for lubricating and the abradable coating eliminating a need of another lubricant for lubricating the first piston;
- a first outlet configured to discharge the compressed fluid;
- a second inlet configured to receive, from a separator device, one or more exhaust gases that have been separated from the fluid, the one or more exhaust gases being a subset of gases forming the fluid;
- a second piston configured to rotate around a second eccentric of the shaft in the orbital fashion, axial surfaces of the second piston being parallel to axial surfaces of the first piston, the second piston being coated with the abradable coating, the one or more exhaust gases being used as a lubricant for lubricating the second piston, the use of the one or more exhaust gases for lubricating and the abradable coating of the second piston eliminating a need of another lubricant for lubricating the second piston;
- and
- a second outlet configured to exhaust the gases.
4 more elements
A method comprising:
- receiving ambient air at a first inlet of a rotary compressor powered by a motor;
- rotating a first piston of the rotary compressor around a first eccentric of a shaft in an orbital motion to compress the ambient air into compressed gas;
- sending, at a first outlet of the rotary compressor, the compressed gas to a separator device configured to separate the compressed gas into a first gas and other gases, the rotary compressor being lubricated by the ambient air and the compressed gas while not requiring another lubricant;
- receiving, at a second inlet of a vacuum pump powered by the motor, the other gases from the separator device, the vacuum pump comprising a second piston configured to rotate around a second eccentric of the shaft in the orbital motion, the second piston being radially parallel to the first piston;
- and
- exhausting the other gases at a second outlet of the vacuum pump, the vacuum pump being lubricated by the other gases while not requiring another lubricant.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.