Helical compressor

Abstract

To provide a helical compressor capable of smoothly supplying oil to a sliding portion.SOLUTION: A helical compressor 1 includes: a cylinder 3; a roller 4; and a spiral blade 8 which defines a compression chamber 42 between the cylinder 3 and the roller 4, wherein a capacity of the compression chamber 42 decreases while advancing in a thrust direction due to revolution of the roller 4, and thereby, a refrigerant is compressed in the compression chamber 42. The helical compressor 1 further includes: a motor 6 which drives the roller 4 through a shaft 7; and casing side plates 12, 13 which have bearings 38, 39 journaling the shaft 7 on both ends in the thrust direction, respectively. A discharge gas passage 46 through which the refrigerant compressed in the compression chamber 42 passes, and an oil supply orifice 48 which communicates the discharge gas passage 46 with the bearings 38, 39 are formed in the shaft 7.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a helical compressor that compresses a working fluid by defining a compression chamber between a cylinder and a roller that revolves inside the cylinder with a helical blade. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, helical compressors have had a cylinder, a roller installed inside the cylinder, and a blade that defines a compression chamber between the cylinder and the roller. The roller revolves around the cylinder, thereby reducing the volume of the compression chamber as it progresses in the thrust direction of the cylinder, thereby compressing the working fluid sucked into the compression chamber (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In such cases, there have been developed devices in which a spiral groove is formed on the inner surface of a cylinder and a blade is fitted into this spiral groove so that it can be protruded and retracted (see, for example, Patent Document 2), or conversely, devices in which a spiral groove is formed on the outer surface of a roller and a blade is fitted into it so that it can be protruded and retracted (see, for example, Patent Document 3). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6024487 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-28084 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-77745 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, with such conventional configurations, there was a problem of how to supply oil to sliding parts such as the shaft bearing part for driving the roller by the motor and the cam that revolves the roller, and there was a need to develop a structure that could effectively eliminate power loss and seizure due to poor lubrication.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional technical problems, and has an object to provide a helical compressor that can smoothly supply oil to sliding parts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The helical compressor of the present invention comprises a cylinder, a roller disposed inside the cylinder and revolving relative to the cylinder, and a spiral blade defining a compression chamber between the cylinder and the roller. The volume of the compression chamber decreases as the roller revolves in the thrust direction of the cylinder, thereby compressing the working fluid drawn into the compression chamber. The helical compressor is characterized by comprising a motor that drives the roller via a shaft that passes through the roller, and bearing members that are positioned at both ends of the shaft in the thrust direction and have bearing portions that support the shaft. The shaft is formed with a discharge gas path through which the working fluid compressed in the compression chamber passes, and an oil supply orifice that connects the discharge gas path to the bearing portions.

[0008] The helical compressor of the invention of claim 2 is characterized in that it comprises roller wheels positioned at both ends of the roller in the thrust direction and through which a shaft passes, and a cam ring attached to the shaft and slidably abutting against the roller wheel to cause the roller to revolve, and the shaft is formed with an oil supply orifice that connects the discharge gas path with the sliding part of the cam ring.

[0009] The helical compressor of the invention of claim 3 is characterized in that, in the invention of claim 1, it has an outer casing that hermetically houses the cylinder and roller inside, and this outer casing has casing side plates located at both ends in the thrust direction, and each casing side plate has a bearing portion for the shaft to form a bearing member.

[0010] The helical compressor of the invention of claim 4 is characterized in that, in the above invention, it is provided with a discharge gas path for oil separation which is formed on the casing side plate and connects the compression chamber between the cylinder and the roller with the discharge gas path of the shaft.

[0011] The helical compressor of the invention of claim 5 is characterized in that in the above invention, the discharge gas path for oil separation is formed in one of the casing side plates, and the suction port that draws the working fluid into the compression chamber between the cylinder and the roller and the discharge port that discharges the working fluid from the discharge gas path of the shaft are provided in the other casing side plate.

[0012] The helical compressor of the invention of claim 6 is characterized in that, in the invention of claim 1, it comprises an outer casing that hermetically houses the cylinder and roller inside, and roller wheels that are located at both ends of the roller in the thrust direction and through which a shaft passes, the motor is provided within the roller, has a stator and a rotor that is attached to the shaft and rotates inside the stator, fixed legs are provided that hold the stator in the outer casing and supply power to the stator, and the roller wheels are formed with passages that allow the fixed legs to pass through.

[0013] The helical compressor of the invention of claim 7 is characterized in that in the above invention, a roller rotation prevention mechanism is formed by a passing portion of the roller wheel and a fixed leg that passes through this passing portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] The helical compressor of the present invention comprises a cylinder, a roller disposed inside the cylinder and revolving relative to the cylinder, and a spiral blade defining a compression chamber between the cylinder and the roller. The volume of the compression chamber decreases as the roller revolves in the thrust direction of the cylinder, thereby compressing the working fluid drawn into the compression chamber. The compressor also comprises a motor that drives the roller via a shaft that passes through the roller, and bearing members that are located at both ends of the shaft in the thrust direction and have bearings that support the shaft. The shaft is configured to have a discharge gas path through which the working fluid compressed in the compression chamber passes, and an oil supply orifice that connects the discharge gas path to the bearing. This allows oil to be supplied to the bearing of the shaft from the discharge gas path formed in the shaft via the oil supply orifice without hindrance, thereby lubricating it.

[0015] This allows the sliding portion between the shaft and the bearing to be lubricated, thereby reducing the risk of power loss and seizure due to sliding resistance.

[0016] Furthermore, as in the invention of claim 2, in the case where there are roller wheels positioned at both ends of the roller in the thrust direction and through which the shaft passes, and a cam ring attached to the shaft and slidably abutting against the roller wheels to cause the roller to revolve, by forming an oil supply orifice in the shaft that connects the discharge gas path with the sliding part of the cam ring, oil can be supplied from the discharge gas path formed in the shaft through the oil supply orifice to the sliding part between the roller wheel and the cam ring without hindrance, thereby enabling to lubricate the sliding part, thereby suppressing the risk of power loss and seizure due to sliding resistance.

[0017] Furthermore, as in the invention of claim 3, an outer casing is provided that hermetically houses the cylinder and roller inside, and this outer casing has casing side plates located at both ends in the thrust direction, and each casing side plate has a bearing portion for the shaft to form a bearing member.This makes it possible to compress the working fluid within the outer casing by the cylinder and roller, and to support the shaft without any hindrance by the bearing portion provided on the casing side plate of the outer casing.

[0018] Furthermore, as in the invention of claim 4, if a discharge gas path for oil separation that connects the compression chamber between the cylinder and roller with the discharge gas path of the shaft is formed on the casing side plate, the oil that is discharged from the helical compressor together with the working fluid can be effectively separated in the discharge gas path for oil separation, making it possible to avoid seizure due to oil depletion.

[0019] Furthermore, as in the invention of claim 5, if the discharge gas path for oil separation is formed on one of the casing side plates, and the suction port that draws the working fluid into the compression chamber between the cylinder and the roller and the discharge port that discharges the working fluid from the discharge gas path of the shaft are provided on the other casing side plate, the piping connections for suction and discharge of the working fluid can be completed on the other casing side plate, thereby improving assembly workability and maintenance.

[0020] Furthermore, according to the invention of claim 6, in addition to the invention of claim 1, an outer casing is provided that hermetically houses the cylinder and roller inside, and the motor is provided inside the roller, so that the motor can be housed inside the roller, thereby making it possible to reduce the overall dimensions of the helical compressor.

[0021] Here, the motor has a stator and a rotor attached to the shaft and rotating inside the stator, but in the invention of claim 6, the stator is held in an outer casing, fixed legs are provided to supply power to the stator, and a passage is formed in the roller wheel to allow the fixed legs to pass through, so that the motor located inside the roller can be held and power can be supplied to the stator without any problems.

[0022] In this case, if the roller rotation prevention mechanism is configured using the roller wheel passage and the fixed leg that passes through this passage, as in the invention of claim 7, the motor holding structure will allow the roller to revolve without rotating on its own axis, making it possible to simplify the configuration compared to when a separate rotation prevention mechanism is provided.

[0023] In particular, the fixed legs that pass through the roller wheel passage prevent the roller from rotating on its axis, allowing it to only revolve, thereby avoiding the disadvantage of the increased sliding speed between the roller and the blade that would occur if the roller were rotating on its axis. This reduces wear on the blade and extends its lifespan. It also prevents the occurrence of gaps between the roller and the blade that would cause the working fluid to flow back, improving compression efficiency and reducing power loss due to sliding resistance between the roller and the blade, thereby reducing power consumption. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of a helical compressor according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the helical compressor of FIG. 1 taken along line AA. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of a helical compressor 1 of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of Fig. 1. (1) Helical Compressor 1 The helical compressor 1 of the embodiment is generally composed of a hollow, cylindrical metal outer casing 2, a cylindrical metal cylinder 3, a cylindrical metal roller 4, a motor 6, a shaft 7, and a flexible spiral blade 8. The helical compressor 1 of the embodiment is used, for example, in the refrigerant circuit of a car air conditioner, and sucks in, compresses, and discharges a refrigerant (including oil) as a working fluid.

[0026] (2) Outer casing 2 The outer casing 2 is composed of a cylindrical casing body 11 that is open at both ends, and a pair of casing side plates 12, 13 that are attached to both ends of the casing body 11 in the thrust direction (axial direction of the cylinder). Of these, a bearing portion 14 is formed in the center of the inner surface of one of the casing side plates 12, and a bearing portion 16 is also formed in the center of the inner surface of the other casing side plate 13. Both ends of the shaft 7 are rotatably supported by each of the bearing portions 14, 16, as will be described later, so that in this embodiment, each of the casing side plates 12, 13 constitutes a bearing member for the shaft 7.

[0027] 1, reference numerals 17 and 18 denote annular gaskets that seal the joints between the casing main body 11 and each casing side plate, and reference numeral 20 denotes annular gaskets that seal the inside and outside of the outer casing 2 at each of the bearing portions 14 and 16. As a result, the outer casing 2 hermetically houses the cylinder 3, roller 4, motor 6, shaft 7, and blades 8 inside.

[0028] Furthermore, a discharge gas path 19 for oil separation is recessed in the outer surface of one of the casing side plates 12, and this discharge gas path 19 for oil separation is covered and sealed by a disk-shaped casing cover 21 attached to the outer surface of the casing side plate 12. The other casing side plate 13 has a discharge port 22 formed in the center and a suction port 23 formed on the outer periphery.

[0029] (3) Cylinder 3 The cylinder 3 is disposed inside the outer casing 2, and its outer diameter is set to be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the casing body 11 of the outer casing 2. The dimension of the cylinder 3 in the thrust direction is set to be slightly smaller than the distance between the casing side plates 12, 13. The cylinder 3 in this embodiment is not fixed to any member, and is disposed at least inside the casing body 11 so as to be movable in the radial direction.

[0030] The cylinder 3 of the embodiment has a predetermined uniform thickness. A spiral groove 26 is formed as a continuous recess on the inner surface of the cylinder 3 from one end (the casing side plate 12 side) to the other end (the casing side plate 13 side) in the thrust direction, and the pitch of the spiral groove 26 is set to gradually decrease from the other end to the one end.

[0031] Furthermore, a discharge gas path 27 on the cylinder 3 side is formed radially through one end of the cylinder 3 on the casing side plate 12 side, and the outer end of this discharge gas path 27 is connected to an annular discharge gas path 25 formed as a recess around the outer surface of the cylinder 3. Furthermore, a discharge gas path 28 is formed at one end of the casing main body 11, connecting the discharge gas path 25 of the cylinder 3 and the discharge gas path 19 of the casing side plate 12.

[0032] In this embodiment, the discharge gas path 25 is connected between the cylinder 3 and the outer casing 2, and as a result, the discharge gas path 25 forms a working fluid supply flow path that supplies the refrigerant (working fluid) from the compression chamber 42 described later between the cylinder 3 and the outer casing 2.

[0033] As described above, the cylinder 3 is disposed inside the casing body 11 and is movable in the radial direction, so a gap is formed between the cylinder 3 and the casing body 11. The gap between the cylinder 3 and the casing body 11 (outer casing 2) is defined in the thrust direction by annular gaskets 31 and 32. In this case, the gasket 31 is located on the casing side plate 12 side of the discharge gas path 25, and as a result, the gap between the cylinder 3 and the casing body 11 is defined by the discharge gas path 25 side and the casing side plate 12 side.

[0034] Additionally, gasket 32 ​​is located near the end of blade 8 closest to suction port 23, closer to casing side plate 12. As a result, the gap between cylinder 3 and casing body 11 is divided into the discharge gas path 25 side and the casing side plate 13 side. In this embodiment, each of gaskets 31 and 32 is made of an elastic material such as rubber, and as a result, cylinder 3 is constantly biased inward (toward roller 4).

[0035] (4) Roller 4 The roller 4 has roller wheels 36, 37 attached to both ends in the thrust direction. Cam bearings 38, 39 are formed in the center of each roller wheel 36, 37, and six passing sections 41, each with a shape as shown in Figure 2, are formed around each cam bearing 38, 39.

[0036] The outer diameter of the roller 4 is set to be smaller than the inner diameter of the cylinder 3, thereby forming a compression chamber 42 for the refrigerant (working fluid) between the cylinder 3 and the roller 4. One end side (the casing side plate 12 side) of this compression chamber 42 is connected to the discharge gas path 27, and the other end side (the casing side plate 13 side) is connected to the suction port 23.

[0037] The roller 4 revolves with the rotation of the shaft 7 due to the action of a cam ring 44 described later, and at that time, the outer surface of the roller 4 slidably contacts (line contact) the inner surface of the cylinder 3. In addition, 43 in Fig. 1 is an annular gasket that slidably contacts the cylinder 3 on the casing side plate 12 side of the discharge gas paths 27, 25, and seals the gap between the cylinder 3 and the roller 4.

[0038] (5) Blade 8 Blade 8 is assumed to be deformable and is made of a flexible material such as PTFE. Blade 8 is fitted so as to be able to protrude and retract into spiral groove 26 of cylinder 3, and slidably abuts on the inner surface of spiral groove 26 and also on the outer surface of roller 4, thereby defining compression chamber 42 formed between cylinder 3 and roller 4 in the thrust direction.

[0039] As mentioned above, the pitch of the spiral groove 26 is set to gradually decrease from the other end (the suction port 23 side of the casing side plate 13) to one end (the casing side plate 12 side where the discharge gas paths 27, 25, etc. are located), so the volume of the compression chamber 42 partitioned by the blade 8 also gradually decreases from the other end to the one end.

[0040] (6) Shaft 7 The shaft 7 passes through the roller 4, and both ends thereof pass through the cam bearing portions 38, 39 of the roller wheels 36, 37, and both ends are rotatably supported by the bearing portions 14, 16 of the casing side plates 12, 13 as described above.

[0041] In this embodiment, cam rings 44 are attached to the shaft 7 at positions corresponding to the cam bearings 38, 39. The axis of the cam rings 44 is eccentric to the axis of the shaft 7, as shown in Figure 2. Each cam ring 44 slidably contacts the cam bearings 38, 39 of the roller wheels 36, 37, causing the rollers 4 to revolve as the shaft 7 rotates.

[0042] In addition, a discharge gas path 46 is formed through the center of the shaft 7 in the thrust direction (axial direction), and one end of this discharge gas path 46 is connected to the lower part of the discharge gas path 19 for oil separation in the casing side plate 12, and the other end is connected to the discharge port 22 via a discharge gas path 47 formed in the center of the casing side plate 13.

[0043] Furthermore, an oil supply orifice 48 is formed penetrating the shaft 7 in the radial direction, connecting the discharge gas path 46 with each of the bearings 14, 16. Furthermore, an oil supply orifice 49 is formed penetrating the shaft 7 and the cam ring 44 in the radial direction, connecting the discharge gas path 46 with each of the cam bearings 38, 39 (sliding portions of the cam ring 44).

[0044] (7) Motor 6 The motor 6 comprises a stator 51 equipped with a coil and a rotor 52 that rotates inside the stator 51, and the rotor 52 is attached to the shaft 7. The stator 51 is attached to and held by the casing side plates 12, 13 with six fixed legs 53, 54 that pass through the passage portions 41 of the roller wheels 36, 37 and reach the casing side plates 12, 13. In the present embodiment, the fixed legs 54 are equipped with electrode terminals 56 that form a power supply path to the coil of the stator 51, and power is supplied to the stator 51 via these electrode terminals 56.

[0045] Furthermore, the rollers 4 cannot rotate on their own axes because the fixed legs 53, 54 are located inside the passing portions 41 of the roller wheels 36, 37. In other words, the passing portions 41 of the roller wheels 36, 37 and the fixed legs 53, 54 form a mechanism for preventing the rollers 4 from rotating on their own axes, and the rollers 4 revolve around the cylinder 3 inside the cylinder 3 without rotating on their own axes.

[0046] (8) Operation of Helical Compressor 1 Next, the operation of the helical compressor 1 configured as described above will be explained. It is assumed that a predetermined amount of lubricating oil is sealed inside the helical compressor 1. When electricity is applied to the stator 51 of the motor 6 via the electrode terminal 56, the rotor 52 of the motor 6 rotates, thereby rotating the shaft 7. When the shaft 7 rotates, the cam ring 44 also rotates, and the cam ring 44 and the aforementioned anti-rotation mechanism (passing portions 41 of the roller wheels 36, 37 and fixed legs 53, 54) work to allow the rollers 4 to revolve without rotating.

[0047] Refrigerant (working fluid) is drawn from the external refrigerant circuit through suction port 23 and flows into compression chamber 42 at the other end (the casing side plate 13 side). The refrigerant drawn into compression chamber 42 in this way is pushed toward one end by roller 4, which revolves while abutting against the inner surface of cylinder 3, but as described above, the volume of compression chamber 42 defined by blade 8 gradually decreases from the other end toward the one end, so that the refrigerant drawn into compression chamber 42 at the other end is gradually compressed.

[0048] The refrigerant (including oil) compressed in this manner flows out from discharge gas path 27 located on one end side, passes through discharge gas path 25, and reaches discharge gas path 28. At this time, because discharge gas path 25 (working fluid supply flow path in the embodiment) formed around the outer surface of cylinder 3 communicates between cylinder 3 and outer casing 2 as described above, a small amount of the compressed and high-pressure refrigerant (working fluid) flows between cylinder 3 and outer casing 2. The pressure of this high-pressure refrigerant presses cylinder 3 against roller 4.

[0049] The refrigerant (working fluid) that has flowed into the discharge gas path 28 then flows into the discharge gas path 19 formed in the casing side plate 12 and descends. In the process, most of the oil contained in the refrigerant is separated and returned from the lower end of the discharge gas path 19 into the outer casing 2.

[0050] The refrigerant then flows into a discharge gas path 46 in the shaft 7, which is connected to the lower part of the discharge gas path 19, passes through the interior, and then passes through a discharge gas path 47 before being discharged to an external refrigerant circuit from a discharge port 22. In this case, because the shaft 7 is rotating, the oil remaining in the refrigerant passing through the discharge gas path 19 flows into the oil supply orifices 48 and 49 due to centrifugal force.

[0051] The oil that flows into the oil supply orifice 48 reaches the bearings 14, 16 of the casing side plates 12, 13, and lubricates the sliding parts between the bearings 14, 16 and the shaft 7. The oil that flows into the oil supply orifice 49 reaches the spaces between the cam bearings 38, 39 of the roller wheels 36, 37 and the cam ring 44, and lubricates the sliding parts.

[0052] In this compression operation of the refrigerant (working fluid), the cylinder 3 is disposed inside the outer casing 2 so that it can move at least in the radial direction, and therefore the cylinder 3 also moves in the radial direction as the rollers 4 revolve. This makes it possible to eliminate the inconvenience of gaps occurring between the rollers 4 and the cylinder 3 without having to precisely position the rollers 4 and blades 8, improving the assembly workability of the helical compressor 1 and eliminating the reduction in compression efficiency due to the backflow of the refrigerant (working fluid).

[0053] In this embodiment, a spiral groove 26 is formed on the inner surface of the cylinder 3, and the blade 8 is fitted into the spiral groove 26 so as to be able to appear and disappear, so the thickness of the roller 4 can be kept to a minimum necessary to maintain strength, and the weight of the roller 4 can be reduced compared to when a spiral groove is formed in the roller 4. Furthermore, the roller 4 is prevented from being pushed in the thrust direction by the blade 8 due to the pressure of the refrigerant in the compression chamber 42, which significantly reduces power loss.

[0054] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the refrigerant (working fluid) in the compression chamber 42 is supplied between the cylinder 3 and the outer casing 2 from the discharge gas path 25 (working fluid supply flow path). Therefore, the pressure of the refrigerant supplied between the cylinder 3 and the outer casing 2 can press the cylinder 3 against the roller 4. Even if the cylinder 3 is made movable, it is possible to effectively eliminate backflow of the refrigerant from between the roller 4 and the cylinder 3, thereby preventing a decrease in compression efficiency.

[0055] In this case, in the embodiment, gaskets 31 and 32 are provided to separate the cylinder 3 and the outer casing 2 in the thrust direction, which eliminates the problem of refrigerant supplied between the cylinder 3 and the outer casing 2 flowing back into an area with lower pressure.

[0056] In addition, in the embodiment, these gaskets 31 and 32 are made of a material having a predetermined elasticity, such as rubber, so that the gaskets 31 and 32 can constantly press the cylinder 3 against the roller 4, thereby more effectively preventing backflow of the refrigerant from between the roller 4 and the cylinder 3.

[0057] In addition, in this embodiment, a motor 6 is provided which drives the rollers 4 via a shaft 7, and casing side plates 12, 13 are provided at both ends of the outer casing 2 in the thrust direction, with the shaft 7 passing through the rollers 4 and being supported by bearings 14, 16 formed on the casing side plates 12, 13, respectively. That is, each of the casing side plates 12, 13 of the outer casing 2 has the bearings 14, 16 for the shaft 7, forming a bearing member, so that the refrigerant is compressed by the cylinder 3 and the rollers 4 inside the outer casing 2, and the shaft 7 can be supported smoothly by the bearings 14, 16 provided on the casing side plates 12, 13 of the outer casing 2.

[0058] The shaft 7 is formed with a discharge gas path 46 through which the refrigerant compressed in the compression chamber 42 passes, and an oil supply orifice 48 that connects the discharge gas path 46 with the bearings 14, 16, so that oil can be smoothly supplied to the bearings 14, 16 from the discharge gas path 46 formed in the shaft 7 via the oil supply orifice 48 to lubricate them. This makes it possible to reduce the risk of power loss and seizure caused by the sliding resistance of the shaft 7 on the bearings 14, 16.

[0059] In addition, in the embodiment, roller wheels 36, 37 are located at both ends of roller 4 in the thrust direction and through which shaft 7 passes, and cam ring 44 is provided on shaft 7, which slidably abuts against these and causes roller 4 to revolve, so that roller 4 can revolve stably by shaft 7.

[0060] In addition, an oil supply orifice 49 is formed in the shaft 7, which connects the discharge gas path 46 with the sliding portion of the cam ring 44, so that oil can be supplied without hindrance to the sliding portion between the roller wheels 46, 37 and the cam ring 44 to lubricate them.

[0061] In addition, in the embodiment, a discharge gas path 19 for oil separation that connects the compression chamber 42 between the cylinder 3 and the roller 4 with the discharge gas path 46 of the shaft 7 is formed in the casing side plate 12, so that the oil that is discharged together with the refrigerant from the helical compressor 1 can be effectively separated in the discharge gas path 19 for oil separation, thereby making it possible to avoid seizure due to oil depletion.

[0062] In this embodiment, the discharge gas path 19 for oil separation is formed in the casing side plate 12 at one end, and the suction port 23 for drawing the refrigerant into the compression chamber 42 between the cylinder 3 and the roller 4 and the discharge port 22 for discharging the refrigerant from the discharge gas path 46 of the shaft 7 are provided in the casing side plate 13 at the other end. Therefore, the piping connections for suction and discharge of the refrigerant can be completed at the casing side plate 13 at the other end, thereby improving assembly workability and maintainability.

[0063] In addition, in the embodiment, the motor 6 is housed inside the roller 4, which makes it possible to reduce the overall size of the helical compressor 1. In this case, the motor 6 has a stator 51 and a rotor 52 attached to the shaft 7 and rotating inside the stator 51, and the roller 4 is driven by the shaft 7, so that the roller 4 can be driven without using a special motor.

[0064] In addition, in the embodiment, the stator 51 is held in the outer casing 2 and fixed legs 53, 54 are provided to supply power to the stator 51, and the roller wheels 36, 37 are formed with passages 41 that allow the fixed legs 53, 54 to pass through, so that the motor 6 located inside the roller 4 can be held and power can be supplied to the stator 51 without any problems.

[0065] In this case, in the embodiment, the mechanism for preventing rotation of the roller 4 is constituted by the passing portion 41 of the roller wheels 36, 37 and the fixed legs 53, 54 that pass through this passing portion 41, so the holding structure of the motor 6 allows the roller 4 to revolve without rotating on its own axis, and the configuration can be simplified compared to when a separate mechanism for preventing rotation is provided.

[0066] In particular, the fixed legs 53, 54 passing through the passage portions 41 of the roller wheels 36, 37 prevent the rollers 4 from rotating on their own axes and only revolve, making it possible to avoid the disadvantage of the rollers 4 and the blades 8 sliding at a high speed, as would occur if the rollers 4 were rotating on their own axes. This reduces wear on the blades 8 and extends their lifespan. It also prevents gaps from occurring between the rollers 4 and the blades 8, which would cause the refrigerant to flow back, improving compression efficiency and reducing power loss due to sliding resistance between the rollers 4 and the blades 8, thereby reducing power consumption.

[0067] (9) Other configurations of the working fluid supply passage In the above embodiment, the discharge gas path 25 constitutes a working fluid supply flow path for supplying the refrigerant in the compression chamber 42 between the cylinder 3 and the outer casing 2. However, this is not limiting, and as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 1 , a working fluid supply flow path 57 that communicates the compression chamber 42 with the cylinder 3 and the outer casing 2 may be provided separately through the cylinder 3 to supply the refrigerant in the middle of compression between the cylinder 3 and the outer casing 2.

[0068] In this case, however, gaskets (one of which also serves as gasket 31, the other not shown) are provided on both sides of the discharge gas path 25 to seal between the outer casing 2 and the cylinder 3, to prevent the high-pressure refrigerant passing through the discharge gas path 25 from flowing between the cylinder 3 and the outer casing 2.

[0069] This makes it possible to supply a desired pressure between the cylinder 3 and the outer casing 2 and set the force that presses the cylinder 3 against the roller 4 side.

[0070] In addition, in the embodiment, the present invention is applied to a helical compressor 1 used in the refrigerant circuit of a car air conditioner, but the working fluid is not limited to the refrigerant in the embodiment, and air or other gases may also be used, and the present invention is effective in helical compressors used for a variety of purposes. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1. Helical compressor 2 outer casing 3 cylinders 4. Laura 6 motors 7 shaft 8 blades 12, 13 Casing side plate 14, 16 Bearing section 19, 27, 28 46, 47 Discharge gas path 22 Discharge port 23 Intake port 25 Discharge gas path (working fluid supply path) 26 spiral groove 31, 32 Gasket 36, 37 Roller wheels 38, 39 Cam bearing part 41 Passage section 42 Compression chamber 44 Cam Ring 48, 49 Oil supply orifice 51 Stator 52 rotor 54 Fixed leg 56 Electrode terminal 57 working fluid supply passage

Claims

1. A helical compressor comprising: a cylinder; a roller disposed inside the cylinder and revolving relative to the cylinder; and a spiral blade defining a compression chamber defined between the cylinder and the roller, wherein the volume of the compression chamber decreases as the roller revolves in a thrust direction of the cylinder, thereby compressing a working fluid drawn into the compression chamber; a motor that drives the roller via a shaft that passes through the roller; bearing members each having a bearing portion positioned at both ends of the shaft in a thrust direction and supporting the shaft; A helical compressor characterized in that the shaft is formed with a discharge gas path through which the working fluid compressed in the compression chamber passes, and an oil supply orifice that connects the discharge gas path to the bearing portion.

2. roller wheels positioned at both ends of the roller in the thrust direction and through which the shaft passes; a cam ring provided on the shaft, slidably contacting the roller wheel to cause the roller to revolve; 2. The helical compressor according to claim 1, wherein the shaft is formed with an oil supply orifice that connects the discharge gas path with the sliding portion of the cam ring.

3. an outer casing that hermetically houses the cylinder and the roller therein; 2. The helical compressor according to claim 1, wherein the outer casing has casing side plates located at both ends in the thrust direction, and each casing side plate has a bearing portion for the shaft to constitute the bearing member.

4. 4. The helical compressor according to claim 3, further comprising a discharge gas passage for oil separation formed in the casing side plate and connecting the compression chamber between the cylinder and the roller with the discharge gas passage of the shaft.

5. The discharge gas path for oil separation is formed in one of the casing side plates, and 5. The helical compressor according to claim 4, wherein an intake port for drawing the working fluid into a compression chamber between the cylinder and the roller, and an exhaust port for discharging the working fluid from a discharge gas path of the shaft are provided on the other of the casing side plates.

6. an outer casing that hermetically houses the cylinder and the roller; roller wheels positioned at both ends of the roller in a thrust direction and through which the shaft passes; the motor is provided within the roller and has a stator and a rotor attached to the shaft and rotating inside the stator; a fixing leg for holding the stator in the outer casing and supplying power to the stator; 2. The helical compressor according to claim 1, wherein the roller wheel is formed with a passage portion through which the fixed leg passes.

7. 7. The helical compressor according to claim 6, wherein a mechanism for preventing rotation of the roller is formed by the passing portion of the roller wheel and the fixed leg passing through the passing portion.

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