Scroll compressor

Abstract

This scroll compressor comprises an Oldham ring (17) that prevents rotation of an orbiting scroll, wherein the Oldham ring (17) has an upper annular part communication passage (17d) that is on an axial upper surface of an annular part (17a) and that causes the inner circumference and the outer circumference of the annular part (17a) to communicate with each other. Accordingly, it is possible to achieve reduction of sliding loss by reducing a contact surface between the Oldham ring (17) and the orbiting scroll or a bearing member making contact with the Oldham ring (17), and also possible to reduce viscous resistance by enhancing the fluidity of a refrigerator oil present in the surroundings of the Oldham ring (17), and thus, a highly effective scroll compressor can be achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a scroll compressor, particularly used in refrigerators such as air conditioners, water heaters or refrigerators.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a scroll compressor used in air conditioners and the like. This scroll compressor is configured to compress a refrigerant by causing an orbiting scroll to orbit with respect to a fixed scroll. An oldham ring is used as a mechanism for preventing the rotation of the orbiting scroll. The oldham ring slides on a bearing member and the orbiting scroll. For this reason, techniques for realizing high efficiency by reducing sliding loss or suppressing noise due to sliding have been studied.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides a scroll compressor that further improves the efficiency of a compressor using an oldham ring.

[0005] The scroll compressor of the present disclosure includes an oldham ring for preventing the rotation of the orbiting scroll, and the oldham ring is configured such that an annular portion communication passage for communicating the inner circumference and the outer circumference of the annular portion is provided on at least one of the upper surface or the lower surface in the axial direction of the annular portion.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a scroll compressor in Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a top view showing the fixed scroll of the scroll compressor. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a rear view showing the orbiting scroll of the scroll compressor. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a top view showing the Oldham ring of the scroll compressor. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a side view showing the Oldham ring of the scroll compressor. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] (Knowledge and other information that formed the basis of this disclosure) At the time the inventors conceived of this disclosure, scroll compressors, as described in Patent Document 1, use an Oldham ring to prevent the rotation of the orbiting scroll. However, sliding losses occur between this Oldham ring and the bearing member or orbiting scroll. Furthermore, refrigerant oil is present near the Oldham ring, and the resistance due to the viscosity of the refrigerant oil is an obstacle to improving the efficiency of the compressor. From this, the inventors found that improving the efficiency of the compressor requires reducing the sliding losses between the Oldham ring and the bearing member or orbiting scroll, as well as reducing the viscous resistance of the refrigerant oil. To solve this problem, they have come to form the subject matter of this disclosure.

[0008] This disclosure provides a scroll compressor that reduces sliding losses between the Oldham ring and the bearing member or orbiting scroll, while simultaneously reducing the viscous resistance of the refrigeration oil to improve efficiency.

[0009] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, unnecessary details may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of already well-known matters or redundant explanations of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid the following explanation becoming unnecessarily verbose and to facilitate understanding for those skilled in the art.

[0010] The attached drawings and the following description are provided to enable a person skilled in the art to fully understand this disclosure and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0011] (Embodiment 1) Embodiment 1 will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 5.

[0012] [1-1. Structure] As shown in Figure 1, the scroll compressor 100 is configured with a compression mechanism 10 for compressing the refrigerant and an electric motor 20 for driving the compression mechanism 10, all located inside a sealed container 1.

[0013] The sealed container 1 consists of a cylindrical body 1a extending vertically, a lower lid 1b that closes the lower opening of the body 1a, and an upper lid 1c that closes the upper opening of the body 1a.

[0014] The sealed container 1 is provided with a refrigerant suction pipe 2 for introducing refrigerant into the compression mechanism 10, and a refrigerant discharge pipe 3 for discharging the refrigerant compressed by the compression mechanism 10 to the outside of the sealed container 1.

[0015] The compression mechanism 10 includes a fixed scroll 11, a rotating scroll 12, and a rotating shaft 13 that rotates the rotating scroll 12.

[0016] The electric mechanism 20 comprises a stator 21 fixed to the sealed container 1 and a rotor 22 positioned inside the stator 21. A rotating shaft 13 is fixed to the rotor 22. An eccentric shaft 13a is formed at the upper end of the rotating shaft 13, offset from the rotating shaft 13.

[0017] Below the fixed scroll 11 and the orbiting scroll 12, a main bearing 30 is provided to support the fixed scroll 11 and the orbiting scroll 12.

[0018] The main bearing 30 consists of a bearing portion 31 that supports the rotating shaft 13 and a boss housing portion 32. The main bearing 30 is fixed to the sealed container 1 by welding or shrink fitting. The lower end portion 13b of the rotating shaft 13 is supported by a sub-bearing 18 located at the bottom of the sealed container 1.

[0019] The fixed scroll 11 includes a disk-shaped fixed scroll mirror plate 11a, a spiral fixed scroll wrap 11b erected from the fixed scroll mirror plate 11a, and an outer peripheral wall portion 11c erected so as to surround the periphery of the fixed scroll wrap 11b. A discharge port 14 is formed at a substantially central portion of the fixed scroll mirror plate 11a.

[0020] The revolving scroll 12 includes a disk-shaped revolving scroll mirror plate 12a, a spiral revolving scroll wrap 12b erected from the wrap-side end face of the revolving scroll mirror plate 12a, and a cylindrical boss portion 12c formed on the non-wrap-side end face (the face opposite to the wrap-side end face of the revolving scroll mirror plate 12a) of the revolving scroll mirror plate 12a. An Oldham ring 17 for preventing the self-rotation of the revolving scroll 12 is disposed on the back surface of the revolving scroll mirror plate 12a.

[0021] The fixed scroll wrap 11b of the fixed scroll 11 and the spiral revolving scroll wrap 12b of the revolving scroll 12 are meshed with each other, and a plurality of compression chambers 15 are formed between the fixed scroll wrap 11b and the spiral revolving scroll wrap 12b.

[0022] The boss portion 12c is formed at a substantially center of the revolving scroll mirror plate 12a. The eccentric shaft 13a is inserted into the boss portion 12c, and the boss portion 12c is housed in the boss housing portion 32.

[0023] The fixed scroll 11 is fixed to the main bearing 30 by using a plurality of bolts (not shown) with the outer peripheral wall portion 11c. On the other hand, the revolving scroll 12 is supported by the fixed scroll 11 via the Oldham ring 17 for preventing the self-rotation of the revolving scroll 12. The Oldham ring 17 for preventing the self-rotation of the revolving scroll 12 is provided between the fixed scroll 11 and the main bearing 30. Thereby, the revolving scroll 12 makes a revolving motion without self-rotating with respect to the fixed scroll 11.

[0024] A reservoir 4 for storing lubricating oil is formed at the bottom of the sealed container 1. A positive displacement refrigeration oil pump 5 is provided at the lower end of the rotating shaft 13. The refrigeration oil pump 5 is positioned so that its suction port is located inside the reservoir 4. The refrigeration oil pump 5 is driven by the rotating shaft 13 and reliably draws up the lubricating oil in the reservoir 4 at the bottom of the sealed container 1 regardless of pressure conditions or operating speed, thus eliminating concerns about running out of refrigeration oil.

[0025] The rotating shaft 13 has a rotating shaft refrigeration oil supply hole 13c that extends from the lower end 13b of the rotating shaft 13 to the eccentric shaft 13a.

[0026] The lubricating oil drawn up by the refrigeration oil pump 5 is supplied to the bearing, bearing portion 31, and boss portion 12c of the sub-bearing 18 through the rotating shaft refrigeration oil supply hole 13c formed in the rotating shaft 13.

[0027] The refrigerant drawn in from the refrigerant suction pipe 2 is guided from the suction port 15a to the compression chamber 15. The compression chamber 15 moves from the outer periphery towards the center, reducing its volume as it moves. When the refrigerant reaches a predetermined pressure in the compression chamber 15, it is discharged from the discharge port 14 located in the center of the fixed scroll 11 to the discharge chamber 6. The discharge port 14 is provided with a discharge reed valve (not shown). When the refrigerant reaches a predetermined pressure in the compression chamber 15, it pushes open the discharge reed valve, causing the refrigerant to be discharged into the discharge chamber 6. The refrigerant discharged into the discharge chamber 6 is led to the upper part of the sealed container 1 and discharged from the refrigerant discharge pipe 3.

[0028] Figures 2 to 5 show the rotation prevention mechanism for preventing the rotation of the orbiting scroll 12. The rotation prevention mechanism consists of a fixed scroll key groove 11e (see Figure 2) provided on the upper surface 11d of the fixed scroll 11, an orbiting scroll key groove 12e (see Figure 3) provided on the back surface 12d of the orbiting scroll 12, and the Oldham ring 17 shown in Figures 4 and 5.

[0029] As shown in Figure 4, the Oldham ring 17 comprises an annular portion 17a, a first key portion 17b, and a second key portion 17c. In this embodiment, the first key portion 17b is a pair of key portions positioned on the axial upper surface of the annular portion 17a and protruding in the axial direction of the annular portion 17a. The second key portion 17c is another pair of key portions positioned on the axial upper surface of the annular portion 17a and protruding in the axial direction of the annular portion 17a. The first key portion 17b engages with and slides against the fixed scroll key groove 11e. The second key portion 17c engages with and slides against the orbital scroll key groove 12e. The axial upper surface of the annular portion 17a slides against the orbital scroll back surface 12d, and the axial lower surface of the annular portion 17a slides against the bearing portion 31.

[0030] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, an upper annular passage 17d is formed on the axial upper surface of the annular portion 17a of the Oldham ring 17, connecting the inner circumference and outer circumference of the annular portion 17a. A lower annular passage 17e (shown as a dashed line in Figure 4) is formed on the axial lower surface of the annular portion 17a of the Oldham ring 17, connecting the inner circumference and outer circumference of the annular portion 17a. A key passage 17f (see Figure 5) is formed on the first key portion 17b or the second key portion 17c, or both the first key portion 17b and the second key portion 17c, of the annular portion 17a of the Oldham ring 17, connecting the inner circumference and outer circumference of the key portion.

[0031] The upper annular passage 17d of the Oldham ring 17 is formed substantially parallel to the direction in which the pair of second key portions 17c are connected by a straight line. The lower annular passage 17e is formed substantially parallel to the direction in which the pair of first key portions 17b are connected by a straight line. In other words, the upper annular passage 17d and the lower annular passage 17e are formed substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the Oldham ring 17.

[0032] In the example of this embodiment, the upper annular portion communication passage 17d and the lower annular portion communication passage 17e provided in the annular portion 17a of the Oldham ring 17 are formed such that the relationship between the depth Du of the deepest part of the upper annular portion communication passage 17d and the depth Dd of the deepest part of the lower annular portion communication passage 17e is Du < Dd. Further, in this embodiment, the lower annular portion communication passage 17e has a depth Dd of the deepest part of the lower annular portion communication passage 17e with respect to the thickness Dt at the thinnest part of the annular portion 17a excluding the part where the communication passage (in this embodiment, the upper annular portion passage portion 17d and the lower annular portion communication passage 17e) exists, such that Dt / 10 ≤ Dd ≤ Dt / 2.

[0033] [1-2. Operation] Regarding the scroll compressor 100 configured as described above, its operation and action will be described below.

[0034] In the scroll compressor 100 having the above configuration, the upper annular portion communication passage 17d is provided on the upper surface of the annular portion 17a of the Oldham ring 17. Also, the lower annular portion communication passage 17e is provided on the lower surface of the annular portion 17a of the Oldham ring 17. Therefore, the grounding surface (contact surface) between the upper annular portion communication passage 17d and the back surface 12d of the orbiting scroll and the grounding surface (contact surface) between the lower annular portion communication passage 17e and the bearing portion 31 can be reduced, so that the sliding loss can be reduced. Further, by providing the upper annular portion communication passage 17d and the lower annular portion communication passage 17e, the flow of the refrigeration machine oil existing on the contact surface between the upper annular portion communication passage 17d and the back surface 12d of the orbiting scroll and the contact surface between the lower annular portion communication passage 17e and the bearing portion 31 is smoothed, and the viscous resistance of the refrigeration machine oil is reduced. Since a key portion communication passage 17f that is substantially parallel to the advancing direction of the Oldham ring 17 and connects the inner circumference and the outer circumference of the Oldham ring 17 is formed on the side surface of the key portion of the Oldham ring 17, the flow of the refrigeration machine oil can be further smoothed and the viscous resistance of the refrigeration machine oil can be reduced.

[0035] Also, in the present embodiment, the upper annular portion communication passage 17d and the lower annular portion communication passage 17e are formed along substantially the same direction as the turning motion of the Ordam ring 17. Therefore, the flow of the refrigerating machine oil can be smoothed, and the effect of reducing the viscous resistance of the refrigerating machine oil can be enhanced. For example, when viewed relatively from the turning scroll 12, the refrigerating machine oil flowing through the upper annular portion communication passage 17d flows in the same direction as the turning motion of the turning scroll 12. Also, when viewed relatively from the bearing portion 31, the refrigerating machine oil flowing through the lower annular portion communication passage 17e flows in the same direction as the turning motion of the turning scroll 12. Thus, since the refrigerating machine oil flows in the same direction as the turning motion, the flow of the refrigerating machine oil becomes smooth, and the effect of reducing the viscous resistance of the refrigerating machine oil can be expected.

[0036] Note that the annular portion communication passage provided in the annular portion 17a may be only one of the upper annular portion communication passage 17d and the lower annular portion communication passage 17e. Even in this case, although the effect is halved, the effect of reducing the sliding resistance and the effect of reducing the viscous resistance of the refrigerating machine oil can be obtained, and high efficiency of the scroll compressor can be realized.

[0037] In the present embodiment in which both the upper annular portion communication passage 17d and the lower annular portion communication passage 17e are provided, the upper annular portion communication passage 17d and the lower annular portion communication passage 17e are configured such that the depth Du of the deepest part of the upper annular portion communication passage 17d provided in the annular portion 17a of the Ordam ring 17 and the depth Dd of the deepest part of the lower annular portion communication passage 17e satisfy Du < Dd. Therefore, the fluidity of the refrigerating machine oil can be further improved. That is, during the operation of the compressor, since the refrigerating machine oil flows vertically downward due to its own weight, the refrigerating machine oil is likely to exist below the Ordam ring 17. Therefore, by making Du < Dd, that is, by making the lower annular portion communication passage 17e deeper, the fluidity of the refrigerating machine oil below the Ordam ring 17 can be increased, and the viscous resistance of the refrigerating machine oil can be reduced. Thus, the effect of reducing the viscous loss can be efficiently improved.

[0038] In particular, if the depth Dd of the deepest part of the lower annular passage 17e of the Oldham ring 17 is made to be more than twice the depth Du of the deepest part of the upper annular passage 17d, the effect of the weight of the refrigeration oil can be absorbed and the fluidity of the refrigeration oil can be sufficiently increased, resulting in a greater reduction in viscosity loss.

[0039] In the scroll compressor 100 of this embodiment, the sealed container of the compressor is filled with high-pressure working fluid. In the case of an internal high-pressure type compressor, the Oldham ring 17 is located in the space sandwiched between the bearing section 31 and the fixed scroll 11. In a high-pressure type scroll compressor, the Oldham ring 17 is located in the space sandwiched between the bearing section 31 and the fixed scroll 11, so refrigerant oil tends to accumulate near the Oldham ring 17 more easily than in a low-pressure type scroll compressor. For this reason, the effect of reducing viscosity loss is greater in a high-pressure type scroll compressor than in a low-pressure type scroll compressor.

[0040] In the scroll compressor 100 of this embodiment, the back surface 12d of the orbiting scroll is set as an intermediate pressure region between the discharge pressure and the suction pressure, and the orbiting scroll 12 is pressed against the fixed scroll 11 by the intermediate pressure. By providing an intermediate pressure region, the area around the Oldham ring 17 also becomes an intermediate pressure region, and the amount of refrigerant oil around the Oldham ring 17 increases compared to when the area around the Oldham ring 17 is a low-pressure space. Therefore, the effect of reducing viscosity loss is greater compared to the low-pressure type. The scroll compressor 100 may also be configured so that the above-mentioned intermediate pressure, a low pressure lower than the intermediate pressure, and a high pressure higher than the intermediate pressure act on the back surface 12d of the orbiting scroll. In other words, the scroll compressor 100 only needs to be configured so that at least intermediate pressure acts on the back surface 12d of the orbiting scroll.

[0041] [1-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, in the scroll compressor according to the present embodiment, an annular portion communication passage that connects the inner circumference and the outer circumference of the annular portion is formed on at least one of the axial upper surface and the axial lower surface of the annular portion of the O-ring. Therefore, the bearing member that contacts (touches) the O-ring and / or the contact surface between the orbiting scroll and the O-ring becomes smaller, and the sliding loss can be reduced. In addition, since the fluidity of the refrigerating machine oil existing around the O-ring can be increased through the communication passage to reduce the viscous resistance, a highly efficient scroll compressor can be realized.

[0042] In the scroll compressor, the annular portion communication passage may be provided on both the upper and lower surfaces of the O-ring, and the relationship between the depth Du of the deepest part of the upper annular portion communication passage and the depth Dd of the deepest part of the lower annular portion communication passage may be configured such that Du < Dd. Thereby, the fluidity of the refrigerating machine oil below the O-ring can be increased, and the effect of reducing the viscous loss of the refrigerating machine oil can be enhanced.

[0043] In the scroll compressor, a key portion communication passage that is substantially parallel to the advancing direction of the O-ring and connects the inner circumference and the outer circumference of the O-ring may be formed on the side surface of the key portion of the O-ring. Thereby, the flow of the refrigerating machine oil can be smoothed through the key portion communication passage, and the viscous resistance of the refrigerating machine oil can be reduced.

[0044] In the scroll compressor, both the upper annular portion communication passage and the lower annular portion communication passage may be formed substantially parallel to the advancing direction of the O-ring. Thereby, the refrigerating machine oil flows in the same direction as the orbiting motion, making the flow of the refrigerating machine oil smooth, and the effect of reducing the viscous resistance of the refrigerating machine oil can be enhanced.

[0045] In the scroll compressor, the depth Dd of the deepest part of the lower annular portion communication passage may be configured such that Dt / 10 ≦ Dd ≦ Dt / 2 with respect to the thickness Dt of the thinnest part of the annular portion of the O-ring excluding the part where the communication passage exists. Thereby, the fluidity of the refrigerating machine oil is increased, and a higher viscous loss reduction effect can be expected.

[0046] In a scroll compressor, the depth Dd of the deepest part of the lower annular passage may be set to more than twice the depth Du of the deepest part of the upper annular passage. This allows for a sufficiently increased fluidity of the refrigeration oil, resulting in a greater reduction in viscosity loss.

[0047] Although the present disclosure has been described above using the embodiments described above, these embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and may be modified, replaced, added, or omitted within the scope of the claims or their equivalents.

[0048] Furthermore, as the refrigerant for the scroll compressor of this disclosure, R32, carbon dioxide, or a refrigerant having double bonds between carbon atoms can be used. [Industrial applicability]

[0049] The scroll compressor according to this disclosure can be made highly efficient by reducing sliding losses and the viscous resistance of the refrigeration oil, and is therefore useful for refrigeration cycle devices such as hot water heating systems, air conditioning systems, water heaters, or refrigerators. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1. Airtight container 1a Torso 1b Lower lid 1c top lid 2. Refrigerant suction pipe 3 Refrigerant discharge pipe 4 Oil storage section 5. Refrigeration oil pump 6 Discharge chamber 10 Compression mechanism 11 Fixed Scroll 11a Fixed scroll end plate 11b Fixed spiral wrap 11c Outer wall 11d Fixed Scroll Top 11e Fixed scroll key groove 12 Rotating Scroll 12a Swivel scroll end plate 12b Swirling spiral wrap 12c Boss section 12d Swivel Scroll Back 12e Swivel Scroll Keyway 13 Rotation axis 13a Eccentric shaft 13b Bottom end 13c Rotating shaft refrigerator oil supply hole 14 Discharge Ports 15 Compression Chamber 15a Inhalation port 17 Oldham Ring 17a Ring section 17b First key section (key section) 17c Second key section (key section) 17d Upper ring section connecting passage 17e Lower Ring Section Connecting Passage 17f Key section connecting passage 18 Sub-bearing 20 Electric mechanism section 21 status 22 rotors 30 Main bearings 31 Bearing section 32 Boss Containment Unit 100 Scroll Compressors

Claims

1. A sealed container, A compression mechanism disposed within the sealed container for compressing a refrigerant, comprising a fixed scroll, a rotating scroll, and a rotating shaft for rotating the rotating scroll, An electric mechanism is disposed inside the sealed container and drives the compression mechanism, Equipped with, A scroll compressor having an intermediate pressure region on the back surface of the orbiting scroll, wherein the orbiting scroll is pressed against the stationary scroll by the pressure of the intermediate pressure region, The fixed scroll comprises a disc-shaped fixed scroll end plate and a fixed spiral wrap positioned in front of the fixed scroll end plate. The orbiting scroll comprises a disc-shaped orbiting scroll end plate and an orbiting spiral wrap positioned in front of the orbiting scroll end plate. The scroll compressor has an Oldham ring positioned on the back of the orbiting scroll end plate to prevent the orbiting scroll from rotating. The Oldham ring has an annular portion and a pair of first key portions and a pair of second key portions arranged on the axial upper surface of the annular portion and protruding in the axial direction of the annular portion. The first key portion is positioned on the axial upper surface of the annular portion and protrudes in the axial direction of the annular portion, engaging with and sliding against the fixed scroll key groove of the fixed scroll. The second key portion is positioned on the axial upper surface of the annular portion and protrudes in the axial direction of the annular portion, engaging with and sliding against the orbital scroll key groove of the orbital scroll. An upper annular passage is provided on the axial upper surface of the annular portion of the Oldham ring, connecting the inner circumference and outer circumference of the annular portion. A lower annular passage is provided on the axial lower surface of the annular portion of the Oldham ring, connecting the inner circumference and the outer circumference of the annular portion. The upper annular connecting passage is formed substantially parallel only to the direction connecting each of the pair of second key portions in a straight line, The lower annular connecting passage is formed substantially parallel only to the direction in which each of the pair of first key portions is connected by a straight line. Scroll compressor.

2. A key passage is provided on the side surface of the first key portion of the Oldham ring, which is substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the Oldham ring and connects the inner circumference and outer circumference of the Oldham ring. The scroll compressor according to claim 1.

3. The upper annular passage and the lower annular passage are configured such that the depth Du of the deepest part of the upper annular passage and the depth Dd of the deepest part of the lower annular passage are less than Dd. A scroll compressor according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. The depth Dd of the deepest part of the lower annular passage and the thickness Dt of the thinnest part of the Oldham ring, excluding the parts where the upper annular passage and the lower annular passage exist, are configured such that Dt / 10 ≤ Dd ≤ Dt / 2. A scroll compressor according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The lower annular passage is configured such that the depth Dd of the deepest part is at least twice the depth Du of the deepest part of the upper annular passage. A scroll compressor according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The sealed container is configured such that its interior is filled with a high-pressure working fluid. A scroll compressor according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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