Scroll Compressor

Abstract

A scroll compressor includes a compression unit, a rear housing including a passage formed with a flow path for the refrigerant to be expelled, and a discharge check valve varying the opening degree based on the pressure of the refrigerant, wherein the discharge check valve includes a main body connected to the passage and including a main inlet port through which the refrigerant and oil are introduced, a core unit configured to move inside the main body based on the pressure of the refrigerant, and an inner diameter-variable flow path formed by the inner diameter of the main body varying in the axial direction to minimize vibration and noise caused by pulsation and ensure stable operation regardless of pressure fluctuations in the refrigerant by installing a discharge check valve in the rear housing of a scroll compressor to separate oil contained in the refrigerant.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

[0001] This is a U.S. national phase patent application of PCT / KR2023 / 017606 filed Nov. 6, 2023, which claims the benefit of and priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0003050 filed on Jan. 9, 2023, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The preferred embodiments relate to the separation of oil contained in the refrigerant discharged from a compressor and the reduction of noise caused by pulsation, and more particularly, to a scroll compressor with improved efficiency in reducing pulsation noise caused by the pressure of the discharged refrigerant.BACKGROUND ART

[0003] Generally, the cooling system in a vehicle consists of a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator, where the compressor compresses the refrigerant gas discharged from the evaporator into a high-temperature, high-pressure state that makes it easier to liquefy and then delivers it to the condenser. Additionally, the compressor pumps the refrigerant to ensure continuous cooling by recirculating it.

[0004] The condenser cools and liquefies the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas through heat exchange with the outside air, while the expansion valve lowers the temperature and pressure of the liquid refrigerant through adiabatic expansion, making it easier to evaporate in the evaporator.

[0005] The evaporator absorbs heat by exchanging heat between the liquid refrigerant and the outside air introduced into the interior, causing the refrigerant to evaporate and vaporize. The outside air, having lost heat to the refrigerant and thus cooled, is blown into the vehicle's interior by a blower.

[0006] Compressors are classified into reciprocating types and rotary types depending on whether the working fluid (refrigerant) is compressed through reciprocating motion or rotary motion, and the reciprocating type is further divided into crank types that use a crank to transmit the driving force of the power source to a plurality of pistons, swash plate types that transmit the driving force to a rotating shaft with a plate installed, and wobble plate types that use a wobble plate.

[0007] For example, a scroll compressor is a type of rotary compressor that uses two interleaving scrolls with involute engagement profiles, which perform compression through an orbital motion.

[0008] The scroll compressor operates through the relative rotation of an orbital scroll and a static scroll within the discharge chamber, with both scrolls having wraps shaped like identical involute curves, geometrically 180 degrees out of phase.

[0009] The scroll compressor forms crescent-shaped compression chambers through the interleaving of the orbital scroll and the static scroll, thus completing the compression cycle. The compression chambers are formed in a shape where the volume increases towards the outer edges and decreases towards the center, with a suction chamber formed on the outer side and a discharge port formed at the center.

[0010] In the scroll compressor, compression occurs as the suction gas sealed within a volume given at the outer circumference of the scrolls is gradually compressed towards the discharge port due to the relative rotation of the scrolls, and discharged through the discharge port.

[0011] The refrigerant discharged from the discharge chamber undergoes centrifugal separation via an oil separation tube and is then finally discharged through the discharge port; however, if oil remains in the discharged refrigerant, it reduces the evaporation efficiency of the refrigerant in the evaporator, thereby affecting the efficiency of the compressor.

[0012] The scroll compressor includes a discharge passage that guides the compressed refrigerant to be discharged from a discharge chamber to the outside of the compressor, and this discharge passage is equipped with a discharge check valve (DCV) that regulates the opening degree of the discharge passage.

[0013] The discharge check valve in the scroll compressor facilitates the discharge of compressed refrigerant from the discharge chamber of the compressor to the outside, reduces the pulsation of the discharged refrigerant, and is designed to prevent refrigerant from flowing back from the outside of the scroll compressor into the discharge chamber.

[0014] Recently, additional components for performance enhancement, such as vapor injection, have been installed in the rear housing of scroll compressors, occupying a certain amount of space. The installation of additional components in the rear housing of scroll compressors reduces capacity, increases pulsation-induced vibration and noise during high-pressure refrigerant discharge, and fluctuates oil separation efficiency, necessitating countermeasures.SUMMARY

[0015] The preferred embodiments aim to provide a scroll compressor capable of ensuring stable operation by incorporating oil separation functionality in the rear head and reducing pressure fluctuations caused by pulsation of refrigerant.

[0016] A scroll compressor according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a compression unit coupled to one side of a driving unit, a rear housing including a discharge chamber where the refrigerant compressed in the compression unit is discharged and a passage formed with a flow path for the refrigerant to be expelled, and a discharge check valve installed in the passage to supply the refrigerant to a discharge port by varying the opening degree based on the pressure of the refrigerant, wherein the discharge check valve includes a main body connected to the passage and including a main inlet port through which the refrigerant and oil are introduced, a core unit configured to move inside the main body based on the pressure of the refrigerant, and an inner diameter-variable flow path formed by the inner diameter of the main body varying in the axial direction.

[0017] The scroll compressor further includes an inlet hole connected to the discharge chamber through which the refrigerant is introduced, and the refrigerant moved through the inlet hole collides with the discharge check valve, causing some oil to separate.

[0018] The scroll compressor further includes an elastic member configured to support the core unit.

[0019] The main inlet port includes a first main inlet portion temporarily maintained in a closed state by the core unit before the core unit moves to the upper part of the main body, and a second main inlet portion symmetrically arranged with respect to an imaginary line drawn based on the first main inlet portion, remaining constantly open.

[0020] The second main inlet portion is symmetrically arranged left and right with respect to the first main inlet portion.

[0021] The inner diameter-variable flow path includes an expansion section where the opening cross-sectional area increases as the differential pressure increases based on the movement of the core unit.

[0022] The expansion section begins from the second main inlet portion and expends over a predetermined section.

[0023] The inner diameter-variable flow path is formed to slope outward towards the radius direction from the bottom to the top of the main body.

[0024] The inner diameter-variable flow path is connected to the second main inlet portion.

[0025] The inner diameter-variable flow path is symmetrically arranged inside the main body with respect to an imaginary centerline along the axis of the main body, The main body has a cap coupled to the upper end thereof, and the cap includes cap openings formed along the circumferential direction on the upper surface to allow refrigerant, which pass through the core unit, to move to the discharge port.

[0026] The cap is formed with an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the main body and is coupled to the passage.

[0027] The cap includes a rib formed at the center of the upper surface, and a bridge formed to compartmentalize between the cap openings based on the rib.

[0028] The bridge overlaps at least partially with the inner diameter-variable flow path in the axial direction.

[0029] The core unit includes a first core portion extending axially with an outer diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the main body and having a core rib formed on the outer surface thereof, a second core part integrally formed with the first core part and extending from the top of the first core part where refrigerant is discharged, and a third core part integrally formed with the first core part and extending from the bottom of the first core part where refrigerant is introduced, with a different diameter from the first core part.

[0030] The core unit, before being actuated by the refrigerant, is positioned with the bottom surface of the third core part aligned with the bottom surface of the main body.

[0031] The main body includes core guiding portions positioned facing each other on the inside of the main body to guide the movement of the core unit.

[0032] The core guiding portions include a first core guide where the core rib is inserted.

[0033] The core guiding portions includes a second core guide formed adjacent to a guide groove on the core guiding portion and partially in contact with the outer surface of the core unit to facilitate the axial movement of the main body.

[0034] The second core guide maintains a curvature corresponding to the outer curvature of the core unit.

[0035] The core guiding portions are arranged to intersect with the inner diameter-variable flow path.

[0036] The core guiding portion includes a first opening wall sloping towards the direction where the opening area of the inner diameter-variable flow path increases, and a second opening wall extending from the extended end of the first opening wall for a predetermined length towards the axial upper side and maintaining a constant opening cross-sectional area.

[0037] The preferred embodiments are advantageous in terms of improving the flow of refrigerant gas by installing a discharge check valve with oil separation functionality in the passage where refrigerant discharged from the compression section flows in and modifying the structure such that refrigerant gas can still flow through the discharge check value even when the scroll compressor is not operating.

[0038] The preferred embodiments are advantageous in terms of improving the controllability of the scroll compressor and minimizing vibration caused by pulsation by modifying the structure such that the discharge check valve allows refrigerant gas to flow even in the absence of differential pressure.

[0039] The preferred embodiments are advantageous in terms of minimizing vibration and noise caused by pulsation and improving oil separation efficiency by effectively separating oil contained in the refrigerant through the discharge check valve, guiding the flow of refrigerant, and allowing only the separated refrigerant gas to move to the discharged port.

[0040] The embodiments of the present invention are advantageous in terms of improving the operational safety of the scroll compressor by stably controlling the amount of refrigerant gas discharged through the discharge port in such a way for the core unit installed in the discharge check valve to adjust the stroke of movement within the main body according to the refrigerant pressure.DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0041] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a discharge check valve installed in a rear housing according to a preferred embodiment;

[0042] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a discharge check valve according to a preferred embodiment;

[0043] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled state of FIG. 2;

[0044] FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of a discharge check valve according to a preferred embodiment;

[0045] FIGS. 5 and 6 are diagrams illustrating an inner diameter-variable flow path and core guiding portion formed in a main body according to a preferred embodiment;

[0046] FIGS. 7 and 8 are perspective views illustrating the state where a core part is joined to a main body according to a preferred embodiment;

[0047] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the state where a cap is joined to a main body according to a preferred embodiment;

[0048] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the state before a discharge check valve operates according to a preferred embodiment;

[0049] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the state when a discharge check valve operates according to a preferred embodiment; and

[0050] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a scroll compressor equipped with a discharge check valve according to a preferred embodiment.DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

[0051] Advantages and features of the present disclosure and methods of accomplishing the same may be understood more readily by reference to the detailed description of embodiments that will be made hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein; rather, these exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art, and the present disclosure will only be defined by the appended claims. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same components.

[0052] When a component is described as “connected to” or “coupled to” another component, it can refer to a direct connection or coupling with the other component, or to a case where another component is interposed therebetween. Meanwhile, when a component is referred to as “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another component, it indicates that there is no other component interposed therebetween. The expression “and / or” is taken to include each of the mentioned items and any combination of one or more.

[0053] The terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing embodiments, and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. In this specification, the singular form includes the plural form unless otherwise specified in the phrase. The “comprises” and / or “comprising” used in the specification do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other components, steps, operations, and / or devices mentioned.

[0054] Although the terms “first,”“second,” and the like are used for describing various components, these components are not confined by these terms. These terms are merely used for distinguishing one component from the other components.

[0055] A description is made of the scroll compressor according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a discharge check valve installed in a rear housing according to a preferred embodiment, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a discharge check valve according to a preferred embodiment, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled state of FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of a discharge check valve according to a preferred embodiment, FIGS. 5 and 6 are diagrams illustrating an inner diameter-variable flow path and core guiding portion formed in a main body according to a preferred embodiment, and FIGS. 7 and 8 are perspective views illustrating the state where a core part is joined to a main body according to a preferred embodiment.

[0056] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the state where a cap is joined to a main body according to a preferred embodiment, FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the state before a discharge check valve operates according to a preferred embodiment, FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the state when a discharge check valve operates according to a preferred embodiment, and FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a scroll compressor equipped with a discharge check valve according to a preferred embodiment.

[0057] With reference to FIGS. 1 to 12, the scroll compressor 1 according to a preferred embodiment includes a discharge check valve 100 installed in a passage 14 of a rear housing 10 to stably separate oil and refrigerant gas and reduce vibration and noise caused by pulsation.

[0058] To achieve this, this embodiment includes a driving unit 3, a compression unit 5 coupled to one side of the driving unit 3, a control unit 7 coupled to the other side of the driving unit 3, a rear housing 10 with a passage 14 in communication with an inlet hole 12 through which refrigerant flows in, and a discharge check valve 100 installed in the passage 14 to guide oil contained in the refrigerant moved through the inlet hole 12 in the direction of gravity while varying the opening degree according to the pulsation of the refrigerant to supply only gaseous refrigerant to the discharge port 11.

[0059] The scroll compressor 1 includes a driving unit 3 equipped with a stator 90 inside thereof, and the driving unit 3 corresponds to the power source that generates rotational power for the scroll compressor 1 to compress refrigerant. The driving unit 3 includes a driving unit housing 30 that forms the exterior, the stator 90 fixed inside the driving unit housing 30, and a rotor 41 that rotates inside the stator 90.

[0060] The driving unit housing 30, which forms the outer body of the driving unit 3, is cylindrically shaped and includes a front housing 32 that supports the front end of the rotor 41 and a rear housing 31 that supports the rear end of the rotor 41.

[0061] The stator 90, which generates rotational driving force along with the coaxially mounted rotor 41, is an electromagnet composed of a stator core fixedly mounted on the inner circumference of the driving unit housing 30 by press-fitting or similar methods, and a stator coil 92 wound on the stator core.

[0062] The stator core is a hollow cylindrical member with a through-hole along the central axis line into which the rotor 41 is inserted.

[0063] The rotor 41, mounted coaxially inside the stator 90, rotates and drives in the state of being rotatably inserted into the through-hole at the center of the stator core.

[0064] The rotor 41 has a rotating shaft 37 inserted along the central axis line, with a rotor core 39 attached to the outer circumference of the rotating shaft 37. When the stator 90 is energized, the rotor 41 rotates and is driven by the interaction with the stator 90 according to the operating principles of a motor, and the rotating shaft 37 is supported for rotation within the driving unit housing 30 via bearings 81 and 82.

[0065] The compression unit 5, driven by the rotational driving force generated from the driving unit 3, rotates to compress refrigerant, and includes an orbital scroll 53 and a static scroll rotatably engaged with the orbital scroll 53 to compress refrigerant and discharge the compressed refrigerant to the outside of the compressor 1.

[0066] The compression unit 5 is configured as a cylindrical structure open towards the driving unit 3, with an open discharge port 11 on one side through which compressed gaseous refrigerant is discharged.

[0067] The orbital scroll 53 is formed with spirally curved orbital scroll wraps 59 protruding at the rear to converge towards the center, and the eccentric axis 38 of the rotating shaft 37 of the driving unit 3 is coupled to the center of the rotating scroll wraps 59, allowing the orbital scroll 53 to orbit synchronously with the rotor 41 around the center of the rotating shaft 37.

[0068] The static scroll 50 is arranged to form a compression chamber 54 between the static scroll 50 and the orbital scroll 53, and includes the spirally curved static scroll wraps 61 arranged to converge towards the center and mesh with the orbital scroll wraps 59.

[0069] Therefore, when the orbital scroll 53 rotates, the mutually engaged orbital scroll 53 and static scroll 50 interact through their respective orbital and static scroll wraps 59 and 61, compressing the refrigerant suctioned from the driving unit 3 towards the periphery of the orbital and static scroll wraps 59 and 61 and then discharging the compressed refrigerant to the rear housing 10 through the discharge port 62 in a high-pressure state.

[0070] The rear housing 10 is formed with a passage 14 connected to the inlet hole 12 through which refrigerant flows in.

[0071] The scroll compressor 1 includes a rear housing 10 including a discharge chamber 10a where the refrigerant compressed in the compression unit 5 coupled to one side of the driving unit 3 is discharged and a passage 14 connected to the discharge chamber 10a and the inlet hole 12 through which refrigerant flows in, and a discharge check valve 100 installed in the passage 14 to supply refrigerant to the discharge port 11 by varying the opening degree based on the pressure of refrigerant moved through the inlet hole 12.

[0072] The discharge check valve 100 includes a main body 110 coupled to the passage 14, featuring a main inlet port 111 through which refrigerant and oil are introduced (see FIGS. 5 to 7) and an inner diameter-variable flow path 112 formed to vary axially in the main body 110 (see FIG. 5), a core unit 120 that moves inside the main body 110 in response to refrigerant pressure, and an elastic member 130 to support the core unit 120.

[0073] The discharge check valve 100 is equipped to separate oil from refrigerant, control stroke based on pulsation, and direct only refrigerant gas to the discharge port 11; particularly in this embodiment, the main inlet port 111 formed in the main body 110 is configured to remain partially open, allowing some ingress of refrigerant or oil rather than maintain closed state, thereby preventing chattering phenomenon of the discharge check valve 100 due to pulsation during the initial transition from off to on state of the scroll compressor 1 and suppressing unnecessary vibration generation.

[0074] Additionally, in this embodiment, the control of the scroll compressor 1 is optimized by configuring the discharge check valve 100 in a partially open state, enhancing control in response to fluctuations in refrigerant pressure.

[0075] The refrigerant, after moving through the inlet hole 12, collides with the discharge check valve 100, causing separation of oil contained in the refrigerant, which drains to the bottom of the rear housing 10, while the refrigerant gas can move stably towards the upper part of the rear housing 10 through the discharge check valve 100, thereby enhancing oil separation efficiency.

[0076] The passage 14 is formed with an inner surface in a cylinder shape and is diagonally arranged relative to the rear housing 10, allowing the inflow of refrigerant through the inlet hole 12. The refrigerant, after entering the passage 14, rotates in a spiral shape along the lengthwise lower side and moves in a circumferential direction.

[0077] Here, oil, which is heavier, drains to the bottom of the passage 14, while relatively lighter refrigerant gas moves upward and is supplied to the evaporator. The discharge check valve 100 allows refrigerant gas, including oil contained in the refrigerant introduced through the inlet hole 12, to enter through the second main inlet portion 111b to be described later, thereby facilitating movement of refrigerant gas even under conditions where the core unit 120 is malfunctioning.

[0078] In this embodiment, the inlet port 12 is equipped to communicate with the discharge chamber 10a and allow refrigerant to enter, and refrigerant flowing through the inlet port 12 collides with the discharge check valve 100, causing some oil to separate.

[0079] The main body 110 is generally cylindrical in shape with a main inlet port 111 formed on the bottom and an inner diameter-variable flow path 112 formed inside.

[0080] The main inlet port 111 includes a first main inlet portion 111a, temporarily maintained in a closed state by the core unit 120 before the core unit 120 moves to the upper part of the main body 110, and a second main inlet portion 111b symmetrically arranged with respect to an imaginary line drawn based on the first main inlet portion 111a.

[0081] The second main inlet portion 111b remains open at all times, allowing refrigerant gas to pass through, and when the core unit 120 moves, the movement of refrigerant gas can occur through both the first and second main inlet portions 111a and 111b.

[0082] The second main inlet portion 111b is symmetrically arranged with respect to the first main inlet portion 111a, allowing stable ingress of refrigerant regardless of the direction from which the refrigerant enters.

[0083] The first main inlet portion 111a remains closed before the core unit 120 moves, and when the core unit 120 moves, the first main portion 111a opens to allow the movement of refrigerant gas.

[0084] In this embodiment, refrigerant gas can flow through the second main inlet portion 111b even when the core unit 120 is not moving, thereby preventing vibration of the discharge check valve 100 due to pulsation during the initial operation of the scroll compressor 1 after being stopped, which reduces noise generation.

[0085] The inner diameter-variable flow path 112 includes an expansion section where the opening cross-sectional area increases as the differential pressure increases due to the movement of the core unit 120. The expansion section extends from the lower part where the main inlet port 111 is formed along the axis of the main body 110 to the bottom of the cap 140 to be described later.

[0086] The expansion section is designed to reduce refrigerant pressure, and the form shown in the drawings is an example among various embodiments.

[0087] The expansion section begins from the second main inlet portion 111b and extends over a predetermined section.

[0088] The inner diameter-variable flow path 112 is formed with a tapered shape sloping outward towards the radius direction from the bottom to the top of the main body 110. When such an inner diameter-variable flow path 112 is formed, it is possible to reduce vibration caused by pulsation due to pressure fluctuations of the refrigerant, compared to maintaining a constant diameter, thereby reducing vibration generation.

[0089] The inner diameter-variable flow path 112 extends axially from the bottom end of the main body 110 for a predetermined length towards the top, increasing the diameter towards the upper part of the main body 110 to increase the opening area for the movement of refrigerant gas. This allows for stable flow even when a large amount of refrigerant gas is introduced into the discharge check valve 100.

[0090] When the inner diameter-variable flow path 112 is present, the opening area for refrigerant flow increases as the core unit 120 moves within the main body 110, thereby preventing vibration generation due to pulsation.

[0091] The inner diameter-variable flow path 112 is connected to the second main inlet portion 111b, allowing refrigerant to flow in and move through the inner diameter-variable flow path 112.

[0092] The inner diameter-variable flow path 112 is symmetrically arranged inside the main body 110 with respect to an imaginary centerline along the axis, providing space to reduce vibration and noise caused by pressure fluctuations while allowing stable movement of refrigerant entering through the main inlet port 111 in any direction.

[0093] Before passing through the inlet hole 12, the refrigerant remains in a mixed gas state containing oil and gas. The refrigerant, as indicated by the bold solid line, moves downward through the passage 14 due to the weight of the oil, then proceeds to the filter section.

[0094] As depicted by the dashed line, the refrigerant gas within the refrigerant entering through the lower part of the passage 14 via the second main inlet portion 111b rises towards the discharge port 11 due to the difference in weight, thereby allowing stable separation of the oil and refrigerant gas contained in the refrigerant.

[0095] A cap 140 is attached to the upper end of the main body 110, the cap 140 having cap openings 142 formed along the circumferential direction on the upper surface to allow refrigerant, which passes through the core unit 120, to move to the discharge port 11.

[0096] According to this embodiment, the cap 140 is coupled to the upper end of the main body 110, and the cap openings 142 are formed along the circumferential direction to allow refrigerant passing through the core unit 120 to move to the discharge port 11.

[0097] The cap openings 142 are provided in multiple quantities in the circumferential direction centered around the center of the cap 140 to allow gas-state refrigerant to move toward the discharge port 11 without resistance or pressure loss.

[0098] The reason for placing the cap openings 142 in this way is to ensure stable refrigerant movement by preventing the core unit 120, even when moving relative to the compression of the elastic member 130 towards the lower part of the cap 140, from partially blocking or overlapping the cap opening 142.

[0099] The cap 140 includes a rib 144 formed at the center of the upper surface and a bridge 146 formed to compartmentalize between the cap openings 142 based on the rib 144. The rib 144 is formed integrally with the bridge 146, allowing it to support the load applied through the elastic member 130 stably, thereby maintaining the strength of the cap 140 consistently.

[0100] The bridge 146 compartmentalizes the plurality of cap openings 142 to guide the refrigerant gas therebetween, preventing concentration in specific areas and enabling stable movement of the refrigerant gas, while dispersing partially generated vibrations outward in the radial direction.

[0101] Since the bridge 146 overlaps at least partially with the inner diameter-variable flow path 112 in the axial direction, the refrigerant collides with the bridge 146 to enhance oil separation performance.

[0102] The core unit 120 according to this embodiment includes a first core part 122 extending axially with an outer diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the main body 110 and having core ribs 122a formed on the outer surface thereof, a second core part 124 integrally formed with the first core part 122 and extending from the top of the first core part 122 where refrigerant is discharged, and a third core part 126 integrally formed with the first core part 122 and extending from the bottom of the first core part 122 where refrigerant is introduced, with a different diameter from the first core part 122.

[0103] The core unit 120 extends axially with the second core part 124 extending upward from the first core part 122 and the third core part 126 extending downward from the first core part 122.

[0104] The first core part 122 is cylindrical in shape, and the core ribs 122a are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides when viewed from the top of the core unit 120. The core ribs 122a are formed in a cylindrical shape as an example, but may also be formed in other shapes.

[0105] The second to third core parts 124 and 126 are formed with a smaller diameter compared to the first core part 122, which reduces weight and manufacturing costs, thereby improving cost-effectiveness.

[0106] Before being actuated by the refrigerant, the core unit 120 is positioned with the bottom surface of the third core part 126 aligned with the bottom surface of the main body 110. In this configuration, the first main inlet portion 111a remains closed, and the refrigerant gas enters only through the second main inlet portion 111b, as indicated by the arrows, and then travels through the interior of the main body 110 and up the top of the cap 140.

[0107] To guide the movement of the core unit 120, the main body 110 is equipped with core guiding portions 114 positioned facing each other on the inside of the main body 110.

[0108] These core guiding portions 114 are arranged symmetrically left and right when viewed from the top of the main body 110, ensuring the stable movement of the core unit 120.

[0109] The core unit 120 according to this embodiment is constantly moved in a stable manner without rotating in the axial direction inside the main body 110 due to the core guiding portions 114.

[0110] The core guiding portions 114 include a first core guide 114a wherein the core rib 122a is inserted. The first core guide 114a is formed with rounded grooves inwardly to accommodate the insertion of the core rib 122a.

[0111] When the core unit 120 is guided by the first core guide 114a, its movement is consistently maintained, preventing any rotational movement during movement.

[0112] The second core guide 114b is formed adjacent to the first core guide 114a on the core guiding portion 114 and partially in contact with the outer surface of the core unit 120 to facilitate the axial movement of the main body 110.

[0113] The second core guide 114b maintains a curvature corresponding to the outer curvature of the core unit 120 and minimizes friction when in contact with the outer surface of the core unit120, ensuring stable movement of the core unit 120.

[0114] The second core guide 114b does not come into contact with the entire outer surface of the core unit 120 but rather guides the movement of the core unit 120 by contacting it in certain sections based on the first core guide 114a.

[0115] The core guiding portions 114 according to this embodiment are arranged to intersect with the inner diameter-variable flow path 112. The position where the inner diameter-variable flow path 112 is formed is connected to the second main inlet portion 111b, and when the inner diameter-variable flow path 112 is arranged to overlap with this position, the movement of refrigerant gas is obstructed, necessitating an intersecting arrangement as shown in the drawing.

[0116] The core guiding portions 114 are arranged to intersect with the inner diameter-variable flow path.

[0117] The core guiding portion 114 includes a first opening wall 114c that slopes towards the direction where the opening area of the inner diameter-variable flow path 112 increases, and a second opening wall 114d that extends from the extended end of the first opening wall 114c for a predetermined length towards the axial upper side and maintains a constant opening cross-sectional area.

[0118] The first opening wall 114c slopes at a predetermined angle as shown in the drawing, extending to guide the refrigerant along the first opening wall 114c towards the second opening wall 114d.

[0119] The second opening wall 114d extends vertically towards the cap 140 as shown in the drawing, ensuring that the refrigerant guided via the first opening wall 114c moves vertically.

[0120] The core unit 120 is maintained in a supported state at a predetermined pressure exerted by the elastic member 130 to be described later, and when pressure exceeding the supporting force of the elastic member 130 is applied to the core unit 120, the core ribs 122a slide axially along the inner surface of the first core guides 114a while being guided in the direction of movement, adjusting the strokes differently.

[0121] In particular, the core rib 122a moves in the axial direction of the core unit 120 in contact with the first core guide 114a, so the movement speed does not increase rapidly, and the core rib 122a moves according to the pressure of the elastic member 130 and the contact force between the core rib 122a and the first core guide 114a exceeding the pressure, thereby controlling the discharge pressure of the refrigerant and reducing the noise and vibration caused by pulsation.

[0122] For example, when high-pressure refrigerant is applied to the core unit 120, the refrigerant enters through the first and second main inlet portions 111a and 111b as indicated by the arrows, and simultaneously enters the inside of the main body 110, causing the core ribs 122a to move along the first core guides 114a, compressing the elastic member 130, and allowing the refrigerant to move in the direction of the arrows through the cap 140.

[0123] In this embodiment, the elastic member 130 is inserted into the lower side of the second core part 124 and supported by the lower side of a cap 140 to be described later, thereby providing constant elastic support to the core unit 120.

[0124] The elastic member 130 is typically a coil spring, but may be replaced with other configurations capable of generating elastic force.

[0125] Since the elastic member 130 is partially inserted into the second core part 124, the coupling stability is improved even when the core unit 120 moves in the axial direction of the main body 110.

[0126] In this embodiment, the discharge check valve 100 may be fixed by being forcibly press-fitted into the passage 14 or by being temporarily assembled into the passage 14 and then secured with a snap ring (not shown) to prevent movement in the longitudinal direction of the passage 14.

[0127] In addition to these fixing methods, the discharge check valve 100 may be fixed by being temporarily assembled into the passage 14 and then stacked on the upper side of the oil separator and secured via a force-fitting method, welding, or a screw structure.

[0128] Although the description has been made with example embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and changes, such as addition, alteration, and deletion of components, can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims, and such modifications and changes are also included within the scope of the invention.

[0129] The preferred embodiments are applicable to scroll compressors.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0051]Advantages and features of the present disclosure and methods of accomplishing the same may be understood more readily by reference to the detailed description of embodiments that will be made hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein; rather, these exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art, and the present disclosure will only be defined by the appended claims. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same components.

[0052]When a component is described as “connected to” or “coupled to” another component, it can refer to a direct connection or coupling with the other component, or to a case where another component is interposed therebetween. Meanwh...

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

[0001] This is a U.S. national phase patent application of PCT / KR2023 / 017606 filed Nov. 6, 2023, which claims the benefit of and priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0003050 filed on Jan. 9, 2023, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The preferred embodiments relate to the separation of oil contained in the refrigerant discharged from a compressor and the reduction of noise caused by pulsation, and more particularly, to a scroll compressor with improved efficiency in reducing pulsation noise caused by the pressure of the discharged refrigerant.BACKGROUND ART

[0003] Generally, the cooling system in a vehicle consists of a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator, where the compressor compresses the refrigerant gas discharged from the evaporator into a high-temperature, high-pressure state that makes it easier to liquefy and then delivers it to the condenser. Additionally, the compressor pumps the refrigerant to ensure continuous cooling by recirculating it.

[0004] The condenser cools and liquefies the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas through heat exchange with the outside air, while the expansion valve lowers the temperature and pressure of the liquid refrigerant through adiabatic expansion, making it easier to evaporate in the evaporator.

[0005] The evaporator absorbs heat by exchanging heat between the liquid refrigerant and the outside air introduced into the interior, causing the refrigerant to evaporate and vaporize. The outside air, having lost heat to the refrigerant and thus cooled, is blown into the vehicle's interior by a blower.

[0006] Compressors are classified into reciprocating types and rotary types depending on whether the working fluid (refrigerant) is compressed through reciprocating motion or rotary motion, and the reciprocating type is further divided into crank types that use a crank to transmit the driving force of the power source to a plurality of pistons, swash plate types that transmit the driving force to a rotating shaft with a plate installed, and wobble plate types that use a wobble plate.

[0007] For example, a scroll compressor is a type of rotary compressor that uses two interleaving scrolls with involute engagement profiles, which perform compression through an orbital motion.

[0008] The scroll compressor operates through the relative rotation of an orbital scroll and a static scroll within the discharge chamber, with both scrolls having wraps shaped like identical involute curves, geometrically 180 degrees out of phase.

[0009] The scroll compressor forms crescent-shaped compression chambers through the interleaving of the orbital scroll and the static scroll, thus completing the compression cycle. The compression chambers are formed in a shape where the volume increases towards the outer edges and decreases towards the center, with a suction chamber formed on the outer side and a discharge port formed at the center.

[0010] In the scroll compressor, compression occurs as the suction gas sealed within a volume given at the outer circumference of the scrolls is gradually compressed towards the discharge port due to the relative rotation of the scrolls, and discharged through the discharge port.

[0011] The refrigerant discharged from the discharge chamber undergoes centrifugal separation via an oil separation tube and is then finally discharged through the discharge port; however, if oil remains in the discharged refrigerant, it reduces the evaporation efficiency of the refrigerant in the evaporator, thereby affecting the efficiency of the compressor.

[0012] The scroll compressor includes a discharge passage that guides the compressed refrigerant to be discharged from a discharge chamber to the outside of the compressor, and this discharge passage is equipped with a discharge check valve (DCV) that regulates the opening degree of the discharge passage.

[0013] The discharge check valve in the scroll compressor facilitates the discharge of compressed refrigerant from the discharge chamber of the compressor to the outside, reduces the pulsation of the discharged refrigerant, and is designed to prevent refrigerant from flowing back from the outside of the scroll compressor into the discharge chamber.

[0014] Recently, additional components for performance enhancement, such as vapor injection, have been installed in the rear housing of scroll compressors, occupying a certain amount of space. The installation of additional components in the rear housing of scroll compressors reduces capacity, increases pulsation-induced vibration and noise during high-pressure refrigerant discharge, and fluctuates oil separation efficiency, necessitating countermeasures.SUMMARY

[0015] The preferred embodiments aim to provide a scroll compressor capable of ensuring stable operation by incorporating oil separation functionality in the rear head and reducing pressure fluctuations caused by pulsation of refrigerant.

[0016] A scroll compressor according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a compression unit coupled to one side of a driving unit, a rear housing including a discharge chamber where the refrigerant compressed in the compression unit is discharged and a passage formed with a flow path for the refrigerant to be expelled, and a discharge check valve installed in the passage to supply the refrigerant to a discharge port by varying the opening degree based on the pressure of the refrigerant, wherein the discharge check valve includes a main body connected to the passage and including a main inlet port through which the refrigerant and oil are introduced, a core unit configured to move inside the main body based on the pressure of the refrigerant, and an inner diameter-variable flow path formed by the inner diameter of the main body varying in the axial direction.

[0017] The scroll compressor further includes an inlet hole connected to the discharge chamber through which the refrigerant is introduced, and the refrigerant moved through the inlet hole collides with the discharge check valve, causing some oil to separate.

[0018] The scroll compressor further includes an elastic member configured to support the core unit.

[0019] The main inlet port includes a first main inlet portion temporarily maintained in a closed state by the core unit before the core unit moves to the upper part of the main body, and a second main inlet portion symmetrically arranged with respect to an imaginary line drawn based on the first main inlet portion, remaining constantly open.

[0020] The second main inlet portion is symmetrically arranged left and right with respect to the first main inlet portion.

[0021] The inner diameter-variable flow path includes an expansion section where the opening cross-sectional area increases as the differential pressure increases based on the movement of the core unit.

[0022] The expansion section begins from the second main inlet portion and expends over a predetermined section.

[0023] The inner diameter-variable flow path is formed to slope outward towards the radius direction from the bottom to the top of the main body.

[0024] The inner diameter-variable flow path is connected to the second main inlet portion.

[0025] The inner diameter-variable flow path is symmetrically arranged inside the main body with respect to an imaginary centerline along the axis of the main body, The main body has a cap coupled to the upper end thereof, and the cap includes cap openings formed along the circumferential direction on the upper surface to allow refrigerant, which pass through the core unit, to move to the discharge port.

[0026] The cap is formed with an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the main body and is coupled to the passage.

[0027] The cap includes a rib formed at the center of the upper surface, and a bridge formed to compartmentalize between the cap openings based on the rib.

[0028] The bridge overlaps at least partially with the inner diameter-variable flow path in the axial direction.

[0029] The core unit includes a first core portion extending axially with an outer diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the main body and having a core rib formed on the outer surface thereof, a second core part integrally formed with the first core part and extending from the top of the first core part where refrigerant is discharged, and a third core part integrally formed with the first core part and extending from the bottom of the first core part where refrigerant is introduced, with a different diameter from the first core part.

[0030] The core unit, before being actuated by the refrigerant, is positioned with the bottom surface of the third core part aligned with the bottom surface of the main body.

[0031] The main body includes core guiding portions positioned facing each other on the inside of the main body to guide the movement of the core unit.

[0032] The core guiding portions include a first core guide where the core rib is inserted.

[0033] The core guiding portions includes a second core guide formed adjacent to a guide groove on the core guiding portion and partially in contact with the outer surface of the core unit to facilitate the axial movement of the main body.

[0034] The second core guide maintains a curvature corresponding to the outer curvature of the core unit.

[0035] The core guiding portions are arranged to intersect with the inner diameter-variable flow path.

[0036] The core guiding portion includes a first opening wall sloping towards the direction where the opening area of the inner diameter-variable flow path increases, and a second opening wall extending from the extended end of the first opening wall for a predetermined length towards the axial upper side and maintaining a constant opening cross-sectional area.

[0037] The preferred embodiments are advantageous in terms of improving the flow of refrigerant gas by installing a discharge check valve with oil separation functionality in the passage where refrigerant discharged from the compression section flows in and modifying the structure such that refrigerant gas can still flow through the discharge check value even when the scroll compressor is not operating.

[0038] The preferred embodiments are advantageous in terms of improving the controllability of the scroll compressor and minimizing vibration caused by pulsation by modifying the structure such that the discharge check valve allows refrigerant gas to flow even in the absence of differential pressure.

[0039] The preferred embodiments are advantageous in terms of minimizing vibration and noise caused by pulsation and improving oil separation efficiency by effectively separating oil contained in the refrigerant through the discharge check valve, guiding the flow of refrigerant, and allowing only the separated refrigerant gas to move to the discharged port.

[0040] The embodiments of the present invention are advantageous in terms of improving the operational safety of the scroll compressor by stably controlling the amount of refrigerant gas discharged through the discharge port in such a way for the core unit installed in the discharge check valve to adjust the stroke of movement within the main body according to the refrigerant pressure.DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0041] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a discharge check valve installed in a rear housing according to a preferred embodiment;

[0042] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a discharge check valve according to a preferred embodiment;

[0043] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled state of FIG. 2;

[0044] FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of a discharge check valve according to a preferred embodiment;

[0045] FIGS. 5 and 6 are diagrams illustrating an inner diameter-variable flow path and core guiding portion formed in a main body according to a preferred embodiment;

[0046] FIGS. 7 and 8 are perspective views illustrating the state where a core part is joined to a main body according to a preferred embodiment;

[0047] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the state where a cap is joined to a main body according to a preferred embodiment;

[0048] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the state before a discharge check valve operates according to a preferred embodiment;

[0049] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the state when a discharge check valve operates according to a preferred embodiment; and

[0050] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a scroll compressor equipped with a discharge check valve according to a preferred embodiment.DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

[0051] Advantages and features of the present disclosure and methods of accomplishing the same may be understood more readily by reference to the detailed description of embodiments that will be made hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein; rather, these exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art, and the present disclosure will only be defined by the appended claims. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same components.

[0052] When a component is described as “connected to” or “coupled to” another component, it can refer to a direct connection or coupling with the other component, or to a case where another component is interposed therebetween. Meanwhile, when a component is referred to as “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another component, it indicates that there is no other component interposed therebetween. The expression “and / or” is taken to include each of the mentioned items and any combination of one or more.

[0053] The terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing embodiments, and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. In this specification, the singular form includes the plural form unless otherwise specified in the phrase. The “comprises” and / or “comprising” used in the specification do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other components, steps, operations, and / or devices mentioned.

[0054] Although the terms “first,”“second,” and the like are used for describing various components, these components are not confined by these terms. These terms are merely used for distinguishing one component from the other components.

[0055] A description is made of the scroll compressor according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a discharge check valve installed in a rear housing according to a preferred embodiment, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a discharge check valve according to a preferred embodiment, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled state of FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of a discharge check valve according to a preferred embodiment, FIGS. 5 and 6 are diagrams illustrating an inner diameter-variable flow path and core guiding portion formed in a main body according to a preferred embodiment, and FIGS. 7 and 8 are perspective views illustrating the state where a core part is joined to a main body according to a preferred embodiment.

[0056] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the state where a cap is joined to a main body according to a preferred embodiment, FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the state before a discharge check valve operates according to a preferred embodiment, FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the state when a discharge check valve operates according to a preferred embodiment, and FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a scroll compressor equipped with a discharge check valve according to a preferred embodiment.

[0057] With reference to FIGS. 1 to 12, the scroll compressor 1 according to a preferred embodiment includes a discharge check valve 100 installed in a passage 14 of a rear housing 10 to stably separate oil and refrigerant gas and reduce vibration and noise caused by pulsation.

[0058] To achieve this, this embodiment includes a driving unit 3, a compression unit 5 coupled to one side of the driving unit 3, a control unit 7 coupled to the other side of the driving unit 3, a rear housing 10 with a passage 14 in communication with an inlet hole 12 through which refrigerant flows in, and a discharge check valve 100 installed in the passage 14 to guide oil contained in the refrigerant moved through the inlet hole 12 in the direction of gravity while varying the opening degree according to the pulsation of the refrigerant to supply only gaseous refrigerant to the discharge port 11.

[0059] The scroll compressor 1 includes a driving unit 3 equipped with a stator 90 inside thereof, and the driving unit 3 corresponds to the power source that generates rotational power for the scroll compressor 1 to compress refrigerant. The driving unit 3 includes a driving unit housing 30 that forms the exterior, the stator 90 fixed inside the driving unit housing 30, and a rotor 41 that rotates inside the stator 90.

[0060] The driving unit housing 30, which forms the outer body of the driving unit 3, is cylindrically shaped and includes a front housing 32 that supports the front end of the rotor 41 and a rear housing 31 that supports the rear end of the rotor 41.

[0061] The stator 90, which generates rotational driving force along with the coaxially mounted rotor 41, is an electromagnet composed of a stator core fixedly mounted on the inner circumference of the driving unit housing 30 by press-fitting or similar methods, and a stator coil 92 wound on the stator core.

[0062] The stator core is a hollow cylindrical member with a through-hole along the central axis line into which the rotor 41 is inserted.

[0063] The rotor 41, mounted coaxially inside the stator 90, rotates and drives in the state of being rotatably inserted into the through-hole at the center of the stator core.

[0064] The rotor 41 has a rotating shaft 37 inserted along the central axis line, with a rotor core 39 attached to the outer circumference of the rotating shaft 37. When the stator 90 is energized, the rotor 41 rotates and is driven by the interaction with the stator 90 according to the operating principles of a motor, and the rotating shaft 37 is supported for rotation within the driving unit housing 30 via bearings 81 and 82.

[0065] The compression unit 5, driven by the rotational driving force generated from the driving unit 3, rotates to compress refrigerant, and includes an orbital scroll 53 and a static scroll rotatably engaged with the orbital scroll 53 to compress refrigerant and discharge the compressed refrigerant to the outside of the compressor 1.

[0066] The compression unit 5 is configured as a cylindrical structure open towards the driving unit 3, with an open discharge port 11 on one side through which compressed gaseous refrigerant is discharged.

[0067] The orbital scroll 53 is formed with spirally curved orbital scroll wraps 59 protruding at the rear to converge towards the center, and the eccentric axis 38 of the rotating shaft 37 of the driving unit 3 is coupled to the center of the rotating scroll wraps 59, allowing the orbital scroll 53 to orbit synchronously with the rotor 41 around the center of the rotating shaft 37.

[0068] The static scroll 50 is arranged to form a compression chamber 54 between the static scroll 50 and the orbital scroll 53, and includes the spirally curved static scroll wraps 61 arranged to converge towards the center and mesh with the orbital scroll wraps 59.

[0069] Therefore, when the orbital scroll 53 rotates, the mutually engaged orbital scroll 53 and static scroll 50 interact through their respective orbital and static scroll wraps 59 and 61, compressing the refrigerant suctioned from the driving unit 3 towards the periphery of the orbital and static scroll wraps 59 and 61 and then discharging the compressed refrigerant to the rear housing 10 through the discharge port 62 in a high-pressure state.

[0070] The rear housing 10 is formed with a passage 14 connected to the inlet hole 12 through which refrigerant flows in.

[0071] The scroll compressor 1 includes a rear housing 10 including a discharge chamber 10a where the refrigerant compressed in the compression unit 5 coupled to one side of the driving unit 3 is discharged and a passage 14 connected to the discharge chamber 10a and the inlet hole 12 through which refrigerant flows in, and a discharge check valve 100 installed in the passage 14 to supply refrigerant to the discharge port 11 by varying the opening degree based on the pressure of refrigerant moved through the inlet hole 12.

[0072] The discharge check valve 100 includes a main body 110 coupled to the passage 14, featuring a main inlet port 111 through which refrigerant and oil are introduced (see FIGS. 5 to 7) and an inner diameter-variable flow path 112 formed to vary axially in the main body 110 (see FIG. 5), a core unit 120 that moves inside the main body 110 in response to refrigerant pressure, and an elastic member 130 to support the core unit 120.

[0073] The discharge check valve 100 is equipped to separate oil from refrigerant, control stroke based on pulsation, and direct only refrigerant gas to the discharge port 11; particularly in this embodiment, the main inlet port 111 formed in the main body 110 is configured to remain partially open, allowing some ingress of refrigerant or oil rather than maintain closed state, thereby preventing chattering phenomenon of the discharge check valve 100 due to pulsation during the initial transition from off to on state of the scroll compressor 1 and suppressing unnecessary vibration generation.

[0074] Additionally, in this embodiment, the control of the scroll compressor 1 is optimized by configuring the discharge check valve 100 in a partially open state, enhancing control in response to fluctuations in refrigerant pressure.

[0075] The refrigerant, after moving through the inlet hole 12, collides with the discharge check valve 100, causing separation of oil contained in the refrigerant, which drains to the bottom of the rear housing 10, while the refrigerant gas can move stably towards the upper part of the rear housing 10 through the discharge check valve 100, thereby enhancing oil separation efficiency.

[0076] The passage 14 is formed with an inner surface in a cylinder shape and is diagonally arranged relative to the rear housing 10, allowing the inflow of refrigerant through the inlet hole 12. The refrigerant, after entering the passage 14, rotates in a spiral shape along the lengthwise lower side and moves in a circumferential direction.

[0077] Here, oil, which is heavier, drains to the bottom of the passage 14, while relatively lighter refrigerant gas moves upward and is supplied to the evaporator. The discharge check valve 100 allows refrigerant gas, including oil contained in the refrigerant introduced through the inlet hole 12, to enter through the second main inlet portion 111b to be described later, thereby facilitating movement of refrigerant gas even under conditions where the core unit 120 is malfunctioning.

[0078] In this embodiment, the inlet port 12 is equipped to communicate with the discharge chamber 10a and allow refrigerant to enter, and refrigerant flowing through the inlet port 12 collides with the discharge check valve 100, causing some oil to separate.

[0079] The main body 110 is generally cylindrical in shape with a main inlet port 111 formed on the bottom and an inner diameter-variable flow path 112 formed inside.

[0080] The main inlet port 111 includes a first main inlet portion 111a, temporarily maintained in a closed state by the core unit 120 before the core unit 120 moves to the upper part of the main body 110, and a second main inlet portion 111b symmetrically arranged with respect to an imaginary line drawn based on the first main inlet portion 111a.

[0081] The second main inlet portion 111b remains open at all times, allowing refrigerant gas to pass through, and when the core unit 120 moves, the movement of refrigerant gas can occur through both the first and second main inlet portions 111a and 111b.

[0082] The second main inlet portion 111b is symmetrically arranged with respect to the first main inlet portion 111a, allowing stable ingress of refrigerant regardless of the direction from which the refrigerant enters.

[0083] The first main inlet portion 111a remains closed before the core unit 120 moves, and when the core unit 120 moves, the first main portion 111a opens to allow the movement of refrigerant gas.

[0084] In this embodiment, refrigerant gas can flow through the second main inlet portion 111b even when the core unit 120 is not moving, thereby preventing vibration of the discharge check valve 100 due to pulsation during the initial operation of the scroll compressor 1 after being stopped, which reduces noise generation.

[0085] The inner diameter-variable flow path 112 includes an expansion section where the opening cross-sectional area increases as the differential pressure increases due to the movement of the core unit 120. The expansion section extends from the lower part where the main inlet port 111 is formed along the axis of the main body 110 to the bottom of the cap 140 to be described later.

[0086] The expansion section is designed to reduce refrigerant pressure, and the form shown in the drawings is an example among various embodiments.

[0087] The expansion section begins from the second main inlet portion 111b and extends over a predetermined section.

[0088] The inner diameter-variable flow path 112 is formed with a tapered shape sloping outward towards the radius direction from the bottom to the top of the main body 110. When such an inner diameter-variable flow path 112 is formed, it is possible to reduce vibration caused by pulsation due to pressure fluctuations of the refrigerant, compared to maintaining a constant diameter, thereby reducing vibration generation.

[0089] The inner diameter-variable flow path 112 extends axially from the bottom end of the main body 110 for a predetermined length towards the top, increasing the diameter towards the upper part of the main body 110 to increase the opening area for the movement of refrigerant gas. This allows for stable flow even when a large amount of refrigerant gas is introduced into the discharge check valve 100.

[0090] When the inner diameter-variable flow path 112 is present, the opening area for refrigerant flow increases as the core unit 120 moves within the main body 110, thereby preventing vibration generation due to pulsation.

[0091] The inner diameter-variable flow path 112 is connected to the second main inlet portion 111b, allowing refrigerant to flow in and move through the inner diameter-variable flow path 112.

[0092] The inner diameter-variable flow path 112 is symmetrically arranged inside the main body 110 with respect to an imaginary centerline along the axis, providing space to reduce vibration and noise caused by pressure fluctuations while allowing stable movement of refrigerant entering through the main inlet port 111 in any direction.

[0093] Before passing through the inlet hole 12, the refrigerant remains in a mixed gas state containing oil and gas. The refrigerant, as indicated by the bold solid line, moves downward through the passage 14 due to the weight of the oil, then proceeds to the filter section.

[0094] As depicted by the dashed line, the refrigerant gas within the refrigerant entering through the lower part of the passage 14 via the second main inlet portion 111b rises towards the discharge port 11 due to the difference in weight, thereby allowing stable separation of the oil and refrigerant gas contained in the refrigerant.

[0095] A cap 140 is attached to the upper end of the main body 110, the cap 140 having cap openings 142 formed along the circumferential direction on the upper surface to allow refrigerant, which passes through the core unit 120, to move to the discharge port 11.

[0096] According to this embodiment, the cap 140 is coupled to the upper end of the main body 110, and the cap openings 142 are formed along the circumferential direction to allow refrigerant passing through the core unit 120 to move to the discharge port 11.

[0097] The cap openings 142 are provided in multiple quantities in the circumferential direction centered around the center of the cap 140 to allow gas-state refrigerant to move toward the discharge port 11 without resistance or pressure loss.

[0098] The reason for placing the cap openings 142 in this way is to ensure stable refrigerant movement by preventing the core unit 120, even when moving relative to the compression of the elastic member 130 towards the lower part of the cap 140, from partially blocking or overlapping the cap opening 142.

[0099] The cap 140 includes a rib 144 formed at the center of the upper surface and a bridge 146 formed to compartmentalize between the cap openings 142 based on the rib 144. The rib 144 is formed integrally with the bridge 146, allowing it to support the load applied through the elastic member 130 stably, thereby maintaining the strength of the cap 140 consistently.

[0100] The bridge 146 compartmentalizes the plurality of cap openings 142 to guide the refrigerant gas therebetween, preventing concentration in specific areas and enabling stable movement of the refrigerant gas, while dispersing partially generated vibrations outward in the radial direction.

[0101] Since the bridge 146 overlaps at least partially with the inner diameter-variable flow path 112 in the axial direction, the refrigerant collides with the bridge 146 to enhance oil separation performance.

[0102] The core unit 120 according to this embodiment includes a first core part 122 extending axially with an outer diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the main body 110 and having core ribs 122a formed on the outer surface thereof, a second core part 124 integrally formed with the first core part 122 and extending from the top of the first core part 122 where refrigerant is discharged, and a third core part 126 integrally formed with the first core part 122 and extending from the bottom of the first core part 122 where refrigerant is introduced, with a different diameter from the first core part 122.

[0103] The core unit 120 extends axially with the second core part 124 extending upward from the first core part 122 and the third core part 126 extending downward from the first core part 122.

[0104] The first core part 122 is cylindrical in shape, and the core ribs 122a are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides when viewed from the top of the core unit 120. The core ribs 122a are formed in a cylindrical shape as an example, but may also be formed in other shapes.

[0105] The second to third core parts 124 and 126 are formed with a smaller diameter compared to the first core part 122, which reduces weight and manufacturing costs, thereby improving cost-effectiveness.

[0106] Before being actuated by the refrigerant, the core unit 120 is positioned with the bottom surface of the third core part 126 aligned with the bottom surface of the main body 110. In this configuration, the first main inlet portion 111a remains closed, and the refrigerant gas enters only through the second main inlet portion 111b, as indicated by the arrows, and then travels through the interior of the main body 110 and up the top of the cap 140.

[0107] To guide the movement of the core unit 120, the main body 110 is equipped with core guiding portions 114 positioned facing each other on the inside of the main body 110.

[0108] These core guiding portions 114 are arranged symmetrically left and right when viewed from the top of the main body 110, ensuring the stable movement of the core unit 120.

[0109] The core unit 120 according to this embodiment is constantly moved in a stable manner without rotating in the axial direction inside the main body 110 due to the core guiding portions 114.

[0110] The core guiding portions 114 include a first core guide 114a wherein the core rib 122a is inserted. The first core guide 114a is formed with rounded grooves inwardly to accommodate the insertion of the core rib 122a.

[0111] When the core unit 120 is guided by the first core guide 114a, its movement is consistently maintained, preventing any rotational movement during movement.

[0112] The second core guide 114b is formed adjacent to the first core guide 114a on the core guiding portion 114 and partially in contact with the outer surface of the core unit 120 to facilitate the axial movement of the main body 110.

[0113] The second core guide 114b maintains a curvature corresponding to the outer curvature of the core unit 120 and minimizes friction when in contact with the outer surface of the core unit120, ensuring stable movement of the core unit 120.

[0114] The second core guide 114b does not come into contact with the entire outer surface of the core unit 120 but rather guides the movement of the core unit 120 by contacting it in certain sections based on the first core guide 114a.

[0115] The core guiding portions 114 according to this embodiment are arranged to intersect with the inner diameter-variable flow path 112. The position where the inner diameter-variable flow path 112 is formed is connected to the second main inlet portion 111b, and when the inner diameter-variable flow path 112 is arranged to overlap with this position, the movement of refrigerant gas is obstructed, necessitating an intersecting arrangement as shown in the drawing.

[0116] The core guiding portions 114 are arranged to intersect with the inner diameter-variable flow path.

[0117] The core guiding portion 114 includes a first opening wall 114c that slopes towards the direction where the opening area of the inner diameter-variable flow path 112 increases, and a second opening wall 114d that extends from the extended end of the first opening wall 114c for a predetermined length towards the axial upper side and maintains a constant opening cross-sectional area.

[0118] The first opening wall 114c slopes at a predetermined angle as shown in the drawing, extending to guide the refrigerant along the first opening wall 114c towards the second opening wall 114d.

[0119] The second opening wall 114d extends vertically towards the cap 140 as shown in the drawing, ensuring that the refrigerant guided via the first opening wall 114c moves vertically.

[0120] The core unit 120 is maintained in a supported state at a predetermined pressure exerted by the elastic member 130 to be described later, and when pressure exceeding the supporting force of the elastic member 130 is applied to the core unit 120, the core ribs 122a slide axially along the inner surface of the first core guides 114a while being guided in the direction of movement, adjusting the strokes differently.

[0121] In particular, the core rib 122a moves in the axial direction of the core unit 120 in contact with the first core guide 114a, so the movement speed does not increase rapidly, and the core rib 122a moves according to the pressure of the elastic member 130 and the contact force between the core rib 122a and the first core guide 114a exceeding the pressure, thereby controlling the discharge pressure of the refrigerant and reducing the noise and vibration caused by pulsation.

[0122] For example, when high-pressure refrigerant is applied to the core unit 120, the refrigerant enters through the first and second main inlet portions 111a and 111b as indicated by the arrows, and simultaneously enters the inside of the main body 110, causing the core ribs 122a to move along the first core guides 114a, compressing the elastic member 130, and allowing the refrigerant to move in the direction of the arrows through the cap 140.

[0123] In this embodiment, the elastic member 130 is inserted into the lower side of the second core part 124 and supported by the lower side of a cap 140 to be described later, thereby providing constant elastic support to the core unit 120.

[0124] The elastic member 130 is typically a coil spring, but may be replaced with other configurations capable of generating elastic force.

[0125] Since the elastic member 130 is partially inserted into the second core part 124, the coupling stability is improved even when the core unit 120 moves in the axial direction of the main body 110.

[0126] In this embodiment, the discharge check valve 100 may be fixed by being forcibly press-fitted into the passage 14 or by being temporarily assembled into the passage 14 and then secured with a snap ring (not shown) to prevent movement in the longitudinal direction of the passage 14.

[0127] In addition to these fixing methods, the discharge check valve 100 may be fixed by being temporarily assembled into the passage 14 and then stacked on the upper side of the oil separator and secured via a force-fitting method, welding, or a screw structure.

[0128] Although the description has been made with example embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and changes, such as addition, alteration, and deletion of components, can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims, and such modifications and changes are also included within the scope of the invention.

[0129] The preferred embodiments are applicable to scroll compressors.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0051]Advantages and features of the present disclosure and methods of accomplishing the same may be understood more readily by reference to the detailed description of embodiments that will be made hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein; rather, these exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art, and the present disclosure will only be defined by the appended claims. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same components.

[0052]When a component is described as “connected to” or “coupled to” another component, it can refer to a direct connection or coupling with the other component, or to a case where another component is interposed therebetween. Meanwh...

Claims

1-20. (canceled)21. A scroll compressor comprising:a compression unit coupled to one side of a driving unit;a rear housing further comprising a discharge chamber where a refrigerant compressed in the compression unit is discharged and a passage formed with a flow path for the refrigerant to be expelled; anda discharge check valve installed in the passage to supply the refrigerant to a discharge port by varying an opening degree based on a pressure of the refrigerant,wherein the discharge check valve further comprises:a main body connected to the passage and further comprising a main inlet port through which the refrigerant and an oil are introduced;a core unit configured to move inside the main body based on the pressure of the refrigerant; andan inner diameter-variable flow path formed by an inner diameter of the main body varying in an axial direction.

22. The scroll compressor of claim 21, further comprising an inlet hole connected to the discharge chamber through which the refrigerant is introduced, and the refrigerant moved through the inlet hole collides with the discharge check valve, causing a portion of the oil to separate.

23. The scroll compressor of claim 21, further comprising an elastic member configured to support the core unit.

24. The scroll compressor of claim 21, wherein the main inlet port further comprises:a first main inlet portion temporarily maintained in a closed state by the core unit before the core unit moves to an upper part of the main body; anda second main inlet portion symmetrically arranged with respect to an imaginary line drawn based on the first main inlet portion, remaining constantly open.

25. The scroll compressor of claim 24, wherein the second main inlet portion is symmetrically arranged left and right with respect to the first main inlet portion.

26. The scroll compressor of claim 21, wherein the inner diameter-variable flow path further comprises an expansion section where an opening cross-sectional area increases as a differential pressure increases based on a movement of the core unit.

27. The scroll compressor of claim 26, wherein the expansion section expends over a predetermined section.

28. The scroll compressor of claim 26, wherein the inner diameter-variable flow path is formed to slope outward towards a radius direction from a bottom to a top of the main body.

29. The scroll compressor of claim 24, wherein the inner diameter-variable flow path is connected to the second main inlet portion.

30. The scroll compressor of claim 29, wherein the inner diameter-variable flow path is symmetrically arranged inside the main body with respect to an imaginary centerline along an axis of the main body,31. The scroll compressor of claim 21, wherein the main body has a cap coupled to an upper end thereof, and the cap further comprises cap openings formed along a circumferential direction on an upper surface to allow the refrigerant, which passes through the core unit, to move to the discharge port.

32. The scroll compressor of claim 31, wherein the cap is formed with an outer diameter larger than an outer diameter of the main body and is coupled to the passage.

33. The scroll compressor of claim 32, wherein the cap further comprises:a rib formed at a center of the upper surface; anda bridge formed to compartmentalize between the cap openings based on the rib.

34. The scroll compressor of claim 33, wherein the bridge overlaps at least partially with the inner diameter-variable flow path in the axial direction.

35. The scroll compressor of claim 21, wherein the core unit further comprises:a first core part extending axially with an outer diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the main body and having a core rib formed on an outer surface thereof;a second core part integrally formed with the first core part and extending from a top of the first core part where the refrigerant is discharged; anda third core part integrally formed with the first core part and extending from a bottom of the first core part where the refrigerant is introduced, with a different diameter from the first core part; wherein the main body further comprises core guiding portions positioned facing each other on an inside of the main body to guide movement of the core unit, wherein the core guiding portions further comprise a first core guide where the core rib is inserted.

36. The scroll compressor of claim 35, wherein the core unit, before being actuated by the refrigerant, is positioned with a bottom surface of the third core part aligned with a bottom surface of the main body.

37. The scroll compressor of claim 35, wherein the core guiding portions further comprise a second core guide formed adjacent to a guide groove on the core guiding portions and partially in contact with an outer surface of the core unit to facilitate an axial movement of the main body.

38. The scroll compressor of claim 37, wherein the second core guide maintains a curvature corresponding to an outer curvature of the core unit.

39. The scroll compressor of claim 35, wherein the core guiding portions are arranged to intersect with the inner diameter-variable flow path.

40. The scroll compressor of claim 39, wherein the core guiding portions further comprise:a first opening wall sloping towards a direction where an opening area of the inner diameter-variable flow path increases; anda second opening wall extending from an extended end of the first opening wall for a predetermined length towards an axial upper side and maintaining a constant opening cross-sectional area.

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