Compressor

Abstract

This compressor is provided with a discharge valve mechanism that is disposed downstream of a discharge port of a compression mechanism part and opens and closes the discharge port. The discharge valve mechanism comprises: a long plate-shaped discharge valve that is fixed to the compression mechanism part and opens and closes the discharge port; and a long plate-shaped valve presser that is disposed on the opposite side of the discharge valve from the discharge port, is fixed to the compression mechanism part, and regulates the deflection amount of the discharge valve. The valve presser has a valve presser base end part fixed to the compression mechanism part, a valve presser tip part serving as a free end, and a connection part connecting the valve presser base end part and the valve presser tip part. The valve presser is configured so as not to cover at least a portion of the discharge port when viewed in the axial direction of the discharge port, the valve presser tip part curves in a direction away from the discharge valve as the valve presser goes toward the tip of the valve presser tip part, and the curvature of the valve presser tip part is greater than the curvature of the connection part in a cross-sectional view along the longitudinal direction of the valve presser.

Description

Compressor

[0001] The present disclosure relates to compressors mainly installed in refrigerators, air conditioners, and hot water heaters, and more particularly to the structure of a discharge valve mechanism.

[0002] A conventional compressor discharge valve mechanism includes a long plate-shaped discharge valve that opens and closes a discharge port that penetrates a compression chamber component that is part of the compression mechanism, a long plate-shaped valve guard that restricts the maximum opening of the discharge valve, and a fixing member that fixes the valve guard to the compression chamber component via the discharge valve. Refrigerant gas compressed in the compression chamber of the compression mechanism is discharged through the discharge port toward a discharge chamber. Patent Document 1 discloses a compressor equipped with this type of discharge valve mechanism.

[0003] In the compressor of Patent Document 1, the valve guard has a base end fixed to the compression chamber component by a fixing member, a tip end that contacts the discharge valve when the discharge valve bends to prevent the discharge valve from bending, and a connecting portion that connects the base end and the tip end. The valve guard is fixed to the compression chamber component with the tip end bent away from the discharge port. The valve guard is also formed to cover the entire discharge port when viewed in the axial direction of the discharge port.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-213487

[0005] In a compressor, after refrigerant discharge from the discharge port is completed, the valve guard is attracted toward the discharge port due to the pressure difference between the discharge chamber located downstream of the discharge port and the compression chamber located upstream of the discharge port, i.e., the pressure difference between the downstream side of the discharge port and the upstream side of the discharge port. Specifically, after refrigerant discharge, the pressure in the discharge chamber becomes higher than that of the compression chamber, and this pressure difference generates an attractive force, particularly inside the discharge port, in a direction from the discharge chamber toward the compression chamber. This attractive force attracts the tip of the valve guard toward the discharge port, along with the tip of the discharge valve located between the tip of the valve guard and the discharge port. As the tip of the valve guard is attracted toward the discharge port, it bends in the direction opposite to the warping direction, which can apply stress to the base end of the valve guard and cause it to break.

[0006] In the compressor of Patent Document 1, the valve guard covers the entire discharge port when viewed in the axial direction of the discharge port, which means that the valve guard is susceptible to the pulling force caused by the pressure difference after the refrigerant has been discharged from the discharge port, making it prone to damage.

[0007] The compressor according to the present disclosure is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a compressor that can suppress damage to the valve guard.

[0008] The compressor according to the present disclosure comprises: a compression mechanism section that forms a compression chamber that compresses a refrigerant; and a discharge port that discharges the refrigerant compressed in the compression chamber; and a discharge valve mechanism that is arranged downstream of the discharge port and opens and closes the discharge port. The discharge valve mechanism comprises a long plate-shaped discharge valve that is fixed to the compression mechanism section and opens and closes the discharge port, and a long plate-shaped valve guard that is arranged on the opposite side of the discharge valve from the discharge port and fixed to the compression mechanism section and regulates the amount of deflection of the discharge valve. The valve guard has a valve guard base end that is fixed to the compression mechanism section, a valve guard tip end that is a free end, and a connecting portion that connects the valve guard base end and the valve guard tip end, and is configured so as not to cover at least a portion of the discharge port when viewed in the axial direction of the discharge port. The valve guard tip end is curved in a direction away from the discharge valve as it approaches the tip of the valve guard tip end, and the curvature of the valve guard tip end is greater than the curvature of the connecting portion when viewed in a cross section along the longitudinal direction of the valve guard.

[0009] In the compressor according to the present disclosure, the valve guard is configured so that it does not cover at least a portion of the discharge port when viewed in the axial direction of the discharge port. The valve guard has a tip end with a larger curvature than the connecting portion, and is configured to be spaced apart from the discharge port. Therefore, compared to a compressor configured without the valve guard, the compressor is less susceptible to the attraction force caused by the pressure difference between the downstream and upstream sides of the discharge port after refrigerant is discharged from the discharge port. As a result, the compressor is able to reduce stress applied to the base end of the valve guard and prevent damage to the valve guard.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a compressor according to embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a discharge valve mechanism and a chamber of the compressor according to embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a top view of a valve holder of the discharge valve mechanism of the compressor according to embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a top view showing the positional relationship between the valve holder and a discharge port of the discharge valve mechanism of the compressor according to embodiment 1. FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view of a discharge valve mechanism of a comparative example. FIG. 6 is a top view showing the positional relationship between the valve holder and a discharge port of the discharge valve mechanism of the comparative example. FIG. 7 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a discharge valve mechanism of a compressor according to embodiment 2. FIG. 8 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a discharge valve mechanism of a compressor according to embodiment 3. FIG. 9 is a top view showing the positional relationship between the valve holder and a discharge port of the discharge valve mechanism of the compressor according to embodiment 3. FIG. 10 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a discharge valve mechanism of a compressor according to embodiment 4. FIG. 11 is a top view showing the positional relationship between the valve holder and a discharge port of the discharge valve mechanism of the compressor according to embodiment 4.

[0011] First Embodiment. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a compressor 100 according to the first embodiment. The compressor 100 according to the first embodiment is one of the components of a refrigeration cycle device used in, for example, an air conditioner, a refrigerator, a freezer, a vending machine, or a water heater. The compressor 100 is a hermetic electric compressor, a fluid machine that draws in a refrigerant circulating through a refrigeration cycle, compresses the drawn refrigerant, and discharges the compressed refrigerant. Note that the dimensional relationships and shapes of the components in the following drawings, including FIG. 1, may differ from the actual ones. In the first embodiment, a scroll compressor is used as an example of the compressor 100. However, the compressor is not limited to a scroll compressor and may also be a rotary compressor. The Z direction in the drawings is the direction in which a rotating shaft 33 of the compressor 100 extends, and in the illustrated example, it indicates the vertical direction.

[0012] 1 , compressor 100 includes a compression mechanism 10 defining a compression chamber 11 that compresses a refrigerant, an electric motor 30 that drives compression mechanism 10, and a pressure vessel 40 that houses compression mechanism 10 and electric motor 30. Compression mechanism 10 is formed with a discharge port 3 that discharges the refrigerant compressed in compression chamber 11. Pressure vessel 40 is composed of, for example, a cylindrical body vessel 42, an upper vessel 41 press-fitted into an upper opening of body vessel 42, and a lower vessel 43 press-fitted into a lower opening of body vessel 42. Connected to pressure vessel 40 are a suction pipe 44 that draws external refrigerant into pressure vessel 40 and a discharge pipe 45 that discharges compressed refrigerant out of pressure vessel 40.

[0013] The compression mechanism 10 is driven by the electric motor 30 to compress gas refrigerant drawn in through the suction pipe 44 in the compression chamber 11 and discharge the compressed gas into a discharge chamber 40a1 in a discharge muffler 7A (described later) through the discharge port 3. The discharge chamber 40a1 is part of a discharge space 40a (described later). The compression mechanism 10 has a fixed scroll 21, an orbiting scroll 22, and a chamber 4.

[0014] The fixed scroll 21 is fixed by bolts or the like to a first frame 46 that is fixedly supported within the pressure vessel 40. The fixed scroll 21 has a base plate 23 and spiral teeth 25, which are protrusions formed on one surface (the lower surface in this embodiment) of the base plate 23 and have an involute curve-shaped configuration. A discharge port 3 is formed in the center of the fixed scroll 21, through which the gas refrigerant compressed and high-pressure in the compression chamber 11 is discharged. A discharge valve mechanism 50 is provided downstream of the discharge port 3 (on the other surface of the base plate 23) to open and close the discharge port 3 according to the discharge pressure of the refrigerant and prevent backflow of the refrigerant. The discharge valve mechanism 50 includes a discharge valve 5 that opens and closes the discharge port 3, a valve guard 6 that regulates the amount of deflection of the discharge valve 5, and a fixing member 8 that fixes the discharge valve 5 and the valve guard 6 to the chamber 4. Details of the discharge valve mechanism 50 will be described later.

[0015] The orbiting scroll 22 is rotatably supported by a first frame 46. The orbiting scroll 22 is configured to perform an orbital motion (orbiting motion) relative to the fixed scroll 21 without rotating on its axis via an Oldham coupling (not shown). The orbiting scroll 22 has a base plate 24 and spiral teeth 26, which are protrusions with an involute curve shape, formed on one surface (the upper surface in this embodiment) of the base plate 24. A hollow cylindrical orbiting scroll boss 27 is formed in the approximate center of the other surface (thrust surface) of the base plate 24. An eccentric shaft portion 33a provided at the upper end of a rotation shaft 33 (described later) is fitted into the orbiting scroll boss 27.

[0016] The fixed scroll 21 and the orbiting scroll 22 are fitted together so that the spiral teeth 25 and the spiral teeth 26 mesh with each other, and are mounted inside a pressure vessel 40. A compression chamber 11 is formed between the spiral teeth 25 and the spiral teeth 26. When the orbiting scroll 22 oscillates, the relative positional relationship between the spiral teeth 25 and the spiral teeth 26 changes in the compression chamber 11, thereby changing the volume and compressing the refrigerant.

[0017] The first frame 46 is a hollow support member made of an iron-based magnetic material, and supports the orbiting scroll 22 on a thrust plate (not shown) provided within the first frame 46. The upper part of the first frame 46 is closed by the fixed scroll 21, and the lower part of the first frame 46 is provided with a bearing 34 that rotatably holds the rotary shaft 33.

[0018] A high-pressure discharge space 40a filled with refrigerant discharged from a discharge muffler 7B (described later) is formed above the fixed scroll 21 in the internal space of the pressure vessel 40. A low-pressure suction space 40b filled with refrigerant drawn in from the suction pipe 44 is formed below the first frame 46 in the internal space of the pressure vessel 40.

[0019] The chamber 4 is disposed on the fixed scroll 21 downstream of the discharge port 3. The chamber 4 is disposed on the end face of the fixed scroll 21 opposite to the orbiting scroll 22. The chamber 4 is provided for the purpose of reducing noise generated by the refrigerant blown out from the discharge port 3.

[0020] A recessed portion 4A is formed in the chamber 4 on a surface facing the discharge port 3 of the compression mechanism 10, where the refrigerant discharged from the discharge port 3 is stored. The recessed portion 4A is recessed from the bottom to the top in the Z direction. A circular discharge port 4B extending in the Z direction is formed in the center of the recessed portion 4A. The discharge port 3 and the recessed portion 4A are in communication with each other, and the recessed portion 4A and the discharge port 4B are also in communication with each other. Therefore, the refrigerant compressed in the compression chamber 11 is discharged to a discharge muffler 7A (described later) through the discharge port 3, the recessed portion 4A, and the discharge port 4B.

[0021] The compressor 100 is provided in a pressure vessel 40 and includes a discharge muffler 7A and a discharge muffler 7B disposed above the chamber 4. The discharge muffler 7A is provided above the discharge valve 5 and the valve guard 6 so as to cover them. The discharge muffler 7B is provided above the discharge muffler 7A so as to cover it.

[0022] Discharge muffler 7A forms a space between its lower surface and the upper surface of chamber 4, etc., into which the refrigerant is discharged through discharge port 4B. This space is part of discharge space 40a, communicates with discharge port 3, and is discharge chamber 40a1 into which the refrigerant discharged from discharge port 4B flows. Discharge muffler 7A has, for example, a plurality of holes (not shown), and the refrigerant flows from the discharge muffler 7A side to the discharge muffler 7B side through these plurality of holes.

[0023] Discharge muffler 7B forms a space between its lower surface and the upper surface of discharge muffler 7A, etc., for receiving refrigerant flowing out from a plurality of holes formed in discharge muffler 7A. Discharge muffler 7B also has holes (not shown), through which the refrigerant in discharge muffler 7B flows into the space within pressure vessel 40. The refrigerant that flows out from discharge muffler 7B into the space within pressure vessel 40 is discharged from compressor 100 via discharge pipe 45.

[0024] The electric motor unit 30 has a stator 31 fixed to the pressure vessel 40, and a rotor 32 rotatably attached to the stator 31 and driven to rotate when current is applied to the stator 31. A rotary shaft 33 is attached to the center of the rotor 32. An eccentric shaft portion 33a is formed at the upper end of the rotary shaft 33 and is rotatably fitted with the orbiting scroll boss portion 27. The electric motor unit 30 drives the orbiting scroll 22 via the rotary shaft 33, thereby compressing the gas refrigerant in the compression mechanism unit 10.

[0025] A second frame 47 is fixed below the electric motor unit 30 inside the pressure vessel 40. The second frame 47 has the function of supporting, inside the pressure vessel 40, a ball bearing 48 that rotatably supports the lower end of the rotary shaft 33. The outer ring of the ball bearing 48 is press-fitted and fixed in the center of the second frame 47.

[0026] In the compressor 100 having the above configuration, when current is applied to the stator 31 of the motor unit 30, the rotor 32 and the rotating shaft 33 attached to the rotor 32 rotate. The rotation of the rotating shaft 33 causes the orbiting scroll 22 to perform an orbiting motion relative to the fixed scroll 21. This causes the volume of the compression chamber 11 formed between the spiral teeth 25 of the fixed scroll 21 and the spiral teeth 26 of the orbiting scroll 22 to continuously vary. At this time, as the volume of the compression chamber 11 increases, the pressure within the compression chamber 11 becomes lower than the pressure in the suction space 40b, and the refrigerant in the suction space 40b is drawn into the compression chamber 11. Thereafter, as the volume of the compression chamber 11 decreases due to the orbiting motion of the orbiting scroll 22, the refrigerant drawn into the compression chamber 11 is compressed, and the pressure within the compression chamber 11 increases. When the pressure in the compression chamber 11 exceeds a preset pressure, the compressed refrigerant pushes up the discharge valve 5 of the discharge valve mechanism 50 and is discharged into the discharge chamber 40a1 in the discharge muffler 7A.

[0027] [Configuration of the Discharge Valve Mechanism 50] FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the discharge valve mechanism 50 and the chamber 4 of the compressor 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a top view of the valve guard 6 of the discharge valve mechanism 50 of the compressor 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a top view showing the positional relationship between the valve guard 6 and the discharge port 4B of the compressor 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is also a view of the valve guard 6 as seen in the axial direction of the discharge port 4B (Z direction). In FIG. 2, the solid line indicates a state in which the discharge port 4B is closed, and the dotted line indicates a state in which the discharge port 4B is open. The thick arrow in FIG. 2 indicates the direction in which the discharge valve 5 opens and closes. The X direction in the drawing is the longitudinal direction of the valve guard 6 and the discharge valve 5, and the Y direction is the lateral direction of the valve guard 6 and the discharge valve 5.

[0028] As shown in Figure 2, the discharge valve mechanism 50 includes a discharge valve 5 having a long plate-like reed valve structure that is fixed to the chamber 4 of the compression mechanism 10 and opens and closes the discharge port 4B, and a long plate-like valve guard 6 that is located on the opposite side of the discharge valve 5 from the discharge port 4B and fixed to the compression mechanism 10 and regulates the amount of deflection of the discharge valve 5. The discharge valve 5 and the valve guard 6 are made of, for example, iron. The discharge valve mechanism 50 also includes a fixing member 8 made of, for example, a bolt, that fixes the discharge valve 5 and the valve guard 6 to the compression mechanism 10. In the discharge valve mechanism 50, the discharge valve 5 and the valve guard 6 are fixed to the chamber 4 at one end portion in the longitudinal direction by the fixing member 8.

[0029] In the illustrated example, the discharge valve mechanism 50 is fixed to the chamber 4 of the compression mechanism 10, but the member to which the discharge valve mechanism 50 is fixed is not limited to the chamber 4. For example, if the compressor 100 is configured without the chamber 4, the discharge valve mechanism 50 may be fixed to the fixed scroll 21. In short, it is sufficient that the discharge valve mechanism 50 is fixed to a member that forms the compression mechanism 10. In the following, the description will be given assuming that the discharge valve mechanism 50 is fixed to the chamber 4.

[0030] The discharge valve 5 is a flexible, thin, leaf spring. The thickness of the discharge valve 5 is constant throughout. The discharge valve 5 has an upper surface 5b and a lower surface 5a that face each other in the vertical direction, and is disposed above the chamber 4 so that the lower surface 5a abuts against the chamber 4.

[0031] The discharge valve 5 has a valve base end 5A fixed to the chamber 4 and a free end 5B facing the discharge port 4B so as to cover the downstream opening of the discharge port 4B. The free end 5B of the discharge valve 5 moves away from the discharge port 4B in response to the discharge pressure of the refrigerant in the compression chamber 11, thereby opening and closing the discharge port 4B.

[0032] The valve base end 5A has a hole (not shown) formed on one side in the longitudinal direction X (the right side in FIG. 2 ) into which a fixing member 8 is inserted. The fixing member 8 is passed through the hole formed in the valve base end 5A, and the discharge valve 5 is fastened to the chamber 4 together with the valve guard 6. The valve base end 5A is fastened to the chamber 4 by the fixing member 8 in a state where it is sandwiched between the upper surface 4a of the chamber 4 and the lower surface 6a of the valve guard 6. Here, the one side in the longitudinal direction X refers to the fixed side of the discharge valve 5, which is the side on which the fixing member 8 is provided. Furthermore, hereinafter, the other side in the longitudinal direction X refers to the tip side of the discharge valve 5, which is free to move up and down.

[0033] The free end 5B is connected to the other side of the valve base end 5A in the longitudinal direction X. In other words, the free end 5B is provided adjacent to the other side of the valve base end 5A in the longitudinal direction X and is formed integrally with the valve base end 5A. When the refrigerant discharge pressure applied to the lower surface 5a of the free end 5B exceeds a predetermined pressure, the discharge valve 5 bends and the free end 5B rises, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 2 . When the free end 5B is raised and bent, the discharge valve 5 abuts against the lower surface 6a of the valve guard 6 and curves against the lower surface 6a. Note that the tip of the discharge valve 5 on the free end 5B side does not abut against the lower surface 6a of the valve guard tip 6C, but curves smoothly away from the lower surface 6a of the valve guard tip 6C. When the discharge valve 5 bends in this way and the discharge port 4B opens, refrigerant is discharged into the discharge muffler 7A.

[0034] The valve guard 6 is provided on the discharge valve 5 to regulate the amount of deflection of the discharge valve 5. The valve guard 6 is formed in a long plate shape as shown in Figure 3. The valve guard 6 has a valve guard base end 6A fixed to the chamber 4, a valve guard tip end 6C that is a free end and bends in a direction away from the discharge valve 5 as it approaches its tip 6Ca, and a connecting portion 6B that connects the valve guard base end 6A and the valve guard tip end 6C. The valve guard 6 is fastened to the chamber 4 together with the discharge valve 5 by passing a fixing member 8 through a hole 9 formed in the valve guard base end 6A on one side in the longitudinal direction X (the right side in Figure 3).

[0035] When the valve guard 6 is fixed to the chamber 4 at the valve guard base end 6A, the valve guard 6 warps in a direction away from the discharge valve 5 as it moves from one side to the other in the longitudinal direction X, in other words, as it moves from the base end side to the tip end side. When the discharge valve 5 warps due to the pressure of the refrigerant discharged from the discharge port 4B, the valve guard 6 comes into contact with the discharge valve 5, thereby regulating the amount of warping of the discharge valve 5.

[0036] Furthermore, the valve guard 6 sandwiches the discharge valve 5 between itself and the chamber 4, and has the function of pressing the discharge valve 5 against the upper surface 4a of the chamber 4. In other words, the valve guard 6 has the function of pressing the discharge valve 5 against the upper surface 4a of the chamber 4 so that the discharge valve 5 closes the discharge port 4B until the refrigerant pressure in the compression chamber 11 reaches a preset pressure.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 2 , in a cross-sectional view of the valve guard 6 along the longitudinal direction X, the valve guard proximal end portion 6A, the connecting portion 6B, and the valve guard distal end portion 6C have different curvatures. The valve guard proximal end portion 6A is configured as a straight line with a curvature of zero. The connecting portion 6B and the valve guard distal end portion 6C are configured as curved portions with a curvature greater than zero, and the curvature of the valve guard distal end portion 6C is configured to be greater than the curvature of the connecting portion 6B. In other words, the valve guard 6 is configured such that the curvature of the valve guard distal end portion 6C > the curvature of the connecting portion 6B > the curvature of the valve guard proximal end portion 6A. Thus, in a cross-sectional view along the longitudinal direction X, the valve guard 6 has a configuration in which multiple portions with different curvatures are connected. The valve guard 6 is configured such that, from the distal end (which is the free end) to the proximal end, the distal end portion has the largest curvature, the adjacent portion has a smaller curvature than the distal end portion, and the adjacent portion has an even smaller curvature.

[0038] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4 , the valve guard 6 does not cover a portion of the outlet 4B when viewed in the axial direction of the outlet 4B. The valve guard 6 is configured so that the area S (the area of ​​the dotted portion in FIG. 4 ) covered by the valve guard 6 is 70% or less of the area of ​​the outlet 4B. The discharge valve mechanism 50 is configured so that the area S is 70% or less of the area of ​​the outlet 4B, depending on the positional relationship between the valve guard 6 and the outlet 4B in the longitudinal direction X, the outer shape of the valve guard tip 6C of the valve guard 6, etc. As described above, the discharge valve mechanism 50 preferably has an area S of 70% or less of the area of ​​the outlet 4B, but is not limited to 70% or less and may be less than 100%. In short, the valve guard 6 is configured so as not to completely cover the outlet 4B.

[0039] In Figure 4, the dotted line indicates the position of the discharge valve 5 when it is in an open state. When the discharge valve 5 is in an open state, as described above, the tip of the free end 5B side of the discharge valve 5 does not abut against the lower surface 6a of the valve holding tip portion 6C. Therefore, as shown in Figure 4, the area that the discharge valve 5 covers when the valve is open becomes larger than the area S.

[0040] The operation of the above configuration will now be described.

[0041] First, a comparative example will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0042] Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a discharge valve mechanism 500 of the comparative example. Fig. 6 is a top view showing the positional relationship between the valve holder 60 of the discharge valve mechanism 500 of the comparative example and the discharge port 4B. Fig. 6 is also a view of the valve holder 60 of the discharge valve mechanism 500 of the comparative example as viewed in the axial direction (Z direction) of the discharge port 4B. The discharge valve mechanism 500 of the comparative example includes a discharge valve 5 that opens and closes the discharge port 4B, the valve holder 60, and a fixing member 8. The discharge valve 5 and the valve holder 60 are formed in a long plate shape, and one end portion in the longitudinal direction is fixed to the chamber 4 by the fixing member 8.

[0043] The valve holder 60 has a valve holder base end portion 60A, a valve holder tip end portion 60C, and a connecting portion 60B. As shown in Fig. 5, in a cross-sectional view of the valve holder 60 along the longitudinal direction X of the valve holder 60, the valve holder base end portion 60A and the connecting portion 60B are formed in a straight line with a curvature of 0, and the valve holder tip end portion 60C is formed in a curved line with a curvature of more than 0. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 6, when viewed in the axial direction of the discharge port 4B, the valve holder tip end portion 60C of the valve holder 60 completely covers the discharge port 4B.

[0044] In the discharge valve mechanism 500 of the comparative example having the above configuration, the valve guard 60 completely covers the entire discharge port 4B when viewed in the axial direction of the discharge port 4B. Here, the attractive force F (thin arrow in FIG. 5 ) due to the pressure difference between the discharge chamber 40a1 and the compression chamber 11 after refrigerant discharge from the discharge port 4B is complete is a force caused by the flow of refrigerant attempting to flow back from the downstream side (upper side in FIG. 5 ) of the discharge port 4B to the upstream side (lower side in FIG. 5 ). Therefore, when viewed in the axial direction of the discharge port 4B, the attractive force F acts strongly on the valve guard 6 at a portion that overlaps with the discharge port 4B. Therefore, in the discharge valve mechanism 500 of the comparative example, the valve guard 60 is susceptible to the attractive force F. Repeated exposure of the valve guard 60 to the attractive force F causes stress to act on the valve guard base end 60A, making it susceptible to breakage.

[0045] To improve this, it is possible to configure the valve guard 60 so that its tip 60C is cut off, that is, the valve guard 60 is cut off at the position of the dashed line L in Figure 5 (corresponding to the configuration in Figure 1 of Patent Document 1; hereinafter referred to as the prior art configuration), so that the valve guard 60 does not cover part of the discharge port 4B in plan view. In the prior art configuration, the valve guard 60 is less susceptible to the attracting force F than in a configuration in which the valve guard 60 covers the entire discharge port 4B.

[0046] However, the prior art configuration is insufficient as a configuration for suppressing damage to the valve holding proximal end portion 60A in the following respects: In the prior art configuration, when viewed in the axial direction of the discharge port 4B, the end portion on the free end side (left side in FIG. 5 ) of the connecting portion 60B covers a portion of the discharge port 4B. Because the connecting portion 60B is linear with a curvature of zero, the distance H in the Z direction between the covering portion and the discharge port 4B increases monotonically from the base end side (right side in FIG. 5 ) to the tip end side (left side in FIG. 5 ) in the longitudinal direction X. In other words, the distance H in the Z direction between the portion of the connecting portion 60B covering the portion of the discharge port 4B and the discharge port 4B increases monotonically from the base end side (right side in FIG. 5 ) to the tip end side (left side in FIG. 5 ) in the longitudinal direction X.

[0047] In contrast, the discharge valve mechanism 50 of the first embodiment is configured so that the valve holder 60 does not cover a portion of the discharge port 4B when viewed in the axial direction of the discharge port 4B, which can reduce damage to the valve holder 60 compared to a configuration in which the valve holder 60 covers the entire discharge port 4B. In addition to this, the discharge valve mechanism 50 is configured so that the valve holder tip portion 6C of the valve holder 60, which covers a portion of the discharge port 4B, has a larger curvature than the connecting portion 6B in a cross-sectional view along the longitudinal direction X.

[0048] As a result, the discharge valve mechanism 50 has the following advantages compared to a configuration in which the valve holder tip portion 6C is linear with a curvature of zero or has the same curvature as the connecting portion 6B in a cross-sectional view along the longitudinal direction X. The discharge valve mechanism 50 can steeply increase the distance H between the valve holder tip portion 6C and the discharge port 4B from the base end side (right side in FIG. 5 ) in the longitudinal direction X toward the tip end side (left side in FIG. 5 ). Therefore, the discharge valve mechanism 50 can make the distance H in the Z direction between the valve holder tip portion 6C and the discharge port 4B longer across the entire longitudinal direction X of the valve holder tip portion 6C compared to the prior art configuration. As a result, the discharge valve mechanism 50 can make the valve holder tip portion 6C of the valve holder 6 less susceptible to the attracting force F compared to the prior art configuration, thereby further preventing damage to the valve holder 6.

[0049] 2, when the discharge valve 5 is open, the free end 5B, which is the tip of the discharge valve 5, does not come into contact with the valve guard 6. In this way, by not having the free end 5B of the discharge valve 5 come into contact with the valve guard 6 when the valve is open, the force with which the discharge valve 5 pulls in the valve guard 6 when the discharge valve 5 closes can be weakened, thereby reducing the impact on the discharge valve 5.

[0050] The force that pulls the discharge valve 5 into the valve guard 6 when the discharge valve 5 is closed refers to a force that pulls the valve guard 6 due to the surface tension of the oil when the discharge valve 5 is in close contact with the valve guard 6. When this pulling force acts on the valve guard 6, the discharge valve 5 bends along with the valve guard 6 due to the surface tension of the oil as the valve guard 6 returns to its original position, generating a repulsive force on the discharge valve 5 and increasing the speed at which the discharge valve 5 closes. In this case, the impact of the discharge valve 5 hitting the upper surface 4a of the chamber 4 increases. The discharge valve mechanism 50 can reduce this impact on the discharge valve 5 by preventing the free end 5B of the discharge valve 5 from contacting the valve guard 6 when the valve is open. Furthermore, the discharge valve mechanism 50 can also reduce the impact on the valve guard 6 by preventing the free end 5B, which is the tip of the discharge valve 5, from contacting the valve guard 6 when the valve is open.

[0051] Note that the following two points are relevant to ensuring that the free end 5B, which is the tip of the discharge valve 5, does not come into contact with the valve guard 6 when the valve is open. The first point is that the valve guard 6 has a relatively long connecting portion 6B to prevent the discharge valve 5 from warping when the valve is open. The second point is that the tip of the valve guard 6 is warped so that the free end 5B does not come into contact with the valve guard tip 6C of the valve guard 6 even if the discharge valve 5 warps. In order to ensure that the free end 5B of the discharge valve 5 does not come into contact with the valve guard 6, the above first point is particularly important. In the above first point, it is stated that the connecting portion 6B of the valve guard 6 is "relatively long," but this "relatively long" refers to a length that ensures that the tip of the discharge valve 5 does not come into contact with the valve guard 6 when the valve is open.

[0052] As described above, the compressor 100 of the first embodiment includes the compression mechanism 10 which defines the compression chamber 11 for compressing a refrigerant and which has the discharge port 4B formed therein through which the refrigerant compressed in the compression chamber 11 is discharged, and the discharge valve mechanism 50 which is disposed downstream of the discharge port 4B and which opens and closes the discharge port 4B. The discharge valve mechanism 50 includes the long plate-shaped discharge valve 5 which is fixed to the compression mechanism 10 and which opens and closes the discharge port 4B, and the long plate-shaped valve guard 6 which is disposed on the opposite side of the discharge valve 5 from the discharge port 4B and which is fixed to the compression mechanism 10 and which regulates the amount of deflection of the discharge valve 5. The valve guard 6 has a valve guard base end 6A which is fixed to the compression mechanism 10, a valve guard tip end 6C which is a free end, and a connecting portion 6B which connects the valve guard base end 6A and the valve guard tip end 6C, and is configured so as not to cover at least a portion of the discharge port 4B when viewed in the axial direction of the discharge port 4B. The valve holder tip portion 6C is curved in a direction away from the discharge valve 5 as it approaches the tip of the valve holder tip portion 6C, and when viewed in a cross section along the longitudinal direction X of the valve holder 6, the curvature of the valve holder tip portion 6C is formed to be greater than the curvature of the connecting portion 6B.

[0053] With the above configuration, the compressor 100 can increase the distance H from the discharge port 4B in a cross-sectional view along the longitudinal direction X of the valve guard 6 compared to a configuration in which the valve guard tip portion 6C is linear with a curvature of zero or has the same curvature as the connecting portion 6B. As a result, the discharge valve mechanism 50 can make the valve guard tip portion 6C of the valve guard 6 less susceptible to the attracting force F, and can further prevent the valve guard 6 from being damaged.

[0054] The curvature of the connecting portion 6B of the valve guard 6 is greater than zero.

[0055] With the above-described configuration, in the compressor 100, the connecting portion 6B of the valve guard 6 is curved rather than linear, and therefore the distance H between the valve guard tip 6C and the discharge port 4B can be increased compared to a linear configuration. As a result, the discharge valve mechanism 50 makes it difficult for the valve guard tip 6C of the valve guard 6 to be subjected to the attracting force F, and damage to the valve guard 6 can be further suppressed.

[0056] The valve guard 6 has an area S covering the discharge port 4B that is 70% or less of the area of ​​the discharge port 4B when viewed in the axial direction of the discharge port 4B.

[0057] With the above configuration, the valve guard 6 of the compressor 100 is less likely to be subjected to the pulling force F, and therefore damage to the valve guard 6 can be reduced compared to a case where the above configuration is not provided.

[0058] Second Embodiment Fig. 7 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a discharge valve mechanism 50A of a compressor 100 according to a second embodiment. The discharge valve mechanism 50A of the second embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in the configuration of the valve guard 6. The other configurations are the same as or equivalent to those of the first embodiment. The following description will focus on the configurations of the second embodiment that differ from those of the first embodiment, and the configurations not described in the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0059] The valve guard 6 of the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the connecting portion 6B is composed of a first connecting portion 6Ba and a second connecting portion 6Bb with different curvatures. The valve guard 6 of the second embodiment has a valve guard base end portion 6A, a connecting portion 6B, and a valve guard tip portion 6C, and is similar to the first embodiment in that the area S covering the discharge port 4B as viewed in the axial direction of the discharge port 4B is 70% or less of the area of ​​the discharge port 4B. However, the discharge valve mechanism 50A preferably has an area S of 70% or less of the area of ​​the discharge port 4B, but is not limited to 70% or less, as long as it is less than 100%. The valve guard 6 of the second embodiment has a configuration in which the valve guard base end portion 6A, the first connecting portion 6Ba, the second connecting portion 6Bb, and the valve guard tip portion 6C are arranged in this order.

[0060] The valve guard 6 of the second embodiment is configured such that the curvatures of the first connecting portion 6Ba, the second connecting portion 6Bb, and the valve guard tip portion 6C increase in this order in cross section along the longitudinal direction X. In other words, the valve guard 6 of the second embodiment is configured such that the curvature of the valve guard tip portion 6C > the curvature of the second connecting portion 6Bb > the curvature of the first connecting portion 6Ba > the curvature of the valve guard base end portion 6A.

[0061] With the above configuration, the discharge valve mechanism 50A can obtain the same effects as the discharge valve mechanism 50, as well as the following effects. In the discharge valve mechanism 50A of the second embodiment, the connecting portion 6B of the valve holder 6 is configured with a first connecting portion 6Ba and a second connecting portion 6Bb that have different curvatures. In other words, the connecting portion 6B is configured with two different curvatures, and has the following relationship: curvature of the valve holder tip end portion 6C > curvature of the second connecting portion 6Bb > curvature of the first connecting portion 6Ba > curvature of the valve holder base end portion 6A.

[0062] As a result, the discharge valve mechanism 50A can have a shape that smoothly connects the valve holder base end 6A and the valve holder tip end 6C, compared to when the connecting portion 6B is configured with a single curvature. In other words, the discharge valve mechanism 50A can have the valve holder 6 have a more smoothly curved shape overall from the base end to the tip end in a cross section along the longitudinal direction X, compared to the discharge valve mechanism 50 of Embodiment 1.

[0063] Here, the curvature of the second connecting portion 6Bb in Fig. 7 is the same as the curvature of the connecting portion 6B in Fig. 2. As is clear from a comparison of Fig. 7 and Fig. 2, the discharge valve mechanism 50A shown in Fig. 7 can suppress the amount of deflection of the discharge valve 5 when the discharge valve 5 is open and in contact with the valve guard 6, compared to the discharge valve mechanism 50 shown in Fig. 2.

[0064] If the amount of deflection of the discharge valve 5 is large, repeated opening and closing of the discharge valve 5 will apply stress to the valve base end 5A of the discharge valve 5, which may result in damage. In contrast, the discharge valve mechanism 50A can suppress the amount of deflection of the discharge valve 5, thereby suppressing damage to the discharge valve 5 and making the compressor 100 equipped with the discharge valve mechanism 50A highly reliable.

[0065] Third Embodiment Fig. 8 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a discharge valve mechanism 50B of a compressor 100 according to a third embodiment. Fig. 9 is a top view showing the positional relationship between the valve guard 6 and the discharge port 4B of the discharge valve mechanism 50B of the compressor 100 according to the third embodiment. Fig. 9 is also a view of the valve guard 6 as seen in the axial direction (Z direction) of the discharge port 4B. The discharge valve mechanism 50B of the third embodiment differs from that of the second embodiment in the configuration of the valve guard 6. The other configurations are the same as or equivalent to those of the second embodiment. The following description will focus on the configurations of the third embodiment that differ from those of the second embodiment, and the configurations not described in the third embodiment are the same as those of the second embodiment.

[0066] In the above-described second embodiment (as well as in the first embodiment), the valve guard 6 of the discharge valve mechanism 50A is configured so that it does not cover a portion of the discharge port 4B when viewed in the axial direction of the discharge port 4B. In contrast, the discharge valve mechanism 50B of the third embodiment differs from the second embodiment in that, as shown in FIG. 9 , the valve guard 6 is configured so that it does not cover the discharge port 4B at all when viewed in the axial direction of the discharge port 4B. Therefore, considering both the second and third embodiments, the discharge valve mechanism of the present disclosure is only required to be configured so that the valve guard 6 does not cover at least a portion of the discharge port 4B when viewed in the axial direction of the discharge port 4B. Furthermore, the valve guard 6 of the third embodiment is similar to the second embodiment in that it is configured so that the curvature of the valve guard tip portion 6C > the curvature of the second connecting portion 6Bb > the curvature of the first connecting portion 6Ba > the curvature of the valve guard base end portion 6A.

[0067] The valve guard 6 of the third embodiment is configured so that its length in the longitudinal direction X is shorter than that of the valve guard 6 of the second embodiment, and so that it does not cover the outlet 4B at all when viewed in the axial direction of the outlet 4B. As shown in FIG. 9 , the tip 6Ca of the valve guard tip portion 6C of the valve guard 6 overlaps the tip 4Ba of the outlet 4B on the fixing member 8 side when viewed in the axial direction of the outlet 4B. Note that the valve guard 6 is not limited to a configuration in which the tip 6Ca of the valve guard tip portion 6C overlaps the tip 4Ba of the outlet 4B on the fixing member 8 side when viewed in the axial direction of the outlet 4B. The valve guard 6 may also be configured so that the tip 6Ca of the valve guard tip portion 6C is spaced away from the tip 4Ba of the outlet 4B on the fixing member 8 side toward the fixing member 8 (to the right in FIG. 9 ). In short, the valve guard 6 of the third embodiment is only required to be configured so that it does not cover the outlet 4B at all when viewed in the axial direction of the outlet 4B.

[0068] With the above configuration, the discharge valve mechanism 50B can achieve the same effects as the discharge valve mechanism 50A, as well as the following effects. The discharge valve mechanism 50B is configured so that the valve guard 6 does not cover the discharge port 4B when viewed in the axial direction of the discharge port 4B. Therefore, the valve guard 6 of embodiment 3 is less susceptible to the attracting force F than the valve guard 6 of embodiment 2, and damage to the valve guard 6 can be further suppressed. Furthermore, the length of the valve guard 6 of embodiment 3 in the longitudinal direction X is shorter than that of the valve guard 6 of embodiment 2, which allows for less material and lower costs.

[0069] Fourth Embodiment. Figure 10 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a discharge valve mechanism 50C of a compressor 100 according to a fourth embodiment. Figure 11 is a top view of the valve guard 6 of the discharge valve mechanism 50C of the compressor 100 according to the fourth embodiment. Figure 12 is a top view showing the positional relationship between the valve guard 6 and the discharge port 4B of the discharge valve mechanism 50C of the compressor 100 according to the fourth embodiment. Figure 12 is also a view of the valve guard 6 as seen in the axial direction (Z direction) of the discharge port 4B. The discharge valve mechanism 50C of the fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the configuration of the valve guard 6. The other configurations are the same as or equivalent to those of the first embodiment. The following description will focus on the configurations of the fourth embodiment that differ from the first embodiment, and the configurations not described in the fourth embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0070] The valve guard 6 of the fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a through-hole 61 through which the refrigerant passes is formed in the portion of the valve guard tip 6C that covers the discharge port 4B, as shown in Fig. 12. The valve guard 6 of the fourth embodiment has the through-hole 61 in the valve guard tip 6C, so that the valve guard 6 covers only a portion of the discharge port 4B rather than the entire discharge port 4B when viewed in the axial direction of the discharge port 4B. In the illustrated example, the valve guard 6 of the fourth embodiment has the through-hole 61 formed not only in the portion that covers the discharge port 4B, i.e., the portion surrounded by the dotted circle in Fig. 12, but also around that portion.

[0071] In the illustrated example, the through-hole 61 is rectangular and multiple through-holes 61 are arranged at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction X and the lateral direction Y. However, the shape, arrangement, and number of the through-holes 61 are not limited to the illustrated configuration. For example, the through-hole 61 may be a single circular hole coaxial with the outlet 4B when viewed in the axial direction of the outlet 4B. The valve guard 6 of embodiment 4 has a valve guard base end portion 6A, a connecting portion 6B, and a valve guard tip end portion 6C, and is similar to embodiment 1 in that the area S covering the outlet 4B when viewed in the axial direction of the outlet 4B (the area of ​​the dotted portion in FIG. 12 ) is 70% or less of the area of ​​the outlet 4B. However, in the discharge valve mechanism 50C, the area S is preferably 70% or less of the area of ​​the outlet 4B, but is not limited to 70% or less and may be less than 100%.

[0072] In the illustrated example, the valve guard 6 has a configuration in which the valve guard tip 6C covers the entire discharge port 4B and the through-hole 61 is formed in the covered portion, but this configuration is not limited to this. For example, the valve guard 6 of the first embodiment shown in Figure 4 may have a configuration in which the through-hole 61 is formed in the portion covering the discharge port 4B, i.e., the portion hatched with dots.

[0073] With the above configuration, the discharge valve mechanism 50C can achieve the same effects as the discharge valve mechanism 50, as well as the following effect. The discharge valve mechanism 50C has a plurality of through holes 61 in the portion of the valve holder tip portion 6C of the valve holder 6 that covers the discharge port 4B, so that refrigerant attempting to flow back from downstream to upstream of the discharge port 4B passes through the through holes 61. The discharge valve mechanism 50C can release the pressure acting on the valve holder tip portion 6C due to the attractive force F by allowing refrigerant attempting to flow back from downstream to upstream of the discharge port 4B to pass through the through holes 61. Therefore, the discharge valve mechanism 50C can suppress damage to the valve holder 6.

[0074] The above-described first to fourth embodiments can be implemented in combination with one another. For example, the first and third embodiments can be combined, and the connecting portion 6B in FIG. 8 can be configured with a single curvature, rather than being configured with a first connecting portion 6Ba and a second connecting portion 6Bb with different curvatures. Furthermore, the second and fourth embodiments can be combined, and the connecting portion 6B of the valve guard 6 can have a first connecting portion 6Ba and a second connecting portion 6Bb with different curvatures, and a through-hole 61 can be provided in the valve guard tip portion 6C. The configurations shown in the above-described embodiments are merely examples, and can be combined with other known techniques. Parts of the configurations can also be omitted or modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0075] 3 Discharge port, 4 Chamber, 4A Concave portion, 4B Discharge port, 4Ba Tip, 4a Upper surface, 5 Discharge valve, 5A Valve base end, 5B Free end, 5a Lower surface, 5b Upper surface, 6 Valve guard, 6A Valve guard base end, 6B Connecting portion, 6Ba First connecting portion, 6Bb Second connecting portion, 6C Valve guard tip portion, 6Ca Tip, 6a Lower surface, 7A Discharge muffler, 7B Discharge muffler, 8 Fixed member, 9 Hole, 10 Compression mechanism portion, 11 Compression chamber, 21 Fixed scroll, 22 Swing scroll, 23 Base plate portion, 24 Base plate portion, 25 Spiral tooth, 26 Spiral tooth, 27 Swing scroll boss portion, 30 Motor portion, 31 Stator, 32 Rotor, 33 Rotating shaft, 33a Eccentric shaft portion, 34 Bearing, 40 Pressure vessel, 40a Discharge space, 40a1 Discharge chamber, 40b Suction space, 41 Upper vessel, 42 Body vessel, 43 Lower vessel, 44 Suction pipe, 45 Discharge pipe, 46 First frame, 47 Second frame, 48 Ball bearing, 50 Discharge valve mechanism, 50A Discharge valve mechanism, 50B Discharge valve mechanism, 50C Discharge valve mechanism, 60 Valve holder, 60A Valve holder base end, 60B Connection portion, 60C Valve holder tip portion, 61 Through hole, 100 Compressor, 500 Discharge valve mechanism.

Claims

1. A compressor comprising: a compression mechanism section which forms a compression chamber for compressing a refrigerant, and which has a discharge port formed therein through which the refrigerant compressed in the compression chamber is discharged; and a discharge valve mechanism which is arranged downstream of the discharge port and opens and closes the discharge port, wherein the discharge valve mechanism comprises: a long plate-shaped discharge valve fixed to the compression mechanism section and which opens and closes the discharge port; and a long plate-shaped valve retainer which is arranged on the opposite side of the discharge valve to the discharge port and fixed to the compression mechanism section and which regulates the amount of deflection of the discharge valve, wherein the valve retainer has a valve retainer base end fixed to the compression mechanism section, a valve retainer tip end which is a free end, and a connecting section which connects the valve retainer base end and the valve retainer tip end, and is configured so as not to cover at least a part of the discharge port when viewed in the axial direction of the discharge port, and the valve retainer tip end is curved in a direction away from the discharge valve as it approaches the tip of the valve retainer tip section, and in a cross section viewed along the longitudinal direction of the valve retainer, a curvature of the valve retainer tip end is greater than a curvature of the connecting section.

2. The compressor according to claim 1, wherein the curvature of the connecting portion of the valve guard is greater than zero.

3. A compressor as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the connecting portion of the valve retainer has a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion having different curvatures, the valve retainer is arranged in the order of the valve retainer base end portion, the first connecting portion, the second connecting portion and the valve retainer tip end portion, and the valve retainer is configured such that, in a cross-sectional view along the longitudinal direction, the curvature of the valve retainer tip end portion > the curvature of the second connecting portion > the curvature of the first connecting portion > the curvature of the valve retainer base end portion.

4. A compressor as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the valve guard has a through hole through which the refrigerant passes in the portion covering the discharge port as seen in the axial direction of the discharge port.

5. A compressor as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the area of ​​said valve guard covering said discharge port as viewed in the axial direction of said discharge port is 70% or less of the area of ​​said discharge port.

6. A compressor as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the tip of the discharge valve is not in contact with the valve guard when the valve is open.

7. A compressor as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the longitudinal length of the connecting portion of the valve guard is a length that ensures non-contact between the tip of the discharge valve and the valve guard when the valve is open.

8. A compressor as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the area of ​​the discharge valve covering the discharge port when viewed in the axial direction of the discharge port when the valve is open is smaller than the area of ​​the valve guard covering the discharge port when viewed in the axial direction of the discharge port.

9. A compressor as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the valve guard is configured so as not to cover any of the discharge port when viewed in the axial direction of the discharge port.

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