Electric Compressor Shaft Seal Fixation Without a Retainer

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing electric compressors require a retainer to fix the shaft seal, increasing the number of parts and assembly steps, which degrades cost competitiveness and can lead to quality issues due to tolerance problems in the retainer's seating process.

Innovation Solution

An electric compressor design that uses a shaft seal with a double stepped structure on the inner wall of the main housing, featuring an elastic part, a rigid part, and a sealing part made of specific materials, which is press-fitted between the shaft and the main housing, maintaining the seal through frictional force without a retainer.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a retainer is used to fix the shaft seal, then the shaft seal can be securely fixed, but the number of parts and assembly steps increases, degrading cost competitiveness

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshaft seal fixation reliabilityVSAvoidnumber of parts and assembly steps

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and removes the retainer component from the shaft seal assembly. The shaft seal is directly installed into a stepped structure formed in the housing, eliminating the need for the retainer. This reduces the number of parts and assembly steps while maintaining secure fixation through the stepped structure's geometric locking mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention merges the fixation function previously performed by the separate retainer into the housing structure itself. The stepped structure formed directly in the housing combines the sealing surface and fixation features into a single integrated structure, eliminating the need for additional fixing components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If a retainer is used to fix the shaft seal, then the shaft seal can be secured, but additional processing for seating the retainer is required, increasing manufacturing complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshaft seal fixation reliabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing process simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention removes the retainer component and its associated seating processing requirements. The shaft seal is directly installed into the stepped structure formed in the housing, eliminating the need for separate retainer seating operations and reducing manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The stepped structure is pre-formed in the housing during housing manufacturing, creating the fixation geometry in advance. This preliminary action eliminates the need for subsequent retainer seating operations, simplifying the manufacturing process while ensuring reliable shaft seal fixation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If a retainer is used to fix the shaft seal, then the shaft seal can be fixed, but tolerance issues in the retainer seating process can cause retainer separation, degrading compressor quality

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshaft seal fixation reliabilityVSAvoidretainer seating tolerance control

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The invention removes the retainer component that is susceptible to tolerance accumulation and separation issues. By eliminating the retainer, the design avoids the tolerance control problems associated with retainer seating and potential retainer separation, improving overall compressor quality and reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of using a separate retainer that requires precise seating tolerance control, the invention inverts the approach by forming the fixation structure directly in the housing. This reverses the traditional design paradigm and eliminates the tolerance-sensitive retainer seating process, reducing quality risks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This design stably fixes the shaft seal without a retainer, reducing the number of assembly parts and steps, thereby improving cost competitiveness and enhancing the compressor's quality by eliminating retainer-related tolerance issues.

Implementation Method 1

seals between the shaft 300 and the main housing 100a by an elastic structure

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElastic structure: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

prevents deformation in the elastic structure with a rigid structure formed integrally with the elastic structure

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRigid structure:

Implementation Method 3

maintains the coupled position by a frictional force of the elastic structure

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFrictional force: Friction

Data Source

PatentUS11466688B2Electric compressor capable of fixing a shaft seal

Publication Date: 2022.10.11 HANON SYST CO LTD

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to an electric compressor capable of fixing a shaft seal without a retainer for fixing the shaft seal, and includes a shaft which is rotatably coupled inside a main housing, and a shaft seal which is press-fitted between the shaft and the main housing, seals between the shaft and the main housing by an elastic structure, prevents deformation in the elastic structure with a rigid structure formed integrally with the elastic structure, and maintains the coupled position by a frictional force of the elastic structure.