Compressor Sub-bearing Member Segmentation for Precision Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing compressor manufacturing process requires high equipment costs and long cycle times due to the need for accurate detection and alignment of central axes, making it unsuitable for mass-produced products like on-vehicle compressors, especially when the sub-bearing member is formed integrally with the housing, which complicates precise processing of the inner circumferential surface.
Innovation Solution
The compressor design separates the sub-bearing member from the housing, allowing for precise processing of the inner circumferential surface without dedicated equipment, and uses aligning structures like socket and spigot fitting to ensure coaxial alignment of central axes, reducing the need for specialized machinery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the sub-bearing member is formed integrally with the housing, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the precision of the inner circumferential surface processing deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sub-bearing member is separated from the housing into independent components. The housing and sub-bearing member are manufactured separately, allowing the inner circumferential surface of the sub-bearing member to be processed with high precision using dedicated equipment, while the housing can be manufactured independently. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by enabling both ease of manufacture (through modular assembly) and high manufacturing precision (through specialized processing of the separated sub-bearing member).
2Manufacturing precision
If accurate detection and alignment of central axes is performed, then the alignment precision is improved, but the manufacturing cycle time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Alignment features such as spigot fittings and socket structures are pre-formed during the manufacturing of individual components (housing and sub-bearing member). These alignment features are built into the components themselves, so that when the components are assembled, the central axes are automatically aligned without requiring additional detection or adjustment operations. This preliminary action eliminates time-consuming alignment procedures while maintaining high alignment precision.
3Manufacturing precision
If specialized equipment is used for precise processing, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the equipment cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the sub-bearing member from the housing, the complex precision processing can be concentrated on the smaller sub-bearing member component. This allows the use of specialized equipment only for the critical sub-bearing member rather than for the entire housing assembly, reducing overall equipment complexity and cost while achieving the required precision for the bearing surfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
A compressor includes a compression mechanism, an electric motor unit, a drive shaft and a housing. A portion of the drive shaft, which is located on one side in an axial direction, is rotatably supported by a main bearing, which is formed integrally in one-piece with or is fixed to a main bearing member of the compression mechanism. Another portion of the drive shaft, which is located on another side in the axial direction, is rotatably supported by a sub-bearing, which is formed integrally in one-piece with or is fixed to an inside of a body portion of a sub-bearing member. The sub-bearing member is formed separately from the housing and is fixed to a bottom surface of a bottom portion of the housing.