Scroll Compressor Check Valve With Metal Line Sealing

The patent changes the material parameter from polymer (PTFE) to metal for the sealing surfaces. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by providing both low leakage rates and high wear resistance, as metal surfaces maintain their sealing properties throughout the service life without the wear degradation that plagues polymer seals.

The patent employs a composite sealing approach where a metal valve member with a specific surface treatment or coating (such as nitriding, carburizing, or apply a soft metal coating) combines the strength and durability of metal with the sealing properties of softer materials, achieving both low leakage and high wear resistance.

The patent optimizes the surface parameters of the metal valve member through surface treatments (nitriding, carburizing, coating) that modify the surface properties to achieve both low leakage rates and high wear resistance, resolving the contradiction between metal durability and sealing performance.

The patent employs a toroidal (curved) sealing surface geometry on the metal valve member. This curved surface configuration improves sealing performance by ensuring uniform contact pressure distribution across the sealing interface, thereby reducing leakage while maintaining the wear resistance of metal surfaces.

The patent transitions from a flat contact surface to a toroidal (curved) sealing surface on the valve seat. This geometric change concentrates the sealing force on a smaller, well-defined contact line, thereby improving sealing pressure and reducing leakage while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standard machining processes.

The patent incorporates a spring mechanism that pre-compresses the valve member against the toroidal sealing surface. This preliminary action ensures that the sealing surfaces are already under optimal contact pressure before operation begins, enhancing sealing performance without requiring complex manufacturing processes.

The patent employs a toroidal sealing surface geometry that, while more complex than a flat surface, can be manufactured using standard machining operations such as turning or grinding. The curved geometry concentrates sealing force effectively, improving sealing performance without requiring exotic manufacturing processes.

The patent optimizes the geometric parameters of the frusto-conical or toroidal surface (angles, radii, depths) to achieve the desired contact pressure distribution. By carefully selecting these parameters, the patent balances sealing performance improvement with manufacturing feasibility, avoiding excessive complexity.