Scroll Compressor Oil Feeder and Discharge Hole for Stable Oil Circulation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing scroll compressors face issues with oil temperature adjustment using refrigerant pipes, leading to low-viscosity oil states that cause bearing damage and oil level reduction.

Innovation Solution

A scroll compressor design that adjusts oil temperature without using pipes by transferring heat through an oil feeder, incorporating a discharge hole in the discharge cover to directly contact oil with discharged refrigerant and a gas drain hole to relieve differential pressure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If refrigerant pipes are used to adjust oil temperature, then oil temperature can be controlled, but oil becomes low-viscosity causing bearing damage and oil level reduction

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoil temperatureVSAvoidbearing reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the harmful effect of using refrigerant pipes for oil temperature adjustment. Instead of allowing refrigerant to directly contact oil through pipes (which causes low-viscosity oil states), the invention removes this direct contact path while maintaining temperature control capability through alternative means.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary approach where refrigerant does not directly contact oil. The discharge cover with discharge hole serves as an intermediary structure that allows heat transfer from discharged refrigerant to oil without creating the harmful low-viscosity state that direct pipe contact would cause.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If refrigerant is discharged directly into oil storage space, then oil temperature adjusts rapidly, but oil scattering increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetemperature adjustment speedVSAvoidoil loss
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating a specific localized structure (discharge hole in discharge cover) that controls where refrigerant contacts oil. This localized contact point allows rapid temperature adjustment while preventing widespread oil scattering that would occur with direct discharge into the storage space.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The discharge cover acts as an intermediary structure between the refrigerant discharge and oil storage space. The discharge hole provides a controlled interface that enables heat transfer for rapid temperature adjustment while the cover structure itself prevents uncontrolled oil scattering.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Quantity of substance

If differential pressure builds up in lower space, then refrigerant flow is maintained, but oil circulation is hindered

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverefrigerant flowVSAvoidoil circulation
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the lower space into two functional zones: a discharge space for refrigerant accumulation and a gas drain hole pathway for pressure relief. This segmentation allows refrigerant to be discharged and maintained in the discharge space while providing a separate pathway through the gas drain hole to relieve differential pressure and maintain oil circulation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The gas drain hole provides a feedback mechanism that automatically relieves differential pressure when it builds up. This pressure relief pathway ensures that oil circulation is maintained by preventing excessive pressure buildup that would hinder oil flow, while still allowing refrigerant discharge to occur.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

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

The design prevents low-viscosity oil states, reduces oil scattering, and optimizes oil circulation, enhancing compressor operation by ensuring rapid temperature adjustment and stable oil levels.

Implementation Method 1

transferred heat of refrigerant, which is discharged to a lower side without using a pipe, directly to oil in an oil storage space

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

a gas drain hole formed in an inner circumference of a balance weight, so as to relieve differential pressure in a lower space

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure relief: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentEP4187096B1Scroll compressor
Publication Date: 2025.08.13 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP4187096B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4187096B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4187096B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed is a scroll compressor including a casing having an oil storage space, a fixed scroll disposed inside the casing, an orbiting scroll disposed on one side of the fixed scroll and performing an orbiting motion relative to the fixed scroll so as to form a compression chamber, a discharge cover coupled to another side opposite to the one side of the fixed scroll and having a cover bottom surface, and an oil feeder coupled to the cover bottom surface to face a direction opposite to the fixed scroll, to communicate with the oil storage space, wherein the cover bottom surface disposed at an inner side of an inner circumference of the oil feeder is provided with a discharge hole formed to communicate with the inner side of the oil feeder.