IP Library Granted Patent US 8,834,139
Granted Patent B2
US 8,834,139 · App. 13/122,283 · Granted Sep 16, 2014

Lubrication of a scroll compressor

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,834,139
App. No.
13/122,283
Granted
Sep 16, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention provides a scroll compressor in which the reliabilities of the eccentric ball bearing and the main ball bearing are enhanced by controlling an amount of oil supplied from the high pressure region to the back pressure chamber and an amount of oil from the high pressure region to the eccentric ball bearing and the main ball bearing. The scroll compressor includes a back pressure chamber oil-supply path 25 through which lubricating oil 7 is supplied from the high pressure region 21 to the back pressure chamber 22 , and a compression chamber oil-supply path 26 through which lubricating oil 7 is supplied from the back pressure chamber 22 to the compression chamber, and the one opening 25 c of the back pressure chamber oil-supply path 25 reciprocates, and comes into and comes out from the sealing member 24.

Claims (60)

1. A scroll compressor, comprising:

a motor and a compressing mechanism accommodated in a container, and

a drive shaft driven by the motor,

the compressing mechanism comprising:

an orbiting scroll formed by uprightly standing an orbiting spiral lap on an orbiting panel,

a fixed scroll which is combined with the orbiting scroll and which is formed by uprightly standing a fixed spiral lap on a fixed panel, and

a main bearing member which has the orbiting scroll disposed between the fixed scroll and the main bearing member and which holds a sealing member,

wherein a compression chamber is formed between the orbiting scroll and the fixed scroll, the sealing member is disposed on a back surface of the orbiting scroll, and

the sealing member defines an inner side of the sealing member into a high pressure region and defines an outer side of the sealing member into a back pressure chamber, the high pressure region including a drive shaft oil-supply path having an opening located in the vicinity of a main ball bearing, wherein an end of the drive shaft on a side of the orbiting scroll includes an eccentric shaft, a portion of the drive shaft at a boundary between the eccentric shaft and the drive shaft being notched by a flat surface having an angle with respect to the axial direction of the drive shaft, and the opening of the drive shaft oil-supply path being formed in the flat surface,

wherein the scroll compressor includes a back pressure chamber oil-supply path through which lubricating oil is supplied from the high pressure region to the back pressure chamber, and a compression chamber oil-supply path through which lubricating oil is supplied from the back pressure chamber to the compression chamber,

the compression chamber with which a compression chamber-side opening of the compression chamber oil-supply path is in communication is a compression chamber after working fluid is trapped, and

one of openings of the back pressure chamber oil-supply path reciprocates from a location radially inward of the sealing member to a location that is radially outward of the sealing member.

2. The scroll compressor according to claim 1 , wherein the compression chamber oil-supply path includes

a passage formed in the orbiting scroll, and

a recess formed in the panel of the fixed scroll,

one of openings of the passage is periodically superposed on the recess in accordance with orbiting motion of the orbiting scroll, thereby intermittently bringing the back pressure chamber and the compression chamber into communication with each other.

3. The scroll compressor according to claim 1 , wherein the opening of the drive shaft oil-supply path is located in the vicinity of an eccentric ball bearing.

4. The scroll compressor according to claim 3 , wherein the main ball bearing has a shield.

5. The scroll compressor according to claim 1 , wherein the drive shaft oil-supply path is inclined with respect to an axial direction of the drive shaft.

6. The scroll compressor according to claim 1 , wherein a material of the shield of the main ball bearing is a stainless steel plate.

7. The scroll compressor according to claim 1 , wherein the scroll compressor is disposed horizontally by a mounting leg provided on the container.

8. The scroll compressor according to claim 1 , further comprising

an oil-supply path formed in the drive shaft, and

a cylindrical boss portion formed on the back surface of the orbiting scroll, wherein

the eccentric shaft is supported by the cylindrical boss portion through an eccentric ball bearing,

the drive shaft is supported by the main bearing member through a main ball bearing,

the high pressure region includes

a first high pressure region surrounded by an inner portion of the cylindrical boss portion and the eccentric ball bearing, and

a second high pressure region surrounded by the main bearing member, an outer portion of the cylindrical boss portion, the eccentric ball bearing and the main ball bearing,

an outlet of the oil-supply path is in communication with the first high pressure region,

an outlet of the back pressure chamber oil-supply path is in communication with the first high pressure region,

the outlet of the back pressure chamber oil-supply path is in communication with the second high pressure region when the outlet of the back pressure chamber oil-supply path is at a location inside of the sealing member, and is in communication with the back pressure chamber when the outlet of the back pressure chamber oil-supply path is at a location outside of the sealing member.

9. A scroll compressor, comprising:

a motor and a compressing mechanism accommodated in a container,

the compressing mechanism comprising:

an orbiting scroll formed by uprightly standing an orbiting spiral lap on an orbiting panel,

a fixed scroll which is combined with the orbiting scroll and which is formed by uprightly standing a fixed spiral lap on a fixed panel, and

a main bearing member which has the orbiting scroll disposed between the fixed scroll and the main bearing member and which holds a sealing member,

wherein a compression chamber is formed between the orbiting scroll and the fixed scroll, the sealing member is disposed on a back surface of the orbiting scroll, and

the sealing member defines an inner side of the sealing member into a high pressure region and defines an outer side of the sealing member into a back pressure chamber, wherein

the scroll compressor includes a back pressure chamber oil-supply path through which lubricating oil is supplied from the high pressure region to the back pressure chamber, and a compression chamber oil-supply path through which lubricating oil is supplied from the back pressure chamber to the compression chamber,

the compression chamber oil-supply path comprising:

a passage formed in the orbiting scroll, and

a recess formed in the panel of the fixed scroll,

wherein one of openings of the passage is periodically superposed on the recess in accordance with the orbiting motion of the orbiting scroll,

thereby intermittently bringing the back pressure chamber and the compression chamber into communication with each other,

the compression chamber with which a compression chamber-side opening of the compression chamber oil-supply path is in communication is a compression chamber after working fluid is trapped, and

one of openings of the back pressure chamber oil-supply path reciprocates from a location radially inward of the sealing member to a location that is radially outward of the sealing member,

a drive shaft driven by the motor,

an oil-supply path formed in the drive shaft for supplying lubricating oil to the drive shaft oil-supply path,

an eccentric shaft formed on one end of the drive shaft, and

a cylindrical boss portion formed on the back surface of the orbiting scroll, wherein

the eccentric shaft is supported by the cylindrical boss portion through an eccentric ball bearing,

the drive shaft is supported by the main bearing member through a main ball bearing,

the high pressure region includes

a first high pressure region surrounded by an inner portion of the cylindrical boss portion and the eccentric ball bearing, and

a second high pressure region surrounded by the main bearing member, an outer portion of the cylindrical boss portion, the eccentric ball bearing and the main ball bearing,

an opening of the drive shaft oil-supply path is in communication with the second high pressure region,

an opening of the back pressure chamber oil-supply path is in communication with the first high pressure region,

the opening of the back pressure chamber oil-supply path is in communication with the second high pressure region when the opening of the back pressure chamber oil-supply path is at a location inside of the sealing member, and is in communication with the back pressure chamber when the opening of the back pressure chamber oil-supply path is at a location outside of the sealing member.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2024
From: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 066703/0113 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 7, 2015
From: PANASONIC CORPORATION
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 036752/0850 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 14, 2011
From: YAMADA, SADAYUKI; OGAWA, NOBUAKI; ABE, YOSHIFUMI; SAKUDA, ATSUSHI; MORIMOTO, TAKASHI
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 026587/0754 →