IP Library Granted Patent US 12,092,111
Granted Patent B2
US 12,092,111 · App. 17/854,908 · Granted Sep 17, 2024

Compressor with oil pump

Inventors: Kyle M. Bergman (Yorkshire, OH); Frank Wallis (Sidney, OH)
Assignee: Copeland LP
F04C29/025F04C18/0215F04C29/0042F04C29/023F04C2240/50F04C2240/603F04C2240/809
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,092,111
App. No.
17/854,908
Granted
Sep 17, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A compressor may include a compression mechanism and an oil pump. The compression mechanism is configured to compress a working fluid. The oil pump may be defined by a driveshaft and a bearing. The driveshaft is drivingly connected to the compression mechanism and includes a lubricant passage. The bearing receives a portion of the driveshaft and includes a bearing surface that rotatably supports the driveshaft. The bearing includes a pump cavity surface that is spaced apart from the driveshaft and cooperates with a diametrical surface of the driveshaft to define a pump cavity that extends around the diametrical surface of the driveshaft. The bearing includes an inlet passage and an outlet passage. The inlet passage receives oil from an oil sump and provides oil to the pump cavity. The outlet passage receives oil from the pump cavity and provides oil to the lubricant passage of the driveshaft.

Claims (55)

1. A compressor comprising:

a shell assembly;

a compression mechanism disposed within the shell assembly and configured to compress a working fluid;

a driveshaft drivingly connected to the compression mechanism and including a lubricant passage; and

a bearing fixed relative to the shell assembly and including a central aperture that receives a portion of the driveshaft, wherein:

the central aperture of the bearing includes a bearing surface and a pump cavity surface,

the bearing surface contacts and rotatably supports the driveshaft,

the pump cavity surface is spaced apart from the driveshaft and cooperates with a diametrical surface of the driveshaft to define a pump cavity that extends around the diametrical surface of the driveshaft,

the bearing includes an inlet passage and an outlet passage,

the inlet passage receives oil from an oil sump and provides oil to the pump cavity,

the outlet passage receives oil from the pump cavity and provides oil to the lubricant passage of the driveshaft, and

a shear force due to rotation of the driveshaft relative to the bearing drives oil in the pump cavity in a rotational direction from the inlet passage toward the outlet passage, and wherein the rotational direction is the same rotational direction in which the driveshaft rotates.

2. The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the pump cavity surface has a larger diameter than the bearing surface.

3. The compressor of claim 2 , wherein the bearing includes an annular ledge that defines a transition between the pump cavity surface and the bearing surface, and wherein the annular ledge defines an axial end of the pump cavity.

4. The compressor of claim 1 , further comprising a porting plate mounted to the bearing and including an inlet aperture, an outlet aperture, and a driveshaft inlet aperture, wherein the porting plate defines an axial end of the pump cavity.

5. The compressor of claim 4 , wherein:

the inlet aperture of the porting plate is in fluid communication with the inlet passage of the bearing and provides oil to the inlet passage,

the outlet aperture of the porting plate is in fluid communication with the outlet passage of the bearing and receives oil from the outlet passage,

the driveshaft inlet aperture is in fluid communication with the lubricant passage of the driveshaft, and

the driveshaft inlet aperture receives oil from the outlet aperture and provides oil to the lubricant passage of the driveshaft.

6. The compressor of claim 5 , wherein an axial end of the driveshaft contacts the porting plate.

7. The compressor of claim 5 , further comprising a cover plate mounted to the bearing, wherein the porting plate is sandwiched between the cover plate and an axially facing surface of the bearing.

8. The compressor of claim 7 , wherein:

the cover plate includes an inlet aperture and a channel,

the inlet aperture of the cover plate receives oil from the oil sump and provides oil to the inlet aperture of the porting plate, and

the channel receives oil from the outlet aperture of the porting plate and provides oil to the driveshaft inlet aperture of the porting plate.

9. The compressor of claim 1 , further comprising a pressure-regulation valve attached to the bearing, wherein the bearing includes a pressure-regulation port that extends from the pump cavity through an exterior surface of the bearing, and wherein the pressure-regulation valve selectively restricts fluid flow through the pressure-regulation port.

10. The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the pump cavity extends more than 180 degrees and less than 360 degrees around the driveshaft.

11. The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the shell assembly defines the oil sump.

12. The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the lubricant passage of the driveshaft is a concentric lubricant passage, and wherein the driveshaft includes an eccentric lubricant passage in fluid communication with the concentric lubricant passage.

13. A compressor comprising:

a compression mechanism configured to compress a working fluid; and

an oil pump defined by a driveshaft and a bearing, wherein:

the driveshaft is drivingly connected to the compression mechanism and includes a lubricant passage,

the bearing receives a portion of the driveshaft and includes a bearing surface that rotatably supports the driveshaft,

the bearing includes a pump cavity surface that is spaced apart from the driveshaft and cooperates with a diametrical surface of the driveshaft to define a pump cavity that extends around the diametrical surface of the driveshaft,

the bearing includes an inlet passage and an outlet passage,

the inlet passage receives oil from an oil sump and provides oil to the pump cavity,

the outlet passage receives oil from the pump cavity and provides oil to the lubricant passage of the driveshaft, and

the pump cavity extends more than 180 degrees and less than 360 degrees around the driveshaft.

14. The compressor of claim 13 , wherein the pump cavity surface has a larger diameter than the bearing surface, wherein the bearing includes an annular ledge that defines a transition between the pump cavity surface and the bearing surface, and wherein the annular ledge defines an axial end of the pump cavity.

15. The compressor of claim 13 , further comprising a porting plate mounted to the bearing and including an inlet aperture, an outlet aperture, and a driveshaft inlet aperture, wherein the porting plate defines an axial end of the pump cavity.

16. The compressor of claim 15 , wherein:

the inlet aperture of the porting plate is in fluid communication with the inlet passage of the bearing and provides oil to the inlet passage,

the outlet aperture of the porting plate is in fluid communication with the outlet passage of the bearing and receives oil from the outlet passage,

the driveshaft inlet aperture is in fluid communication with the lubricant passage of the driveshaft, and

the driveshaft inlet aperture receives oil from the outlet aperture and provides oil to the lubricant passage of the driveshaft.

17. The compressor of claim 16 , wherein an axial end of the driveshaft contacts the porting plate.

18. The compressor of claim 16 , further comprising a cover plate mounted to the bearing, wherein the porting plate is sandwiched between the cover plate and an axially facing surface of the bearing.

19. The compressor of claim 18 , wherein:

the cover plate includes an inlet aperture and a channel,

the inlet aperture of the cover plate receives oil from the oil sump and provides oil to the inlet aperture of the porting plate, and

the channel receives oil from the outlet aperture of the porting plate and provides oil to the driveshaft inlet aperture of the porting plate.

20. The compressor of claim 13 , further comprising a pressure-regulation valve attached to the bearing, wherein the bearing includes a pressure-regulation port that extends from the pump cavity through an exterior surface of the bearing, and wherein the pressure-regulation valve selectively restricts fluid flow through the pressure-regulation port.

21. The compressor of claim 13 , wherein the lubricant passage of the driveshaft is a concentric lubricant passage, and wherein the driveshaft includes an eccentric lubricant passage in fluid communication with the concentric lubricant passage.

Assignments (6)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 9, 2024
From: COPELAND LP
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 068241/0264 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 17, 2023
From: COPELAND LP
To: ROYAL BANK OF CANADA, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 064278/0598 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 17, 2023
From: COPELAND LP
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 064279/0327 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 17, 2023
From: COPELAND LP
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 064280/0695 →
ENTITY CONVERSION Recorded Jun 22, 2023
From: EMERSON CLIMATE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: COPELAND LP
Reel/Frame 064058/0724 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 7, 2022
From: BERGMAN, KYLE; WALLIS, FRANK
To: EMERSON CLIMATE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 060429/0653 →