Tip seal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10451068-B2
Application number	US-201514936293-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2015
Priority date	Nov 7, 2014
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

A tip seal for scroll wraps in a scroll compressor is provided. The tip seal may include surface features to form a tortuous flow path in a seal groove of a scroll wrap. The surface features can help form one or more contraction and/or expansion areas in the tortuous flow path. The tortuous flow path can help provide resistance to fluid flow and help reduce leakage through the seal groove.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of providing sealing between interfitting first and second wraps in a scroll compressor, the method comprising:
sealing between the interfitting first and second wraps with a seal provided in a groove of the first wrap; and
directing refrigerant flow to a tortuous flow path along a length of the seal defined between the first and second wraps and the seal, and the tortuous flow path includes a plurality of protruding structural features on the seal that each extend along both a first side and a second side of the seal, the first side facing a bottom surface of the groove of the first wrap and the second side facing a side surface of the groove of the first wrap, the plurality of protruding structural features forming contractions and expansions in a direction along the length of the seal for the refrigerant flow between the first side and second side of the seal and the bottom surface and side surface of the groove, respectively.

2. A tip seal for a scroll member in a scroll compressor, the tip seal comprising:
a first side along a length of the tip seal, the first side configured to face a bottom surface of a groove in a first scroll member, and the first side including a plurality of protruding structural elements configured to provide a tortuous path for fluid flow between the first side and the bottom surface of the groove in a direction along the length of the tip seal when the scroll compressor is operating; and
a second side along the length of the tip seal, the second side configured to be pushed against a second scroll member during operation of the scroll compressor to provide sealing; and
a third side along the length of the tip seal, the third side configured to face a side surface of the groove, the third side including a plurality of protruding structural elements configured to provide a tortuous path for fluid flow between the third side and the side surface of the groove in the direction along the length of the tip seal, wherein
each of the plurality of protruding structural elements of the first side is directly connected to one of the plurality of protruding structural elements of the third side so as to provide a protruding structural feature that extends along both the first side and the third side.

3. The tip seal of claim 1 , wherein the second side is relatively smooth compared to the first side.

4. The tip seal of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of protruding structural elements of the first side extends across a width of the tip seal, the width of the tip seal being perpendicular to the length of the tip seal, and the plurality of protruding structural elements of the first side are spaced apart along the length of the tip seal.

5. The tip seal of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of protruding structural elements of the first side include a rectangular shaped cross section.

6. The tip seal of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of protruding structural elements of the first side include a tapered portion.

7. The tip seal of claim 1 , wherein a cross section of the plurality of protruding structural elements of the first side includes a sloped first side and a sloped second side, and the sloped first side is steeper than the sloped second side.

8. The tip seal of claim 1 , wherein
each of the plurality of protruding structural elements of the third side extends across a width of the tip seal, and the plurality of protruding structural elements being spaced apart along the length of the tip seal.

9. A scroll compressor, comprising:
a first scroll member;
a second scroll member; and
a tip seal;
wherein the first scroll member includes a seal groove configured to receive the tip seal, and
the tip seal includes:
a relatively smooth side forming a seal with the second scroll member, and
a first relatively rough side facing a bottom of the seal groove, the first relatively rough side including a plurality of protruding structural elements that provide a tortuous path for fluid flowing between the first relatively rough side and the bottom surface of the seal groove in a direction along a length of the tip seal, and
a second relatively rough side facing a side surface of the seal groove, the second relatively rough side including a plurality of protruding structural elements that provide a tortuous flow path for fluid flowing between the second relatively rough side and the side surface of the seal groove in a direction along the length of the tip seal, wherein
each of the plurality of protruding structural elements of the first relatively rough side is directly connected to one of the plurality of protruding structural elements of the second relatively rough side so as to provide a protruding structural feature that extends along both the first relatively rough side and the second relatively rough side.

10. The scroll compressor of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of protruding structural elements of the first relatively rough side extends across a width of the tip seal, the width of the tip seal being perpendicular to the length of the tip seal, and the plurality of protruding structural elements of the first relatively rough side are spaced apart along the length of the tip seal.

11. The scroll compressor of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of protruding structural elements of the first relatively rough side include a rectangular shaped cross section.

12. The scroll compressor of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of protruding structural elements of the first relatively rough side include a tapered portion.

13. The scroll compressor of claim 9 , wherein a cross section of the plurality of protruding structural elements of the first relatively rough side includes a sloped first side and a sloped second side, and the sloped first side is steeper than the sloped second side.

14. The scroll compressor of claim 9 , wherein
the tortuous flow path between the first relatively rough side and the bottom surface of the seal groove includes a plurality of contractions and expansions, and
the tortuous flow path between the second relatively rough side and the side surface of the seal groove includes a plurality of contractions and expansions.

15. The scroll compressor of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of protruding structural elements of the second relatively rough side extends across a width of the tip seal, and the plurality of protruding structural elements of the second relatively rough side being spaced apart along the length of the tip seal.

Assignees

• Trane Int Inc

Inventors

• Crum Daniel R
• Ziolkowski Joseph E

Classifications

• F04C27/00 Primary

  Sealing arrangements in rotary-piston pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids · CPC title

• F04C18/02

  of arcuate-engagement type, i.e. with circular translatory movement of co-operating members, each member having the same number of teeth or tooth-equivalents · CPC title

• F01C1/02

  of arcuate-engagement type, i.e. with circular translatory movement of co-operating members, each member having the same number of teeth or tooth-equivalents · CPC title

• F04C18/0284

  Details of the wrap tips · CPC title

• F04C27/006 Primary

  Elements specially adapted for sealing of the lateral faces of intermeshing-engagement type pumps, e.g. gear pumps · CPC title