Compressor with oil management system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10519954-B2
Application number	US-201715604150-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2017
Priority date	May 24, 2017
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A compressor according to the present disclosure includes a shell, a main bearing housing disposed within the shell, a driveshaft supported by the main bearing housing, a non-orbiting scroll member coupled to the main bearing housing, and an orbiting scroll member rotatably coupled to the driveshaft and meshingly engaged with the non-orbiting scroll member. The non-orbiting scroll member forms a suction pocket and at least one circumferential groove. The orbiting scroll member forms a lubricant passage that delivers lubricant from a lubricant source directly to at least one of the suction pocket and the at least one circumferential groove.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A compressor comprising:
a shell;
a main bearing housing disposed within the shell;
a driveshaft supported by the main bearing housing;
a non-orbiting scroll member coupled to the main bearing housing, the non-orbiting scroll member forming a suction pocket and at least one circumferential groove; and
an orbiting scroll member rotatably coupled to the driveshaft and meshingly engaged with the non-orbiting scroll member, the orbiting scroll member forming a lubricant passage that delivers lubricant from a lubricant source directly to both the suction pocket and the at least one circumferential groove at different times.

2. The compressor of claim 1 wherein the lubricant passage in the orbiting scroll member includes an inlet end in fluid communication with the lubricant source and an outlet end in selective fluid communication with the suction pocket and the at least one circumferential groove in the non-orbiting scroll member.

3. The compressor of claim 2 wherein, as the orbiting scroll member orbits relative to the non-orbiting scroll member, the outlet end of the lubricant passage moves to a first position in which the outlet end is in fluid communication with the suction pocket and a second position in which the outlet end is in fluid communication with the at least one circumferential groove.

4. The compressor of claim 2 wherein the at least one circumferential groove includes an outer circumferential groove and an inner circumferential groove disposed radially inward of the outer circumferential groove, the outlet end of the lubricant passage being in selective fluid communication with the suction pocket, the outer circumferential groove, and the inner circumferential groove.

5. The compressor of claim 4 wherein, as the orbiting scroll member orbits relative to the non-orbiting scroll member, the outlet end of the lubricant passage moves to a first position in which the outlet end is in fluid communication with the suction pocket, a second position in which the outlet end is in fluid communication with the outer circumferential groove, and a third position in which the outlet end is in fluid communication with the inner circumferential groove.

6. The compressor of claim 2 wherein the lubricant passage includes a first axial channel, a second axial channel, and a radial channel, the first axial channel extending axially through the orbiting scroll member from the inlet end of the lubricant passage to the radial channel, the radial channel extending radially through the orbiting scroll member from the first axial channel to the second axial channel, the second axial channel extending axially through the orbiting scroll member from the radial channel to the outlet end of the lubricant passage.

7. The compressor of claim 1 wherein the orbiting scroll member includes a baseplate and a vane projecting axially from the baseplate, the lubricant passage extending through the baseplate of the orbiting scroll member to deliver the lubricant from the lubricant source directly to the at least one circumferential groove in the non-orbiting scroll member.

8. The compressor of claim 7 wherein the orbiting scroll member further includes a hub projecting from the baseplate in an opposite direction than the vane, the driveshaft having a first end disposed within the hub, a second end opposite of the first end, and an axial bore extending through the driveshaft from the second end to the first end, the lubricant source being the lubricant delivered through the axial bore in the driveshaft to a lubricant supply area disposed between the first end of the driveshaft and the hub.

9. The compressor of claim 7 wherein the non-orbiting scroll member includes a baseplate and a vane projecting axially from the baseplate of the non-orbiting scroll member, the vane of the orbiting scroll member meshingly engaging the vane of the non-orbiting scroll member to form a compression pocket, the at least one circumferential groove being disposed radially outward relative to the vane of the non-orbiting scroll member.

10. The compressor of claim 9 wherein the suction pocket places the compression pocket in fluid communication with a suction gas inlet fitting extending through the shell of the compressor.

11. The compressor of claim 1 wherein the lubricant passage in the orbiting scroll member delivers the lubricant from the lubricant source directly to the suction pocket, wherein the suction pocket is in fluid communication with a suction gas inlet fitting extending through the shell of the compressor.

12. The compressor of claim 1 wherein the at least one circumferential groove extends around at least one-third of the circumference of the non-orbiting scroll member.

13. The compressor of claim 1 wherein the at least one circumferential groove has a radial dimension in a radial direction of the non-orbiting scroll member, an axial dimension in an axial direction of the non-orbiting scroll member, and a circumferential dimension in a circumferential direction of the non-orbiting scroll member, the circumferential dimension being greater than the radial dimension and the axial dimension.

14. A compressor comprising:
a shell;
a main bearing housing disposed within the shell;
a driveshaft supported by the main bearing housing;
a non-orbiting scroll member coupled to the main bearing housing, the non-orbiting scroll member forming a suction pocket and at least one circumferential groove; and
an orbiting scroll member rotatably coupled to the driveshaft and cooperating with the non-orbiting scroll member to form a compression pocket, the orbiting scroll member forming an injection port in fluid communication with a lubricant source, wherein as the orbiting scroll member orbits relative to the non-orbiting scroll member, the injection port moves to a first position in which the injection port delivers lubricant to the suction pocket and to a second position in which the injection port delivers the lubricant to the at least one circumferential groove.

15. The compressor of claim 14 wherein the injection port delivers the lubricant directly to the suction pocket when the injection port is in the first position.

16. The compressor of claim 14 wherein the injection port delivers the lubricant directly to the at least one circumferential groove when the injection port is in the second position.

17. The compressor of claim 14 wherein the at least one circumferential groove has a radial dimension in a radial direction of the non-orbiting scroll member, an axial dimension in an axial direction of the non-orbiting scroll member, and a circumferential dimension in a circumferential direction of the non-orbiting scroll member, the circumferential dimension being greater than the radial dimension and the axial dimension.

18. The compressor of claim 14 wherein the non-orbiting scroll member includes a baseplate and a vane projecting from the baseplate, the baseplate having an outer radial surface extending around an outer perimeter of the baseplate, an inner radial surface defining a pocket in which the vane is disposed, and a thrust surface disposed between the inner and outer radial surfaces and facing the orbiting scroll member, the at least one circumferential groove being formed in the thrust surface.

19. The compressor of claim 18 wherein the suction pocket is disposed between the inner radial surface of the baseplate and an outermost radial surface of the vane and extends axially through the baseplate.

20. The compressor of claim

Assignees

• Emerson Climate Technologies

Inventors

• Berning Jeffrey L
• Stover Robert C

Classifications

• F04C23/008

  Hermetic pumps · CPC title

• F04C18/0261

  Details of the ports, e.g. location, number, geometry · CPC title

• F04C18/0269

  Details concerning the involute wraps · CPC title

• F04C18/0215

  where only one member is moving · CPC title

• F04C29/028

  Means for improving or restricting lubricant flow · CPC title