Lubricating oil supply apparatus and compressor using lubricating oil supply apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11536272-B2
Application number	US-201816135398-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2018
Priority date	Sep 28, 2017
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

A lubricating oil supply apparatus having a structure in which a valve is forced in a direction for opening a bypass hole by a centrifugal force, and a spring presses the valve in a direction in which the valve closes the bypass hole. When the above-described structure is applied to an oil pump in which an oil (lubricating oil) supply amount increases in proportion to an operation speed, it is possible to secure a sufficient oil (lubricating oil) supply amount in a low speed operation mode, and prevent oil from being supplied more than necessary in a high speed operation mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lubricating oil supply apparatus, comprising:
a rotational shaft;
a lubricating oil supply path formed along a longitudinal direction of the rotational shaft;
a lubricating oil supply portion installed at a lower end of the rotational shaft to supply lubricating oil to the lubricating oil supply path;
a bypass hole provided at a side surface of the rotational shaft to allow a space outside of the rotational shaft and the lubricating oil supply path to communicate; and
a valve body installed on the rotational shaft to open and close the bypass hole, wherein the valve body comprises:
a valve that opens and closes the bypass hole; and
a spring that elastically presses the valve in a direction toward a center of the rotational shaft, wherein a degree of opening of the bypass hole is determined based on a degree of opening of the valve, which is subjected to a centrifugal force generated by rotation of the rotational shaft, moving in a direction away from the center of the rotational shaft while overcoming an elastic force of the spring, wherein the lubricating oil supply portion comprises:
a rotational portion fixed to the rotational shaft to rotate together with the rotational shaft; and
a fixed portion fastened to the rotational portion to be rotatable relative to the rotational portion, wherein the rotational portion is provided with at least one of an outer wall that is in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the rotational shaft or an inner wall that is in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the rotational portion, and wherein the outer wall and the inner wall each are provided with a communicating portion that faces the bypass hole and communicates with the bypass hole.

2. The lubricating oil supply apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the valve body further comprises a valve housing fixed to the rotational shaft, wherein a first end of the spring is supported by the valve housing, and a second end of the spring is supported by the valve, and wherein the valve housing is provided with a discharge hole through which lubricating oil discharged from the lubricating oil supply path through the bypass hole is discharged.

3. The lubricating oil supply apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the spring comprises a coil spring, wherein the valve housing is provided with a first support to support a first end of the coil spring, and wherein the valve is provided with a second support to support a second end of the coil spring.

4. The lubricating oil supply apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the valve housing is provided with a stopper that extends into the coil spring such that the coil spring is surrounded by the first support, wherein the valve is provided with a head that is inserted into the coil spring such that the coil spring is surrounded by the second support, and wherein a moving amount of the valve is restricted due to the head interfering with the stopper.

5. The lubricating oil supply apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the discharge hole comprises a hole that extends in parallel to an extending direction of the stopper from a central portion of the stopper.

6. The lubricating oil supply apparatus of claim 2 wherein the rotational portion is provided with the valve housing.

7. The lubricating oil supply apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the valve comprises:
an insertion portion that slidably moves in a direction toward the center of the rotational shaft or an opposite direction while contacting an inner circumferential surface of the bypass hole in a state of being inserted into the bypass hole;
a first opening recessed from an end of the insertion portion located adjacent to the center of the rotational shaft; and
a second opening provided on a side surface of the insertion portion that is in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the bypass hole to communicate with the first opening, wherein, in a state in which the bypass hole is closed by the valve, the second opening is blocked by the inner circumferential surface of the bypass hole to prevent lubricating oil in the rotational shaft from leaking outside of the rotational shaft through the bypass hole, and wherein, in a state in which the bypass hole is opened by the valve, at least a portion of the second opening is not blocked by the inner circumferential surface of the bypass hole but is exposed to the outside of the rotational shaft so that the lubricating oil in the rotational shaft leaks to the outside of the rotational shaft through the first opening and the second opening.

8. The lubricating oil supply apparatus of claim 7 , wherein an end of the insertion portion located opposite from the center of the rotational shaft is provided with a first support having a larger cross section than the insertion portion, wherein a surface of the first support that faces the rotational shaft has a shape so as to be in contact with the rotational shaft, and wherein an opposite surface of the first support supports the spring.

9. The lubricating oil supply apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the valve body further comprises a valve housing provided on the outer wall, and wherein the valve and the spring are embedded in a chamber defined by the valve housing.

10. The lubricating oil supply apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the degree of opening of the bypass hole increases as a rotational speed of the rotational shaft increases.

11. A compressor comprising a lubricating oil supply apparatus, the lubricating oil supply apparatus comprising:
a rotational shaft;
lubricating oil supply path formed along a longitudinal direction of the rotational shaft;
a lubricating oil supply portion installed at a lower end of the rotational shaft to supply lubricating oil to the lubricating oil supply path;
a bypass hole provided at a side surface of the rotational shaft to allow a space outside of the rotational shaft and the lubricating oil supply path to communicate; and
a valve body installed on the rotational shaft to open and close the bypass hole, wherein the valve body comprises:
a valve that opens and closes the bypass hole; and
a spring that elastically presses the valve in a direction toward a center of the rotational shaft, and wherein a degree of opening of the bypass hole is determined based on a degree of opening of the valve, which is subjected to a centrifugal force generated by rotation of the rotational shaft, moving in a direction away from the center of the rotational shaft while overcoming an elastic force of the spring, wherein the lubricating oil supply portion comprises:
a rotational portion fixed to the rotational shaft to rotate together with the rotational shaft; and
a fixed portion fastened to the rotational portion to be rotatable relative to the rotational portion, wherein the rotational portion is provided with at least one of an outer wall that is in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the rotational shaft or an inner wall that is in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the rotational portion, and wherein the outer wall and the inner wall each are provided with a communicating portion that faces the bypass hole and communicates with the bypass hole.

12. The compressor of claim 11 , wherein the compressor comprises:
a housing;
a frame installed in the housing;
a rotational support provided on the frame to support rotation of the rotational shaft; and
lubricating oil stored in a lower portion of an inner space of the housing, and wherein the lubricating oil supply portion is submerged in the lubricating oil.

13. A lubricating oil supply apparatus, comprising:
a rotational shaft;
lubricating oil supply path formed

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Ki Yeon
• Kim Seungwook
• Kim Young Hwan

Classifications

• F04B39/0253

  using centrifugal force for transporting the oil · CPC title

• F04B39/0276 Primary

  the pump being of the reciprocating piston type, e.g. oscillating, free-piston compressors · CPC title

• F04C29/023

  Lubricant distribution through a hollow driving shaft (F04C29/025 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F04C29/021

  Control systems for the circulation of the lubricant · CPC title

• F04B39/10

  Adaptations or arrangements of distribution members · CPC title