Scroll compressor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023175510-A1
Application number	US-202217980625-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 4, 2022
Priority date	Dec 2, 2021
Publication date	Jun 8, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A scroll compressor is provided that may include a casing having an oil storage space, a suction pipe and a discharge pipe being connected to the casing, a drive motor installed in an inner space of the casing and including a rotational shaft rotated by a generated drive force, a compression unit installed in the inner space of the casing and having a compression chamber operated by the drive motor to compress a refrigerant, an oil separator coupled to the discharge pipe, that receives refrigerant discharged after being compressed by the compression unit, separates oil from the refringent, and supplies the oil to an inside of the casing, and a subframe that rotatably supports the rotational shaft at one side of the rotational shaft. The subframe may be provided with an oil recovery flow path that extends in a radial direction and guides oil to be recovered toward the inside of the casing from the oil separator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A scroll compressor, comprising:
a casing having an oil storage space, a suction pipe and a discharge pipe being connected to the casing; a drive motor installed in an inner space of the casing and including a rotational shaft rotated by a generated drive force; a compression unit installed in the inner space of the casing and having a compression chamber operated by the drive motor to compress a refrigerant; an oil separator coupled to the discharge pipe, that receives refrigerant discharged after being compressed by the compression unit, separates oil from the refrigerant, and supplies the oil to an inside of the casing; and a subframe that rotatably supports the rotational shaft at one side of the rotational shaft, wherein the subframe is provided with at least one frame support that extends in a radial direction and coupled to and supported by an inner periphery of the casing, and wherein the at least one frame support includes an oil recovery flow path that extends in the radial direction and guides oil to be recovered toward the inside of the casing from the oil separator.

2 . The scroll compressor of claim 1 , wherein the oil recovery flow path includes:
a first flow path that extends in the radial direction at the at least one frame support and receives oil provided from the oil separator; and a second flow path that intersects the first flow path and having an outlet open toward the oil storage space to enable the oil provided from the first flow path to flow into the oil storage space.

3 . The scroll compressor of claim 2 , wherein one surface of the at least one frame support is coupled to the inner periphery of the casing, and the first flow path penetrates through the one surface of the at least one frame support.

4 . The scroll compressor of claim 2 , wherein a rib protrudes from one surface of the at least one frame support, the rib extends in the radial direction, and the first flow path extends in the radial direction inside of the rib.

5 . The scroll compressor of claim 4 , wherein the one surface from which the rib protrudes comprises an upper surface or a lower surface of the at least one frame support.

6 . The scroll compressor of claim 1 , further comprising:
an oil pump that recovers the oil separated from the oil separator, while being operated by the rotational force of the rotational shaft, and pumps the oil within the inner space of the casing to supply the oil to an oil flow path of the rotational shaft.

7 . The scroll compressor of claim 6 , wherein the oil pump includes:
a pump housing coupled to one surface of the subframe and having a pumping space; an inner gear rotatably disposed in the pumping space of the pump housing and coupled to the rotational shaft for eccentric rotation; and an outer gear rotatably disposed in the pumping space to be engaged with the inner gear to change a volume of the pumping space, wherein the oil recovery flow path communicates with the pumping space.

8 . The scroll compressor of claim 7 , wherein the oil recovery flow path includes a direct flow path that extends parallel to ground in the pumping space to directly provide the oil provided from the oil separator to the pumping space.

9 . The scroll compressor of claim 8 , wherein the oil recovery flow path further includes a cross flow path that communicates with the direct flow path and extends in a direction intersecting the direct flow path.

10 . The scroll compressor of claim 7 , wherein the pump housing further includes:
a recovery inlet that provides communication between the oil recovery flow path and the pumping space; and a recovery guide groove formed in a circumferential direction on the one surface of the subframe to guide oil flowing in from the oil recovery flow path to the recovery inlet.

11 . The scroll compressor of claim 4 , further comprising:
an oil recovery pipe having a first end coupled to the oil separator and a second end coupled to the casing to provide the oil separated from the oil separator to the inside of the casing, wherein the casing is provided with an oil recovery hole to which the oil recovery pipe is coupled at the second end of the oil recovery pipe, and the first flow path is connected to the oil recovery hole.

12 . The scroll compressor of claim 1 , wherein the oil recovery flow path extends in an oblique direction.

13 . A scroll compressor, comprising:
a casing having an oil storage space, a suction pipe and a discharge pipe being connected to the casing; a drive motor installed in an inner space of the casing and including a rotational shaft rotated by a generated drive force; a compression unit installed in the inner space of the casing and having a compression chamber operated by the drive motor to compress a refrigerant; an oil separator coupled to the discharge pipe, that receives refrigerant discharged after being compressed by the compression unit, separates oil from the refrigerant, and supplies the oil to an inside of the casing; a subframe that rotatably supports the rotational shaft at one side of the rotational shaft; and an oil pump that recovers the oil separated from the oil separator, while being operated by the rotational force of the rotational shaft, and pumps the oil filling the inner space of the casing to supply the oil to an oil flow path of the rotational shaft, wherein the subframe includes an oil recovery flow path that extends in a radial direction and guides oil to be recovered toward the inside of the casing from the oil separator.

14 . The scroll compressor of claim 13 , wherein the subframe is provided with at least one frame support that extends in the radial direction and coupled to and supported by an inner periphery of the casing, and wherein the oil recovery flow path includes:
a first flow path that extends in the radial direction at the at least one frame support and receives oil provided from the oil separator; and a second flow path that intersects the first flow path allowing the oil provided from the first flow path to be provided to the oil pump.

15 . The scroll compressor of claim 14 , wherein the oil pump includes:
a pump housing coupled to one surface of the subframe and having a pumping space; an inner gear rotatably disposed in the pumping space of the pump housing and coupled to the rotational shaft for eccentric rotation; and an outer gear rotatably disposed in the pumping space to be engaged with the inner gear to change a volume of the pumping space, wherein the oil recovery flow path communicates with the pumping space.

16 . The scroll compressor of claim 13 , wherein the oil recovery flow path includes a direct flow path that extends parallel to ground to directly provide the oil provided from the oil separator to the pumping space.

17 . The scroll compressor of claim 16 , wherein the oil recovery flow path further includes a cross flow path that communicates with the direct flow path and extends in a direction intersecting the direct flow path.

18 . The scroll compressor of claim 14 , wherein a rib protrudes from one surface of the frame support, the rib extends in a radial direction, and the first flow path is provided in the radial direction inside of the rib.

19 . The scroll compressor of claim 18 , wherein the one surface from which the rib protrudes comprises an upper surface or a lower surface of the at least one frame support.

20 . The scroll compressor of claim 14 , wherein one surface of the frame support is

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Kyungho
• Moon Jehyeon

Classifications

• F04C23/008

  Hermetic pumps · CPC title

• F04C18/0215 Primary

  where only one member is moving · CPC title

• F04C29/025

  using a lubricant pump · CPC title

• F04C2/102

  the two members rotating simultaneously around their respective axes · CPC title

• F04C29/026 Primary

  Lubricant separation · CPC title