Scroll compressor including seal with axial length that is greater than radial width

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9938975-B2
Application number	US-201514688677-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2015
Priority date	Mar 29, 2011
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

A scroll compressor 10 may include an orbiting scroll having an orbiting scroll wall extending axially from an orbiting scroll plate towards a fixed scroll; a fixed scroll having a fixed scroll wall extending axially from a fixed scroll plate towards the orbiting scroll; and an axially extending drive shaft having an eccentric shaft portion so that rotation of the eccentric shaft portion imparts an orbiting motion to the orbiting scroll relative to the fixed scroll. An axial end portion of the orbiting scroll wall has a first seal for sealing between the orbiting scroll wall and the fixed scroll plate, and an axial end portion of the fixed scroll wall has a second seal for sealing between the fixed scroll wall and the orbiting scroll plate; and the first seal or the second seal has an aspect ratio of axial length to radial width which is 1.25:1 or greater.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pump including a scroll compressor comprising:
an orbiting scroll;
a fixed scroll having a fixed scroll wall extending in an axial direction from a fixed scroll plate towards the orbiting scroll, wherein the orbiting scroll has an orbiting scroll wall extending in the axial direction from an orbiting scroll plate towards the fixed scroll, wherein a radial direction is substantially orthogonal to the axial direction; and
an axially extending drive shaft having an eccentric shaft portion so that rotation of the eccentric shaft portion imparts an orbiting motion to the orbiting scroll relative to the fixed scroll, wherein:
an axial end portion of the orbiting scroll wall has a first groove for receiving a first seal for sealing between the orbiting scroll wall and the fixed scroll plate, and an axial end portion of the fixed scroll wall has a second groove for receiving a second seal for sealing between the fixed scroll wall and the orbiting scroll plate;
the first seal or the second seal has an aspect ratio of an axial length to a radial width that is at least 1.25:1 or greater and the axial length ranges from 1.8 mm to 4 mm, and the radial width ranges from 1.2 mm to 2.6 mm; and
the first seal or the second seal is received in the respective first groove or second groove with a radial clearance such that a first spiral portion of the first seal or the second seal is located at the radially inner side of the first groove or the second groove, a second spiral portion of the first seal or the second seal is located at the radially outer side of the first groove or the second groove, and in between the first spiral portion and the second spiral portion, an intermediate portion of the first seal or the second seal extends between the radially inner side and the radially outer side of the first groove or the second groove.

2. The scroll compressor of claim 1 , wherein the first seal comprises the first and second spiral portions, wherein the second seal comprises a third spiral portion having a third aspect ratio of the axial length to the radial width and a fourth spiral portion having a fourth aspect ratio of the axial length to the radial width, and wherein both the third aspect ratio and the fourth aspect ratio are at least 1.25:1.

3. The scroll compressor of claim 2 , wherein the axial end portion of the orbiting scroll wall has a channel for locating the first seal, and wherein the axial end portion of the fixed scroll wall has a channel for locating the second seal.

4. The scroll compressor of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the third aspect ratio or the fourth aspect ratio is at least 1.5:1 or greater.

5. The scroll compressor of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the third aspect ratio or the fourth aspect ratio is at least 2:1 or greater.

6. The scroll compressor of claim 1 , wherein the axial end portion of the orbiting scroll wall has a channel for locating the first seal, and wherein the axial end portion of the fixed scroll wall has a channel for locating the second seal.

7. The scroll compressor of claim 1 , wherein the first aspect ratio and the second aspect ratio are different.

8. A seal for a pump including a scroll compressor comprising an orbiting scroll; a fixed scroll having a fixed scroll wall extending in an axial direction from a fixed scroll plate towards the orbiting scroll, wherein the orbiting scroll has an orbiting scroll wall extending in the axial direction from an orbiting scroll plate towards the fixed scroll, wherein a radial direction is substantially orthogonal to the axial direction, and wherein the orbiting scroll wall defines a groove; and an axially extending drive shaft having an eccentric shaft portion so that rotation of the eccentric shaft portion imparts an orbiting motion to the orbiting scroll relative to the fixed scroll, wherein the seal comprises:
a first portion having a first aspect ratio of an axial length to a radial width and a second portion having a second aspect ratio of the axial length to the radial width, wherein both the first aspect ratio and the second aspect ratio are at least 1.25:1 or greater and the axial length ranges from 1.8 mm to 4 mm, and the radial width ranges from 1.2 mm to 2.6 mm, wherein the seal is configured to extend between the orbiting scroll wall and the fixed scroll plate and form a seal there between, and wherein the radial width of the seal is sized to be received in the groove with a radial clearance such that a first spiral portion of the seal is located at the radially inner side of the groove, a second spiral portion of the seal is located at the radially outer side of the groove, and in between the first spiral portion and the second spiral portion, an intermediate portion of the seal extends between the radially inner side and the radially outer side of the groove.

9. The seal of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first aspect ratio or the second aspect ratio is 1.5:1 or greater.

10. The seal of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first aspect ratio or the second aspect ratio is at least 2:1 or greater.

11. The seal of claim 8 , wherein the seal is configured to be located in the groove of an axial end portion of the orbiting scroll wall.

12. The seal of claim 8 , wherein the first aspect ratio and the second aspect ratio are different.

13. A seal for a pump including a scroll compressor comprising an orbiting scroll; a fixed scroll having a fixed scroll wall extending in an axial direction from a fixed scroll plate towards the orbiting scroll, wherein the fixed scroll wall defines a groove, wherein the orbiting scroll has an orbiting scroll wall extending in an axial direction from an orbiting scroll plate towards the fixed scroll, wherein a radial direction is substantially orthogonal to the axial direction; and an axially extending drive shaft having an eccentric shaft portion so that rotation of the eccentric shaft portion imparts an orbiting motion to the orbiting scroll relative to the fixed scroll, wherein the seal comprises:
a first portion having a first aspect ratio of an axial length to a radial width and a second portion having a second aspect ratio of the axial length to the radial width, wherein both the first aspect ratio and the second aspect ratio are at least 1.25:1 or greater and the axial length ranges from 1.8 mm to 4 mm, and the radial width ranges from 1.2 mm to 2.6 mm, wherein the seal is configured to extend between the fixed scroll wall and the orbiting scroll plate and form a seal there between, and wherein the radial width of the seal is sized to be received in the groove with a radial clearance such that a first spiral portion of the seal is located at the radially inner side of the groove, a second spiral portion of the seal is located at the radially outer side of the groove, and in between the first spiral portion and the second spiral portion, an intermediate portion of the seal extends between the radially inner side and the radially outer side of the groove.

14. The seal of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the first aspect ratio or the second aspect ratio is 1.5:1 or greater.

15. The seal of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the first aspect ratio or the second aspect ratio is at least 2:1 or greater.

16. The scroll compressor of claim 13 , wherein the seal is configured to be located in the groove of an axial end portion of the fixed scroll wall.

17. The seal of claim 13 , wherein the first aspect ratio and the second aspect ratio are different.

Assignees

• Edwards Ltd

Inventors

• Cameron Alexander Murray
• Jones Peter David

Classifications

• F04C18/0223

  with symmetrical double wraps · CPC title

• F04C18/0215 Primary

  where only one member is moving · CPC title

• F04C18/0284

  Details of the wrap tips · CPC title

• F04C27/005 Primary

  Axial sealings for working fluid · CPC title

• F04C18/02 Primary

  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