CN106979158B

CN106979158B - Seal assembly and scroll compressor including the same

Info

Publication number: CN106979158B
Application number: CN201610031065.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 周光勇
Original assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies Suzhou Co Ltd
Current assignee: Copeland Suzhou Co Ltd
Priority date: 2016-01-18
Filing date: 2016-01-18
Publication date: 2019-12-31
Anticipated expiration: 2036-01-18
Also published as: CN106979158A

Abstract

The invention relates to a seal assembly and a scroll compressor including the same. According to one aspect of the present invention, a seal assembly for a scroll compressor is provided, the scroll compressor including a first member and a second member, the seal assembly being disposed between the first member and the second member. The seal assembly includes: a sealing member having a first sealing face adapted to abut a first member and a second sealing face adapted to abut a second member; and a support member. The sealing member is provided with a sealing member contact portion opposed to the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface, and the bearing member is provided with a bearing member contact portion adapted to engage with the sealing member contact portion, so that the sealing member abuts against the first member and the second member by urging the bearing member toward the sealing member. According to the present invention, reliable sealability of, for example, a back pressure chamber for achieving axial flexibility can be ensured, while the ease of assembly of the related seal assembly can be improved.

Description

Seal assembly and scroll compressor including the same

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of scroll compressors, and more particularly to a seal assembly for a scroll compressor capable of improving the radial seal between different pressure regions.

Background

Scroll compressors may be used in, for example, refrigeration (freezing or cold storage) systems, air conditioning systems, and heat pump systems. A scroll compressor includes a scroll compression mechanism for compressing a working fluid (such as a refrigerant), which in turn includes a non-orbiting scroll member and an orbiting scroll member. In some scroll compressors (such as high-side scroll compressors), a back pressure chamber having an intermediate pressure (e.g., the back pressure chamber communicating with an intermediate pressure compression chamber through a bleed hole to have an intermediate pressure) may be provided between the orbiting scroll member and the main bearing housing supporting the orbiting scroll member, while in some scroll compressors (such as low-side scroll compressors), a back pressure chamber having an intermediate pressure may be provided between the fixed scroll member and a sound absorbing plate (also referred to as a partition plate) separating a high pressure region and a low pressure region inside a housing of the scroll compressor, so as to allow the scroll compression mechanism to have axial flexibility (i.e., to allow the fixed scroll member or the orbiting scroll member to axially float for unloading in the event of an excessive load) while ensuring axial sealing performance between the fixed scroll member and the orbiting scroll member in the scroll compression mechanism.

As a result, a plurality of pressure regions having different pressures are formed between the orbiting scroll member and the main bearing housing and between the non-orbiting scroll member and the sound-absorbing plate. A seal assembly is required between two adjacent pressure zones of these multiple pressure zones to separate the two adjacent pressure zones.

However, in some related seal assemblies, the sealing performance, particularly the radial sealability, of the seal assembly cannot be reliably ensured. Therefore, there is a need to improve the sealing performance (in particular the radial tightness) of a sealing assembly (in particular for a back pressure chamber) while facilitating the assembly of the sealing assembly.

It should be noted here that the technical contents provided in this section are intended to assist those skilled in the art in understanding the present invention, and do not necessarily constitute prior art.

Disclosure of Invention

This summary is provided to introduce a general summary of the invention, not a full disclosure of the full scope of the invention or all of the features of the invention.

An object of the present invention is to provide a seal assembly capable of simultaneously ensuring radial sealability and axial sealability of a seal member by a simple structure.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a seal assembly that can avoid or reduce fluid leakage between pressure zones having different pressures.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a seal assembly that avoids the generation of large axial forces between the non-orbiting and orbiting scroll members.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a seal assembly that avoids increased motor operating current and severe wear of the scroll components.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a scroll compressor including the seal assembly described above.

To achieve one or more of the above objects, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a seal assembly for a scroll compressor defining an axial direction and including a first member and a second member movable generally in the axial direction, a groove being formed at one of the first and second members, the seal assembly being disposed between the first and second members and at least a portion of the seal assembly being received in the groove. The seal assembly includes: a seal member having a first sealing face adapted to abut the first member and a second sealing face adapted to abut the second member; and a support member. The sealing member is provided with a sealing member contact portion opposed to the first sealing face and the second sealing face, and the bearing member is provided with a bearing member contact portion adapted to be fitted with the sealing member contact portion, so that the sealing member is brought into abutment against the first member and the second member by urging the bearing member toward the sealing member.

To achieve one or more of the above objects, according to another aspect of the present invention, a scroll compressor is provided. The scroll compressor includes a seal assembly as described above.

According to the present invention, since the seal member and the support member are configured to have the respective inclined surfaces so as to be capable of sliding contact fitting (wedge fitting) by means of the respective inclined surfaces, in the case where the support member is urged toward the seal member by the axial biasing force of the biasing member, the sealing member may simultaneously abut both the first member (e.g., main bearing housing) and the second member (e.g., orbiting scroll member) (since the biasing force of the biasing member also results in a radial force component acting on the sealing member that causes the sealing member to expand outward in diameter by tensile deformation in the circumferential direction, resulting in the radial sealing face of the sealing member abutting the first member), thereby ensuring both the radial sealability and the axial sealability of the seal member after the completion of the assembly of the seal assembly by a simple structure. That is, by applying a force in only a substantially axial direction or only a substantially radial direction (i.e. a force applied unidirectionally), it is achieved that the sealing member is forced in both a substantially axial and a substantially radial direction to simultaneously abut against both the first member and the second member. Accordingly, since the sealing performance of the seal assembly is ensured, it is possible to prevent the fluid in the high-pressure region from leaking to the medium-pressure region (such as the back-pressure chamber); therefore, the movable scroll part can be prevented from being subjected to larger upward thrust, so that larger axial acting force is prevented from being generated between the fixed scroll part and the movable scroll part, and further, the increase of the running current of the motor and the serious abrasion of the scroll part are avoided. Furthermore, the sealing member may be dimensioned such that it can be fitted with a clearance fit with the corresponding peripheral wall of the recess during assembly of the sealing assembly (when the sealing member is in a free state without being stressed), thereby greatly reducing the difficulty of assembly.

Drawings

Features and advantages of one or more embodiments of the present invention will become more readily understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a scroll compressor to which a seal assembly according to the present invention is applied;

fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a main portion of a scroll compressor to which a seal assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied and a detailed view of the seal assembly;

FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are exploded perspective views illustrating a sealing member, a support member, an intermediate carrier and a biasing member, respectively, of a sealing assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a main bearing housing associated with a seal assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a main portion of a scroll compressor to which a seal assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention is applied and a detailed view of the seal assembly;

fig. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a main portion of a scroll compressor according to a modification of the present invention;

10A, 10B, 10C and 10D are schematic views respectively showing a seal assembly according to a series of variants of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a main portion of a scroll compressor to which a seal assembly according to the related art is applied; and

fig. 12 is a perspective view illustrating a sealing assembly according to the related art.

Detailed Description

The invention is described in detail below with the aid of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. The following detailed description of the invention is merely for purposes of illustration and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.

First, the structure of a scroll compressor 10 to which a seal assembly 800 according to the present invention is applied is described in brief with reference to fig. 1 (fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a scroll compressor to which a seal assembly according to the present invention is applied).

As shown in FIG. 1, the scroll compressor 10 may include: a housing 100; a scroll compression mechanism composed of a non-orbiting scroll part 220 and an orbiting scroll part 240 adapted to compress a working fluid such as a refrigerant; and a drive mechanism 300. The casing 100 may include a casing body 120, a top cover 140 attached to a top end of the casing body 120, and a bottom cover 160 attached to a bottom end of the casing body 120, thereby defining a hermetic space adapted to accommodate the scroll compression mechanism, the driving mechanism 300, and the like. The driving mechanism 300 may include: a motor 320 constituted by a stator 322 and a rotor 324; and a driving shaft 340 fixedly coupled with the rotor 324 to integrally rotate with the rotor 324. Thus, the drive shaft may drive the orbiting scroll member 240 such that the orbiting scroll member 240 orbits relative to the non-orbiting scroll member 220 to effect compression of the working fluid.

The scroll compressor 10 may further include: a main bearing housing 400 adapted to rotatably support the drive shaft and axially support the orbiting scroll member 240; a suction fitting (not shown) for sucking a low-pressure working fluid to be compressed; and a discharge fitting 600 for discharging the compressed high-pressure working fluid.

In the illustrated example, the scroll compressor 10 is a fully hermetic high side scroll compressor with the motor 320 at high pressure (corresponding to discharge pressure). However, it should be understood that the present invention may also be applied to other types of scroll compressors, such as a low-side scroll compressor or a semi-hermetic scroll compressor.

Referring additionally to fig. 2 (fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a main portion of a scroll compressor to which a seal assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied and a detailed view of the seal assembly), in the scroll compressor 10, a back pressure chamber BC having an intermediate pressure may be provided between the orbiting scroll part 240 and the main bearing housing 400. When the scroll compressor 10 is stopped, the movable scroll member 240 abuts against the main bearing housing 400 and is separated from the fixed scroll member 220. After the scroll compressor 10 is started, a back pressure chamber BC, which is communicated with an intermediate pressure compression chamber of the scroll compression mechanism through a bleed hole (not shown), receives intermediate pressure working fluid from the intermediate pressure compression chamber to have an intermediate pressure. The orbiting scroll part 240 moves upward (moves substantially in the axial direction a of the scroll compressor 10) against the non-orbiting scroll part 220 by the medium pressure of the back pressure chamber BC, so that an axial seal is achieved between the non-orbiting scroll part 220 and the orbiting scroll part 240. Also, during operation of the scroll compressor, upon encountering, for example, an overpressure in the scroll compression mechanism, the orbiting scroll member 240 may be temporarily separated from the non-orbiting scroll member 220 for safe unloading. Thus, axial sealing performance between the fixed scroll member and the orbiting scroll member in the scroll compression mechanism is ensured while the scroll compression mechanism is provided with axial flexibility (i.e., allows the orbiting scroll member to axially float for unloading in the event of an excessive load).

As shown in fig. 2, in order to seal between the high pressure region HP and the intermediate pressure region MP in which the back pressure chamber BC is located, for example, substantially annular back pressure chamber BC needs to be provided with sealing devices on the radially inner side and the radially outer side. In the illustrated example, the radially inner seal arrangement may be implemented by seal assembly 800 in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention, while the radially outer seal arrangement may be implemented as a metal-to-metal planar seal arrangement (i.e., metal-to-metal planar contact between non-orbiting scroll member 220 and main bearing housing 400). However, it should be understood that the seal assembly 800 according to the first embodiment of the present invention disposed between the orbiting scroll member 240 and the main bearing housing 400 may also be employed radially outward of the back pressure chamber BC.

A seal assembly 800 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to fig. 2 and with additional reference to fig. 3-7 (fig. 3-6 are exploded perspective views illustrating a seal member, a support member, an intermediate carrier, and a biasing member, respectively, of a seal assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention, while fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a main bearing housing associated with a seal assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention).

According to the first embodiment of the present invention, the seal assembly 800 may be disposed between the main bearing housing 400 and the orbiting scroll member 240. In particular, a groove GV may be formed at one of the main bearing housing 400 and the orbiting scroll member 240, and at least a portion of the seal assembly 800 may be received in the groove GV. In a preferred example, a (e.g., annular) groove GV is formed at a (e.g., substantially annular) support portion 420 of the main bearing housing 400 at which the main bearing 440 is provided. Here, it is to be noted that, in the first embodiment, the main bearing housing 400 serves as a fixed first member according to the present invention, and the orbiting scroll part 240 serves as a second member capable of axially floating according to the present invention.

Referring to fig. 2, the sealing assembly 800 may include: a sealing member 820; a support member 840; a biasing member 860; and an intermediate support shelf 880.

The sealing member 820 may be implemented as a sealing ring, i.e., the sealing member 820 may be substantially annular. Sealing member 820 has a radial sealing face (first sealing face) 822 adapted to abut main bearing housing 400 and an axial sealing face (second sealing face) 824 adapted to abut orbiting scroll member 240. The second sealing surface 824 may be adjacent to (e.g., share a side with) the first sealing surface 822. In a preferred example, the first sealing surface 822 is adapted to abut against a radial peripheral wall GVa of the groove GV (see fig. 2). In this manner, since the radially inner side of the seal assembly 800 is the high pressure region HP and the radially outer side is the medium pressure region MP, the seal member 820 may be urged radially outward by the pressure differential to more reliably abut the first sealing surface 822 against the main bearing housing 400, thereby achieving more reliable radial sealing. However, it should be understood that the seal assembly 800 may also be configured such that the first sealing surface 822 abuts against the radially inner peripheral wall GVb of the groove GV (not labeled in fig. 2 but see fig. 8). In this case, a suitable radial tightness can also be achieved by means of the special construction of the sealing assembly according to the first embodiment.

Second sealing surface 824 may be adapted to abut against axial surface (axial end surface) 243a of orbiting scroll member 240 which is not provided with groove GV. In particular, the axial end surface 243a is an axial end surface 243a of the boss portion 242 of the orbiting scroll member 240. In the illustrated example, the hub portion 242 may be formed with a flange portion 243 extending radially outward from an axial end of the hub portion 242, and the axial end surface 243a is an axial end surface 243a of the flange portion 243. By providing the flange portion 243, the orbiting scroll 240 can have a sufficient axial end surface to ensure reliable axial sealing performance of the seal assembly 800.

According to a first embodiment of the invention, see fig. 2 and 3, the sealing member 820 may be provided with a bevel (also referred to as sealing member bevel and preferably being a straight bevel in cross-section and acting as a sealing member contact according to the invention) 826. As will be described further below, the sealing member chamfer 826 is adapted to make a wedging fit with the support member chamfer 846 (i.e., the support member 846 wedges into the wedge-shaped space between the sealing member 820 and the corresponding peripheral wall of the groove GV creating a so-called wedge effect).

Support member 840 may be generally annular. According to the first embodiment of the invention, the support member 840 may be provided with a ramp (also referred to as a support member ramp and preferably a straight ramp in cross-section and serving as a support member contact according to the invention) 846. As described above, support member ramp 846 is adapted to wedge fit with seal member ramp 826 such that seal member 820 may simultaneously abut both main bearing housing 400 and orbiting scroll component 240 upon urging support member 840 toward seal member 820. In this way, the radial sealability and the axial sealability of the sealing member 820 can be simultaneously ensured by a simple structure.

In some examples, sealing member 820 may be made of a relatively soft material (e.g., PTFE) while support member 840 may be made of a relatively stiff material (e.g., metal). In this manner, the relatively soft sealing member 820 may ensure sealing performance, while the relatively rigid support member 840 may ensure providing reliable support to the sealing member 820 and thereby ensuring uniform deformation and uniform sealing performance of the sealing member 820.

As shown in fig. 2, the cross-section of the sealing member 820 may have the following shape: a substantially trapezoidal shape formed by cutting out one corner portion of the substantially rectangular shape. For example, in this cross-section, there is a first sealing surface 822 and a second sealing surface 824 adjacent (e.g., at a right or substantially right angle to the first sealing surface 822 and the second sealing surface 824), and also a bevel 826 opposite the first sealing surface 822 and the second sealing surface 824, and also a surface (not labeled) adjacent (e.g., at a right angle to) the first sealing surface 822 and adjacent (e.g., at an obtuse angle to) the bevel 826, and a surface (not labeled) adjacent (e.g., at a right angle to) the second sealing surface 824 and adjacent (e.g., at an obtuse angle to) the bevel 826.

As shown in fig. 2, similar to the sealing member 820, the cross-section of the support member 840 may have the following shape: a substantially trapezoidal shape formed by cutting out one corner portion of the substantially rectangular shape. In this way, the support member 840 may be formed such that: an end (sealing member side end) 842a of the base 842 of the support member 840 (the base 842 is adapted to receive an external force such that the support member 840 is urged toward the sealing member 820) is axially aligned (i.e., radially positionally aligned) with an end (sealing member side end) 846a of the support member ramp 846 that is proximate to the sealing member 820, without extending beyond the sealing member side end 846a of the support member ramp 846 toward the sealing member side (radially outward in fig. 2). In other words, base 842 is disposed to not extend beyond support member ramp 846 toward the sealing member side.

By forming the seal member 820 and the support member 840 in this manner, it is possible to simply and efficiently form the seal member 820 and the support member 840 (which are brought into engagement by their slopes) in slidable contact with each other, while also facilitating their fitting in the groove GV and their sliding in the groove GV after the fitting and the fitting of the support member 840 in particular. In particular, the support member 840 according to the present invention can sufficiently simplify the structure for easy manufacture, can be more easily fitted in the groove, and can allow sufficient wedge fitting (i.e., lengthening of the sliding stroke of the wedge fitting) of the support member 840 with the seal member 820 by not having a portion extending beyond the extension line of the inclined surface 846, compared to, for example, a support member in an L shape in which the seal member-side end portion of the base portion of the support member extends toward the seal member side beyond the seal member-side end portion of the inclined surface of the support member and beyond the extension line of the inclined surface of the support member.

Here, it is contemplated that the cross-section of the sealing member 820 and/or the cross-section of the support member 840 may take on other suitable shapes. For example, the cross-section may be triangular. In the case of a triangular cross section, the support member is formed so as to have a so-called L-shaped support member in which the sealing member-side end of the base portion of the support member does not extend beyond the sealing member-side end of the inclined surface of the support member, or the support member does not have a portion extending beyond the extension line of the inclined surface of the support member. In addition, in the case of a triangular cross-section, the seal member bevel may be considered to be adjacent to the first and second seal faces while being opposite to the first and second seal faces, for the seal member.

The biasing member 860 may be adapted to apply a biasing force to the support member 840. In particular, biasing member 860 may abut bottom wall GVc of recess GV (not labeled in fig. 2 and see fig. 8) to apply a biasing force to support member 840 via intermediate support shelf 880. In some examples, the biasing member 860 may be a wave spring 860 (see fig. 6) having a generally circular ring shape; in this way, the structure of the biasing member can be simplified while ensuring that a stable biasing force is provided. In other examples, the biasing member 860 may employ other suitable resilient members; for example, the biasing member 860 may include a plurality of coil springs arranged at equal angles in the circumferential direction.

The intermediate carrier 880 may be axially floating and may be disposed between the support member 840 and the biasing member 860 such that the biasing member 860 may apply a biasing force to the support member 840 via the intermediate carrier 880. In the illustrated example, in the assembled state of the seal assembly 800, the sealing member-side end (i.e., the radially outer end in fig. 2) of the intermediate carrier 880 may extend toward the sealing member side (radially outward in fig. 2) beyond the end 842a of the base 842 of the support member 840 and the end 846a of the support member ramp 846 and beyond the extension of the support member ramp 846. In other examples, in the assembled state of the seal assembly 800, the seal member-side end of the intermediate carrier 880 may not extend beyond the end 842a of the base 842 of the support member 840 or beyond the extension of the support member ramp 846; in this way, the possibility of interference of the intermediate support shelf 880 with the sealing member 820 during the sliding wedge fit can be avoided.

By providing the intermediate support shelf 880 functioning as a force transmission mediating member, the stability and uniformity of providing the biasing force to the support member and thus the stability and uniformity of the support member pushing against the sealing member can be improved. Furthermore, since the intermediate support 880 is provided, it is possible to securely prevent the biasing member, which generally has a concavo-convex structure, from touching the relatively soft sealing member to damage the sealing member and cause non-uniform deformation of the sealing member to reduce the sealing effect.

The intermediate support shelf 880 may be made of a relatively rigid material (e.g., metal) and/or the intermediate support shelf 880 may be a generally circular ring-shaped support shelf having a generally rectangular cross-section. In this way, stable contact of the intermediate support shelf 880 with the support member 840 and the biasing member 860 may be ensured, thereby ensuring further improved stability and uniformity of the biasing force provided to the support member.

In some examples, the support member 840 may be sized such that the diameter (inner diameter in the example of fig. 2) of the support member 840 is substantially equal to the diameter of the peripheral walls GVa, GVb (radially inner peripheral wall GVb in the example of fig. 2) of the groove GV that are not sealed by the seal member 820, so as to allow the support member to slide along the peripheral walls.

Here, incidentally, a seal assembly according to the related art is described. Referring to fig. 11 and 12 (fig. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a main portion of a scroll compressor to which a seal assembly according to the related art is applied, and fig. 12 is a perspective view showing the seal assembly according to the related art), a seal assembly 800' according to the related art is disposed between an orbiting scroll member 240' (specifically, a boss portion 242' of the orbiting scroll member) and a main bearing housing 400' (specifically, a support portion 420' of the main bearing housing that supports a drive shaft). The seal assembly 800' includes: a seal ring 820' having a rectangular cross-section; a support member supporting the seal ring; and a resilient member that applies a spring force to the support member. Seal ring 820' has an axial seal surface abuttable against orbiting scroll member 240' and a radial seal surface abuttable against main bearing housing 400 '.

In the seal assembly 800' according to the related art, the elastic member can push the seal ring 820' only axially toward the orbiting scroll part 240 '. Thus, if interference fit is applied to the seal ring in order to improve the radial sealability to some extent, it may cause difficulty in assembling the seal ring, whereas if clearance fit is applied to the seal ring for convenience of assembly, there may be a risk of leakage of the radial seal surface and the radial sealability of the seal assembly 800' may not be ensured. Once the sealing performance of the seal assembly cannot be guaranteed, fluid in the high pressure zone will leak to the medium pressure zone (such as the back pressure chamber); thus, the orbiting scroll member is subjected to a large upward thrust force, which generates a large axial force between the non-orbiting scroll member and the orbiting scroll member, which causes an increase in the motor operating current and also causes severe wear of the scroll members.

According to the first embodiment of the present invention, since the seal member and the support member are configured to have the respective inclined surfaces so as to be capable of sliding contact fitting (wedge fitting) by means of the respective inclined surfaces, in the case where the support member is urged toward the seal member by the axial biasing force of the biasing member, the sealing member may simultaneously abut both the first member (e.g., main bearing housing) and the second member (e.g., orbiting scroll member) (since the biasing force of the biasing member also results in a radial force component acting on the sealing member that causes the sealing member to expand outward in diameter by tensile deformation in the circumferential direction, resulting in the radial sealing face of the sealing member abutting the first member), thereby ensuring both the radial sealability and the axial sealability of the seal member after the completion of the assembly of the seal assembly by a simple structure. That is, by applying a force in only a substantially axial direction or only a substantially radial direction (i.e. a force applied unidirectionally), it is achieved that the sealing member is forced in both a substantially axial and a substantially radial direction to simultaneously abut against both the first member and the second member. Accordingly, since the sealing performance of the seal assembly is ensured, it is possible to prevent the fluid in the high-pressure region from leaking to the medium-pressure region (such as the back-pressure chamber); therefore, the movable scroll part can be prevented from being subjected to larger upward thrust, so that larger axial acting force is prevented from being generated between the fixed scroll part and the movable scroll part, and further, the increase of the running current of the motor and the serious abrasion of the scroll part are avoided. Furthermore, the sealing member may be dimensioned such that it can be fitted with a clearance fit with the corresponding peripheral wall of the recess during assembly of the sealing assembly (when the sealing member is in a free state without being stressed), thereby greatly reducing the difficulty of assembly.

A seal assembly 800A according to a second embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to fig. 8 (fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a main portion of a scroll compressor to which the seal assembly according to the second embodiment of the present invention is applied and a detailed view of the seal assembly). The seal assembly 800A differs from the seal assembly 800 according to the first embodiment of the present invention in that: the intermediate support shelf is omitted in seal assembly 800A. In this case, biasing member 860 may directly contact base 842 of support member 840 to directly apply a biasing force to support member 840. The second embodiment of the present invention can obtain substantially the same technical effects as the first embodiment of the present invention.

The seal assembly and associated scroll compressor according to the present invention can accommodate a number of different variations.

For example, as shown in fig. 9 (fig. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a main part of a scroll compressor according to a modification of the present invention), in one modification, a scroll compressor 10 to which a seal assembly according to the present invention is applied is a low-pressure side scroll compressor. The scroll compressor 10 similarly includes a scroll compression mechanism including a fixed scroll member 220 and a movable scroll member 240. In addition, the scroll compressor 10 includes a sound attenuating panel 500 (also referred to as a baffle) that separates the interior space of the scroll compressor 10 into a high pressure region and a low pressure region. In this scroll compressor 10, a back pressure chamber BC having an intermediate pressure for achieving axial flexibility is provided between the non-orbiting scroll member 220 and the sound insulating plate 500, so that a plurality of pressure regions having different pressures, i.e., a high pressure region HP, an intermediate pressure region MP and a low pressure region LP, are formed between the non-orbiting scroll member 220 and the sound insulating plate 500. Thus, a seal assembly 800, 800A according to the present invention may be provided between adjacent high and medium pressure regions HP, MP and between adjacent medium and low pressure regions MP, LP so as to separate the adjacent two pressure regions. The sound-absorbing plate 500 may be provided with a groove GV (groove located radially inward in fig. 9) for accommodating the seal assemblies 800 and 800A, or the non-orbiting scroll member 220 (specifically, the end plate of the non-orbiting scroll member 220) may be provided with a groove GV (groove located radially outward in fig. 9) for accommodating the seal assemblies 800 and 800A.

Here, it is to be noted that, in this modification, the sound-absorbing plate 500 serves as a fixed first member according to the present invention, and the non-orbiting scroll member 220 serves as a second member capable of axially floating according to the present invention.

As another example, as shown in fig. 10A-10D (fig. 10A-10D are schematic views, respectively, illustrating a seal assembly according to a series of variations of the present invention), in a seal assembly 800B according to one variation, as compared to the seal assemblies 800, 800A described above, the seal member contact portion is formed as a concave surface 826B that is substantially circular arc shaped, while the bearing member contact portion is formed as a convex surface 846B that is substantially circular arc shaped, the convex surface being adapted to be in contact engagement with the concave surface such that the radial seal surface of the seal member abuts against the first member (e.g., main bearing seat) and the axial seal surface abuts against the second member (e.g., orbiting scroll component) by urging (e.g., axially urging) the bearing member toward the seal member. In a seal assembly 800C according to another variation, in contrast to the seal assemblies 800, 800A described above, the seal member contact portion is formed as a generally circular arc-shaped convex surface 826C and the bearing member contact portion is formed as a generally circular arc-shaped concave surface 846C adapted to be in contact engagement with the convex surface such that by urging (e.g., axially urging) the bearing member toward the seal member, the radial seal surface of the seal member abuts against the first member (e.g., main bearing housing) and the axial seal surface abuts against the second member (e.g., orbiting scroll member). In a seal assembly 800D according to another variation, in contrast to the seal assemblies 800, 800A described above, the seal member contact portion is formed as a generally circular arc-shaped convex surface 826D and the bearing member contact portion is formed as a bearing member ramp 846 adapted for sliding contact engagement with the convex surface such that by urging (e.g., axially urging) the bearing member toward the seal member, the radial seal surface of the seal member abuts against the first member (e.g., main bearing housing) and the axial seal surface abuts against the second member (e.g., orbiting scroll component). In a seal assembly 800E according to another variation, in contrast to the seal assemblies 800, 800A described above, the seal member contact portion is formed as a seal member chamfer 826, while the bearing member contact portion is formed as a generally circular arc-shaped convex surface 846E adapted for sliding contact engagement with the seal member chamfer such that by urging (e.g., axially urging) the bearing member toward the seal member, the radial seal surface of the seal member abuts against the first member (e.g., main bearing housing) and the axial seal surface abuts against the second member (e.g., orbiting scroll component). The seal assembly according to these variations can obtain substantially the same technical effects as the seal assemblies 800, 800A described above.

In summary, according to the present invention, the following advantageous solutions may be included.

In a seal assembly according to the invention: the sealing member contacting portion is formed as a sealing member slope and the supporting member contacting portion is formed as a supporting member slope adapted to be brought into sliding contact engagement with the sealing member slope so that the sealing member abuts against the first member and the second member by pressing the supporting member toward the sealing member; alternatively, the sealing member contacting portion is formed as a substantially circular arc-shaped sealing member concave surface, and the supporting member contacting portion is formed as a substantially circular arc-shaped supporting member convex surface adapted to be brought into contact-fit with the sealing member concave surface, thereby causing the sealing member to abut against the first member and the second member by pressing the supporting member toward the sealing member; alternatively, the sealing member contacting portion is formed as a substantially circular arc-shaped convex sealing member surface and the supporting member contacting portion is formed as a substantially circular arc-shaped concave supporting member surface adapted to be brought into contact with and fitted to the convex sealing member surface so that the sealing member is abutted against the first member and the second member by pressing the supporting member toward the sealing member; alternatively, the sealing member contact portion is formed as a substantially circular arc-shaped sealing member convex surface, and the supporting member contact portion is formed as a supporting member inclined surface adapted to be brought into sliding contact engagement with the sealing member convex surface so that the sealing member abuts against the first member and the second member by pressing the supporting member toward the sealing member; alternatively, the sealing member contacting portion is formed as a sealing member slope, and the supporting member contacting portion is formed as a substantially circular arc-shaped supporting member convex surface adapted to be brought into sliding contact engagement with the sealing member slope, so that the sealing member is brought into abutment against the first member and the second member by pressing the supporting member toward the sealing member.

In a seal assembly according to the invention: the support member is a relatively rigid, generally annular support member such that the seal member contact portion is formed as a seal member ramp, a seal member convex surface, or a seal member concave surface; and/or the sealing member is a relatively flexible, substantially annular sealing member such that the support member contact portion is formed as a support member slope, a support member convex surface, or a support member concave surface.

In a seal assembly according to the invention: a cross section of the sealing member has a substantially trapezoidal shape formed by cutting one corner of a substantially rectangular shape; and/or the cross section of the support member has a substantially trapezoidal shape formed by cutting one corner of the substantially rectangular shape.

In the seal assembly according to the present invention, the support member is dimensioned such that the diameter of the support member is substantially equal to the diameter of a peripheral wall of the groove that is not sealed by the seal member, so as to allow the support member to slide along the peripheral wall.

In the seal assembly according to the present invention, the support member has a base adapted to receive an external force such that the support member is urged toward the seal member.

In the seal assembly according to the present invention, the supporting member contacting portion is formed as a supporting member slope, and the base portion is provided so as not to extend beyond the supporting member slope toward the sealing member side.

In the seal assembly according to the present invention, the seal assembly further comprises a biasing member adapted to apply a biasing force to the support member.

In the seal assembly according to the present invention, the biasing member is a wave spring having a substantially annular shape.

In the seal assembly according to the present invention, the seal assembly further comprises an intermediate carrier arranged between the support member and the biasing member such that the biasing member applies a biasing force to the support member via the intermediate carrier.

In a seal assembly according to the invention: said intermediate support frame is made of a relatively rigid material; and/or the intermediate support frame is a substantially annular support frame having a substantially rectangular cross section.

In a seal assembly according to the invention, the seal member is dimensioned such that: in a free state in which the sealing member is not urged by the support member, the sealing member forms a clearance fit with a peripheral wall of the groove to be sealed by the sealing member.

In the seal assembly according to the present invention, the first seal surface is a radial seal surface, the second seal surface is an axial seal surface adjacent to the first seal surface, the first seal surface is adapted to abut against a radially outer peripheral wall or a radially inner peripheral wall of the groove, and the second seal surface is adapted to abut against an axial end surface of the other of the first member and the second member, which is not provided with the groove.

In a seal assembly according to the invention: the scroll compressor is a high pressure side scroll compressor, the first member is a main bearing housing of the scroll compressor, and the second member is a movable scroll component of the scroll compressor movable between a fully loaded position and an unloaded position; alternatively, the scroll compressor is a low pressure side scroll compressor, the first member is a sound damping plate of the scroll compressor, and the second member is a non-orbiting scroll member of the scroll compressor movable between a fully loaded position and an unloaded position.

In the seal assembly according to the present invention, in a case where the first member is the main bearing housing and the second member is the orbiting scroll member, the groove is annular and formed at a bearing portion of the main bearing housing where a main bearing is provided, so as to separate a medium pressure region serving as a back pressure chamber formed between the main bearing housing and the orbiting scroll member and located radially outside the seal assembly from a high pressure region having a discharge pressure formed substantially between the main bearing housing and the orbiting scroll member and located radially inside the seal assembly.

In the seal assembly according to the present invention, the first seal surface is a radial seal surface, the second seal surface is an axial seal surface adjacent to the first seal surface, the first seal surface is adapted to abut against a radially outer peripheral wall or a radially inner peripheral wall of the groove, and the second seal surface is adapted to abut against an axial end surface of the boss portion of the orbiting scroll member.

In a seal assembly according to the invention, the seal assembly further comprises a biasing member adapted to apply a biasing force to the bearing member and an intermediate carrier arranged between the bearing member and the biasing member, the biasing member abutting a bottom wall of the recess, thereby applying a biasing force to the bearing member via the intermediate carrier such that the first sealing face abuts the radial peripheral wall.

In the seal assembly according to the present invention, the hub portion is formed with a flange portion extending radially outward from an axial tip end of the hub portion, and the axial end face is an axial end face of the flange portion.

In the seal assembly according to the present invention, a plurality of pressure regions having different pressures are formed between the first member and the second member inside the housing of the scroll compressor, and the seal assembly is provided to separate adjacent two pressure regions of the plurality of pressure regions.

In the present document, the use of the directional terms "upper", "top" and "bottom", etc., are used for convenience of description only and should not be considered as limiting.

While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described and illustrated in detail herein, and that various changes may be made to the exemplary embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A seal assembly (800, 800A, 800B, 800C, 800D, 800E) for a scroll compressor (10) defining an axial direction (A) and comprising a first member (400; 500) and a second member (240; 220) movable generally in the axial direction, a Groove (GV) being formed at one of the first and second members, the seal assembly being disposed between the first and second members and at least a portion of the seal assembly being received in the groove, the seal assembly comprising:

a sealing member (820) having a first sealing face (822) adapted to abut the first member and a second sealing face (824) adapted to abut the second member; and

a support member (840) for supporting the support member,

wherein the sealing member is provided with a sealing member contact portion (826, 826B, 826C, 826D) opposite the first and second sealing faces, the bearing member is provided with a bearing member contact portion (846, 846B, 846C, 846E) adapted to cooperate with the sealing member contact portion such that the sealing member abuts the first and second members by urging the bearing member towards the sealing member,

wherein the seal assembly further comprises a biasing member (860) adapted to apply a biasing force to the support member,

wherein the sealing assembly further comprises an intermediate carrier frame (880) arranged between the support member and the biasing member such that the biasing member applies a biasing force to the support member via the intermediate carrier frame, the intermediate carrier frame (880) being made of a relatively stiffer material than the sealing member (820).

2. The seal assembly (800, 800A, 800B, 800C, 800D, 800E) of claim 1, wherein:

the sealing member contact portion is formed as a sealing member ramp (826) and the backup member contact portion is formed as a backup member ramp (846) adapted for sliding contact engagement with the sealing member ramp to urge the sealing member against the first and second members by urging the backup member toward the sealing member; or

The sealing member contact portion is formed as a generally circular arc shaped sealing member concave surface (826B) and the backup member contact portion is formed as a generally circular arc shaped backup member convex surface (846B) adapted to be in contact engagement with the sealing member concave surface to thereby cause the sealing member to abut against the first member and the second member by urging the backup member toward the sealing member; or

The sealing member contact portion is formed as a generally circular arc-shaped sealing member convex surface (826C) and the backup member contact portion is formed as a generally circular arc-shaped backup member concave surface (846C) adapted to be brought into contact engagement with the sealing member convex surface so that the sealing member abuts against the first member and the second member by urging the backup member toward the sealing member; or

The sealing member contact portion is formed as a generally circular arc-shaped sealing member convex surface (826D), while the backup member contact portion is formed as a backup member ramp surface (846) adapted for sliding contact engagement with the sealing member convex surface to urge the sealing member against the first member and the second member by urging the backup member toward the sealing member; or

The sealing member contacting portion is formed as a sealing member ramp (826) and the support member contacting portion is formed as a generally circular arc shaped support member convex surface (846E) adapted for sliding contact engagement with the sealing member ramp to urge the sealing member against the first and second members by urging the support member toward the sealing member.

3. The seal assembly (800, 800A, 800B, 800C, 800D, 800E) of claim 1, wherein:

the support member is a relatively rigid, generally annular support member; and/or

The seal member is a relatively flexible, generally annular seal member.

4. The seal assembly (800, 800A, 800B, 800C, 800D, 800E) of claim 3, wherein:

the cross section of the sealing member is substantially trapezoidal formed by cutting one corner of the substantially rectangular shape so that the sealing member contact portion is formed as a sealing member slope (826), a sealing member convex surface or a sealing member concave surface; and/or

The cross section of the support member has a substantially trapezoidal shape formed by cutting out one corner of the substantially rectangular shape, so that the support member contact portion is formed as a support member slope (846), a support member convex surface, or a support member concave surface.

5. The seal assembly (800, 800A, 800B, 800C, 800D, 800E) of claim 3, wherein the support member is dimensioned such that a diameter of the support member is substantially equal to a diameter of a peripheral wall (GVa, GVb) of the groove that is not sealed by the seal member so as to allow the support member to slide along the peripheral wall.

6. The seal assembly (800, 800A, 800B, 800C, 800D, 800E) of claim 1, wherein the support member has a base (842) adapted to receive an external force such that the support member is urged toward the seal member.

7. The seal assembly (800, 800A, 800D) of claim 6, wherein the backup member contact portion is formed as a backup member ramp (846), and the base is disposed so as not to extend beyond the backup member ramp toward the seal member side.

8. The seal assembly (800, 800A, 800B, 800C, 800D, 800E) of claim 1, wherein the biasing member is a wave spring (860) having a generally annular shape.

9. The seal assembly (800) of claim 1, wherein:

the intermediate support frame is a substantially annular support frame having a substantially rectangular cross section.

10. The seal assembly (800, 800A, 800B, 800C, 800D, 800E) of any of claims 1-9, wherein the seal member is dimensioned such that: in a free state in which the seal member is not urged by the support member, the seal member forms a clearance fit with a peripheral wall (GVa, GVb) of the groove to be sealed by the seal member.

11. The seal assembly (800, 800A, 800B, 800C, 800D, 800E) of any of claims 1-9, wherein the first sealing surface is a radial sealing surface and the second sealing surface is an axial sealing surface adjacent the first sealing surface, the first sealing surface adapted to abut a radially outer (GVa) or radially inner (GVb) circumferential wall of the groove and the second sealing surface adapted to abut an axial end surface (243a) of the other of the first and second members not provided with the groove.

12. The seal assembly (800, 800A, 800B, 800C, 800D, 800E) of any of claims 1 to 7, wherein:

the scroll compressor is a high pressure side scroll compressor, the first member is a main bearing housing (400) of the scroll compressor, and the second member is an orbiting scroll member (240) of the scroll compressor movable between a fully loaded position and an unloaded position; or

The scroll compressor is a low side scroll compressor, the first member is a sound attenuating panel (500) of the scroll compressor, and the second member is a non-orbiting scroll member (220) of the scroll compressor movable between a fully loaded position and an unloaded position.

13. The seal assembly (800, 800A, 800B, 800C, 800D, 800E) of claim 12, wherein, where the first member is the main bearing housing (400) and the second member is the orbiting scroll component (240), the Groove (GV) is annular and formed at a support portion (420) of the main bearing housing where a main bearing (440) is provided, so as to isolate a medium pressure region (MP) serving as a back pressure chamber (BC) formed between the main bearing housing and the orbiting scroll component and located radially outward of the seal assembly from a high pressure region (HP) having a discharge pressure formed generally between the main bearing housing and the orbiting scroll component and located radially inward of the seal assembly.

14. The seal assembly (800, 800A, 800B, 800C, 800D, 800E) of claim 13, wherein the first seal surface is a radial seal surface and the second seal surface is an axial seal surface adjacent the first seal surface, the first seal surface adapted to abut a radially outer peripheral wall (GVa) or a radially inner peripheral wall (GVb) of the groove and the second seal surface adapted to abut an axial end surface (243a) of the hub (242) of the orbiting scroll member.

15. The seal assembly (800) of claim 14, wherein the biasing member abuts a bottom wall (GVc) of the groove such that applying a biasing force to the bearing member via the intermediate carrier causes the first sealing surface to abut the radial outer peripheral wall.

16. The seal assembly (800, 800A, 800B, 800C, 800D, 800E) of claim 14, wherein the hub portion is formed with a flange portion (243) extending radially outward from an axial tip of the hub portion, and the axial end face is an axial end face of the flange portion.

17. The seal assembly (800, 800A, 800B, 800C, 800D, 800E) of any of claims 1-9, wherein a plurality of pressure regions (HP, MP, LP) of different pressures are formed between the first member and the second member inside a shell (100) of the scroll compressor, the seal assembly being disposed to separate adjacent two of the plurality of pressure regions.

18. A scroll compressor (10), wherein said scroll compressor includes a seal assembly (800, 800A, 800B, 800C, 800D, 800E) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17.