CN112240300A

CN112240300A - Balance block for scroll compressor and scroll compressor

Info

Publication number: CN112240300A
Application number: CN201910656199.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 邹宏伟; 刘轩; 严宏
Original assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies Suzhou Co Ltd
Current assignee: Copeland Suzhou Co Ltd
Priority date: 2019-07-19
Filing date: 2019-07-19
Publication date: 2021-01-19

Abstract

The invention provides a balance block for a scroll compressor and the scroll compressor, wherein the scroll compressor comprises a movable scroll part with a movable scroll end plate, a main bearing seat with a thrust plate and a driving shaft for driving the movable scroll part, the thrust plate is provided with a thrust surface for supporting and contacting with the movable scroll end plate, at least one part of the balance block is arranged in a cavity between the movable scroll part and the main bearing seat, the balance block can rotate along with the rotation of the driving shaft, the balance block comprises an upper surface facing the movable scroll end plate, a guide surface structure is arranged at the upper surface, and the guide surface structure is provided with a guide surface for guiding the lubricant in the cavity to move towards the thrust surface during the rotation of the balance block.

Description

Balance block for scroll compressor and scroll compressor

Technical Field

The invention relates to the field of compressors, in particular to a balance block for a scroll compressor.

Background

This section provides background information related to the present invention, and such information does not necessarily constitute prior art.

A scroll compressor generally includes a compression mechanism composed of a fixed scroll member and a movable scroll member. The orbiting scroll member is supported by a main bearing housing/thrust plate to provide axial restraint and is driven by an eccentric member for translational rotation relative to the non-orbiting scroll member. As the orbiting scroll member moves relative to the thrust plate, it is desirable to provide adequate lubrication to the thrust surfaces between the thrust plate and the orbiting scroll member. In addition, centrifugal force or centrifugal moment generated by rotation of the eccentric member during operation of the scroll compressor may cause vibration of the compressor. A counterbalance is typically provided on a rotating component, such as the upper end of a drive shaft, to provide an opposing centrifugal force or moment to balance the amount of unbalance created by the eccentric component.

In a conventional scroll compressor, a vertical scroll compressor is taken as an example, and a lubricant is stored in a bottom portion of a compressor housing. A part of the lubricant flows through a lubricant passage inside the drive shaft, an eccentric hole in the end face of the eccentric crank pin, and a gap between the movable scroll boss and the eccentric crank pin under the action of centrifugal force or an oil pump to reach the recess of the main bearing housing, and the lubricant oil collected in the recess and on the balance weight is splashed to the lower surface of the movable scroll end plate due to high-speed rotation of the balance weight so as to be spread over the thrust surface between the main bearing housing and the movable scroll member as the movable scroll member rotates in translation. Thus, the upper surface of the counterweight, the lower surface of the orbiting scroll end plate, the outboard surface of the orbiting scroll hub, and the inboard surface of the main bearing housing/thrust plate collectively surround the area for lubricant splash.

Because the area space is large, the amount of the lubricant which can splash into the thrust surface for effective lubrication is often unstable, especially under the condition that the compressor rotates at a low speed, the rotating speed of the balance block is low, and the lubricant cannot provide enough splashing power, so that the thrust surface between the movable scroll part and the main bearing seat is not lubricated enough, and the thrust surface is seriously worn.

Therefore, there is a need to provide an improved scroll compressor, which can increase the amount of lubricant entering the thrust surface between the movable scroll member and the thrust plate without affecting the existing structure of the compressor, ensure that the compressor can fully lubricate the thrust surface under various working conditions, and reduce the wear probability of the thrust surface.

Disclosure of Invention

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

The invention provides a balance weight facilitating lubricant to enter a thrust surface and a scroll compressor provided with the balance weight.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a balance mass for a scroll compressor, wherein the scroll compressor comprises an orbiting scroll member having an orbiting scroll end plate, a main bearing housing carrying a thrust plate having a thrust surface for supporting and contacting the orbiting scroll end plate, and a drive shaft driving the orbiting scroll member, at least a portion of the balance mass being disposed in a cavity between the orbiting scroll member and the main bearing housing, the balance mass being rotatable with rotation of the drive shaft, the balance mass comprising an upper surface facing the orbiting scroll end plate, wherein a guide surface structure is provided at the upper surface, the guide surface structure having a guide surface which guides lubricant in the cavity towards the thrust surface during rotation of the balance mass.

Optionally, the guide surface structure is a ramp member that protrudes relative to an upper surface of the counterweight.

Alternatively, the slope member is integrally or separately provided at the upper surface of the weight.

Optionally, the counterweight includes a mounting portion and a counterweight portion extending beyond the mounting portion in the axial direction, the guide surface structure being a projection extending generally radially inward from the counterweight portion.

Optionally, the counterweight is provided with a groove recessed from the upper surface, the guide surface structure is defined by the groove, the groove having a bottom surface, at least a portion of the bottom surface extending from the bottom of the groove to a surface of the counterweight, thereby forming a guide surface, i.e., the guide surface is the bottom surface of the groove extending from the bottom of the groove to the upper surface of the counterweight.

Alternatively, the groove depth of the groove gradually decreases, and the bottom surface gradually extends from the bottom of the groove to the upper surface of the weight, that is, the bottom surface gradually rises to extend to the upper surface of the weight, and the entire bottom surface forms the guide surface.

Optionally, the width of the groove is tapered at the end of the groove where the guide surface meets the upper surface.

Optionally, the balancing piece still is provided with the sunken drainage groove of upper surface, and the drainage groove is arranged in introducing the recess with emollient, and the groove depth of drainage groove is less than the groove depth of recess in the tip department of drainage groove and recess intercommunication.

Optionally, a first angle formed between the guide surface and the upper surface of the weight is less than or equal to 90 °.

Optionally, the guide surface is a plane, a circular arc, a paraboloid or a sphere.

Optionally, a second angle formed between the guide surface and a radial direction of the weight is greater than or equal to 0 °.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a scroll compressor, wherein the scroll compressor includes a counterweight as described above.

Optionally, the guide surface structure is disposed in a region surrounded by an upper surface of the balance block, an outer side surface of the boss portion of the orbiting scroll member, a lower surface of the orbiting scroll end plate, and an inner side surface of the thrust plate.

Optionally, the scroll compressor further comprises a discharge bushing, the counterweight being mounted on the drive shaft, or the counterweight being mounted on or integral with the discharge bushing.

Generally, the guide surface structure arranged on the balance block helps lubricant in a cavity formed between the main bearing seat and the movable scroll end plate to be thrown or splashed towards the movable scroll part, so that more lubricant enters a thrust surface between the movable scroll part and the main bearing seat or a thrust plate, sufficient lubrication can be provided for the thrust surface under various working conditions, and the wear probability of the thrust surface is greatly reduced.

Drawings

The foregoing and additional features and characteristics of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are given by way of example only and which are not necessarily drawn to scale. Like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 shows a partial longitudinal sectional view of a prior art turbo compressor;

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the turbocompressor in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a counterweight in a prior art turbocompressor;

fig. 4 shows a partial longitudinal sectional view of a turbo compressor according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 5a shows a perspective view of a counterweight in a turbocompressor according to a first embodiment of the invention, wherein the counterweight comprises a planar ramp-like guide surface structure;

FIG. 5b illustrates a perspective view of the weight of FIG. 5a without the guide surface structure;

fig. 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 7 and 8 are perspective views respectively showing modified examples of the weight in the turbo compressor according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 9a and 9b show side views of a balance weight in a turbo compressor according to a first embodiment of the present invention, in which a guide surface structure of the balance weight has different heights;

FIG. 10a shows a perspective view of a counterweight in a turbocompressor according to a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein the counterweight comprises a curved ramp-like guide surface structure;

fig. 10b shows a schematic view of a guide surface structure of a balance weight in a turbo compressor according to a second embodiment of the present invention having different curved surfaces;

fig. 11 shows a perspective view of a balance weight in a turbo compressor according to a third embodiment of the present invention, wherein the balance weight includes a guide surface structure of a spherical ramp type;

fig. 12 shows a perspective view of a counterweight in a turbocompressor according to a fourth embodiment of the invention, wherein the counterweight comprises a grooved guide surface structure;

fig. 13 is a perspective view showing a modification example of the weight in the turbo compressor according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, fig. 1 to 13. The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. Corresponding components or parts are designated by the same reference numerals throughout the several views.

Fig. 1 and 2 show a partial configuration of a prior art turbo compressor. A scroll compressor is illustrated herein by way of example, but it should be understood that the invention is not limited to scroll compressors. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, a conventional turbo compressor 10 includes a compression mechanism including a fixed scroll member 2 and a movable scroll member 1, a drive shaft 3 for driving the compression mechanism, a motor (not shown), and the like. The orbiting scroll member 1 includes an end plate 11, a boss 12 formed on one side of the end plate 11, and a spiral vane 13 formed on the other side of the end plate 11. One side of orbiting scroll member 1 is supported by thrust plate 4 of the upper portion of main bearing housing 8, so that thrust surface 41 is formed between end plate 11 and thrust plate 4. The thrust plate 4 may be attached to the main bearing housing 8, or may be formed integrally with the main bearing housing 8. One end of the drive shaft 3 is supported by a main bearing provided in a main bearing housing 8. An eccentric crank pin 31 is provided at one end of the drive shaft 3, and a relief bush 14 is provided between the eccentric crank pin 31 and the boss 12 of the orbiting scroll member 1. Driven by the motor driving shaft 3, the orbiting scroll member 1 will rotate in a translational motion relative to the non-orbiting scroll member 2 (i.e., the central axis of the orbiting scroll member 1 rotates about the central axis of the non-orbiting scroll member 2, but the orbiting scroll member 1 itself does not rotate about its central axis) to effect compression of the fluid.

During operation of the scroll compressor 10, centrifugal force or centrifugal moment created by the rotation of the eccentric member can cause vibration of the compressor. Typically, counterweights are provided on the rotating components to provide opposing centrifugal forces or moments to balance the amount of unbalance created by the eccentric components. The shape and configuration of the weight may vary depending on the needs of a particular application, and FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the weight of FIGS. 1 and 2. The weight 5 includes a substantially circular-arc-shaped weight portion 51 and a substantially annular mounting portion 52 for mounting the weight 5 to the drive shaft 3, the weight portion 51 extending beyond the mounting portion 52 in the axial direction. A counterweight 5 is disposed in a cavity between main bearing housing 8 and orbiting scroll member 1. As shown in fig. 1, the balance weight 5 is mounted on the drive shaft 3, but it is understood by those skilled in the art that the balance weight 5 may also be mounted on the unloading bushing 14 or be formed integrally with the unloading bushing 14. Herein, there is a certain gap between the upper surface of the balance weight 5 and the end plate 11 of the orbiting scroll part 1, a portion of the upper surface of the balance weight 5 directly facing the end plate 11 of the orbiting scroll part 1 is defined as a top surface portion of the balance weight 5, and there is no shielding between the top surface portion of the balance weight 5 and the lower surface of the end plate 11.

The lubrication process of the thrust surface 41 is described below with reference to fig. 1. In the example of the vertical scroll compressor shown in fig. 1, lubricant is stored in the bottom of the compressor housing. Accordingly, a passage extending substantially in the axial direction thereof, i.e., a center hole (not shown in the drawings) formed at the lower end of the drive shaft 3 and an eccentric hole 32 extending upward from the center hole to the end face of the eccentric crank pin 31, is formed in the drive shaft 3. The end of the central bore is immersed in lubricant at the bottom of the compressor housing or otherwise supplied with lubricant. During operation of the compressor, one end of the central bore is supplied with lubricant by the lubricant supply, and the lubricant entering the central bore is pumped or thrown into the eccentric bore 32 by centrifugal force during rotation of the drive shaft 3 and flows up the eccentric bore 32 up to the end face of the eccentric crank pin 31. The lubricant discharged from the end surface of the eccentric crank pin 31 flows down along the gap between the unloader bush 14 and the eccentric crank pin 31 and the gap between the unloader bush 14 and the hub 12 into the recess of the main bearing housing. A part of the lubricant collected in the recess and on the weight flows downward through the main bearing housing 8, and a part of the lubricant is thrown and splashed with the rotation of the weight 5. Since there is a gap between the top surface portion of the counterweight 5 and the end plate 11 of the orbiting scroll part 1, and there is a gap between the hub 12 and the main bearing housing 8 or the thrust plate 4, the upper surface of the counterweight 5 particularly means the area 6 surrounded by the top surface portion of the counterweight 5, the outer side surface of the hub 12, the lower surface of the end plate 11 and the inner side surface of the main bearing housing 8 or the thrust plate 4. In this region 6, the lubricant is thrown upwardly against the lower surface of end plate 11 of orbiting scroll member 1 and spreads over thrust surface 41 between orbiting scroll member 1 and thrust plate 4 as orbiting scroll member 1 rotates in translation, thereby lubricating thrust surface 41.

Due to the large area 6, the amount of oil that can enter the thrust surface 41 through this area 6 for effective lubrication is extremely unstable. Particularly in the case of low-speed operation of the compressor, the rotational speed of the weight 5 is reduced to reduce the power with which the lubricant is thrown and splashed, failing to provide a sufficient amount of lubricant reaching the thrust surface 41.

A structure for improving the splashing of lubricant in the region 6 is proposed, as is a counterweight 150 according to a first embodiment of the present invention and a scroll compressor 100 having the counterweight 150 installed therein, as shown in FIGS. 4-5 b.

In the first embodiment of the present invention, the weight 150 has the same main structure as the conventional weight 5, that is, includes a substantially circular-arc-shaped weight portion 151 and a substantially annular mounting portion 152, and the weight portion 151 extends beyond the mounting portion 152 in the axial direction, so that a recess is formed in the mounting portion 152 with respect to the weight portion 151. At this recess, a part of the upper surface of the weight 150 constitutes a top surface portion that directly faces the end plate 11 of the orbiting scroll member 1 without being shielded. On the basis of ensuring the balance unbalance amount of the weight 150, a planar slope member 170 for guiding the lubricant to be thrown or splashed upward is further provided at the top surface portion of the weight 150. As shown in fig. 5a and 5b, the planar ramp member 170 is configured to include a base and a triangular-cross-section projection provided on the base, the projection having a guide surface 171 for guiding the lubricant thrown or splashed upward. The base is also provided with mounting holes through which the planar ramp member 170 can be mounted at the top surface portion of the weight 150 by means of screws or bolts. The planar ramp member 170 may also be welded or riveted to the weight 150. Specifically, the planar ramp member 170 is arranged in a substantially radial direction of the mounting portion 152, i.e., an intersection of the guide surface 171 on the projection of the planar ramp member 170 and the upper surface of the mounting portion 152 extends in the substantially radial direction of the mounting portion 152 such that the guide surface 171 thereof faces the lubricant that pools within the recess of the weight 150.

FIG. 4 shows a partial structure of a scroll compressor 100 incorporating a counterweight 150 as described above. Similar to prior art scroll compressor 10, scroll compressor 100 also includes a non-orbiting scroll member 120, an orbiting scroll member 110, a drive shaft 130, a main bearing housing 180, a thrust plate 140, and a counterweight 150. The connection structure of the components of the scroll compressor 100 and the operation principle thereof are similar to those of the conventional scroll compressor 10 and will not be described in detail herein. When the weight 150 is fixed to the drive shaft 130, a planar slope member 170 provided on the weight 150 is formed in a region 160 surrounded by an upper surface of the weight 150, particularly, a top surface portion, an outer side surface of the hub portion 120, a lower surface of the end plate 110, and an inner side surface of the main bearing housing 180 or the thrust plate 140. The lubricant collected in the recess of the weight 150 is thrown out as the weight 150 rotates, and moves upward by means of the guide surface 171 of the planar slope member 170, so that the lubricant is more likely to be splashed to the end plate of the orbiting scroll part 110 and enter the thrust surface 141. Providing the planar ramp member 170 in region 160 can add assistance to the upward movement of lubricant, allowing more lubricant to enter the thrust surface, as compared to region 6, which is "clear" in the prior art scroll compressor 10, without any structure to assist the upward movement of lubricant.

In addition, since the planar slope member according to the first embodiment of the present invention may be fixed to the weight by a screw or a bolt, the installation operation is simple, and it can be directly applied to mass production of weights, facilitating the production and assembly. The counterweight with the planar ramp member is suitable for use in a variety of compressors and is an effective universal measure to reduce wear of the thrust surfaces in the compressor.

Although the first embodiment shown in fig. 4 to 5b includes the planar ramp member 170 having the protrusion having a triangular cross-section, the planar ramp member may be actually configured to have the protrusions of various shapes. Further, the planar slope member may be mounted on the weight not only in a separate manner, but also integrally formed on the weight.

An example of a planar ramp member 170 having a rectangular cross-section protrusion being mounted in a split manner on the weight 150 is shown in fig. 6 a. As shown in fig. 6a, the guide surface 171 of the projection of the planar slope member 170 is perpendicular to the upper surface of the mounting portion 151 of the weight 150, so that the lubricant in the recess of the weight 150 moves up to the top surface of the projection by means of the guide surface 171, and the lubricant can be more easily thrown out to the end plate of the orbiting scroll part 110 since the gap between the top surface of the projection and the end plate of the orbiting scroll part 110 is small; or the lubricant in the recess of the weight 150 hits the guide surface 171 of the boss when thrown out, so as to be more easily splashed to the end plate of the orbiting scroll part 110.

Fig. 6b to 6d respectively show examples in which a planar slope member 270 having a projection with a trapezoidal, wedge-shaped, or rectangular cross section is integrally formed on the weight 250. In an example in which the planar ramp member is integrally formed with the weight, the planar ramp member 270 is directly formed as a projection, omitting the base. Wherein the planar ramp member 270 in fig. 6b has a top surface and a guide surface 271, and the acute angle between the guide surface 271 and the upper surface of the mounting portion of the counterweight 250 is a first included angle α; the planar ramp member 270 in fig. 6c has a top surface and a segmented guide surface 271, the segmented guide surface 271 of which is constituted by an inclined portion having a first angle α and a vertical portion perpendicular to the upper surface of the mounting portion of the weight 250; the planar ramp member 270 of fig. 6d is similar to that of fig. 6a except that it is formed on the weight 250 in an integrated manner, and the planar ramp member 270 has a guide surface 271 perpendicular to the upper surface of the mounting portion of the weight 250, i.e., the first angle α is 90 °. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the first angle α between the guide surface of the planar ramp member and the upper surface of the mounting portion of the slider block may be appropriately selected within a range of 90 ° or less as needed.

In the above example, since the planar ramp member is formed as part of the weight, the BOM structure is simplified, reducing additional machining and installation time in producing the weight.

Although in the first embodiment shown in fig. 4 to 5b, the planar ramp member 170 is arranged in a substantially radial direction of the mounting portion 152, the planar ramp member may actually be arranged in a direction at an angle to the radial direction of the mounting portion 152.

As shown in fig. 7, the planar slope member 270 has a top surface and a guide surface 271, and an acute angle formed between an intersection line of the guide surface 271 with the upper surface of the mounting portion of the weight 250 and the radial direction of the mounting portion is a second included angle β. Since the lubricant in the recess of the weight 250 is subject to centrifugal force as the weight 250 rotates, the motion trajectory of the lubricant in the recess may be a curved line gradually away from the center of the mounting portion of the weight 250, and the arrangement of the planar slope member in the direction forming an included angle with the radial direction of the mounting portion 152, that is, the intersection line of the guide surface 271 of the planar slope member and the upper surface of the mounting portion of the weight 250 forms a second included angle β with the radial direction of the mounting portion 152, so that the intersection line between the guide surface 271 thereof and the upper surface of the mounting portion of the weight 250 intersects with the motion trajectory of the lubricant in the recess as much as possible or is even perpendicular thereto, thereby allowing more lubricant to move upward more sufficiently by means of the planar slope member 270. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the second angle β between the intersection of the guide surface 271 of the planar ramp member and the upper surface of the mounting portion of the weight 250 and the radial direction of the mounting portion 152 may be appropriately selected as necessary within a range of 0 ° or more.

The dimensions of the planar ramp member are further described below. Herein, the dimension of the projection or the planar ramp member 270 of the planar ramp member 170 in the circumferential direction of the mounting portion of the weight is defined as the length of the planar ramp member, the dimension thereof in the radial direction of the mounting portion of the weight is defined as the width of the planar ramp member, and the dimension thereof in the direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the mounting portion of the weight is positioned at the height of the planar ramp member. Fig. 8-9 b show examples of planar ramp members having different widths and heights.

Although the width of the planar ramp member 170 is smaller than the radial width of the mounting portion 151 of the weight 150 in the first embodiment shown in fig. 4 to 5b, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the width of the planar ramp member 170 may be equal to the radial width of the mounting portion 151 of the weight 150, and may be greater than the radial width of the mounting portion 151 of the weight 150 even without affecting the assembly of the weight 150 with the driving shaft 130, as shown in fig. 8. It will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the height of the planar ramp member 270 may not exceed the top surface of the weight 250 as shown in fig. 9a, i.e., the planar ramp member 270 is completely contained within the recess of the weight 250, or may exceed the top surface of the weight 250 as shown in fig. 9b, i.e., the planar ramp member 270 extends upwardly within the region 160 beyond the recess of the weight 250, so long as it does not interfere with other components. Further, although not particularly shown in the drawings, the length of the planar ramp member 170 may also be selected within an appropriate range as needed as long as it does not interfere with other components.

FIG. 10a shows a weight 350 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The main structure and operation principle of the balance weight 350 and the compressor mounted with the balance weight 350 are the same as those of the first embodiment of the present invention, and are not described herein again.

As shown in fig. 10a, the weight 350 has a substantially circular-arc-shaped weight portion 351 and a substantially annular mounting portion 352. The weight portion 351 extends beyond the mounting portion 352 in the axial direction, so that a recess is formed on the mounting portion 352 with respect to the weight portion 351. At this recess, a portion of the upper surface of the counterweight 350 constitutes a top surface portion that directly faces the orbiting scroll end plate without being obstructed. A curved slope member 370 is integrally formed at the top surface portion of the weight 350. The curved slope member 370 has a guide surface 371 extending from the upper surface of the mounting portion 352 to the weight portion 351. As shown in fig. 10b, the guide surface 371 may be configured as a concave or convex paraboloid, a circular arc, or the like. The guide surface 371 of the curved ramp member further facilitates the upward movement of the lubricant so that more lubricant enters the thrust surface.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the curved ramp member 370 having the curved surface (guide surface) 371 according to the second embodiment of the present invention may be not only integrally formed on the weight but also mounted on the weight in a separate manner, similar to the

planar ramp member

170, 270 having the planar surface (guide surface) 171, 271 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In addition, the curved ramp member 370 may have various shapes (only the plane is replaced with the curved surface) and sizes as the

planar ramp members

170 and 270, and different first included angle α and second included angle β, which are not described in detail herein.

Fig. 11 shows a counterweight 450 according to a third embodiment of the invention. The main structure and operation principle of the balance weight 450 and the compressor mounted with the balance weight 450 are the same as those of the first embodiment of the present invention, and are not described herein again.

As shown in fig. 11, the weight 450 has a substantially circular arc-shaped weight portion 451 and a substantially annular mounting portion 452. The weight portion 451 extends beyond the mounting portion 452 in the axial direction, forming a recess on the mounting portion 452 with respect to the weight portion 451. At this recess, a portion of the upper surface of the counterweight 450 constitutes a top surface portion that directly faces the orbiting scroll end plate without being obstructed. A portion of the weight portion 451 protrudes inward in a substantially radial direction or at an angle to the radial direction along the upper surface of the mounting portion 452 to form a projection on which a spherical guide surface 471 is machined, thereby forming the spherical ramp member 470. This allows for a simpler method of forming the spherical ramp member 470, and a more time and cost effective manufacturing process.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the spherical ramp member 470 having a spherical surface (guide surface) 471 according to the third embodiment of the present invention may be not only integrally formed on the weight but also mounted on the weight in a separate manner, similar to the curved ramp member 370 having a curved surface (guide surface) 371 according to the second embodiment of the present invention and the

planar ramp members

170, 270 having planar surfaces (guide surfaces) 171, 271 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In addition, the spherical ramp member 370 may also include various shapes (only the plane is replaced with the spherical surface), sizes, and different first and second included angles α, β as the

plane ramp members

170, 270, which are not described in detail herein. In addition, the method of forming the spherical ramp member 470 according to the third embodiment of the present invention may also be used for the formation of the

planar ramp members

170, 270 and the curved ramp member 370.

In order to guide the lubricant in the concave portion of the weight to be thrown and splashed toward the orbiting scroll part, a groove may be formed on the upper surface of the mounting portion of the weight in addition to the slope member formed convexly on the upper surface of the mounting portion of the weight.

Fig. 12 shows a weight 550 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The main structure and operation principle of the balance weight 450 and the compressor mounted with the balance weight 550 are the same as those of the first embodiment of the present invention, and are not described herein again.

As shown in fig. 12, the weight 550 has a substantially circular-arc-shaped weight portion 551 and a substantially annular mounting portion 552. The weight portion 551 extends beyond the mounting portion 552 in the axial direction, forming a recess on the mounting portion 552 with respect to the weight portion 551. At this recess, a portion of the upper surface of the counterweight 550 constitutes a top surface portion that directly faces the orbiting scroll end plate without being obstructed. A groove 570 is opened at an upper surface (top surface portion) of the mounting portion 552, and the groove 570 extends substantially in a circumferential direction of the mounting portion 552, and may also extend in a direction forming an angle with the circumferential direction of the mounting portion 552. The groove 570 has a bottom surface composed of a first portion 572 that is substantially parallel to the upper surface of the mounting portion 552 and a second portion 571 that extends from the bottom of the groove 570 (the lowest portion of the groove 570, i.e., the flat portion 572 in fig. 12) to the upper surface of the mounting portion 552, the second portion 571 being formed as a guide surface. When the compressor to which the weight 550 is mounted is operated, more lubricant is collected in the groove 570 and moved upward along the guide surface of the groove 570 to be thrown out to the orbiting scroll end plate, thereby lubricating the thrust surface.

FIG. 13 shows an example of a further optimization of the recess 570 of the weight 550 of FIG. 12. As shown in fig. 13, the groove 570 may be formed in a form in which the groove depth thereof becomes gradually shallower from one end thereof toward the other end, that is, the bottom surface of the groove 570 gradually rises from the bottom of the groove 570 (the lowest portion of the groove 570 in fig. 13) to extend to the upper surface of the mounting portion 552, thereby forming a guide surface from the entire bottom surface of the groove 570. Preferably, at the end of the groove 570 where the groove depth is shallow, i.e., the end where the guide surface of the groove 570 meets the upper surface of the mounting portion, the radial width of the groove 570 is gradually reduced, so that the speed of the lubricant of the groove 570 can be further increased during the rotation of the balance weight, and the lubricant is more likely to be thrown or splashed to the orbiting scroll end plate. Preferably, a drainage groove 573 communicating with the groove 570 is further provided at the end of the groove 570 where the groove depth is deeper. The drainage grooves 573 drain more lubricant into the groove 570 so that more lubricant can be thrown or splashed out to the orbiting scroll end plate by means of the guide surface of the groove 570. Preferably, the depth of drainage groove 573 is less than the depth of groove 570 at the end of groove 573 communicating with groove 570, and preferably, the radial width of drainage groove 573 is greater than the radial width of groove 570, such that more lubricant is pooled in groove 570 via drainage groove 573 and directed towards the thrust surface via the guide surface of groove 570.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the guide surface of the groove 570 may also be configured as a plane, a circular arc, a paraboloid, a sphere, or the like as described in the first to third embodiments. Further, similarly, the acute angle between the guide surface of the groove 570 and the upper surface of the mounting portion 552 is a first included angle α that is 90 ° or less. Since the groove 570 may be disposed in a direction forming an angle with the circumferential direction of the mounting portion 552, an acute angle between the groove 570 and the radial direction of the mounting portion 552 is a second included angle β, which is equal to or greater than 0 °.

Table 1 below lists the results of oil pumping tests of the compressors according to the first and fourth embodiments of the present invention and the conventional compressor. The compressor is a scroll compressor of type ZW520HSP, wherein, in the compressor in the first embodiment, a first angle α between a guide surface of a slope member of a weight and an upper surface of a mounting portion of the weight is 30 °, and a second angle β between an intersection line of the guide surface of the slope member and the upper surface of the mounting portion of the weight and a radial direction of the mounting portion is 90 °.

TABLE 1

As can be seen from table 1, the provision of the guide surface structure for guiding the lubricant to be thrown and splashed on the balance weight can effectively improve the lubrication condition of the thrust surface, regardless of whether the guide surface structure is a slope member or a groove. Especially when the guide surface structure is configured as a ramp member, the amount of lubricant that can enter the thrust surface is greatly increased, greatly reducing the risk of wear of the thrust surface.

The counterweight for a scroll compressor and the scroll compressor according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the specific embodiments. It will be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive, and that various changes and modifications may be suggested to one skilled in the art in view of the above description without departing from the scope of the invention. Such variations and modifications are also included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A counterweight (150, 250, 350, 450, 550) for a scroll compressor (100), the scroll compressor (100) comprising an orbiting scroll member having an orbiting scroll end plate, a main bearing housing with a thrust plate, and a drive shaft driving the orbiting scroll member, the thrust plate having a thrust surface for supporting and contacting the orbiting scroll end plate, at least a portion of the counterweight being disposed in a cavity between the orbiting scroll member and the main bearing housing, the counterweight being rotatable with rotation of the drive shaft, the counterweight comprising an upper surface facing the orbiting scroll end plate,

characterized in that a guide surface structure (170, 270, 370, 470, 570) is provided at the upper surface, the guide surface structure having a guide surface (171, 271, 371, 471, 571) that guides the lubricant in the cavity toward the thrust surface during rotation of the weight.

2. The weight block (150, 250, 350, 450, 550) according to claim 1, wherein the guide surface structure is a ramp member (170, 270, 370, 470) that protrudes relative to the upper surface.

3. The weight (150, 250, 350, 450, 550) according to claim 2, wherein the ramp member is integrally or separately provided at the upper surface.

4. The weight (150, 250, 350, 450, 550) of claim 1, wherein the weight includes a mounting portion (152, 252, 352, 452, 552) and a weight portion (151, 251, 351, 451, 551) extending in an axial direction beyond the mounting portion, the guide surface structure being a tab extending radially inward from the weight portion.

5. The weight (150, 250, 350, 450, 550) according to claim 1, wherein the weight is provided with a groove (570) recessed from the upper surface, the guide surface structure being defined by the groove (570), the guide surface being a bottom surface of the groove extending from a bottom of the groove to the upper surface.

6. The weight (150, 250, 350, 450, 550) according to claim 5, wherein the groove has a gradually decreasing groove depth, the bottom surface gradually extending from the bottom of the groove to the upper surface.

7. The weight (150, 250, 350, 450, 550) according to claim 5, wherein the groove (570) tapers in width at an end where the guide surface meets the upper surface.

8. A balancing mass (150, 250, 350, 450, 550) according to claim 5, wherein the balancing mass is further provided with a drainage groove (573) concave to the upper surface, the drainage groove (573) being for introducing lubricant into the groove (570), the drainage groove (573) having a groove depth which is smaller than the groove depth of the groove (571) at the end of the drainage groove (573) communicating with the groove (571).

9. The weight (150, 250, 350, 450, 550) according to any of claims 1-8, wherein a first included angle formed between the guide surface and the upper surface is less than or equal to 90 °.

10. The weight (150, 250, 350, 450, 550) according to any of claims 1-8, wherein the guide surface is a plane, a circular arc, a paraboloid, or a sphere.

11. The weight (150, 250, 350, 450, 550) according to any of claims 1-8, wherein a second angle formed between the guide surface and a radial direction of the weight is greater than or equal to 0 °.

12. A scroll compressor (100) further comprising a counterweight as recited in any of claims 1-11.

13. The scroll compressor (100) of claim 12, wherein the pilot surface structure is disposed in an area collectively surrounded by an upper surface of the counterweight, an outer side surface of a hub of the orbiting scroll member, a lower surface of the orbiting scroll end plate, and an inner side surface of the thrust plate.

14. The scroll compressor (100) of claim 12, further comprising an unloader bushing, the counterweight being mounted on the drive shaft, or the counterweight being mounted on or integral with the unloader bushing.