US20050186087A1 - Compressor - Google Patents
Compressor Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20050186087A1 US20050186087A1 US11/062,291 US6229105A US2005186087A1 US 20050186087 A1 US20050186087 A1 US 20050186087A1 US 6229105 A US6229105 A US 6229105A US 2005186087 A1 US2005186087 A1 US 2005186087A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- thermal insulating
- insulating member
- discharge
- compressor
- chamber
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- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
- F04B—POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS
- F04B27/00—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders
- F04B27/08—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders having cylinders coaxial with, or parallel or inclined to, main shaft axis
- F04B27/10—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders having cylinders coaxial with, or parallel or inclined to, main shaft axis having stationary cylinders
- F04B27/1009—Distribution members
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F05—INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04
- F05C—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO MATERIALS, MATERIAL PROPERTIES OR MATERIAL CHARACTERISTICS FOR MACHINES, ENGINES OR PUMPS OTHER THAN NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES
- F05C2251/00—Material properties
- F05C2251/04—Thermal properties
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F05—INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04
- F05C—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO MATERIALS, MATERIAL PROPERTIES OR MATERIAL CHARACTERISTICS FOR MACHINES, ENGINES OR PUMPS OTHER THAN NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES
- F05C2253/00—Other material characteristics; Treatment of material
- F05C2253/20—Resin
Definitions
- a swash plate type compressor is generally known as a compressor for use in a vehicle air conditioning apparatus.
- a compressor of this type is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-164042.
- the compressor includes a cylinder block which forms therein a cylindrical working chamber (or compression chamber) in which a piston is received for compressing a compressible fluid such as refrigerant gas.
- the compressor also includes a housing which covers the working chamber of the cylinder block and a valve port plate which is interposed between the housing and the cylinder block.
- the valve port plate has a suction port through which a low-pressure compressible fluid is introduced from a suction chamber formed in the housing into the working chamber.
- the valve port plate has also a discharge port through which a compressible fluid compressed by the piston is discharged into a discharge chamber formed in the housing.
- the present invention is directed to a compressor having a thermal insulating member which prevents the heat transfer of compressible fluid in a discharge chamber to a suction chamber while serving as a retainer, thereby enabling reduction of the number of parts, simplification of the compressor, or reduction of the size of the compressor while maintaining the compression efficiency of the compressor.
- a compressor includes a suction chamber, a working chamber, a discharge chamber, a discharge valve and a thermal insulating member.
- a low-pressure compressible fluid resides in the suction chamber.
- the low-pressure compressible fluid in the suction chamber is introduced into the working chamber and is compressed to a predetermined pressure.
- the compressed compressible fluid in the working chamber is discharged into the discharge chamber.
- the discharge valve is interposed between the working chamber and the discharge chamber.
- the thermal insulating member is disposed in the discharge chamber.
- the thermal insulating member has an opening restricting portion for restricting the maximum opening degree of the discharge valve.
- FIG. 2 is an explanation drawing explaining a thermal insulating member of the compressor according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a compressor according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 4 is an explanation drawing explaining a thermal insulating member of the compressor according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a compressor according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a compressor according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- the compressor according to the first preferred embodiment is a variable displacement type compressor which uses carbon dioxide as a compressible fluid.
- FIG. 1 shows a compressor 10 of the first embodiment.
- the compressor 10 includes a compressor housing 11 which forms the outer shell of the compressor 10 .
- the compressor housing 11 includes a cylinder block 12 in which a plurality of cylinder bores 12 a is formed, a front housing 13 which is joined to the front end of the cylinder block 12 and a rear housing 14 which is joined to the rear end of the cylinder block 12 .
- the front housing 13 , the cylinder block 12 and the rear housing 14 of the compressor housing 11 are made of aluminum-based metal to reduce the compressor weight.
- a plurality of through bolts 16 extends through the front housing 13 , the cylinder block 12 and the rear housing 14 and tightens those components together in the axial direction thereof, thereby integrally fixing those components to form the compressor housing 11 .
- a lug plate 21 is fixed to the drive shaft 18 in the crank chamber 17 for rotation therewith.
- a swash plate 23 which forms a displacement changing mechanism 22 is supported by the drive shaft 18 at the rear side of the lug plate 21 so as to slide along and incline with respect to the axis of the drive shaft 18 .
- a hinge mechanism 24 is interposed between the swash plate 23 and the lug plate 21 , and the swash plate 23 is connected to the lug plate 21 and the drive shaft 18 through the hinge mechanism 24 for synchronous rotation therewith and inclination with respect thereto.
- a coil spring 25 is provided around the drive shaft 18 between the lug plate 21 and the swash plate 23 , and a tubular body 26 is slidably fitted on the drive shaft 18 and urged rearward by the coil spring 25 .
- the swash plate 23 is constantly pushed rearward by the coil spring 25 through the tubular body 26 in such a way the swash plate 23 is urged in the direction which reduces inclination angle of the swash plate 23 .
- the inclination angle of the swash plate 23 is an angle between a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the drive shaft 18 and a plane of the swash plate 23 .
- a stopper 23 a protrudes from the front side of the swash plate 23 , and as shown in FIG.
- a retaining ring 27 is installed on the drive shaft 18 on the rear side of the swash plate 23 , and a coil spring 28 is provided around the drive shaft 18 on the front side of the retaining ring 27 .
- the contact of the swash plate 23 with the coil spring 28 restricts the position of the minimum inclination of the swash plate 23 .
- a single-headed piston 29 is received in each cylinder bore 12 a of the cylinder block 12 for reciprocation therein, and a neck portion of each piston 29 engages with the periphery of the swash plate 23 through a corresponding pair of shoes 30 .
- a displacement control valve 32 is provided in the rear housing 14 which is operable to adjust the stroke of the piston 29 or the displacement of the compressor 10 by changing the angle of inclination of the swash plate 23 .
- the rear housing 14 which is joined to the rear end of the cylinder block 12 has a suction chamber 14 a formed in the rear housing 14 and a discharge chamber 14 b in which the thermal insulating member 37 , which will be described in detail later, is provided.
- the valve port plate 35 forms a working chamber 31 in each cylinder bore 12 a with the corresponding piston 29 .
- the valve port plate 35 has a suction port 35 a which is in communication with the suction chamber 14 a in the rear housing 14 and a discharge port 35 b which is in communication with the discharge chamber 14 b in the rear housing 14 .
- the discharge port 35 b serves as a valve port.
- the suction valve plate 34 is a plate which has suction valves (not shown) interposed between the working chambers 31 and the suction ports 35 a
- the discharge valve plate 36 is a plate which has reed type discharge valves 36 a interposed between the discharge ports 35 b and the discharge chambers 14 b.
- the thermal insulating member 37 is disposed in the discharge chamber 14 b of the rear housing 14 and has a discharge space 37 a formed in the thermal insulating member 37 .
- the thermal insulating member 37 is provided to prevent the heat transfer of the compressible fluid in the discharge space 37 a to the suction chamber 14 a.
- the thermal insulating member 37 has an opening restricting portion 37 b for restricting the maximum opening degree of the discharge valve 36 a.
- valve plates 34 , 36 are disposed between the rear housing 14 and the cylinder block 12 with the valve port plate 35 interposed therebetween. That is, the suction valve plate 34 is located on the front side of the valve port plate 35 and the discharge valve plate 36 is located on the opposite rear side thereof.
- the thermal insulating member 37 is disposed on the side of the rear housing 14 with respect to the discharge valve plate 36 .
- the suction valve plate 34 , the valve port plate 35 , the discharge valve plate 36 and the thermal insulating member 37 are arranged in this order from the front side, and a bolt 38 extends through the valve plates 34 , 36 , the valve port plate 35 and the thermal insulating member 37 .
- a nut 40 is screwed on the bolt 38 for fastening the valve plates 34 , 36 , the valve port plate 35 and the thermal insulating member 37 by way of two disc springs 39 .
- the thermal insulting member 37 is constantly urged against the discharge valve plate 36 by the resilient force of the disc springs 39 .
- the disc springs 39 are used as the urging member for providing urging force to the thermal insulating member 37
- members other than the disc springs 39 may be used, such as resilient member made of rubber-based material or resilient sealing member.
- the suction chamber 14 a is formed in radially outer region of the rear housing 14 in communication with the cylinder bore 12 a via the suction port 35 a formed through the valve port plate 35 .
- the discharge chamber 14 b in which the thermal insulating member 37 is provided, is formed in radially inner region of the rear housing 14 .
- the discharge chamber 14 b and the suction chamber 14 a are separated sealingly from each other by a partition 14 c.
- the discharge space 37 a is formed in the thermal insulating member 37 so as to face the discharge valve plate 36 .
- the discharge valve plate 36 is made of a thin metal sheet which has the reed type discharge valve 36 a for opening and closing the discharge port 35 b formed through the valve port plate 35 .
- the discharge valve 36 a corresponds to each of the discharge ports 35 b which is correspond to the cylinder bore 12 a , and a proximal end 361 of the discharge valve 36 a which is located on the center of the rear housing 14 is fixed between the valve port plate 35 and the thermal insulating member 37 by being pressed by the thermal insulating member 37 which is urged frontward by the disc springs 39 .
- the discharge valve 36 a is flexible as the chain line shown in FIG. 2 , and the maximum opening degree of the discharge valve 36 a is restricted by contact thereof with the opening restricting portion 37 b of the thermal insulating member 37 .
- FIG. 2 shows a front view of the thermal insulating member 37 as seen from the discharge valve plate 36 (drawing on the left).
- FIG. 2 also shows a longitudinal-sectional view of the thermal insulating member 37 drawing on the right).
- the valve port plate 35 and the discharge valve plate 36 are illustrated by solid and chain lines.
- the thermal insulating member 37 has a substantially disk-like shape.
- the thermal insulating member 37 also has a plurality of recesses 37 c arranged circumferentially in facing to the discharge valve plate 36 and each having substantially a sector shape.
- the recesses 37 c are formed in the thermal insulating member 37 adjacent to the periphery of the thermal insulating member 37 .
- the opening restricting portion 37 b is formed between any two adjacent recesses 37 c and a communication groove 37 d is formed adjacent to the outer periphery of the recesses 37 c for communication between the recesses 37 c.
- these recesses 37 c and the communication grooves 37 d form the discharge space 37 a.
- the opening restricting portion 37 b has a curved surface as shown in the cross section of FIGS. 1 and 2 , so that no harmful force is applied to the discharge valve 36 a when the discharge valve 36 a is fully opened in contact with the opening restricting portion 37 b .
- one of the recesses 37 c of the thermal insulating member 37 has an outlet 37 e which is in communication with a discharge piping (broken line shown in FIG. 1 ) connected to an external refrigerant circuit.
- the outlet 37 e is formed on the one recess 37 c.
- the thermal insulating member 37 prevents the heat transfer of the compressible fluid in the discharge space 37 a to the rear housing 14 including the suction chamber 14 a, because the thermal insulating member 37 is made of resin material which has a smaller heat transfer coefficient than the rear housing 14 which is made of aluminum-based metal in the present embodiment.
- PPS polyphenylene sulfide
- a contacted portion 371 formed in the thermal insulating member 37 is contacted with the proximal end 361 of the discharge valve 36 a, that is, the contacted portion 371 is pressed against the proximal end 361 .
- This contacted portion 371 is defined by a circular region of the thermal insulating member 37 , as shown by latticed hatching in FIG. 2 , which ranges from the center thereof to the opening restricting portion 37 b .
- the discharge valve plate 36 is kept in tight contact with the thermal insulating member 37 at the contacted portion 371 thereof, so that irregular movement of the discharge valve 36 a relative to the valve port plate 35 is prevented when the discharge valve 36 a is opened and closed.
- each piston 29 is reciprocated through the shoes 30 .
- the compressible fluid in the suction chamber 14 a is drawn into the working chamber 31 in the cylinder bore 12 a through the suction valve.
- the compressible fluid in the working chamber 31 is compressed to a predetermined pressure, and then discharged into the discharge space 37 a through the discharge valve 36 a.
- the compressible fluid in the discharge space 37 a is then high in temperature and pressure, the heat transfer of the compressible fluid in the discharge space 37 a to the suction chamber 14 a is prevented by the thermal insulating member 37 , thereby preventing temperature rise of the low-pressure compressible fluid in the suction chamber 14 a.
- the discharge valve 36 a is not opened or bent in excess of its elastic limit by the contact with the opening restricting portion 37 b of the thermal insulating member 37 .
- the compressible fluid discharged into the discharge space 37 a of the thermal insulating member 37 is discharged from the outlet 37 e to the discharge piping through the communication groove 37 d, which is in communication with the adjacent recesses 37 c.
- the compressor 10 of the first preferred embodiment has the following advantageous effects.
- FIG. 3 the compressor 50 according to the second preferred embodiment is different from the compressor 10 according to the first preferred embodiment in that a discharge chamber 54 b is formed in radially outer region of a rear housing 54 and that a suction chamber 54 a is formed in radially inner region thereof.
- the drawings for the second embodiment use like reference numerals or symbols to denote like parts or elements of the first embodiment. Explanation of those parts which are common to the first and second embodiments is omitted, and the explanation of the first embodiment is incorporated in the second preferred embodiment. Therefore, the following description will deal with mainly the differences from the first preferred embodiment.
- the cylinder block 12 is joined at the rear end thereof to the front end of the rear housing 54 with a suction valve plate 53 , a discharge valve plate 56 and a valve port plate 55 interposed therebetween.
- the suction valve plate 53 is located on the front side of the valve port plate 55 and the discharge valve plate 56 is located on the opposite rear side thereof.
- the discharge chamber 54 b is annularly formed.
- An annular thermal insulating member 57 which forms a discharge space 57 a is disposed in the discharge chamber 54 b .
- a suction chamber 54 a is formed in the radially inner region of the rear housing 54 .
- the valve port plate 55 has a suction port 55 a corresponding to the suction chamber 54 a and a discharge port 55 b that serves as a valve port through the valve port plate 55 .
- the discharge port 55 b corresponds to the discharge space 57 a formed by the thermal insulating member 57 .
- the suction valve plate 53 which forms a suction valve is interposed between the suction port 55 a of the valve port plate 55 and the working chamber 31 .
- the discharge valve plate 56 formed annularly and having a discharge valve 56 a is interposed between the discharge port 55 b of the valve port plate 55 and the discharge space 57 a.
- the discharge valve 56 a of the discharge valve plate 56 extends from an annular proximal end 561 of the discharge valve plate 56 toward the center of the discharge valve plate 56 .
- the discharge valve 56 a is formed at a position corresponding to the discharge port 55 b.
- the thermal insulating member 57 of the second preferred embodiment is made in the form of a gear and has a through hole 57 e formed in the central region of the thermal insulating member 57 .
- FIG. 4 shows a front view of the thermal insulating member 57 which is seen from the discharge valve plate 56 (drawing on the left).
- FIG. 4 also shows a longitudinal-sectional view of the thermal insulating member 57 (drawing on the right).
- the valve port plate 55 and the discharge valve plate 56 are illustrated by solid line and chain line.
- a communication groove 57 c is formed in the outer peripheral portion of the thermal insulating member 57 along the outline of the gear-like shape thereof.
- the communication groove 57 c substantially corresponds to the discharge space 57 a.
- An opening restricting portion 57 b of a bell-like shape is formed so as to be surrounded on three sides thereof by the communication groove 57 c.
- the discharge valve 56 a is formed so as to face the opening restricting portion 57 b . Because the opening restricting portion 57 b has an arched surface in cross section, the discharge valve 56 a is opened along the arched surface in its maximum opening position. Thus, the discharge valve 56 a is not opened in excess of its elastic limit and the discharge valve 56 a is not susceptible to excess deformation or break.
- the rear housing 54 also serves as an urging member to urge the thermal insulating member 57 toward the discharge valve plate 56 through the bolts 16 , thereby pressing the thermal insulating member 57 against the discharge valve plate 56 .
- the proximal end 561 of the discharge valve 56 a is held securely by the thermal insulating member 57 and the valve port plate 55 . Therefore, the discharge valve plate 56 makes steady opening and closing motion without irregular motion when the discharge valve 56 a is in its maximum opening degree.
- One of the communication grooves 57 c of the thermal insulating member 57 has an outlet 57 d which is in communication with a discharge piping (not shown). The outlet 57 d is formed on the one communication groove 57 c.
- the compressible fluid in the communication groove 57 c that serves as the discharge space 57 a is discharged to the discharge piping through the outlet 57 d.
- a portion of the thermal insulating member 57 which is contacted with the proximal end 561 of the discharge valve 56 a, that is, a contacted portion 571 is formed in the thermal insulating member 57 .
- the contacted portion 571 is shown by latticed regions in FIG. 4 .
- the compressor 50 of the present preferred embodiment when the piston 29 moves from its bottom dead center to its top dead center, the compressible fluid in the working chamber 31 is compressed to a predetermined pressure and then discharged into the discharge space 57 a through the discharge valve 56 a. Although the compressible fluid in the discharge space 57 a is then high in temperature and pressure, the heat transfer of the compressible fluid to the rear housing 54 including the suction chamber 54 a is prevented by the thermal insulating member 57 , thereby preventing temperature rise of the low-pressure compressible fluid in the suction chamber 54 a.
- the discharge valve 56 a is not opened or bent in excess of its elastic limit by the contact with the opening restricting portion 57 b of the thermal insulating member 57 .
- the compressible fluid discharged into the discharge space 57 a of the thermal insulating member 57 is discharged from the outlet 57 d to the discharge piping.
- the compressor 50 of the second embodiment differs from the compressor 10 of the first embodiment in that the suction chamber 54 a is formed in radially inner region while the discharge space 57 a is formed in radially outer region of the rear housing 54 , the compressor 50 having the thermal insulating member 57 offers substantially the same effects as the compressor 10 .
- FIG. 5 shows only those parts of the compressor 60 which are relevant to the third embodiment.
- the compressor 60 has a suction chamber 64 a which is formed in the radially outer region of a rear housing 64 and a discharge chamber 64 b having a thermal insulating member 67 disposed therein is formed in the radially inner region of the rear housing 64 .
- the suction chamber 64 a and the discharge chamber 64 b are separated from each other by a partition 64 c.
- the cylinder block 12 is joined at the rear end thereof to the front end of the rear housing 64 .
- a suction valve plate 63 which forms a suction valve
- a valve port plate 65 which forms a discharge port 65 b serving as a valve port
- a discharge valve plate 66 which forms a discharge valve 66 a
- the suction valve plate 63 is located on the front side of the valve port plate 65 and the discharge valve plate 66 is located on the rear side thereof.
- a bolt 68 extends through the center of the valve port plate 65 and the valve plates 63 , 66 , and a nut 69 is screwed on the bolt 68 thereby fastening the valve plates 63 , 66 to the valve port plate 65 .
- the thermal insulating member 67 which is disposed in the discharge chamber 64 b of the rear housing 64 , has a discharge space 67 a, an opening restricting portion 67 b , a recess 67 c, a communication groove 67 d and an outlet 67 e, as in the case of the first embodiment.
- a thermal insulating groove 67 f is further formed in the thermal insulating member 67 on the radially outer side of the communication groove 67 d.
- the thermal insulating groove 67 f serves an air space in the thermal insulating member 67 for thermal insulation, and the thermal insulating effect of the air space further enhances the prevention effect of the heat transfer of the compressible fluid in the discharge space 67 a to the rear housing 64 including the suction chamber 64 a. That is, it can be said that the air space which serves as thermal insulating means having a heat transfer coefficient that is smaller than that of the thermal insulating member 67 is provided in the thermal insulating member 67 .
- the thermal insulating groove 67 f as the air space
- a material whose heat transfer coefficient is smaller than that of the thermal insulating member 67 is suitably selected.
- the through bolts 16 substantially serves as the urging member.
- the thermal insulating member 67 has a recess 67 g which is opened on the front side of thermal insulating member 67 .
- the recess 67 g is formed in the central region of the thermal insulating member 67 , and accommodates therein the bolt 68 and the nut 69 .
- the air space serving as the thermal insulating means whose heat transfer coefficient is smaller than that of the thermal insulating member 67 is provided in the thermal insulating member 67 , thereby further enhancing the prevention effect of the heat transfer of the compressible fluid in the discharge space 67 a to the suction chamber 64 a.
- FIG. 6 shows only those parts of the compressor 70 which are relevant to the fourth embodiment.
- the compressor 70 has a suction chamber 74 a which is formed in the radially outer region of a rear housing 74 and a discharge chamber 74 b accommodating a thermal insulating member 77 disposed therein is formed in the radially inner region of the rear housing 74 .
- the suction chamber 74 a and the discharge chamber 74 b are separated from each other by a partition 74 c.
- the cylinder block 12 is joined at the rear end thereof to the front end of the rear housing 74 .
- a suction valve plate 73 which forms a suction valve, a valve port plate 75 which forms a discharge port 75 b serving as a valve port, a discharge valve plate 76 which forms a discharge valve 76 a and a plate 78 for pressing against the discharge valve plate 76 are provided in this order between the cylinder block 12 and the rear housing 74 .
- a bolt 79 extends through the center of the valve port plate 75 , the valve plates 73 , 76 and the plate 78 .
- a nut 80 is screwed on the bolt 79 thereby fastening the discharge valve plate 76 to the valve port plate 75 .
- a disc spring 81 through which the bolt 79 extends, is interposed between the plate 78 and the nut 80 . The disc spring 81 urges the plate 78 against the discharge valve plate 76 , and serves as the urging means.
- the thermal insulating member 77 which is disposed in the discharge chamber 74 b of the rear housing 74 , has a discharge space 77 a, an opening restricting portion 77 b , a recess 77 c , a communication groove 77 d and an outlet 77 e, as in the case of the first embodiment. While the thermal insulating member 77 according to the present preferred embodiment is pressed against the plate 78 , the thermal insulating member 77 does not directly press against a proximal end 761 of the discharge valve 76 a of the discharge valve plate 76 .
- the proximal end 761 of the discharge valve 76 a is mainly pressed by the plate 78 which receives elastic force of the disc spring 81 , and a part of the thermal insulating member 77 is merely contacted with the plate 78 . Therefore, the contact between the thermal insulating member 77 and the plate 78 may be in such condition that fluid tightness of the discharge space 77 a is accomplished by providing an adhesive or sealing member between the thermal insulating member 77 and the plate 78 .
- the contacted portions 371 , 571 which have been explained with reference to the first and second preferred embodiments do not exist in the thermal insulating member 77 of the fourth preferred embodiment.
- the opening restricting portion 77 b of the thermal insulating member 77 has an arched surface, with which part of the discharge valve 36 a is contacted, in cross section.
- the area of the opening restricting portion 77 b with which the discharge valve 76 a is contacted is smaller than that of the opening restricting portion 37 b of the first preferred embodiment due to the thickness of the plate 78 interposed between the discharge valve plate 76 and the thermal insulating member 77
- the opening restricting portion 77 b of the thermal insulating member 77 performs the function of restricting the maximum opening degree of the discharge valve 76 a substantially in the same manner as the opening restricting portion 37 b .
- the thermal insulating member 77 prevents the heat transfer of the compressible fluid in the discharge space 77 a to the rear housing 74 including the suction chamber 74 a
- the thermal insulating member 77 restricts the maximum opening degree of the discharge valve 76 a.
- the degree of freedom of selecting material of the thermal insulating member 77 for example, its strength is improved.
- the present invention is also applicable to a scroll type compressor.
- the scroll type compressor generally includes a working chamber which is formed by a fixed scroll and a movable scroll, a suction chamber from which a low-pressure fluid is introduced into the working chamber, a discharge chamber into which a high-pressure fluid compressed in the working chamber is discharged, a discharge valve interposed between the working chamber and the discharge chamber and a retainer which restricts the maximum opening degree of the discharge valve.
- the thermal insulating member By providing a thermal insulating member in which a discharge space and an opening restricting portion for restricting the opening degree of the discharge valve are formed in the discharge chamber of the scroll type compressor, the thermal insulating member can perform the function of preventing the heat transfer from the discharge space to a housing including the suction chamber and also retaining the discharge valve opening.
- variable displacement swash plate type compressor While the first through fourth embodiments have been described by way of an example of variable displacement swash plate type compressor, the present invention is applicable to a fixed displacement swash plate type compressor. At least if the compressor is constructed such that its suction chamber and discharge chamber are located relatively adjacent to each other and that a compressible fluid is discharged into the discharge chamber through a discharge valve, the present invention is applicable to the fixed displacement swash plate type compressor. Thus, types of compressor to which the present invention is applicable are not limited.
- the thermal insulating member which serves also as a retainer has a discharge space therein, the discharge space prevents the heat transfer of the compressible fluid in the discharge chamber to the suction chamber, thereby improving the performance of the compressor.
- the suction chamber may be formed by another thermal insulating member. In this case, the heat transfer of the compressible fluid in the discharge chamber to the suction chamber is further prevented by the thermal insulating member of the suction chamber side and the thermal insulating member forming the discharge space, thereby improving the compression efficiency of the compressor. Thus, the performance of the compressor is further enhanced.
- carbon dioxide which is compressed to a high pressure is employed as the compressible fluid.
- chlorofluorocarbon or Freon gas which is compressed to a pressure that is lower than that of carbon dioxide may be employed as the compressible fluid.
- kinds of compressible fluid to which the present invention is applicable are not limited.
Abstract
A compressor includes a suction chamber, a working chamber, a discharge chamber, a discharge valve and a thermal insulating member. A low-pressure compressible fluid resides in the suction chamber. The low-pressure compressible fluid in the suction chamber is introduced into the working chamber and is compressed to a predetermined pressure. The compressed compressible fluid in the working chamber is discharged into the discharge chamber. The discharge valve is interposed between the working chamber and the discharge chamber. The thermal insulating member is disposed in the discharge chamber. The thermal insulating member has an opening restricting portion for restricting the maximum opening degree of the discharge valve.
Description
- The present invention relates to a compressor which introduces a low-pressure compressible fluid for compression and discharges a compressed compressible fluid.
- A swash plate type compressor is generally known as a compressor for use in a vehicle air conditioning apparatus. A compressor of this type is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-164042. The compressor includes a cylinder block which forms therein a cylindrical working chamber (or compression chamber) in which a piston is received for compressing a compressible fluid such as refrigerant gas. The compressor also includes a housing which covers the working chamber of the cylinder block and a valve port plate which is interposed between the housing and the cylinder block. The valve port plate has a suction port through which a low-pressure compressible fluid is introduced from a suction chamber formed in the housing into the working chamber. The valve port plate has also a discharge port through which a compressible fluid compressed by the piston is discharged into a discharge chamber formed in the housing.
- The compressor has also a discharge valve plate (or discharge plate) interposed between the valve port plate and the housing and made of a metal. The discharge valve plate has a plurality of discharge valves which is integrally formed with the discharge valve plate. When a compressed compressible fluid with high pressure is discharged through the discharge port, the discharge valve may be deformed in excess of the elastic limit of the discharge valve plate. Therefore, the compressor has a retainer which is formed on the side opposite to the discharge port with respect to the discharge valve for restricting the maximum opening degree of the discharge valve so that the opening degree is within the elastic limit of the discharge valve plate.
- Meanwhile, the temperature of the compressed compressible fluid discharged from the working chamber into the discharge chamber is increased by the compression in the working chamber. Part of the heat of the compressed compressible fluid is transferred to the compressible fluid in the suction chamber thereby causing the compressible fluid before compression to be expanded. Consequently, the amount of gas substantially introduced into the working chamber is reduced and, therefore, the compression efficiency of the compressor is reduced. To prevent such heat transfer, this compressor has a partition which is formed in the housing so as to define the discharge chamber and the suction chamber, and an annular groove is formed in the partition which serves as a thermal insulating member for preventing the heat transfer of the compressible fluid in the discharge chamber to the suction chamber.
- A compressor which prevents the heat transfer of the compressed compressible fluid in the discharge chamber to the suction chamber in a similar manner is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-11531. Further, another compressor which uses rubber or resin serving as thermal insulating means is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-235667.
- However, these prior art compressors merely adds thermal insulating means for preventing the heat transfer of the compressible fluid in the discharge chamber to the suction chamber thereby achieving a thermal insulating effect. To merely provide additional thermal insulating means causes problems such as increased number of parts, enlargement of the compressor, and reduced design freedom due to increased installation space.
- The present invention is directed to a compressor having a thermal insulating member which prevents the heat transfer of compressible fluid in a discharge chamber to a suction chamber while serving as a retainer, thereby enabling reduction of the number of parts, simplification of the compressor, or reduction of the size of the compressor while maintaining the compression efficiency of the compressor.
- The present invention provides the following feature. A compressor includes a suction chamber, a working chamber, a discharge chamber, a discharge valve and a thermal insulating member. A low-pressure compressible fluid resides in the suction chamber. The low-pressure compressible fluid in the suction chamber is introduced into the working chamber and is compressed to a predetermined pressure. The compressed compressible fluid in the working chamber is discharged into the discharge chamber. The discharge valve is interposed between the working chamber and the discharge chamber. The thermal insulating member is disposed in the discharge chamber. The thermal insulating member has an opening restricting portion for restricting the maximum opening degree of the discharge valve.
- Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.
- The features of the present invention that are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description of the presently preferred embodiments, together with the accompanying drawing, in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a compressor according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 2 is an explanation drawing explaining a thermal insulating member of the compressor according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a compressor according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 4 is an explanation drawing explaining a thermal insulating member of the compressor according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a compressor according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention; and -
FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a compressor according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention. - The following will describe a compressor according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to
FIGS. 1 and 2 . It is noted that the left side of the compressor inFIG. 1 is the front side and the opposite right side thereof is the rear side. The compressor according to the first preferred embodiment is a variable displacement type compressor which uses carbon dioxide as a compressible fluid. -
FIG. 1 shows acompressor 10 of the first embodiment. Referring toFIG. 1 , thecompressor 10 includes acompressor housing 11 which forms the outer shell of thecompressor 10. Thecompressor housing 11 includes acylinder block 12 in which a plurality ofcylinder bores 12 a is formed, afront housing 13 which is joined to the front end of thecylinder block 12 and arear housing 14 which is joined to the rear end of thecylinder block 12. In the first preferred embodiment, thefront housing 13, thecylinder block 12 and therear housing 14 of thecompressor housing 11 are made of aluminum-based metal to reduce the compressor weight. A plurality of through bolts 16 (only one shown inFIG. 1 ) extends through thefront housing 13, thecylinder block 12 and therear housing 14 and tightens those components together in the axial direction thereof, thereby integrally fixing those components to form thecompressor housing 11. - The
front housing 13 and thecylinder block 12 cooperate to define acrank chamber 17 whose rear side is closed by thecylinder block 12. Arotatable drive shaft 18 extends through thecrank chamber 17 at the center thereof. Thedrive shaft 18 is supported at the front portion thereof by aradial bearing 19 which is disposed in thefront housing 13 and at the rear portion thereof by a radial bearing 20 which is disposed in thecylinder block 12. Ashaft seal mechanism 33 is provided on the front side of the radial bearing 19 in sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface of thedrive shaft 18. Theshaft seal mechanism 33 includes a lip seal member and a holder which holds the lip seal member, thereby preventing compressible fluid in thecrank chamber 17 from leaking through a gap between thefront housing 13 and thedrive shaft 18. - A
lug plate 21 is fixed to thedrive shaft 18 in thecrank chamber 17 for rotation therewith. Aswash plate 23 which forms adisplacement changing mechanism 22 is supported by thedrive shaft 18 at the rear side of thelug plate 21 so as to slide along and incline with respect to the axis of thedrive shaft 18. Ahinge mechanism 24 is interposed between theswash plate 23 and thelug plate 21, and theswash plate 23 is connected to thelug plate 21 and thedrive shaft 18 through thehinge mechanism 24 for synchronous rotation therewith and inclination with respect thereto. - A
coil spring 25 is provided around thedrive shaft 18 between thelug plate 21 and theswash plate 23, and atubular body 26 is slidably fitted on thedrive shaft 18 and urged rearward by thecoil spring 25. Thus, theswash plate 23 is constantly pushed rearward by thecoil spring 25 through thetubular body 26 in such a way theswash plate 23 is urged in the direction which reduces inclination angle of theswash plate 23. It is noted that the inclination angle of theswash plate 23 is an angle between a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of thedrive shaft 18 and a plane of theswash plate 23. Astopper 23 a protrudes from the front side of theswash plate 23, and as shown inFIG. 1 , the contact of thestopper 23 a with thelug plate 21 restricts the position of the maximum inclination of theswash plate 23. Aretaining ring 27 is installed on thedrive shaft 18 on the rear side of theswash plate 23, and acoil spring 28 is provided around thedrive shaft 18 on the front side of theretaining ring 27. The contact of theswash plate 23 with thecoil spring 28 restricts the position of the minimum inclination of theswash plate 23. A single-headed piston 29 is received in each cylinder bore 12 a of thecylinder block 12 for reciprocation therein, and a neck portion of eachpiston 29 engages with the periphery of theswash plate 23 through a corresponding pair ofshoes 30. - A
displacement control valve 32 is provided in therear housing 14 which is operable to adjust the stroke of thepiston 29 or the displacement of thecompressor 10 by changing the angle of inclination of theswash plate 23. - The
rear housing 14, avalve port plate 35 and asuction valve plate 34 which are interposed between therear housing 14 and thecylinder block 12, adischarge valve plate 36 and a thermal insulatingmember 37 will now be described. Therear housing 14 which is joined to the rear end of thecylinder block 12 has asuction chamber 14 a formed in therear housing 14 and adischarge chamber 14 b in which the thermal insulatingmember 37, which will be described in detail later, is provided. Thevalve port plate 35 forms a workingchamber 31 in each cylinder bore 12 a with thecorresponding piston 29. Thevalve port plate 35 has asuction port 35 a which is in communication with thesuction chamber 14 a in therear housing 14 and adischarge port 35 b which is in communication with thedischarge chamber 14 b in therear housing 14. Thedischarge port 35 b serves as a valve port. Thesuction valve plate 34 is a plate which has suction valves (not shown) interposed between the workingchambers 31 and thesuction ports 35 a, while thedischarge valve plate 36 is a plate which has reedtype discharge valves 36 a interposed between thedischarge ports 35 b and thedischarge chambers 14 b. The thermal insulatingmember 37 is disposed in thedischarge chamber 14 b of therear housing 14 and has adischarge space 37 a formed in the thermal insulatingmember 37. The thermal insulatingmember 37 is provided to prevent the heat transfer of the compressible fluid in thedischarge space 37 a to thesuction chamber 14 a. In addition, the thermal insulatingmember 37 has anopening restricting portion 37 b for restricting the maximum opening degree of thedischarge valve 36 a. - To describe more in detail with reference to
FIG. 1 , while the front end of therear housing 14 and the rear end of thecylinder block 12 are joined to each other, thevalve plates rear housing 14 and thecylinder block 12 with thevalve port plate 35 interposed therebetween. That is, thesuction valve plate 34 is located on the front side of thevalve port plate 35 and thedischarge valve plate 36 is located on the opposite rear side thereof. The thermal insulatingmember 37 is disposed on the side of therear housing 14 with respect to thedischarge valve plate 36. In the first preferred embodiment, thesuction valve plate 34, thevalve port plate 35, thedischarge valve plate 36 and the thermal insulatingmember 37 are arranged in this order from the front side, and abolt 38 extends through thevalve plates valve port plate 35 and the thermal insulatingmember 37. Anut 40 is screwed on thebolt 38 for fastening thevalve plates valve port plate 35 and the thermal insulatingmember 37 by way of two disc springs 39. Thus, the thermal insultingmember 37 is constantly urged against thedischarge valve plate 36 by the resilient force of the disc springs 39. Although in the first preferred embodiment the disc springs 39 are used as the urging member for providing urging force to the thermal insulatingmember 37, members other than the disc springs 39 may be used, such as resilient member made of rubber-based material or resilient sealing member. - The
suction chamber 14 a is formed in radially outer region of therear housing 14 in communication with the cylinder bore 12 a via thesuction port 35 a formed through thevalve port plate 35. On the other hand, thedischarge chamber 14 b, in which the thermal insulatingmember 37 is provided, is formed in radially inner region of therear housing 14. Thedischarge chamber 14 b and thesuction chamber 14 a are separated sealingly from each other by apartition 14 c. Thedischarge space 37 a is formed in the thermal insulatingmember 37 so as to face thedischarge valve plate 36. - The
discharge valve plate 36 is made of a thin metal sheet which has the reedtype discharge valve 36 a for opening and closing thedischarge port 35 b formed through thevalve port plate 35. As shown inFIG. 2 , thedischarge valve 36 a corresponds to each of thedischarge ports 35 b which is correspond to the cylinder bore 12 a, and aproximal end 361 of thedischarge valve 36 a which is located on the center of therear housing 14 is fixed between thevalve port plate 35 and the thermal insulatingmember 37 by being pressed by the thermal insulatingmember 37 which is urged frontward by the disc springs 39. Thedischarge valve 36 a is flexible as the chain line shown inFIG. 2 , and the maximum opening degree of thedischarge valve 36 a is restricted by contact thereof with theopening restricting portion 37 b of the thermal insulatingmember 37. - The thermal insulating
member 37 of the first preferred embodiment will now be described in detail.FIG. 2 shows a front view of the thermal insulatingmember 37 as seen from the discharge valve plate 36 (drawing on the left).FIG. 2 also shows a longitudinal-sectional view of the thermal insulatingmember 37 drawing on the right). Thevalve port plate 35 and thedischarge valve plate 36 are illustrated by solid and chain lines. The thermal insulatingmember 37 has a substantially disk-like shape. The thermal insulatingmember 37 also has a plurality ofrecesses 37 c arranged circumferentially in facing to thedischarge valve plate 36 and each having substantially a sector shape. Therecesses 37 c are formed in the thermal insulatingmember 37 adjacent to the periphery of the thermal insulatingmember 37. Theopening restricting portion 37 b is formed between any twoadjacent recesses 37 c and acommunication groove 37 d is formed adjacent to the outer periphery of therecesses 37 c for communication between therecesses 37 c. In the first preferred embodiment, theserecesses 37 c and thecommunication grooves 37 d form thedischarge space 37 a. - The
opening restricting portion 37 b has a curved surface as shown in the cross section ofFIGS. 1 and 2 , so that no harmful force is applied to thedischarge valve 36 a when thedischarge valve 36 a is fully opened in contact with theopening restricting portion 37 b. As shown inFIG. 2 , one of therecesses 37 c of the thermal insulatingmember 37 has anoutlet 37 e which is in communication with a discharge piping (broken line shown inFIG. 1 ) connected to an external refrigerant circuit. Theoutlet 37 e is formed on the onerecess 37 c. The thermal insulatingmember 37 prevents the heat transfer of the compressible fluid in thedischarge space 37 a to therear housing 14 including thesuction chamber 14 a, because the thermal insulatingmember 37 is made of resin material which has a smaller heat transfer coefficient than therear housing 14 which is made of aluminum-based metal in the present embodiment. In the first preferred embodiment, PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) resin is used as the resin material. - In the first preferred embodiment, a contacted
portion 371 formed in the thermal insulatingmember 37 is contacted with theproximal end 361 of thedischarge valve 36 a, that is, the contactedportion 371 is pressed against theproximal end 361. This contactedportion 371 is defined by a circular region of the thermal insulatingmember 37, as shown by latticed hatching inFIG. 2 , which ranges from the center thereof to theopening restricting portion 37 b. Thedischarge valve plate 36 is kept in tight contact with the thermal insulatingmember 37 at the contactedportion 371 thereof, so that irregular movement of thedischarge valve 36 a relative to thevalve port plate 35 is prevented when thedischarge valve 36 a is opened and closed. - The operation of the
compressor 10 of the first preferred embodiment will now be described. As thedrive shaft 18 is rotated and theswash plate 23 is driven to rotate accordingly, eachpiston 29 is reciprocated through theshoes 30. When thepiston 29 moves from its top dead center to its bottom dead center, the compressible fluid in thesuction chamber 14 a is drawn into the workingchamber 31 in the cylinder bore 12 a through the suction valve. Then, when thepiston 29 moves from the bottom dead center to the top dead center, the compressible fluid in the workingchamber 31 is compressed to a predetermined pressure, and then discharged into thedischarge space 37 a through thedischarge valve 36 a. Although the compressible fluid in thedischarge space 37 a is then high in temperature and pressure, the heat transfer of the compressible fluid in thedischarge space 37 a to thesuction chamber 14 a is prevented by the thermal insulatingmember 37, thereby preventing temperature rise of the low-pressure compressible fluid in thesuction chamber 14 a. During the operation of thecompressor 10, thedischarge valve 36 a is not opened or bent in excess of its elastic limit by the contact with theopening restricting portion 37 b of the thermal insulatingmember 37. The compressible fluid discharged into thedischarge space 37 a of the thermal insulatingmember 37 is discharged from theoutlet 37 e to the discharge piping through thecommunication groove 37 d, which is in communication with theadjacent recesses 37 c. - The
compressor 10 of the first preferred embodiment has the following advantageous effects. -
- (1) The thermal insulating
member 37 not only prevents the heat transfer of the compressible fluid in thedischarge space 37 a to therear housing 14 including thesuction chamber 14 a but also serves as a retainer. Therefore, the number of parts of thecompressor 10 is reduced as compared to that of a prior art compressor. In addition, the space for installation is reduced as compared to the case in which the retainer and the thermal insulating member are separately installed, thus enabling thecompressor 10 to be simplified and reduce its size. Further, the freedom of designing the interior of therear housing 14 is enhanced. Further, the reduced number of parts enables reduction of manufacturing cost and simplification of assembling operation. - (2) Because the
opening restricting portion 37 b of the thermal insulatingmember 37 has an arched surface in cross section, thedischarge valve 36 a of thedischarge valve plate 36 is opened along the arched surface in its maximum opening degree. Thus, thedischarge valve 36 a is not opened in excess of its elastic limit and thevalve 36 a is not susceptible to excessive deformation or breakage. - (3) In the above-described embodiment wherein the thermal insulating
member 37 is urged against thedischarge valve plate 36 by the disc springs 39 serving as the urging member, thedischarge valve plate 36 is firmly pressed against the thermal insulatingmember 37 and thevalve port plate 35. Therefore, the pressed contact of thedischarge valve plate 36 with both of thevalve port plate 35 and the thermal insulatingmember 37 is maintained when thedischarge valve 36 a is fully opened, thereby stabilizing the opening and closing operation of thedischarge valve 36 a. - (4) The thermal insulating
member 37 is pressed against thedischarge valve plate 36 thereby maintaining fluid tightness of thedischarge space 37 a. Also, since the thermal insulatingmember 37 is pressed against thedischarge valve plate 36, the surface of the thermal insulatingmember 37 with which thedischarge valve plate 36 is contacted does not require highly accurate machining, thereby facilitating the machining of the thermal insulatingmember 37. This is particularly effective when the thermal insulatingmember 37 is made of resin material. - (5) Using a resin as the material for the thermal insulating
member 37, it is easier to set the heat transfer coefficient of the thermal insulatingmember 37 lower than that of thehousing 11 made of metal and forming the outer shell of the compressor and to make theopening restricting portion 37 b as compared with the conventional practice according to which the thermal insulating member and the opening restricting portion are formed separately. Thus, the manufacture of thecompressor 10 is simplified. - (6) In a case where carbon dioxide is employed as the compressible fluid which is used under a relatively high pressure as compared to another compressible fluid, the carbon dioxide generates a greater amount of heat in the
discharge space 37 a. As the temperature of the carbon dioxide in thedischarge space 37 a rises, the prevention effect of the heat transfer of the compressible fluid to thesuction chamber 14 a by the thermal insulatingmember 37 becomes more remarkable. - (7) The prevention effect of the thermal insulating
member 37 is improved by increasing the thickness thereof. If the thermal insulatingmember 37 is formed with a sufficiently large thickness, the prevention effect of the heat transfer of the compressible fluid in thedischarge space 37 a to thesuction chamber 14 a is further improved, thereby enhancing the compression efficiency of thecompressor 10. - (8) As the number of cylinder bores 12 a in the
cylinder block 12 of thecompressor 10 is increased, the diameter of the cylinder bores and the size of thedischarge valves 36 a are reduced. However, in the above-described embodiment of the invention wherein the thermal insulatingmember 37 is formed integrally with theopening restricting portion 37 b, the maximum opening degree of thedischarge valves 36 a can be restricted easily in a compressor having an increased number of cylinder bores.
- (1) The thermal insulating
- A
compressor 50 according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference toFIGS. 3 and 4 . As shown inFIG. 3 , thecompressor 50 according to the second preferred embodiment is different from thecompressor 10 according to the first preferred embodiment in that adischarge chamber 54 b is formed in radially outer region of arear housing 54 and that asuction chamber 54 a is formed in radially inner region thereof. For convenience of explanation, the drawings for the second embodiment use like reference numerals or symbols to denote like parts or elements of the first embodiment. Explanation of those parts which are common to the first and second embodiments is omitted, and the explanation of the first embodiment is incorporated in the second preferred embodiment. Therefore, the following description will deal with mainly the differences from the first preferred embodiment. - As shown in
FIGS. 3 and 4 , thecylinder block 12 is joined at the rear end thereof to the front end of therear housing 54 with asuction valve plate 53, adischarge valve plate 56 and avalve port plate 55 interposed therebetween. Thesuction valve plate 53 is located on the front side of thevalve port plate 55 and thedischarge valve plate 56 is located on the opposite rear side thereof. In the radially outer region of therear housing 54, thedischarge chamber 54 b is annularly formed. An annular thermal insulatingmember 57 which forms adischarge space 57 a is disposed in thedischarge chamber 54 b. In the radially inner region of therear housing 54, asuction chamber 54 a is formed. Thevalve port plate 55 has asuction port 55 a corresponding to thesuction chamber 54 a and adischarge port 55 b that serves as a valve port through thevalve port plate 55. Thedischarge port 55 b corresponds to thedischarge space 57 a formed by the thermal insulatingmember 57. Thesuction valve plate 53 which forms a suction valve is interposed between thesuction port 55 a of thevalve port plate 55 and the workingchamber 31. Thedischarge valve plate 56 formed annularly and having adischarge valve 56 a is interposed between thedischarge port 55 b of thevalve port plate 55 and thedischarge space 57 a. Thedischarge valve 56 a of thedischarge valve plate 56 extends from an annularproximal end 561 of thedischarge valve plate 56 toward the center of thedischarge valve plate 56. Thedischarge valve 56 a is formed at a position corresponding to thedischarge port 55 b. - The thermal insulating
member 57 will now be described in detail. As shown inFIG. 4 , the thermal insulatingmember 57 of the second preferred embodiment is made in the form of a gear and has a throughhole 57 e formed in the central region of the thermal insulatingmember 57.FIG. 4 shows a front view of the thermal insulatingmember 57 which is seen from the discharge valve plate 56 (drawing on the left).FIG. 4 also shows a longitudinal-sectional view of the thermal insulating member 57 (drawing on the right). Thevalve port plate 55 and thedischarge valve plate 56 are illustrated by solid line and chain line. Acommunication groove 57 c is formed in the outer peripheral portion of the thermal insulatingmember 57 along the outline of the gear-like shape thereof. In the present embodiment, thecommunication groove 57 c substantially corresponds to thedischarge space 57 a. Anopening restricting portion 57 b of a bell-like shape is formed so as to be surrounded on three sides thereof by thecommunication groove 57 c. Thedischarge valve 56 a is formed so as to face theopening restricting portion 57 b. Because theopening restricting portion 57 b has an arched surface in cross section, thedischarge valve 56 a is opened along the arched surface in its maximum opening position. Thus, thedischarge valve 56 a is not opened in excess of its elastic limit and thedischarge valve 56 a is not susceptible to excess deformation or break. - In
FIGS. 3 and 4 , therear housing 54 also serves as an urging member to urge the thermal insulatingmember 57 toward thedischarge valve plate 56 through thebolts 16, thereby pressing the thermal insulatingmember 57 against thedischarge valve plate 56. Thus, theproximal end 561 of thedischarge valve 56 a is held securely by the thermal insulatingmember 57 and thevalve port plate 55. Therefore, thedischarge valve plate 56 makes steady opening and closing motion without irregular motion when thedischarge valve 56 a is in its maximum opening degree. One of thecommunication grooves 57 c of the thermal insulatingmember 57 has anoutlet 57 d which is in communication with a discharge piping (not shown). Theoutlet 57 d is formed on the onecommunication groove 57 c. The compressible fluid in thecommunication groove 57 c that serves as thedischarge space 57 a is discharged to the discharge piping through theoutlet 57 d. As in the first preferred embodiment, a portion of the thermal insulatingmember 57 which is contacted with theproximal end 561 of thedischarge valve 56 a, that is, a contactedportion 571 is formed in the thermal insulatingmember 57. In the present preferred embodiment, the contactedportion 571 is shown by latticed regions inFIG. 4 . - According to the
compressor 50 of the present preferred embodiment, when thepiston 29 moves from its bottom dead center to its top dead center, the compressible fluid in the workingchamber 31 is compressed to a predetermined pressure and then discharged into thedischarge space 57 a through thedischarge valve 56 a. Although the compressible fluid in thedischarge space 57 a is then high in temperature and pressure, the heat transfer of the compressible fluid to therear housing 54 including thesuction chamber 54 a is prevented by the thermal insulatingmember 57, thereby preventing temperature rise of the low-pressure compressible fluid in thesuction chamber 54 a. During the operation of thecompressor 50, thedischarge valve 56 a is not opened or bent in excess of its elastic limit by the contact with theopening restricting portion 57 b of the thermal insulatingmember 57. The compressible fluid discharged into thedischarge space 57 a of the thermal insulatingmember 57 is discharged from theoutlet 57 d to the discharge piping. - As is apparent to those skilled in the art, though the
compressor 50 of the second embodiment differs from thecompressor 10 of the first embodiment in that thesuction chamber 54 a is formed in radially inner region while thedischarge space 57 a is formed in radially outer region of therear housing 54, thecompressor 50 having the thermal insulatingmember 57 offers substantially the same effects as thecompressor 10. - A
compressor 60 according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference toFIG. 5 . For convenience of explanation, the drawing for the third embodiment uses like reference numerals or symbols to denote like parts or elements of the first embodiment. Explanation of those parts which are common to the first and third embodiments is omitted, and the explanation of the first embodiment is incorporated in the third preferred embodiment. Therefore, the following description will deal with mainly the differences from the first preferred embodiment. Accordingly,FIG. 5 shows only those parts of thecompressor 60 which are relevant to the third embodiment. Thecompressor 60 according to the third preferred embodiment has asuction chamber 64 a which is formed in the radially outer region of arear housing 64 and adischarge chamber 64 b having a thermal insulatingmember 67 disposed therein is formed in the radially inner region of therear housing 64. Thesuction chamber 64 a and thedischarge chamber 64 b are separated from each other by apartition 64 c. Thecylinder block 12 is joined at the rear end thereof to the front end of therear housing 64. Between thecylinder block 12 and therear housing 64, asuction valve plate 63 which forms a suction valve, avalve port plate 65 which forms adischarge port 65 b serving as a valve port and adischarge valve plate 66 which forms adischarge valve 66 a are provided. Thesuction valve plate 63 is located on the front side of thevalve port plate 65 and thedischarge valve plate 66 is located on the rear side thereof. In the present preferred embodiment, abolt 68 extends through the center of thevalve port plate 65 and thevalve plates nut 69 is screwed on thebolt 68 thereby fastening thevalve plates valve port plate 65. - Meanwhile, the thermal insulating
member 67, which is disposed in thedischarge chamber 64 b of therear housing 64, has adischarge space 67 a, anopening restricting portion 67 b, arecess 67 c, acommunication groove 67 d and anoutlet 67 e, as in the case of the first embodiment. In the present preferred embodiment, a thermal insulatinggroove 67 f is further formed in the thermal insulatingmember 67 on the radially outer side of thecommunication groove 67 d. The thermal insulatinggroove 67 f serves an air space in the thermal insulatingmember 67 for thermal insulation, and the thermal insulating effect of the air space further enhances the prevention effect of the heat transfer of the compressible fluid in thedischarge space 67 a to therear housing 64 including thesuction chamber 64 a. That is, it can be said that the air space which serves as thermal insulating means having a heat transfer coefficient that is smaller than that of the thermal insulatingmember 67 is provided in the thermal insulatingmember 67. Thus, while the present preferred embodiment employs the thermal insulatinggroove 67 f as the air space, a material whose heat transfer coefficient is smaller than that of the thermal insulatingmember 67 is suitably selected. - In the present preferred embodiment wherein the
rear housing 64 is fastened to thecylinder block 12 by axial force of the throughbolts 16 and presses the thermal insulatingmember 67 against thevalve port plate 65, the throughbolts 16 substantially serves as the urging member. The thermal insulatingmember 67 has arecess 67 g which is opened on the front side of thermal insulatingmember 67. Therecess 67 g is formed in the central region of the thermal insulatingmember 67, and accommodates therein thebolt 68 and thenut 69. In the present embodiment, the air space serving as the thermal insulating means whose heat transfer coefficient is smaller than that of the thermal insulatingmember 67 is provided in the thermal insulatingmember 67, thereby further enhancing the prevention effect of the heat transfer of the compressible fluid in thedischarge space 67 a to thesuction chamber 64 a. - A
compressor 70 according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference toFIG. 6 . For convenience of explanation, the drawing for the fourth embodiment uses like reference numerals or symbols to denote like parts or elements of the first embodiment. Explanation of those parts which are common to the first and fourth embodiments is omitted, and the explanation of the first embodiment is incorporated in the fourth preferred embodiment. Therefore, the following description will deal with mainly the differences from the first preferred embodiment. Accordingly,FIG. 6 shows only those parts of thecompressor 70 which are relevant to the fourth embodiment. Thecompressor 70 according to the fourth preferred embodiment has asuction chamber 74 a which is formed in the radially outer region of arear housing 74 and adischarge chamber 74 b accommodating a thermal insulatingmember 77 disposed therein is formed in the radially inner region of therear housing 74. Thesuction chamber 74 a and thedischarge chamber 74 b are separated from each other by a partition 74 c. Thecylinder block 12 is joined at the rear end thereof to the front end of therear housing 74. Asuction valve plate 73 which forms a suction valve, avalve port plate 75 which forms adischarge port 75 b serving as a valve port, adischarge valve plate 76 which forms adischarge valve 76 a and aplate 78 for pressing against thedischarge valve plate 76 are provided in this order between thecylinder block 12 and therear housing 74. - In the present preferred embodiment, a
bolt 79 extends through the center of thevalve port plate 75, thevalve plates plate 78. Anut 80 is screwed on thebolt 79 thereby fastening thedischarge valve plate 76 to thevalve port plate 75. Adisc spring 81, through which thebolt 79 extends, is interposed between theplate 78 and thenut 80. Thedisc spring 81 urges theplate 78 against thedischarge valve plate 76, and serves as the urging means. - Meanwhile, the thermal insulating
member 77, which is disposed in thedischarge chamber 74 b of therear housing 74, has adischarge space 77 a, anopening restricting portion 77 b, arecess 77 c, acommunication groove 77 d and anoutlet 77 e, as in the case of the first embodiment. While the thermal insulatingmember 77 according to the present preferred embodiment is pressed against theplate 78, the thermal insulatingmember 77 does not directly press against aproximal end 761 of thedischarge valve 76 a of thedischarge valve plate 76. That is, theproximal end 761 of thedischarge valve 76 a is mainly pressed by theplate 78 which receives elastic force of thedisc spring 81, and a part of the thermal insulatingmember 77 is merely contacted with theplate 78. Therefore, the contact between the thermal insulatingmember 77 and theplate 78 may be in such condition that fluid tightness of thedischarge space 77 a is accomplished by providing an adhesive or sealing member between the thermal insulatingmember 77 and theplate 78. Thus, the contactedportions member 77 of the fourth preferred embodiment. - In the present preferred embodiment, the
opening restricting portion 77 b of the thermal insulatingmember 77 has an arched surface, with which part of thedischarge valve 36 a is contacted, in cross section. Although the area of theopening restricting portion 77 b with which thedischarge valve 76 a is contacted is smaller than that of theopening restricting portion 37 b of the first preferred embodiment due to the thickness of theplate 78 interposed between thedischarge valve plate 76 and the thermal insulatingmember 77, theopening restricting portion 77 b of the thermal insulatingmember 77 performs the function of restricting the maximum opening degree of thedischarge valve 76 a substantially in the same manner as theopening restricting portion 37 b. According to thecompressor 70 of the present preferred embodiment, while the thermal insulatingmember 77 prevents the heat transfer of the compressible fluid in thedischarge space 77 a to therear housing 74 including thesuction chamber 74 a, the thermal insulatingmember 77 restricts the maximum opening degree of thedischarge valve 76 a. In addition, since the thermal insulatingmember 77 does not need to be directly pressed against thedischarge valve plate 76, the degree of freedom of selecting material of the thermal insulatingmember 77, for example, its strength is improved. - While the foregoing descriptions for the first through fourth embodiments has dealt with the swash plate type compressor provided with pistons, the present invention is also applicable to a scroll type compressor. Although not shown, the scroll type compressor generally includes a working chamber which is formed by a fixed scroll and a movable scroll, a suction chamber from which a low-pressure fluid is introduced into the working chamber, a discharge chamber into which a high-pressure fluid compressed in the working chamber is discharged, a discharge valve interposed between the working chamber and the discharge chamber and a retainer which restricts the maximum opening degree of the discharge valve. By providing a thermal insulating member in which a discharge space and an opening restricting portion for restricting the opening degree of the discharge valve are formed in the discharge chamber of the scroll type compressor, the thermal insulating member can perform the function of preventing the heat transfer from the discharge space to a housing including the suction chamber and also retaining the discharge valve opening.
- The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned first through fourth embodiments, but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims, as exemplified below.
- While the first through fourth embodiments have been described by way of an example of variable displacement swash plate type compressor, the present invention is applicable to a fixed displacement swash plate type compressor. At least if the compressor is constructed such that its suction chamber and discharge chamber are located relatively adjacent to each other and that a compressible fluid is discharged into the discharge chamber through a discharge valve, the present invention is applicable to the fixed displacement swash plate type compressor. Thus, types of compressor to which the present invention is applicable are not limited.
- While the thermal insulating member according to the first through fourth embodiments is made of a resin material, the thermal insulating member may be made of any material whose heat transfer coefficient is smaller than that of a housing made of a metal such as aluminum-based or ferrous metal. Any other metals or inorganic materials whose heat transfer coefficient is small may be used.
- In each of the first through fourth embodiments, because the thermal insulating member which serves also as a retainer has a discharge space therein, the discharge space prevents the heat transfer of the compressible fluid in the discharge chamber to the suction chamber, thereby improving the performance of the compressor. However, the suction chamber may be formed by another thermal insulating member. In this case, the heat transfer of the compressible fluid in the discharge chamber to the suction chamber is further prevented by the thermal insulating member of the suction chamber side and the thermal insulating member forming the discharge space, thereby improving the compression efficiency of the compressor. Thus, the performance of the compressor is further enhanced.
- In each of the first through fourth embodiments, carbon dioxide which is compressed to a high pressure is employed as the compressible fluid. In the present invention, however, chlorofluorocarbon or Freon gas which is compressed to a pressure that is lower than that of carbon dioxide may be employed as the compressible fluid. Thus, kinds of compressible fluid to which the present invention is applicable are not limited.
- Therefore, the present examples and embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein but may be modified.
Claims (13)
1. A compressor comprising:
a suction chamber in which a low-pressure compressible fluid resides;
a working chamber into which the low-pressure compressible fluid in the suction chamber is introduced and in which the compressible fluid is compressed to a predetermined pressure;
a discharge chamber into which the compressed compressible fluid in the working chamber is discharged;
a discharge valve interposed between the working chamber and the discharge chamber; and
a thermal insulating member disposed in the discharge chamber, wherein the thermal insulating member has an opening restricting portion for restricting the maximum opening degree of the discharge valve.
2. The compressor according to claim 1 , further comprising an urging member for pressing the thermal insulating member against the discharge valve.
3. The compressor according to claim 1 , wherein heat transfer coefficient of the thermal insulating member is smaller than that of a housing which forms an outer shell of the compressor.
4. The compressor according to claim 2 , wherein the urging member is a spring.
5. The compressor according to claim 2 , wherein the urging member is a housing which forms an outer shell of the compressor.
6. The compressor according to claim 1 , further comprising a plate for pressing the discharge valve to a valve port plate.
7. The compressor according to claim 1 , wherein the thermal insulating member has a contacted portion which is contacted with a proximal end of the discharge valve.
8. The compressor according to claim 1 , wherein the thermal insulating member has a substantially disk-like shape.
9. The compressor according to claim 1 , wherein the thermal insulating member has an annular shape.
10. The compressor according to claim 9 , wherein the thermal insulating member has a gear-like shape.
11. The compressor according to claim 1 , wherein the thermal insulating member is made of a resin material.
12. The compressor according to claim 1 , wherein the opening restricting portion has an arched surface in cross section.
13. The compressor according to claim 1 , wherein the compressible fluid is a carbon dioxide.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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JP2004-042324 | 2004-02-19 | ||
JP2004042324A JP2005233054A (en) | 2004-02-19 | 2004-02-19 | Compressor |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20050186087A1 true US20050186087A1 (en) | 2005-08-25 |
Family
ID=34709107
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US11/062,291 Abandoned US20050186087A1 (en) | 2004-02-19 | 2005-02-18 | Compressor |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20050186087A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1566544B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP2005233054A (en) |
DE (1) | DE602005004433D1 (en) |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20040076535A1 (en) * | 1999-12-28 | 2004-04-22 | Ryosuke Izawa | Reciprocating refrigerant compressor |
US20060237552A1 (en) * | 2005-04-26 | 2006-10-26 | Satoshi Umemura | Displacement control valve for clutchless type variable displacement compressor |
US20100150744A1 (en) * | 2007-03-29 | 2010-06-17 | Ixetic Mac Gmbh | Air conditioning compressor |
US20150298034A1 (en) * | 2014-04-16 | 2015-10-22 | Hydac Filtertechnik Gmbh | Contamination indicator |
US20160146199A1 (en) * | 2014-11-24 | 2016-05-26 | Caterpillar Inc. | Cryogenic Pump with Insulating Arrangement |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP2009036069A (en) * | 2007-08-01 | 2009-02-19 | Sanden Corp | Scroll type fluid machine |
Citations (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4325680A (en) * | 1980-01-23 | 1982-04-20 | Necchi Societa Per Azioni | Valve system for encapsulated motor-compressor units |
US4450860A (en) * | 1981-02-13 | 1984-05-29 | Copeland Corporation | Discharge valve guide |
US5655898A (en) * | 1995-11-14 | 1997-08-12 | Sanden Corporation | Reed valve arrangement for a reciprocating compressor |
US5848882A (en) * | 1995-01-13 | 1998-12-15 | Sanden Corporation | Valved discharge mechanism of a fluid displacement apparatus |
US6302658B1 (en) * | 1997-08-29 | 2001-10-16 | Luk Fahrzeug-Haydraulik Gmbh & Co. Kg | Swash plate-compressor |
US6364629B1 (en) * | 1999-04-16 | 2002-04-02 | Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho | Valve structure with configured retainer |
US6454545B1 (en) * | 1996-11-25 | 2002-09-24 | Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho | Compressor |
US6467296B2 (en) * | 2000-01-25 | 2002-10-22 | Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho | Air conditioning system for vehicle |
US20040105762A1 (en) * | 2002-12-02 | 2004-06-03 | Jiro Iizuka | Compressor in which heat transfer in a cylinder head is controlled |
-
2004
- 2004-02-19 JP JP2004042324A patent/JP2005233054A/en not_active Withdrawn
-
2005
- 2005-02-17 EP EP05003444A patent/EP1566544B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2005-02-17 DE DE602005004433T patent/DE602005004433D1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2005-02-18 US US11/062,291 patent/US20050186087A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4325680A (en) * | 1980-01-23 | 1982-04-20 | Necchi Societa Per Azioni | Valve system for encapsulated motor-compressor units |
US4450860A (en) * | 1981-02-13 | 1984-05-29 | Copeland Corporation | Discharge valve guide |
US5848882A (en) * | 1995-01-13 | 1998-12-15 | Sanden Corporation | Valved discharge mechanism of a fluid displacement apparatus |
US5655898A (en) * | 1995-11-14 | 1997-08-12 | Sanden Corporation | Reed valve arrangement for a reciprocating compressor |
US6454545B1 (en) * | 1996-11-25 | 2002-09-24 | Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho | Compressor |
US6302658B1 (en) * | 1997-08-29 | 2001-10-16 | Luk Fahrzeug-Haydraulik Gmbh & Co. Kg | Swash plate-compressor |
US6364629B1 (en) * | 1999-04-16 | 2002-04-02 | Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho | Valve structure with configured retainer |
US6467296B2 (en) * | 2000-01-25 | 2002-10-22 | Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho | Air conditioning system for vehicle |
US20040105762A1 (en) * | 2002-12-02 | 2004-06-03 | Jiro Iizuka | Compressor in which heat transfer in a cylinder head is controlled |
Cited By (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20040076535A1 (en) * | 1999-12-28 | 2004-04-22 | Ryosuke Izawa | Reciprocating refrigerant compressor |
US7004734B2 (en) * | 1999-12-28 | 2006-02-28 | Zexel Valco Climate Control Corporation | Reciprocating refrigerant compressor |
US20060237552A1 (en) * | 2005-04-26 | 2006-10-26 | Satoshi Umemura | Displacement control valve for clutchless type variable displacement compressor |
US20100150744A1 (en) * | 2007-03-29 | 2010-06-17 | Ixetic Mac Gmbh | Air conditioning compressor |
US8353680B2 (en) * | 2007-03-29 | 2013-01-15 | Ixetic Mac Gmbh | Air conditioning compressor |
US20150298034A1 (en) * | 2014-04-16 | 2015-10-22 | Hydac Filtertechnik Gmbh | Contamination indicator |
US10307700B2 (en) * | 2014-04-16 | 2019-06-04 | Hydac Filtertechnik Gmbh | Contamination indicator |
US20160146199A1 (en) * | 2014-11-24 | 2016-05-26 | Caterpillar Inc. | Cryogenic Pump with Insulating Arrangement |
US9995290B2 (en) * | 2014-11-24 | 2018-06-12 | Caterpillar Inc. | Cryogenic pump with insulating arrangement |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
DE602005004433D1 (en) | 2008-03-13 |
EP1566544A2 (en) | 2005-08-24 |
EP1566544B1 (en) | 2008-01-23 |
EP1566544A3 (en) | 2005-09-21 |
JP2005233054A (en) | 2005-09-02 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI, JAPAN Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:KOIDE, TATSUYA;MURASE, MASAKAZU;ENOKIJIMA, FUMINOBU;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:016317/0595 Effective date: 20050209 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |